Numbers – Book 4 (36 chapters)

This book is a rambling account of the wanderings and woes of the Israelite community that had long been enslaved in Egypt. They fled the country under their leader Moses after a miraculous escape across the Red Sea. [We are told that God had parted the waters leaving a passage of dry land to walk over; but the two walls of water closed in over the persuing Egyptians and they were all drowned. More likely, a seasonal drying up of certain parts of the Red Sea made the crossing feasible.).

The huge community of about 600,000 males, together with women and children [Exod 12.37 and Num 11.21] had now assembled in the Sinai desert, waiting to enter the promised land. It was made up of 12 tribes. Instead of getting them to move on, the Lord issues all sorts of injunctions. He first orders Moses to “take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families” (Num 1.2). Moses and Aaron the priest proceed to do that.

The Lord repeats his rules about ritual cleansing (from skin infections or discharge, or contact with a dead body) and restitution (Num 5.2-7). “A person who has wronged another in any way must make full restitution, adding a fifth to it…”
Num 5.11-30 concerns an elaborate test for an unfaithful wife. The jealous husband is to take his wife to the priest who takes some holy water in a jar and adds “some dust from the tabernacle floor”. The priest then makes the woman drink this polluted or ‘bitter’ water with the curse: “May this water enter your body, so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away.” If, however, the woman is blameless, the water will have no effect: “she will be cleared of guilt and she will be able to have children.”
Note that there is no similar test prescribed for an errant husband.

(Num 10.11-12), On the 20th day of the second month of the second year, the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and travelled to the Desert of Paran where they rested. (Num 11.1-2): The people complained of the hardships they had to endure; instead of being sympathetic, the Lord became angry and sent fire around the camp to strike fear in the people. Moses then pleaded with the Lord and the fire died down.

(Num 11.4-33): Meanwhile the people had become tired eating ‘manna’, that came down with the dew in the night. It had to be ground, cooked in a a pot or made into cakes. It tasted like coriander and looked like resin. The people complained: “We never see anything but this manna… if only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt.”  And Moses in turn complained to God: “Why have brought this trouble on your servant?  Where can I get meat for all these people?... If this is how you will treat me, put me to death right now…”

The Lord promised to get meat for the people. He sent out a wind that drove the quail from the sea to the land and the people gathered it for two days. But the Lord was still burning with anger and “before it could be consumed, the Lord struck those who craved the food with a severe plague…”

(Num 13.1-2) The Lord said to Moses: “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan…From each ancestral tribe, send one of its leaders.” The chosen leaders of the 12 tribes went to explore the land and returned after 40 days.
(Num 13.27-31): They reported to Moses: “The land you sent us does indeed flow with milk and honey! Here is the fruit. But the people who live there are powerful and the cities are large and fortified…We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we…”

(Num 14.2-16): The Israelites again grumbled against Moses and Aaron: “If only we had died in Egypt...  Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?... Let us choose a leader and go back…”
The Lord again took offence and said to Moses: “How long will these people treat me with contempt?... I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them…”
It was now Moses’ turn to restrain the Lord, telling him that the Egyptians and other nations would think poorly of a God who failed to bring his people to the promised land and slaughtered them instead.
(Num 14.26-45) The Lord then relented but not for long. He wondered: “How long will this wicked community grumble against me?” And then issued threats: “Not one who grumbled will enter the promised land--- your children will remain shepherds here for 40 years, suffering for your lack of faith… you will realise what it means to antagonise me.”
Thereupon the men who had spread bad reports about the land were struck down with plague and died. Only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to survive.

In chapter 16, we read about Korah (a Levite) and Dathan and Abiram (of the Reuben tribe) who together with 250 community leaders rose up against Moses and Aaron, saying (Num 16.3): “You have gone too far. The whole community is holy... Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

Korah had been appeased by being selected for some temple duties and Moses said to him: “But now you are trying to take over the priesthood too.” Whereupon the Lord threatened to destroy the whole assembly but Moses pleaded: “O God, will you be against the entire assembly when only one man has sinned?” (Num 16.22)

The Lord warned the assembly through Moses to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.  (Num 16.3-35): The  earth opened up and swallowed the rebels, together with Korah’s men and all their possessions… The earth hen closed over them and they perished. The Lord then sent fire that consumed the 250 men offering incense.

(Num 16.41-49): The next day the whole Israelite community accused Moses and Aaron: “You have killed the Lord’s people.” And they gathered in protest. The Lord, ever ready to punish, said to Moses: “I will put an end to them at once.” So he sent a plague that killed 14,700 people. It’s only when Aaron offered incense in atonement that the plague ended.

In Chapter 17, the Lord asked the leaders of the 12 tribes to inscribe their names on their staffs and place them in the Tent of Meeting. The favoured leader would be the one whose staff sprouted like a live plant. The next day Aaron’s staff had sprouted and only his; in fact it had blossomed and produced almonds (Num 17.8). This miracle demonstrated Aaron's authority; the idea was to put an end to the grumbling and opposition.

By Chapter 20, the Israelites had arrived at the Desert of Zin and stayed at Kadesh. The people were thirsty as there was no water; the people quarrelled with Moses saying: “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain, figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink.” (Num 20: 3-5).
Moses appealed to the Lord who said: “Take the staff…assemble the community. Speak to the rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.” (Num 20.6-8). Moses struck the rock and water gushed out; the community and livestock drank.

Challenging various kings along the way
Moses sent messengers to the King of Edom for the Israelites to be allowed to pass through his territory but he refused and the community had to re-route to Mount Hor. Here the Lord told Moses that Aaron would pass away before entering the promised land while Moses too would not lead the community into the promised land because he had not trusted the Lord enough.. Aaron died there; his garments were removed and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron was mourned by the community for 30 days.

The Israelites now moved towards Canaan and when the Canaanite King of Arad heard they were coming, he attacked them and captured some. Israel then begged the Lord for strength to defeat the Canaanites. This wish was granted and the Canaanites were defeated and their towns destroyed.

When King Sihon of the Amorites refused free passage, the Israelites took to the sword and took over the land (Num 21.21-24); King Og of Bashan met a similar fate (Num 21.34-35). In Chapter 22, the Israelites travel to the plains of Moab and camp along banks of the Jordan river. Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab had witnessed what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and was afraid. He sought the help of Balaam, a diviner, “to put a curse on these people because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out…” (Num 22.6)

But God intervened and warned Balaam: “You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.” So the Moabite princes returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them. Then Balak sent more distinguished princes to summon Balaam and this time God told him: “Go with them but do only what I tell you.” (Num 22.20)  

Balaam’s talking donkey and the Lord's quirky ways
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went along with the princes of Moab. But (inexplicably) God was ‘very angry’ and sent an angel with sword drawn to oppose him on the road. Apparently the donkey (but not Balaam) saw the angel and turned into a field. Balaam then beat her back into the road.

Again the angel blocked the narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on either side. The donkey was forced to press close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her again. The angel blocked the path for the third time and this time the donkey lay down and Balaam beat her again with his staff.

(Num22.28-34) The donkey then spoke up: “What have I done to make you beat me three times?” Balaam said: “You have made a fool of me…” And the donkey replied: “Am I not your own donkey? Have I usually behaved like this?”  Balaam said no and at this point the Lord opened his eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord. The angel rebuked him for beating the donkey and added: “Your path is a reckless one.. if the donkey had not turned away, I would have killed you by now and spared her.” [What is one to make of this odd response?]

Balaam apologised, said he hadn’t seen the angel and was prepared to return. But the angel told him to go ahead with the men. When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to receive him. Balaam uttered four oracles (prophetic statements) to aid Balak and then returned home.

 The Israelites took to indulging in immorality with the women of Moab and worshipping their idols. The Lord was angry and sent a plague that killed 24,000. The Lord told Moses: “Kill the leaders of these people and expose them in broad daylight so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away against Israel;” (Num 25.4-6). An Israelite man and Midianite woman were brought before the whole assembly and were both speared to death. The Lord was appeased and ended the plague.  

In chapter 27, we hear about a property dispute from a man who had five daughters and no son. The man complained; “Why should out father’s name be deleted from his clan because he had no son?” Moses brought the case before the Lord who agreed that daughters should inherit the property; “If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter…” (Num 27.8)

In Chapter 31, the Lord orders Moses to attack the Midianites. As a result, the Israelites killed every man and burned down their towns. Balaam too was killed and the women, children and the herds were carried away as booty. Moses asked why the women had been spared; “they were the ones who turned the Israelites from the Lord.. Now kill all the boys and kill every woman who has slept with a man. But keep the virgin girls for yourselves”

In the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, the Lord spoke to Moses:
(Num 33.50-5): Tell the Israelites: “When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,  drive out all the inhabitants before you, destroy all their carved images, cast idols, and high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it… If you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those that remain will trouble you…”