Numbers 33

It would be interesting to see this record of camps mapped out. (I found one so here it is.)

The Lord gave directions to drive out the current inhabitants of the land promised to the Israelites and destroy their idols, etc. God does not say they won't inherit the land if they don't follow these directions. He does tell the Israelites that things will not go nearly as well for them if they don't ... "I will do to you what I plan to do to them."

Numbers 32

Did the Reubenites and Gadites really think the land they chose would be better than the land God had promised them?

How were their daily offerings, etc. handled when they were on the other side of the river from the priests?

Did they ever regret settling on the other side of the Jordan?

Reuben and Gad Ask for Land (engraving by Arthur Boyd Houghton)

Numbers 31

The Lord told Moses to go seek vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. So, Moses had to go to war against his in-laws and their people. Was not Moses wife a Midianite?

When all the Midianite men had been slain the Israelite army returned with their plunder including the Midianite women and children. Among the Midianite men killed were the five Kings of Midian and Balaam son of Beor. The same Balaam who had the talking donkey and blessed the Israelites rather than cursing them as Balak, king of Moab, wished him to.

When the army returned Moses was very angry that the Midianite women had been allowed to live since it was the women who followed Balaam's advice and "intermingled" with the Israelites distracting them from the Lord resulting in a deadly plague. Moses told the soldiers that they could keep all the virgin Midianite women for themselves but all the others must be killed.

After this the spoils (including the livestock and the virgins) were distributed between the Israelites and the army with a percentage going to God via Eleazar and the priests.

So, Balaam (who spoke with God) was advising people to draw the Israelites away from God. Interesting.

Five Kings of Midian Slain by Israel (illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible)

Numbers 30

If a man makes a vow/oath/pledge he must not break his word.

If a woman still living with her father makes a vow/oath/pledge it is binding unless the father forbids it. Sounds like good protection for emotional young ladies making rash decisions.

If a married woman makes a vow/oath/pledge it is binding unless the husband forbids it. This holds whether the vow/oath/pledge was made before or after the marriage. However, if the husband hears about the vow/oath/pledge and lets time elapse and then forbids it, he is responsible for her guilt.

Widows and divorced women are held to their vow/oath/pledge just as a man is.

I notice this does not cover women who never marry. I would hazard a guess that this is because they would have remained in their father's house.

Numbers 29

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah): September 9th this year. Sounds like a day to set aside for worshiping the Lord, specifically with music.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): September 18th this year. Sounds like a day to set aside for fasting and just meditation the Lord and His forgiveness of all our failings.

Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth): September 23rd this year. No work done. Seven days of offerings to the Lord. No work done on the 8th day. Make that no REGULAR work.


Image of a booth set up for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Numbers 28

Daily offerings, a lamb from each Israelite in the morning and another in the evening along with grain and drink offerings in the morning and evening. Those were some busy priests. Evidently the Israelites had an abundance of sheep.

Sabbath offerings, an additional two lambs, four lambs altogether for each Israelite. So, did the priests not get a day of rest? Did they rotate so that each got a day off even if it wasn't always the Sabbath?

Monthly offerings, a very busy day at the start of each month ... especially if it fell on a Sabbath. In addition to the other regular offerings ... two bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs, 1 goat and accompanying grain and drink offerings.

Passover and Feast of Weeks, no regular work done just lots and lots of offerings.

Numbers 27

"The Daughters of Zelophehad" by Daniel Bodkin

I like that these sisters came forward and that daughters for generations to come were provided for as a result.

It makes me a bit sad to think of Moses at the top of the mountain looking at the Promised Land, knowing he would never enter it.