Wandering in the Wilderness: Reflections from the book of Numbers 3500 years to Covid-19
Lesson Three (Chapters 5-7)
To view this online as a video: https://youtu.be/HdwDhVDqFSE
The entire Bible text of chapters 5, 6, and 7 are at the end also
Lesson Three: Characteristics of God’s people
A. Introduction
1. Greetings
Shalom to each of you here on the Zoom call and those who will watch this class lecture on YouTube later. Our usual program during these talks is to conduct an overview of the Bible section in the first 25 minutes and then let everyone on the call into a conversation about all the themes or ideas that I will bring up for the last 30 minutes or so. Further discussion happens even deeper in our D-Groups that happen over the next week or maybe some will conduct a D-Group on Shabbat.
I’m going to recommend that you who are watching this on YouTube should read the next three Bible chapters before you listen/ watch the rest of this. They are chapters 5 through 7. Then press play on your machine and re-join us. Thanks.
2. Overview
[For those online, see this book overview from The Bible Project (https://youtu.be/tp5MIrMZFqo)] We saw how this book breaks into three major geographic and chronological sections. The first is found in chapters 1 through 10. Geographically we were at Sinai at the time. That’s where we are in this our 3rd class today.
Some of you are new to our Zoom call and I especially welcome you, whether here in Australia or from overseas. You are muted at the beginning, but in a short while, our host will allow the usually lively conversations and questions.
3. Three Theses
We will continue to remind ourselves about three major considerations that Moses addresses over and over in the book of Numbers. You will find them throughout our study. First, as Jewish people today still think, the goal of our wandering was a settled place, then titled ‘Canaan’ and today titled ‘Israel.’ Wildernesses are ok for trekkers or adventurers, but that’s not the long-ranged plan of God for us Jewish people. The second major thesis is the centrality of God, in location, in guidance, in physicality, in the structures he establishes from Tabernacle on. We are a community often on the march, but we are never to forget the centrality of the Almighty. The third major thought concerns authority. We have the One who gave us his law at Mt Sinai, and to whom we often have to return for further clarification and advice.
Watch for those three theses each week, although some weeks they won’t be that visible, but usually they are front and centre.
B. Today’s study
1. God’s people: Cleansed of defilements (Chapter 5)
Today we are going to look at some of the characteristics of God’s people that are shown to be in his plan. And maybe you have longed for that. Maybe you want a list so you can strike through when you have attained a certain category. Maybe you want that list to show your spouse, or your children or grandchildren. Let me say that you can have a list as long as the Constitution or Don McLean’s ‘American Pie,’ but keeping that list may not be very helpful to you. We’ll look at that in a few minutes.
A. Clean and holy (5.1-31)
a. The Hebrew word “tamei” means impure or unclean is also translated defiled. Each one has a certain valence, but the end of the matter is that whatever is so categorized, and the word is used 9 times in this chapter alone, was enough to make the person unclean. That uncleanness caused exclusion from the camp and cost the unclean person socially as well as economically. Of note, is that each person also had a way back into good graces, and I don’t want us to forget that one, ever!
The categories (in verses 1-4) of defiled people included those with leprosy, those with bodily discharge (compare Leviticus 15) or those who touched a dead body, whether human or animal.
Some label this section of Torah as “miscellaneous laws” but Philip Budd insists
“It seems entirely appropriate that the issue should be raised here after the detailed discussion of the camp’s organization in Num 1–4.”
Whether these laws were miscellaneous, or health or hygiene, Weirsbe says, “their basic purpose was to teach the Jews the meaning of separation and holiness.” (page 35)
Some of you on this link are believers in Yeshua, and you know that he walked throughout Israel in the First Century, approximately 1500 years after Moses wrote these words in Bamidbar, and he claimed to be Messiah among his followers. And yet, though a traditional holy man, and one who never sinned, Yeshua touched lepers (Luke 5.12-15), and people with discharges touched him (Luke 8.43-48). Yeshua raised the dead by touch (Luke 7:11-17, 8:49-56). In other words, none of these defilements was a sin, otherwise Yeshua could not claim to be Messiah.
b. Not only were we to stay clean in our bodies, we were also to regard each other as our community. Verses 5-10 highlights reimbursements required if there were breach of trust or stolen property. We not only had to return the item (or its equivalence), we were to add another 20%. Steal $100? Bring back $120 to your neighbour. No neighbour? Bring $120 to the priests. Even though the restitution was recorded already in Leviticus 6, here is another example of what I said in lesson one:
“God makes special allowance for celebrating in what would become known as Pesach Sheni. (verses 10-11) I love that about the Lord and we will see him offering alternatives throughout Bamidbar. That’s so useful in understanding how to survive ‘in the wilderness.’ Speak with him and let him use wisdom to make situations real and reasonable and memorable as a result. More on that throughout this book.” God extends the rule to allow the priest to be the recipient of the required restitution.
c. The laws about jealousy and suspicion of adultery
Some of you find this a tough section to read. Weirsbe says, “faithfulness in marriage is a foundation stone for every society.” (page 35) The section involves the examination of a woman, not a man, whose spouse suspects of adultery and breaking the covenant. Let me say from the outset that this ceremony never takes place in the record of Scripture. Around the time of the Destruction of the Temple, Yochanan ben Zakkai abolished this ordeal and “divorce alone was used in cases of well-proven faithlessness.” (Hertz, page 589)
The event was public which is terrible and shame and disgrace would be intended. This is not a pre-nup; it’s a post-nup of terror. The woman is made to go through several mechanisms of evaluation and testing more rigorous than a Pfizer Covid testing lab to determine her honorable covenant-keeping. It’s not the best way to honor your wife. Obviously there were other issues going on, but the Bible zooms in on this one possible activity. And no matter what, this man in the chapter is going to have to live with the results, and in either case, it won’t be good for them as a couple. If she’s guilty, he has to take care of her to the death, without a child, and if she’s not, he has to live with his own suspicions and try to apologize, probably daily until they die.
The woman, and probably others and you might say as in verse 22, “Amen. Amen.” The original meaning has now been almost lost, as it’s more of a marker of “I’m finished with my prayer.” The meaning was “So be it” or “I believe it” and carries the weight of affirmation to a preceding statement. All that has been said and to which the speaker agrees is in view. The woman of suspicion agrees with the process. And hey, if you are delivered from the suspicion, and shown to be faithful, then according to the text, she will bear a child. (v. 28). That is sort of God’s amen to the situation.
Look, the sin of stealing personal property and the sin of adultery (stealing someone else’s wife) as shown in chapter 5 are both about undetected thievery. No matter what, dear friends on this call and who are watching on YouTube, be sure that all your sins will find you out. God had various ways in Tabernacle time to find out, and he still has ways today. The best advice I can give you, as one who has been caught out many times before, is to be rigorously honest with the Almighty and confess your sins. Don’t wait until Yom Kippur; do it today. And the mercy you hope to receive will be yours; that’s who God is!
2. God’s people: Separated to be blessed (Chapter 6)
The next chapter, chapter 6, ends with a famous blessing and that helps me set the title of this characteristic of God’s people: blessed. And if you are blessed, you will be thankful. At least that’s normal. And for you in the US just now, next Thursday is Thanksgiving and normalcy brings with it commensurate turkey and dressing, cranberries, family and football games. In the Scriptures here, this blessing follows the discussion about the Nazarite vow and the concept of a separated people.
I think the word Nezer (separate) is used at least 15 times in this one chapter alone. It’s the theme and a clear characteristic of God’s people. The idea of clean and pure (tahor) from the previous chapter and Nezer in this one, remind me that issues internal and external need to be in sync in a holy person’s life. The community is going to be on the march to Zion, and we have to be together in purity and in goals.
Accidents happen, and the Nazirite of chapter 6 might touch a death thing and become defiled (tamei. Verse 9), then plan B comes to the front. The hair according to Rabbi Hertz was regarded “as the symbol of the vital power at its full natural development, and the free growth of the hair on the head of the Nazirite represented the dedication of the man with all his strength and powers to the service of God.” (Page 592) The Nazarite shaves his head and is out for 7 days. BUT then he can reboot his vow and start over.
Again, this theme of substitution and another angle is seen over and over in Numbers, and I love that about the Lord. He gives us 2nd and 3rd and as many chances as possible for us to make things right.
Starting over, no matter how sure we didn’t need that ‘this time’ is the grace of God. The Proverbs teach, “a righteous man falls 7 times, and gets up again.”(24.16)
Then after the instruction about the Nazarite, God gives the blessing to pass on to Aaron to give to the people. Threefold. The Lord. Bless and keep. Make his face to shine upon you. Be gracious. Lift up countenance. Give you peace. Each Lord performs two actions.
A separated people, who devote themselves to the Lord, receive 6-fold blessings from our Triune God. Not everyone is going to be a Nazarite and not every Nazarite is perpetually separated, but the model is there in our text to remind us that the Jewish people are to separate from the nations around them, and find the 6-fold blessing which included these blessings.
a. Blessed (with goods)
b. Kept (from harm)
c. Make his face to shine upon you (personal relationship)
d. Grace (favour, kindness, when we fail)
e. Lift up countenance (make us to feel better, lifter of my head (Ps. 3)
f. Peace (rest in the Lord no matter what)
The rabbis interpret the “make his face to shine” in a purely spiritual sense, to imply the gift of knowledge and moral insight. Sifri: “May he give you enlightenment of the eyes, the light of the Shechinah, may the fire of prophecy burn in the souls of your children, may the light of the Torah illumine your home.” As I said, when you are blessed and happy and you know it, you don’t stomp your feet or jump in place, you say ‘thanks.’ That’s the end result of the peace we should have with God and with our neighbours. Thankfulness and gratitude. Not only on Thursday or Thursdays, but throughout our days. Amen?
3. God’s people: Everyone counts (Chapter 7) and should be GENEROUS
I hope you read these 89 verses one day. Maybe this afternoon. And let your mind evaluate why this name by name, tribe by tribe, gift by gift designation happens 12 times. Ponder what God is trying to say to you as you read and feel like you are re-reading it. By the way, the names are in the same order as they were in chapters 1 and 2. The tribes like everything God does, are in order. And each person’s gift, each tribal offering is counted.
I don’t know if you are still watching the endlessness of the US 2020 elections. I grew weary of it by the end of the first week after all the ballots were sent in or people rocked up to polling stations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. What’s fascinating to me is that in several places people who are volunteers, who worked that week of 3 November are still in place, and they are again counting or recounting those ballots one by one. I can only imagine the blurry eyes and the weary seats. I can imagine the conversations at the water coolers of the tireless servants.
But when I compare the month-long tallying in those states and what I read about in chapter 7, I think there’s no comparison. Each tribe has its own issues, of course, but note what they as a unit brought to the Lord. First, they came with gifts for the transportation of the Mishkan, and vessels for the services there and sacrifices of animals for the ceremonial activities there. 21 animals by 12 leaders totalled 252 animals. Over 12 days. This is pomp and circumstance on steroids.
Look, nothing shows the leaders getting together and deciding what to bring, but it’s clear that unity was front and centre. No one gave more. No one gave less. The orderliness and the extravagance was dramatic. Read it and consider what God is saying to you.
The characteristics evident to me in chapter 7 are orderliness and honour to the estate, to the Lord and most importantly generosity.
This time of year in some countries, there is a large push for donations. Black Friday, Giving Tuesday, they do it all. God does want you to be generous. Not because of an appeal from a company in an envelope, but because of all his good blessings bestowed.
Conclusion
Stay with us during these weeks and learn with the others how you can stay on track in 2020 and beyond. And in the D-Groups, you will work this out with others, as a community on the march. If you have not yet joined a weekly Discipleship Group, please re-consider that and join us as we dig deeper.
I hope to see you next Friday 10 am Sydney time, as we study chapters 8 and 10 (since we have already viewed chapter 9), and learn about the Levites gaining cleansing and the end of the Jews’ time at Sinai as we make final preparations for the march to the land of Canaan. Hope to see you then, and until then, please have a safe and kind battle for God’s characteristics being formed in you and those around you. Shabbat shalom!
The three theses:
1) The goal of our wandering was another place: Israel
2) God is to be central to our marching and in our living
3) Authority of the Lord and his anointed is not to be missed
Actual text:
Num. 5:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a deadperson. 3 “You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.” 4 The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the LORD had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did.
Num. 5:5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty, 7 then 1he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. 8 ‘But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him. 9 Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his. 10 ‘So every man’s holy giftsshall be his; whatever any man gives to the priest, it becomes his.’”
Num. 5:11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 and a man has intercourse with her and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is undetected, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act, 14 if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself, 15 the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring as an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, a reminder of iniquity.
Num. 5:16 ‘Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD, 17 and the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel; and 1he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 ‘The priest shall then have the woman stand before the LORD and letthe hair of the woman’s head go loose, and place the grain offering of memorial in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest is to be the water of bitterness that brings a curse. 19‘The priest shall have her take an oath and shall say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray into uncleanness, being under the authority of your husband, be 1immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse; 20 if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you” 21 (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD’S making your thigh 1waste away and your abdomen swell; 22 and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away.” And the woman shall say, “Amen. Amen.”
Num. 5:23 ‘The priest shall then write these curses on a scroll, and he shall wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24 ‘Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness. 25 ‘The priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, and he shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar; 26 and the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial offering and offer it up in smoke on the altar, and afterward he shall make the woman drink the water. 27 ‘When he has made her drink the water, then it shall come about, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness, and her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 ‘But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will then be free and conceive children.
Num. 5:29 ‘This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, being under the authority of her husband, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then make the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply all this law to her. 31 ‘Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”
Num. 6:1 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to 3dedicate himself to the LORD, 3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. 4 ‘All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.
Num. 6:5 ‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.
Num. 6:6 ‘aAll the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person. 7 ‘He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 ‘All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.
Num. 6:9 ‘But if a man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his dedicated head of hair, then he shall shave his head on the day when he becomes clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day. 10 ‘Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 11 ‘The priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering and make atonement for him 1concerning his sin because of the dead person. And that same day he shall consecrate his head, 12and shall dedicate to the LORD his days as a Nazirite and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the former days will be void because his separation was defiled.
Num. 6:13 ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall bring the offering to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 14 ‘He shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering and one ewe-lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering and one ram without defect for a peace offering, 15 and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. 16 ‘Then the priest shall present them before the LORD and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17 ‘He shall also offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened cakes; the priest shall likewise offer its grain offering and its drink offering. 18 ‘The Nazirite shall then shave his dedicated head of hair at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and take the dedicated hair of his head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19 The priest shall take the ram’s shoulderwhen it has been boiled, and one unleavened cake out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall putthem on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his dedicated hair. 20 ‘Then the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. It is holy for the priest, together with the breast offered by waving and the thigh offered by lifting up; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.’
Num. 6:21 “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD according to his separation, in addition to what else 1he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation.”
Num. 6:22 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus ayou shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
Num. 6:24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
Num. 6:27 “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”
Num. 7:1 Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who 1were over the 2numbered men). 3 When they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented them before the tabernacle. 4 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 5 “Accept these thingsfrom them, that they may be 1used in the service of the tent of meeting, and you shall give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” 6 So Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, 8 and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the 1direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.
Num. 7:10 The leaders offered the dedication offering 1for the altar 2when ait was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. 11 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”
Num. 7:12 Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; 13 and his offering was one silver 1adish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels,one silver bowl of seventy shekels, baccording to 2the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 15 one 1bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 16 aone male goat for a sin offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of aNahshon the son of Amminadab.
Num. 7:18 On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering; 19 he presented as his offering one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 21 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of apeace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.
Num. 7:24 On the third day it was Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun; 25 his offering wasone silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, one amale lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
Num. 7:30 On the fourth day it was Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the sons of Reuben; 31 his offeringwas one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 33 one bull, one ram, one amale lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Num. 7:36 On the fifth day it was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon; 37 his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 39 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
Num. 7:42 On the sixth day it was aEliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad; 43 his offering wasone silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of afine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 45 aone bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a sin offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
Num. 7:48 On the seventh day it was aElishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the sons of Ephraim; 49 his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of aincense; 51 aone bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a sin offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Num. 7:54 On the eighth day it was aGamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of Manasseh; 55 his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of aincense; 57 one bull, one ram, one amale lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a sin offering; 59 and for the asacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
Num. 7:60 On the ninth day it was aAbidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the sons of Benjamin; 61 his offeringwas one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62one gold pan of ten shekels, full of aincense; 63 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a asin offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of apeace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Num. 7:66 On the tenth day it was aAhiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons of Dan; 67 his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the ashekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of aincense; 69 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a sin offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Num. 7:72 On the eleventh day it was aPagiel the son of Ochran, leader of the sons of Asher; 73 his offeringwas one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74one gold pan of ten shekels, full of aincense; 75 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a sin offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.
Num. 7:78 On the twelfth day it was aAhira the son of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali; 79 his offeringwas one asilver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 81 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a sin offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
Num. 7:84 This was athe dedication offering 1for the altar from the leaders of Israel 2when bit was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold pans, 85 each silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the utensils was 2,400 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 86 the twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the ashekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans 120 shekels; 87 all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, all the rams twelve, the male lambs one year old with their grain offering twelve, and the male goats for a sin offering twelve; 88 and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams 60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one year old 60. aThis was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.
Num. 7:89 Now when aMoses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above bthe 1mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from cbetween the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.
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Bibliography
Budd, Philip, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 5. Numbers. Word, Waco, 1984.
Hertz, Rabbi Dr JH, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Soncino, London, 1978.
Pakula, Martin, Numbers: Homeward Bound, Aquilla Press, Sydney, 2006.
Weirsbe, Warren. Be Counted. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs,1999.
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