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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 26 AND 27
LESSON #30
PREPARATIONS FOR BLESSING
v MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 7:14
v THE FOCUS OF THE BOOK CHANGES WITH CHAPTER 26. WELEAVE THE STORY OF BALAAM. NOW GOD EMPHASIZES HIS PROMISES AND THE WAY TO INHERIT THEM,THE PREPARATIONS FOR BLESSING.
Ø THIS IS THE PREPARATION DIRECTED TO THE NEWGENERATION AS THEY ENTER THE PROMISE LAND. AT THE END OF THE BOOK THEY REPEAT THE LAW FORA NEW GENERATION.
v READ NUM 26:1-2 THE NEW CENSUS
Ø REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A CENSUS TAKEN AT THEBEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. (CHAPTER 1). IF WE COMPARE THE 2 CENSUS TOTALS TAKEN 40YEARS APART, WE FIND A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBERS.
| TRIBE | FIRST CENSUS CHAPTER 1 | SECOND CENSUS CHAPTER 26 |
| REUBEN | 46,500 | 43,730 |
| SIMEON | 59,300 | 22,200 |
| GAD | 45,650 | 40,500 |
| JUDAH | 74,600 | 76,500 |
| ISSACHAR | 54,400 | 64,300 |
|
ZEBULON |
57,400 | 60,500 |
| EPHRAIM | 40,500 | 32,500 |
| MANASSEH | 32,200 | 52,700 |
| BENJAMIN | 35,400 | 45,600 |
| DAN | 62,700 | 64,400 |
| ASHER | 41,500 | 45,400 |
| NAPHTALI | 53,400 | 45,400 |
| TOTALS | 603,550 | 601,730 |
§ WHY DID THEY NEED A NEWCENSUS?
· THE PURPOSE WAS TO MAKEPREPARATION FOR ENTERING THE PROMISE LAND AND DIVIDING THAT LAND AMONG THE 12 TRIBES.
¨ REMEMBER THAT GOD IS A GOD OF ORDER.
· THEY ALSO NEEDED TO HAVE ANACCOUNT OF THOSE MEN IN THIS NEW GENERATION WHO ARE ABLE TO MAKE WAR.
¨ THIS CENSUS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LEVITESBECAUSE THEY WERE THE PRIESTS AND DID NOT GO TO WAR. (VS. 62)
§ THE COMPARISON:
· NOTICE THAT THE TRIBES OF REUBEN,SIMEON, GAD, EPHRAIM, AND NAPHTALI DECREASED, BUT NONE GREATER THAN THE TRIBE OF SIMEON.
· THE OTHER TRIBES INCREASED,INCLUDING THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, THROUGH WHICH JESUS CHRIST WOULD COME. HOWEVER, THE TRIBE OFMANASSEH INCREASED THE MOST.
· THE TOTALS, HOWEVER, SHOW THATTHE ISRAELITES DECREASED OVER THE 40 YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS DUE TO SIN. REMEMBERTHOUSANDS WERE KILLED WHEN THEY REBELLED AGAINST GOD.
¨ -1- KORAHS REBELLION: 250 DIED (16:35)
¨ -2- PLAGUE: 14,700DIED (16:49)
¨ -3- PLAGUE: 24,000 DIED (25:9)
TOTAL= 38,950 DIED
¨ THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF 1,820 LESS PEOPLETHAN THE NUMBER THAT BEGAN. GOD HAS PROSPERED THEM, HEALED THEM, PROVIDED FOR THEM, ANDPROTECTED THOSE WHO REMAINED FAITHFUL. SEE DEUT 29:5.
v READ NUM 26:52-56 DIVISION OF THE LAND
Ø WHEN THE ISRAELITES ENTERED THE PROMISE LAND,EACH TRIBE WOULD RECEIVE A PORTION OF THE LAND. GODTOLD THEM HOW TO DETERMINE THE PORTION OF THE LAND FOR EACH TRIBE.
§ THE TRIBES WOULD RECEIVELAND ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE TRIBE.
§ THE LOCATION OF THE LANDWAS DECIDED BY CASTING LOTS.
v READ NUM 26:64-65 MAKING WAY FOR THE NEW GENERATION
Ø THE OLD GENERATION HAD ALL DIED IN THEWILDERNESS JUST AS GOD HAD PROMISED. THE ONLY ORIGINAL ONES LEFT WERE MOSES, JOSHUA, ANDCALEB.
v READ NUM 27:1-5 A FEMALE PROBLEM
Ø THE WORLD OVER THROUGH HISTORY WOMEN HAVEBEEN TREATED AS PROPERTY. ALL THE NATIONS AROUND ISRAEL TREATED WOMEN BADLY. WOMEN COULDNEVER OWN LAND OR INHERIT WEALTH. SUCH A PRACTICE WAS THE SAME WITH ISRAEL UNTIL MOSES.
§ FROM WHERE DID SUCH ANATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN COME?
· IT CAME WITH THE CURSE AS ARESULT OF ADAM AND EVES FALL FROM GRACE. READGEN 3:16
¨ THY DESIRE SHALL BE TO THY HUSBAND ANDHE SHALL RULE OVER THEE… = A WOMANS DESIRE WILL BE TO RULE OVER HER HUSBANDBUT INSTEAD HE WILL RULE OVER HER.
Ø THEREFORE, STILL TODAY WE HAVE THE ANTAGONISMBETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE FOR POWER AND AUTHORITY.
§ ONLY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTTHROUGH JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE THE FREEDOM FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW. (GAL 3:13)
Ø THE WOMENS REQUEST:
§ THEIR FATHER HAD DIED INTHE WILDERNESS, BUT HE HAD NO SONS TO INHERIT HIS PORTION OF LAND IN THE PROMISE LAND.THEY WANTED TO INHERIT IT INSTEAD. BY FAITH THEY MAKE THEIR REQUEST TO MOSES.
v READ NUM 27:6-11 GODS GRACE TOWARD WOMEN
Ø MOSES DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEWOMEN, SO HE ASKED GOD. GOD PERMITTED THEIR REQUEST.
§ THIS LAW OF GOD FORINHERITANCE IS NOW PRACTICED IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD TODAY, BUT IT FIRST APPEARS HEREIN THE BIBLE.
§ THIS EVENT WITH THEDAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD IS IMPORTANT TO WOMEN GENERALLY, BUT ACTUALLY IT HAS AN EVEN MOREIMPORTANT SIGNIFICANCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
· THERE ARE TWO GENEALOGIES GIVENIN THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR JESUS CHRIST, ONE IN MATTHEW AND ONE IN LUKE.
¨ WHY ARE BOTH GENEALOGIES GIVEN?
Ø JEWISH LAW USED THE GENEALOGY THROUGH THEMOTHER AS A LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENTAGE. IT’S EASIER TO ESTABLISH A MOTHER’SRELATIONSHIP TO A CHILD THAN IT IS TO ESTABLISH WHO THE FATHER IS.
Ø JEWISH LAW ALSO USED THE GENEALOGY THROUGHTHE FATHER TO ESTABLISH THE PASSAGE OF INHERITANCE. THIS IS IMPORTANT. THE ONLY WAY A PERSON COULD INHERIT WAS THROUGHPROOF OF RELATIONSHIP TO A MALE PARENT.
Ø NOW HERE WE HAVE A PROBLEM:
§ SINCE JOSEPH IS NOT JESUSBIOLOGICAL FATHER, HE COULD NOT INHERIT THROUGH JOSEPH.
Ø ENTER ZELOPHEHADS DAUGHTERS (NUM 27:1-9)
§ AN EXCEPTION TO THIS LAWWAS MADE BY MOSES WHEN ZELOPHEHAD HAD NO SONS AND HIS DAUGHTERS MARRIED WITHIN THE TRIBE.MOSES AGREED THAT THESE DAUGHTERS COULD INHERIT. IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS EXCEPTION THATJESUS INHERITS THROUGH MARY THE PROMISES THAT GOD MADE TO ABRAHAM.
· (ROM 4:13-18)
§ IT IS BECAUSE OF ZELOPHEHADSDAUGHTERS THAT JESUS INHERITS THE SPIRITUAL PROMISES OF ABRAHAM. IT IS BECAUSE OF OURRELATIONSHIP TO JESUS CHRIST THAT WE INHERIT THE PROMISES OF ABRAHAM.
· READ ROM 4:13 AND GAL 3:29
§ THEREFORE, THIS EVENT OFTHE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD IS IMPORTANT TO THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. IT ISIMPORTANT TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD RULERSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. IT IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYBELIEVER WHO INHERITS THESE SAME PROMISES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
v READ NUM 27:12-14 MOSES PREPARES FOR DEATH
Ø PREVIOUSLY WE DISCUSSED MOSES DISOBEDIENCETHAT PREVENTED HIM FROM ENTERING THE PROMISE LAND. GOD PERMITTED HIM TO SEE THE PROMISELAND FROM A MOUNTAIN TOP.
§ WE ARE COMING TO THE END OFTHE BOOK OF NUMBERS AND WE SEE OUR THEME VERY CLEARLY.
· UNBELIEF LEADS TO DISOBEDIENCE.
· DISOBEDIENCE LEADS TO MISSEDBLESSINGS.
v READ NUM 27:15-23 A NEW LEADER, JOSHUA
Ø GOD CHOSE JOSHUA, NOT BECAUSE HE WAS SOPOPULAR, OR SO GREAT. HE WAS AN ORDINARY MAN. HE WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE HE WAS FAITHFUL,OBEDIENT, AND A MAN OF FAITH. GOD COULD USEHIM.
§ THEY LAID HANDS ON JOSHUA(27:18)
· LAYING HANDS ON A PERSON WAS DONEAS AN ACT OF RECOGNITION OF A LIFE SUBMITTED TO GOD FOR GODS USE. GOD CHOSE THEPERSON AND FILLED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT MEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT CHOOSING. THISPRACTICE WAS DONE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND IS DONE TODAY IN THE CHURCH.
v APPLICATION:
Ø IN THESE TWO CHAPTERS WE SEE THAT GOD GUIDESAND PREPARES HIS PEOPLE AHEAD OF TIME. IT IS INTERESTING THAT THESE PREPARATIONS FIT RIGHTIN WITH THE COMING OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS LATER. THISTELLS US TWO THINGS:
§ THE WORD OF GOD ISCONSISTENT AND INSPIRED BY GOD.
§ GOD IS A SOVEREIGN GOD OFMAGNIFICENT ORDER. HE PREPARED THE WORLD FOR HIS GIFT OF BLESSING, JESUS CHRIST.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS28, 29, 30
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 26 AND 27
§ IF YOU ARE A MAN, WHAT ISYOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN?
§ IF YOU ARE A WOMAN, WHAT ISYOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD MEN?
§ HOW CAN YOU CHANGE YOURNEGATIVE ATTITUDES (TOWARD MEN OR WOMEN ) TO CORRESPOND TO GODS NEW TESTAMENTATTITUDE WHERE HE IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS?
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 28, 29, AND 30
§ READ THESE THREE CHAPTERS.
§ WHAT IMPORTANT IDEAS DO YOUDISCOVER?
v MEMORY VERSE: NUM 15:40
