42. Beginner Bible Course: The book of Numbers, Pt. 1

EPISODE 42  The simple Bible overview of…MOVING TOWARD THE PROMISED LAND

We now enter the fourth piece of God's 66 piece jigsaw puzzle. The book of Numbers Numbers is about, Oh, wait for it. Numbers Numbers were really important to Jewish people. 603,550 Moses was told to take a census. That's how many fighting soldiers, men ages 20 through 50, they came up with 603,550. Here's the second number in Numbers 22,273. God told Moses to take another census. This was the number of the firstborn males saved a year before when God passed over their homes in Egypt, God said to Moses, I saved those men.

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00:00:48

They're mine. So hold that thought, Moses, and take another census. Take a census of the number of Levi's ages, 20 through 50. That's our third important number in Numbers 22,000. I mean, 22,000. And even the children of Israel loved numbers and they didn't round up or down. That was the exact number of Levi's it's 20 to 50 years old. Then God told Moses this tell you what those 22,273 male firstborn I saved in Egypt. They're mine, but I'm going to trade them for the 22,000 Levi. It's. In fact, the entire tribe of Levi is now going to become my possession.

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00:01:31

There was the small matter of those extra 273 firstborn. God had an answer for that to buy them back, pay the five shekel per man redemption fee. Give that to my Levi rights and we'll call it even. Here's another important number three, three, three, and three God told Moses. That's how he was to arrange the tribes around his tent. The tent of meeting three tribes to the East three to the West three to the North and three to the South. Then God said, move those tribes back a bit. I want you to arrange things a little differently. Around my tent of meeting. I want the Levi tights, my tribe to surround the tent of meeting, have them circle it with their tents and the rest of you stay back next to Numbers.

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00:02:21

God ties up a few loose ends. The first is regarding Nazarites. This was a special vowel people voluntarily took. We'll see a Nazarite Sampson. The judge in a future episode, let's just say they were devoted to God as indicated by several things. Don't touch the dad. Don't cut your hair and don't drink alcohol. We'll get to that more with Samson. God also asked for a 10 shower. The tribes of Israel were to give voluntary gifts to supply his tent otherwise known by the way, as the tabernacle with dishes, utensils and the starter kit, the animal God instructed Moses to build to silver trumpets.

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00:03:03

These things must have been pretty honk and big because there were 6 million people to call to action. Before moving out, there was one more thing to do. Celebrate Passover. It was their first Passover in the desert exactly one year for moving out of Egypt. Speaking of which that's our next number 405 give or take a day or two. That's the number of days between when they crossed the red sea and when they move toward the promised land from Mount Sinai, I'm guessing Moses got to break in those silver trumpets. They were off on another Children of Israel family trip. Fine. The whining of course begins immediately.

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00:03:45

This is too hard and we're hungry. They complained about the manna. This really graded on Moses. I mean, he loses it. God, I can't take this anymore. Take my life. If you don't understand how this humble man of God could say such a thing, you should probably listen to the last three or four podcasts. Again, God tells Moses to find 70 honorable men and God places, some of his wisdom and spirit on those men to help Moses. Then God honors their request for meet. And he gives them get this chicken nuggets. Well quail nuggets. And boy does he, he sends in flock after flock until the campus covered in them.

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00:04:29

And the children of Israel went wild over there, unlimited nuggets. They didn't follow God's command about taking it easy or how they should handle it. And a plague broke out in the camp. I'm guessing I know at that plague is salmonella under cooked chicken nuggets. I suggest to my students, it was food poisoning. And then I tell them the difference between food poisoning and bad stomach flu. When you have really bad stomach flu, you're afraid you might die with bad food poisoning. You're afraid you might live. Our trip continues and it gets no more pleasant for Moses, Miriam and Aaron wants to drive. That's right. His big brother and sister wants to lead.

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00:05:10

Does God only speak to you? Moses? Moses expects more. So does God. God strikes Miriam with leprosy instead of responding to his big sister, serves your rights. This Moses prays for her and God heals her. It's at this point, God States about Moses. He was the most humble man who ever lived with his assignment. I think he would have rather been called the most unemployed man. Whoever lived after a long journey with the children of Israel, they arrive at the Southern most boarder of the promised land. They scout out the land and 40 days later returned with their report. As they arrived in the camp.

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00:05:51

Moses noted two of these spies were carrying something on a pole between their shoulders. It one clump of grapes that should have encouraged the Children of Israel, but that's not what happened. The quick story is by a vote of tend to, to the spies, voted to stay put they'd never be able to take the promised land. Two of the spies objected vigorously objected Kayla from the tribe of Judah and Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim, the 10, no votes speak up. The cities are highly walled and the residents are huge. We were like grasshoppers in their eyes and in our own eyes, we're going to get our Hebrew butts kicked.

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00:06:34

There's two more. Numbers in Numbers 10 nos and two yeses. Guess which group the people listened to by morning. They want it to choose a new leader and head back toward Egypt. Let's review for a minute. He'd sent Joseph ahead of his brother's to Egypt. He'd settle Jacob and his Children in the best lands of Egypt. God had helped them flourish in Egypt over 400 years with 10 powerful contractions. He had decimated Egypt and given them birth. He parted the red sea and daily for 13 months, he provided their food and water. He lit up Sinai with fire and given them his family rules, but they want it to turn around and go back home.

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00:07:19

Caleb and Joshua, give it one last shot. They begged the people to reconsider. Meanwhile, God takes Moses aside and said, could I talk to you for a minute? I'm done with these kids. They're incorrigibly I'm going to take them out and start over with you. Another test for Moses Moses responses. This God, the nations all know you brought us mightily out of Egypt into this desert. If you kill us out here, they'll say he's a God who started something, but couldn't finish it. I picture a smile on God's face. Then I picture God turning toward the children of Israel. We hear his voice in numbers.

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00:07:59

Chapter 13, God says this Children of Israel go to your desert 40 years there. They will wait until every male age, 20 through 50 in generation. One is dead. Then God will give the land. He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to generation to generation one, listen to God, will they go back to the wilderness for 40 years? And if they do, how can God possibly sustain them much less live near them for 40 more years? We'll get an answer to that in our next wordpicture.