LeFebvre / Ortlund Numbers

A 12-Week Study
1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4335-5793-4
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 96 Seiten

Reihe: Knowing the Bible

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) 'Gospel Glimpses' highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) 'Whole-Bible Connections' show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) 'Theological Soundings' identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible. The book of Numbers follows two generations of God's people: the first forced to wander in the desert for 40 years because of their lack of faith, and the second given the blessing of entering the Promised Land because of their obedience. Showing how the book of Numbers displays the steadfast faithfulness of God, Michael LeFebvre helps readers learn from the failures of past generations in order to pursue faithfulness today. Part of the Knowing the Bible series.

Michael LeFebvre (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is an ordained Presbyterian minister and an Old Testament scholar. He is also a fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians. Michael and his wife, Heather, have five children and live in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Lefebvre, Michael

Ortlund, Dane

Leseproben

WEEK 2: PREPARING THE CAMP

Numbers 1:1–6:27

The Place of the Passage

The Hebrews left Egypt as freed slaves (Ex. 12:37). At Mount Sinai, the Lord gave them his law and formed them into a new nation (Ex. 19:6; Deut. 33:4–5). Now the time has come to organize them as an army (Num. 1:3, 45) for their march to the Promised Land. These chapters describe the nation’s organization as a mobile kingdom, with their King’s tent in its midst, as he journeys with his people.

The Big Picture

God does not simply wait for his people at the end of their journey. He meets them in the wilderness to be with them, to guide them, and to bless them on their journey to his Promised Land.

Reflection and Discussion

Read the passages in each section indicated below. Use the provided questions to help you think about the text. Write your thoughts in the space provided, answering the questions and adding further insights. (See notes in the ESV Study Bible, pages 265–275; also available online at www.esv.org.)

1. Enrolling the People (1:1–54)

Compare the numbers in this census with the population of Jacob’s household when they arrived in Egypt (see Ex. 1:1–7; compare Gen. 22:17). What do we learn about God’s goodness in this comparison?

2. Arranging the Camp (2:1–34)

When kings in ancient times led their armies on a campaign, the king’s tent was situated in the center of the encampment (e.g., 1 Sam. 26:5). What does the arrangement of Israel’s camp indicate (see diagram in the ESV Study Bible, page 267)?

The census had been conducted according to the patriarchs’ birth order, starting with the tribe of “Reuben, Israel’s firstborn” (Num. 1:20). But the order of the tribes’ encampment and march places Judah at the front (Num. 2:3, 9; note that east, toward the sunrise, was the front in ancient geography). Why would the tribe of Judah lead the way into the land? (See Gen. 49:10; compare 1 Sam. 17:12; Rev. 5:5.)

3. Enrolling the Levites (3:1–4:49)

The tribe of Levi is counted twice. The first count enrolls males one month and older for duties within the camp (3:14–39). The second enrolls males 30 years and older for duties on the march (4:1–49). What are the duties of each Levitical clan in the camp and on the march?

Inside the Camp (3:14–39)

On the March (4:1–49)

Gershon

Kohath

Merari

4. Consecrating the Camp (5:1–6:21)

The tents of the priests and Levites form the innermost circle around the tabernacle (1:53; 3:21–39). The general population arranges its tents around those of the priests and Levites (1:52; 2:1–34). A third area is now designated for those living under significant impurity (5:1–4). This outermost residence is temporary, lasting only until the impurity is resolved (Lev. 14:1–32; 15:1–33). What do these three concentric bands around the tabernacle, and the purification rituals for moving closer to the tabernacle, teach about God’s grace?

After arranging the people’s tents in the right places, three laws highlight the importance of strong relationships between tents (5:1–10), within tents (5:11–31), and toward the center tent (6:1–21). The first (5:1–10) represents relationships between tents. How does the penalty for theft when voluntarily confessed encourage repentance, compared to the penalty when theft is not willingly confessed (Ex. 22:1–4)?

The second law (5:11–31) shows the importance of marital trust. This law is for the protection of a wife when her husband mistreats her under suspicion of her infidelity but without evidence (v. 29). This law provides a way to resolve such baseless jealousy, restoring trust to the marriage. Write here some observations about the symbols of this ceremony.

The third law (the Nazirite vow; 6:1–21) celebrates total consecration to God. Through Nazirite vows, any Israelite could enjoy a temporary status of consecration akin to that of the priests, typically for the purpose of extended worship in God’s house. What phrases are used to describe the Nazirite’s special status?

5. Benediction (6:22–27)

The section of Numbers about organizing the camp ends with the benediction. What do the three pronouncements of blessing tell us about God’s love?

Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to consider the Personal Implications of these sections for you.

Gospel Glimpses

DWELLING WITH GOD. It is striking how much space the Pentateuch devotes to the tabernacle.1 Half of Exodus (25:1–40:38) is spent describing the tabernacle and its construction. Leviticus is devoted to the sacrifices and festivals of the tabernacle. And Numbers emphasizes the place of the tabernacle in the center of the camp. This highly emphasized theme demonstrates the delight of God to dwell with his people.

OUTSIDE THE CAMP. The laws in Numbers 5:1–4 require that those with serious conditions of uncleanness2 be “put out of the camp” (5:2). This instruction is frequently misunderstood as an act of rejection, but it is not. Those placed outside the camp for ritual uncleanness are still identified as members of the camp: it is still called “their camp” in verse 3. Each band of tents around the tabernacle requires a different level of ritual purity depending on its proximity to the sanctuary in the center. The outermost ring is an important part of the overall picture of the gospel presented in the camp’s arrangement. Even the most severely impure may attach themselves to the congregation with expectation of cleansing and restoration due to the atonement offered in the tabernacle (see the rituals of cleansing and reincorporation into the camp and the tabernacle in Lev. 12:6–8; 14:1–32; 15:13–15, 28–30).

Whole-Bible Connections

NAZIRITES. Nazirite vows, the rules for which originate in Numbers 6:1–21, are an important theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. Normally, Nazirite vows were undertaken for a limited period of special devotion and worship (e.g., Acts 21:23–26), but there are notable examples of lifelong Nazirites as well. Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist were lifelong Nazirites. Some suspect that Anna, who “did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:37), may also have been a Nazirite in her widowhood.

TENT OF MEETING. The first verse of Numbers begins, “The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting.” This is the first instance of God’s meeting with Moses inside the tabernacle (although he spoke to Moses from the tabernacle on the day of its inauguration; Lev. 1:1). As late as Leviticus 25:1, Moses was still ascending Mount Sinai to meet with the Lord. But Numbers 1:1 introduces the tabernacle in full operation as the “tent of meeting,” an important name by which it is known throughout the Bible.

Theological Soundings

PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS. After Jesus completed the final sacrifice, the rituals of Israel’s priesthood were to come to an end. This was not because the privileges of priestly worship ended. Rather, in the new covenant all of God’s people are a “holy priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:5). The Nazirite vows anticipated this “priesthood of all believers” by providing a way for lay Israelites to undertake a priestly level of ritual purity for a time.

MEDIATION. The priests and Levites encamped between the tabernacle and the other tribes (3:5–10), but they were not there as an obstacle between the people and God. The priests and Levites served as mediators3 to bring the people acceptably into God’s presence (3:8). It is an awesome matter for the holy God to dwell with sinful people. The offices of the priests and Levites represented the need for mediation, fulfilled perfectly in the person and work of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:18–29).

Personal Implications

Consider how your relationship with God is similar to that of the tribes of Israel as illustrated in the arrangement of their camp. Make notes below on personal implications of (1) the Gospel Glimpses, (2) the Whole-Bible...