The book is a wonderful. portrait of human nature-the good and the bad. At one point they really wanted to “choose a captain, and go back to Egypt.” (14:4)
Don’t make too much out of historical fact. What shall it profit a man to know all the facts, but miss the meaning?
The chronological problem:
A. At Sinai. It would require years and years to do all that was done at Sinai-not 19 days-to build the tabernacle and to organize the social and religious life of the Israelites.
B. At Kadesh. There is much evidence that the Israelites camped at Kadesh for many years-not just five months.
C. The thirty-eight years. The wilderness wanderings for 38 years are difficult to understand. Little or nothing is narrated to account for this long period.
And all of this leads to the theory that there were two groups of Israelites:
A. The Sinai group, camped for years at Sinai, and going through Moab, to enter Canaan over the Jordan and by way of Jericho under Moses and Joshua.
B. The Kadesh group, camped for many years at Kadesh, and entering Canaan from the south-and doing so by gradual and peaceful penetration.
While the Jews claimed that Yahweh was God of Israel, they also recognized that Chemosh was the god of Moab. (21:29)
At first Moses would go into “the tent of meeting” and talk with Yahweh. Later on, Yahweh was a remote and holy Deity. Only the high priest, once a year, could come near him in the Most Holy Place. (3:10)
Numbers, in a way, is an addition to Exodus-completes the story of deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian bondage.
Test for marital fidelity. “And the priest shall take holy water…and some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water…May this water…make your body swell and your thigh fall away…And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has acted unfaithfully against her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her body shall swell…But if the woman has not defiled herself…Then she shall be free.” 5:16,22,27,28.
The benediction. “The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” 6:24-26.
The guiding ark. “And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.” 10:33,34.
The quails. “'O that we had meat to eat: We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now…there is nothing at all but this manna.” 11:4-6.
“And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and it brought quails from the sea…And the people rose all that day, and all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails…And the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.” ll:31-33.
Miriam’s leprosy. “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married…And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek.” 12:1-3.
“And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them…and when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow.” 12:9,10.
Spying out the land. “So they went up and spied out the land…They…cut down…a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them…At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land.” 13:21,23,25.
“But Caleb…said, ‘Let us go up at once, and occupy it; for we are well able to overcome it.’ Then the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people…There we saw the Nephilim… and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers.’” 13:30,31,33.
Milk and honey. “‘If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into…a land which flows with milk and honey.’” 14:8.
Only Caleb and Joshua see Canaan. “Not one shall come into the land… except Caleb…and Joshua.” 14:30.
Sabbath-breaking. “They found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day… And the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man shall be put to death.’” 15:32,35.
Penalty of rebellion. “And the Lord said…‘Get away from about the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram’…And as he finished speaking…the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up.” 16:23,24,31.
Aaron’s rod. “The rod of Aaron…had sprouted and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.” 17:8.
Tithes. “‘To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance.’” 18:21.
Balaam’s ass talks. "Then the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?'…Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand.” 22:28,31.
Brutal slaughter. “‘Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.’” 31:17,18.