Recap

So far in Numbers we've read as the Israelites made the final preparations to leave Sinai, the journey to the promised land, the stop in the wilderness of Paran where the people rebel and decide not to enter land, the journey in the wilderness as we waited for the old generation to pass, and then them settling in the plains of Moab.

We read through all the preparations and new instructions that seemed like random rules but were actually a retelling of Genesis 1-9. Israel was to be a like a new creation, learning from the mistakes of the first time round.

We then read as Israel set off, established and ordered by God, only to immediately complain. Then Aaron and Miriam, Moses' own brother and sister, challenged whether Moses was really hearing from God.

After that the Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Paran, just outside Canaan. Moses sent 12 spies to check out the land, and 10 of the 12 complain that the land was filled with descendants of the nephilim and they had no chance. God then tells them that none of this generation will enter the promised land. This was followed by the Levites rebelling under Korah.

So the people set off back into the wilderness to continue to be tested by God until the old generation pass. The people complained and Moses this time rebelled a little losing his spot in the promised land. They fought some battles, complained some more, and more of the old generation die. In winning some battles, the Israelites also claimed some land.

We read as they settled in the plains of Moab. There they were seen by Balak the king of Moab who hired a foreign sorcerer, Balaam, to curse Israel. But God wouldn't let Balaam curse Israel, and instead Balaam blessed Israel three times and then cursed all their enemies. Then yesterday we settled into the final section of Numbers as the new generation are prepared to enter the land. Phineas proved himself a worthy successor to Aaron and Joshua is chosen to replace Moses when the time comes.

Numbers 28-30

As the new generation of Israel are about to step into the land promised to them, God reminds them of the importance of offerings. These offerings were the primary way that your average person would develop a relationship with God.

Remember, these people don't have the Holy Spirit yet, and so the only way to have a personal relationship with God at this time was to participate in offerings. Note how often that seven (or multiples of seven such as fourteen) appear during this offerings.

But these offerings also bring order and structure to the Israelites lives. We get instructions for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings. These offerings are also much more communal than what we’ve seen before. In Leviticus the focus was largely on the individual sacrifices and offerings one would make to affirm their personal relationship with God. Here we get the offerings and sacrifices required of the community.

The other time we’ve seen the feasts laid out was Leviticus 23. There there was big focus on the theological significance of these festivals. Here in Numbers the focus is practicality. How are these offerings brought and then offered. Most notable is the feast of Booths. This feast spread out across 7 days, and here in Numbers we get a set of instructions for each day.

The hope here is, if we can ground the new generation in regular spiritual and religious practices that turn them afresh to God then they will remain faithful where their parents had been rebellious.

A branch off from offerings was vows. The fact that men seem to make decisions for women in this section can seem incredibly offensive to our modern thinking. As always we have to remember this is part of a culture where men, predominantly, had authority, and a vow was a binding commitment. 

This wasn’t a culture that even had a concept of personal rights. Everyone had responsibilities to their community and to their family. Everyone had a role to play and duties to fulfil. This is what kept the community tightly knit together. Because of this, it would have been wrong to take a vow that conflicted with one’s existing duties and responsibilities.

I’m not saying this is how it should be now, I’m just saying this is how the wisdom of the Torah played out within the context of their existing culture.

Psalm 49

This psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah and falls into the category of wisdom psalm. It is specifically focused on the topic of death, in the face of human power and wealth.

Psalm 49:1-4 - Introduction

Psalm 49:5-12 - Do not fear the wealthy, for they will one day die

Psalm 49:13-15 - The foolish trust in their wealth and die but the wise trust in God and are redeemed

Psalm 49:16-20 - Do not fear the wealthy, for they will one day die  

The psalm opens with a call from the psalmist to listen as they share wisdom. This wisdom is for all people, no matter where you live or whether you’re rich or poor.

They then pose a question. Why should the fear in the face of death and powerful and wealthy enemies? These enemies might trust in their wealth and boast in their riches, but what good will it do them?

All the riches in the world won’t save man’s life. Eventually everyone dies, and that wealth will go to someone else. Though they may live in nice houses now, one day they will live in the ground.

The unspoken point here is that all people that are equal. The enemies that you face are no better than you because of their wealth and power. They will one day face the same fate as everyone else.

The psalmist then turns to the foolishness of putting your trust in your wealth. They walk around with confidence, seemingly unaware that each day they come closer to death.

In contrast, those who put their trust in God will have their souls redeemed, so that even death loses its threat over them.

And so the psalmist returns to their encouragement. Do not fear those who are wealthy or powerful. That wealth and power will mean nothing when they die. They have missed the point of life and end up no better than the animals.

This psalm reminds of the wise way to think of wealth and power. While it has value, it’s not something to put our trust in. Instead, put your trust in God.