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Understanding the Book of Numbers*

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Understanding the Book of Numbers* Understanding the Book of Numbers* The Book of Numbers may be viewed as a transitional work describing the period between the arrival at Sinai with the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Law along with the establishment of the priesthood and the actual entry of the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. The key themes of Numbers are: • The Promised Land and the journey toward it • The faithfulness of God • Rebellion, complaints, and human weakness In this regard, Numbers deals with four thematic segments: 1. Lists and Legislation 2. Dissatisfaction and Rebellion 3. Difficulties and Contributions 4. Numbers and Jewish Ritual This week for Sunday, February 12, 2017, we will be discussing Numbers 18-25 which deals with the following matters: • Priestly duties (Chapters 18-19) • Death of Mariam; water from the rock; Edom refuses entry; death of Aaron; the bronze snake (Chapters 20-21:19) • The Moabites and Balaam (Chapters 21:20-25:18) *John Bowker. The Complete Bible Handbook: an Illustrated Companion. DK Publishing. New York 1998 Numbers Study Questions NUMBERS 18 1. What does the Lord tell Aaron, and why? (Numbers 18:1) 2. What does the Lord tell Aaron the rest of the tribe of Levi will be responsible for doing? (Numbers 18:2-7) 3. What does the Lord tell Aaron will happen to whom if the Levites go near the vessels of the sanctuary or the altar? (Numbers 18:3) 4. What does the Lord tell Aaron that the Levites are? (Numbers 18:6) 5. What does the Lord tell Aaron that the priesthood is? (Numbers 18:7) 6. What does the Lord tell Aaron is his and his sons, and for how long? (Numbers 18:8-24) Understanding the Book of Numbers Page | 2 7. Who may eat the guilt offering and where is it to be done? (Numbers 18:9) 8. Who may eat the gift and wave offerings? (Numbers 18:11) 9. Who may eat the first fruits and every other devoted thing in Israel? (Numbers 18:12-15) 10. How are the first born of people and unclean beasts to be redeemed? (Numbers 18:15-17) 11. Who may eat the firstlings of cows, sheep or goats and all the other holy offerings? (Numbers 18:17-19 12. What does the Lord mean by, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them;.."? (Numbers 18:20) 13. What else does the Lord give to the Levites? (Numbers 18:21) 14. What are the people of Israel forbidden to do, and what is the penalty? (Numbers 18:22) 15. What is the Levites' reward for their perpetual service? (Numbers 18:23-24) 16. What are the Levites to do when they receive the tithe, and why? (Numbers 18:25-28) 17. What are the Levites to receive further, and what may they do with it? (Numbers 18:29- 32) 18. What problems might arise as a result of this arrangement with Aaron and the Levites? (Numbers 18) 19. How does this relate to us today? (Numbers 18) NUMBERS 19 1. What does the Lord command Moses and Aaron to bring, and what is to be done with it, and where is it to be done? (Numbers 19:1-3) 2. What is Eleazar to do with the animal's blood and the rest of the animal? (Numbers 19:4- 6) 3. Why is this being done? (Numbers 19:1-6) 4. What is required of Eleazar, the priest who burns the body and the person who hauls the ashes, and why? (Numbers 19:7-10 5. What is to be done with the ashes, and what is its purpose? (Numbers 19:9) Understanding the Book of Numbers Page | 3 6. Is there anything that we celebrate today that may correspond with this act? (Numbers 19:1-10) 7. What is the Lord's stipulation regarding the handling of a dead body, and why is this necessary? (Numbers 19:11-13) 8. What is the Lord's stipulation pertaining to anything or anyone who comes into contact with a dead body or parts of a corpse? (Numbers 14-16) 9. How is the unclean to be purified? (Numbers 19:17-19) 10. What happens to the person who does not cleans himself after handling the dead? (Numbers 19:20) 11. What does the Lord set as a perpetual statute, and why? (Numbers 19:21-22) NUMBERS 20 1. Where do the people of Israel settle next, at what time, and what happens there? (Numbers 20:1) 2. What problem do they encounter at this place, and what do the people say to Moses and Aaron? (Numbers 20:2-5) 3. What does the Lord tell Moses to do? (Numbers 20:6-9) 4. What does Moses do, and what is the Lord's reaction? (Numbers 20:11-13) 5. Why are Moses and Aaron forbidden to enter Canaan? (Numbers 20:12) 6. What is this a detail of? (Numbers 20:1-12) (Exodus 17:1-9) 7. What is the wilderness called in Exodus 17:1 as opposed to Numbers 20:1? 8. What is Moses message to Edom, and why does he do this? (Numbers 20:14-17) 9. What route does Moses propose to take through Edom, and where is it? (Numbers 20:17) 10. What is Edom's answer? (Numbers 20:18-21) 11. What are the people of Israel forced to do and why? (Numbers 20:21) 12. Who is Edom, and why is this encounter significant? (Numbers 20:14-21) (Genesis 25:21-29) (Genesis 32:3) 13. Where do the people of Israel journey to next, and where is it located? (Numbers 20:22) Understanding the Book of Numbers Page | 4 14. What does the Lord tell Moses at this place? (Numbers 20:23-24) 15. What instructions does the Lord Giver Moses? (Numbers 20:25-28) 16. What is the significance of the death of Aaron at this place and under these circumstances? (Numbers 20:28-29) NUMBERS 21 1. What happens to the people of Israel as they pass through the Negeb, and what does the Lord do? (Numbers 21:1-3) 2. What is the meaning of the word Hormah? (Numbers 21:3) 3. Which way do the people of Israel travel in next, why, and what is their next complaint? (Numbers 21:4-5) 4. What is the Lord's reaction? (Numbers 21:6) 5. What do the people say to Moses? (Numbers 21:7) 6. What does Moses do, what are the Lord's instructions, and what is the outcome? (Numbers 21:8-9) 7. Where do the people of Israel move to next, and what is significant about this place? (Numbers 21:10-15) 8. What is the Book of the Wars of the Lord? (Numbers 21:14) 9. Where do the people move to next, and what happens here? (Numbers 21:16-18) 10. What is the meaning of Israel's song? (Numbers 21:18) 11. Where do the people of Israel stop, and what is their message to the King? (Numbers 21:19-22) 12. How does the king react, and what is the outcome? (Numbers 21:23-26) 13. What is the song of the ballad singers, and what does it mean? (Numbers 21:27-30 14. Where do the people of Israel dwell and what does Moses order? (Numbers 21:31-32) 15. What is the next encounter of the people of Israel, what does the Lord promise, and what is the outcome? (Numbers 21:33-35) Understanding the Book of Numbers Page | 5 NUMBERS 22 1. Where did the people if Israel next encamp? (Numbers 22:1) 2. Who reacts to the arrival of the people of Israel, how does this person react and why? (Numbers 22:2-3) 3. What do these people fear, and why; is their reaction rational? (Numbers 22:4) 4. Who does their king appeal to, and what does he ask him to do? (Numbers 22:4-6) 5. Who delivers the king's message, and what instructions are they given? (Numbers 22:7-8) 6. Who makes a visit, and what is the outcome of the conversation? (Numbers 22:9-14) 7. What is the king's reaction, and what answer is given? (Numbers 22:15-18) 8. What further outcome develops in this second encounter? (Numbers 22:19-30) 9. Is there something contradictory about God's instructions and what happens? (Numbers 22:19-30) 10. What occurs next, and what does the Angel of the Lord say? (Numbers 22:31-35) 11. What is the king's reaction and what is he told? (Numbers 22:36-39) 12. What does the king do in preparation? (Numbers 22:40-41) NUMBERS 23 1. What does Balaam tell Balak to do, and where does Balaam go? (Numbers 23:1-3) 2. What word does Balaam bring from the Lord to Balak? (Numbers 23:4-10) 3. What is Balak's reaction, and what is Balaam's reply? (Numbers 23:11-12) 4. Where does Balak take Balaam, and what do they do once again? (Numbers 23:13-15) 5. What word does Balaam bring to Balak from the Lord this time? (Numbers 23:16-24) 6. What is Balak's reaction to this second discourse, and what does Balaam tell him? (Numbers 23:25-26) 7. Where does Balak take Balaam next, and what do they do? (Numbers 23:27-30) Understanding the Book of Numbers Page | 6 NUMBERS 24 1.
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