Numbers 25-27

Intro

I. Numbers 25

vs. 1-5 Israel Whores w/ Moab

Be Counted 1. Balaam and God’s People (Num. 25:1–18)

Then Balaam got up and returned home” (24:25, NIV) shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that he returned immediately to Pethor, because Balaam was among those killed when Israel slaughtered the Midianites (31:8)

Be Counted 1. Balaam and God’s People (Num. 25:1–18)

The sin of Israel (vv. 1–5). Balaam wasn’t able to curse Israel, but he knew how to defile them and seduce them into sin so great that Jehovah would judge them. Balaam suggested to Balak (31:16) that the Moabites (25:1) and Midianites (v. 6) convene a religious feast to honor Baal, and that they invite the Jews to attend

Be Counted 1. Balaam and God’s People (Num. 25:1–18)

This is the first recorded occasion in Scripture of Israel worshiping Baal, but it certainly isn’t the last. Baal was the chief of the Canaanite gods and was especially responsible for rain and fertility

The women of Moab, coming among the men of Israel, seduced them to both sexual sin and idolatry (and bowed down to their gods). The two were commonly connected in perverse forms of idol worship in the ancient world.

In this chapter, the women and their people are sometimes described as Midianites and sometimes as Moabites. This is because the Midianites were a nomadic group, and at this time, were in high numbers among the Moabites.

Baal was the great Canaanite fertility god, and the worship of Baal was a constant enticement for the children of Israel.

Balaam tried to curse Israel and could not; but now, they are cursed because of their sin against the LORD.

What an enemy could never accomplish against Israel, Israel did to itself through disobedience. The same principle works among the people of God today. The mightiest attack of Satan against us can never do as much damage as our own sin and rebellion against the LORD.

2 Peter 2:15-16 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Vs. 5 Take all the chiefs and hang them in the sun

The ESV makes it look like the chiefs of each tribe are going to be hung for the sins of the people

NKJV “So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

The Chiefs were to take care of their Tribes

vs. 6-18 Zeal of Phineas

About that time one person of Israel brought a Midianite woman to his family in the sight of Moses while people are weeping at the entrance

Phineas, son of Eleazar, the priest gets up and takes a spear in his hand

He drives that spear through both of them and the plague stops

Still, 24,000 died

It wasn’t only Phinehas’ obedience God noticed. He was also noticed because he was zealous with My zeal among them. Phinehas was passionate about the things God was passionate about, and in this respect, he was a man after God’s own heart.

It shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood: God blessed Phinehas with the promise that he would be the descendant of Aaron through which the priesthood passed.

Vs. 16 Because of the transgression God tells the Israelites to strike the Midianites down

God is jealous and will not let anything that is unholy reside in His camp

II. Numbers 26

vs. 1-51 2nd Census of Israel

The first fifty verse are counting the people of Israel again

This gives us a count of the second generation at 601,730 able to go to war

None of those counted in the first census were counted in the second. That was the old generation, the generation of unbelief, who perished in the wilderness. They obviously had no inheritance in the Promised Land

vs. 52-56 Lot Size

vs. 57-65 Levi Separated

The Levites were not numbered in either the first or second census, because the men of their tribe were not to go to war.

Be Counted 1. Preparing for the Inheritance (Num. 26:52–27:11; 36)

The Levites were not given their own territory to possess but were scattered throughout the nation in forty-eight assigned cities (35:1–5; Josh. 21). There were at least three reasons for this procedure.

Be Counted 1. Preparing for the Inheritance (Num. 26:52–27:11; 36)

First, scattering the Levites fulfilled Jacob’s deathbed prophecy that Levi’s descendants would be distributed throughout the land

Be Counted 1. Preparing for the Inheritance (Num. 26:52–27:11; 36)

Second, by scattering throughout the land, the Levites had a better opportunity to teach the Law to more people and influence them to be faithful to the Lord.

Because there was no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel: As well, they were to receive no inheritance of land as the other tribes; their inheritance was greater than property – the LORD Himself

The two exceptions to the first generation were Caleb & Joshua

III. Numbers 27

vs. 1-11 Daughters of Zelophehad

Normally, the land inheritance should be passed from a father to his sons in Israel, not to the daughters. What then in the case of Zelophehad’s daughters, whose father had no sons? Will their father’s inheritance simply be assumed by someone else, or will his name live on through his inheritance?

Moses did what he should when faced with a new situation: He sought God.

God seemed pleased that the daughters of Zelophehad brought this issue before Moses. God declared that if a father had no sons, the inheritance then could go to the daughters.

i“Allowing daughters to inherit, where there were no sons in the family, created another problem though. When they married, they would take the family land with them, thus destroying the father’s estate. To deal with this, chapter 36 brings in additional rules governing the marriage of heiresses.” (Wenham)

b. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers: However, if there were no daughters, the inheritance then went to the father’s brothers. If there were no brothers, the inheritance went to the next of kin.

c. And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment: The remarkable thing about these laws is that they were all made in anticipation – in faith – of coming into the inheritance of land in the Canaan. This was a real issue – at this time – for the daughters of Zelophehad shows they were real women of faith, concerned about dividing up what they did not yet have in their hands, but knew they would possess by faith.

vs. 12-23 Joshua Succeeds Moses

After hearing of his coming fate, Moses does not try to talk God out of it or complain – his only concern seems to be for the congregation, for the people, not for himself.

That the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd: Sheep without a shepherd are in constant danger; they face slim provisions of food and water, and they are never led to where they should be. God still wants His sheep to have a shepherd!

In the ultimate sense, this is fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who is the Good Shepherd, as was prophesied in the Old Testament (Micah 5:2-4), and revealed in the New Testament: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

In an additional sense, this is also fulfilled by the New Testament office of pastor-teacher – because the Greek word for pastor is the word for shepherd (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2). As 1 Peter 5:4 puts it, Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and pastors are under-shepherds.

The job of shepherds is simple: To feed (John 21:15-17), and to lead; to lead them out and bring them in, that is, to give guidance and direction for the sheep to follow.

Jesus was also moved with compassion when He saw the people as sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34); Moses is showing the nature of Jesus by his concern.