Gospelchit-chat

  After the plague had ended and the rebellious generation of Israelites had passed away in the wilderness, God instructed Moses and Eleazar the priest to take a new census of the people. This was important because the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, and the land was to be divided according to the size of each tribe (Numbers 26:1-2). This census counted all the men aged 20 and older who were able to serve in the army. The total was 601,730—a strong and ready new generation, vastly different from the people who left Egypt 40 years earlier (Numbers 26:51). Each tribe’s population was recorded carefully, showing the renewed strength of Israel: The tribe of Reuben had 43,730 men (Numbers 26:7) Simeon had 22,200 men (Numbers 26:14) Judah had 76,500 men, the largest tribe (Numbers 26:23) And so on for each of the twelve tribes (Numbers 26:7-51) God also reminded Moses that the land of Canaan was to be divided among these tribes according to the number of people in each ...

  As the Israelites camped in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, a serious problem arose. Some of the Israelites began to be attracted to Moabite women, and they joined in worshiping their gods, especially Baal of Peor. This angered God because His people were turning away from Him and engaging in idolatry and immoral behavior (Numbers 25:1-3). God’s anger burned against Israel, and He sent a deadly plague as punishment. During this time, 24,000 people died because of their sin (Numbers 25:9). In the midst of this crisis, one Israelite man openly brought a Midianite woman into his family. When Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the priest, saw this, he acted boldly and decisively. He followed the couple into the tent and took swift action by killing them both (Numbers 25:6-7). Because of Phinehas’s zeal for God, the plague stopped immediately. God praised Phinehas for his faithfulness: “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Isr...

  After Balaam arrived at Moab, King Balak took him to various high places overlooking the Israelite camp, hoping Balaam would curse the people from these vantage points. But Balaam could only say what God allowed him to say. On the first day, Balaam proclaimed: “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!” — Numbers 23:8-10 (NIV) Balak was upset because Balaam did not curse the Israelites. So, he took him to another high place, hoping the view would inspire a curse. But again, Balaam spoke only what God said: “No curse will come on Jacob, no bitter word on Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. God br...

  After the Israelites had camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River, ready to enter the Promised Land, King Balak of Moab grew very afraid. He saw how numerous and powerful the Israelites were. So, he sent messengers to a man named Balaam, hoping to hire him to curse the Israelites and weaken them. Balaam was a prophet known for his ability to bless or curse through the word of God. When Balak’s messengers arrived, Balaam asked God for guidance. God warned him not to go with them or curse the Israelites because they were blessed (Numbers 22:12). But Balak sent more prestigious officials, promising Balaam great rewards if he would come and curse the Israelites. This time, God told Balaam to go with the men but to say only what God commanded (Numbers 22:20). As Balaam traveled on his donkey to meet King Balak, an incredible event happened. God’s angel stood in the road to oppose him, but Balaam did not see the angel. His donkey did, though, and it turned aside to avoid the an...

  The people of Israel continued their journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. Along the way, they faced many challenges and conflicts. First, they came to confront the Canaanite king of Arad in the Negev. The Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He granted them victory, destroying their enemies (Numbers 21:1-3). Then, Israel traveled along the road that skirts the lands of Moab and Edom. The Edomites refused to let Israel pass through their territory, so Israel took a longer route around (Numbers 21:4). As they journeyed, the people grew impatient and began to complain against God and Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless bread."  (Numbers 21:5) Because of their rebellion and lack of trust, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people. The snakes bit the Israelites, and many died (Numbers 21:6). The people came to Moses, admitting their sin: "We ...

As the Israelites continued their journey through the wilderness, they came to a place called Kadesh. There was no water for the people to drink, and they began to complain bitterly to Moses and Aaron. They were thirsty and worried about their survival (Numbers 20:1-5). Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell face down, praying to the Lord. God spoke to Moses and told him to take his staff, gather the people, and speak to a rock. God promised that the rock would pour out water for everyone to drink (Numbers 20:6-8). Moses gathered the people in front of the rock and said, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and all the people and their livestock drank (Numbers 20:9-11). Although God provided water, He was displeased with Moses and Aaron because they did not trust Him completely and did not follow His instructions exactly. Because of this, God told them they would ...

The Lord gave Moses special instructions about purification for the Israelites, especially concerning cleansing from the impurity caused by death. God told Moses to have the people bring a red heifer without defect or blemish, one that had never been under a yoke. The heifer was to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in front of the priest. The priest would then sprinkle some of the heifer’s blood seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting (Numbers 19:1-4). Next, the entire heifer was to be burned, including its hide, flesh, blood, and even its dung. While it was burning, the priest would throw cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn into the fire (Numbers 19:5-6). The ashes of the red heifer were carefully gathered and kept in a clean place outside the camp. These ashes were very special—they were used to make water for purification (called “water of cleansing”) to cleanse people who had become ritually unclean by touching a dead body (Numbers 19:7-10). If anyone touched a...