Numbers: VIII-X Group 8 Jeong, Yoon Ju Huh, Yun Kyung

VIII. Travel from Kadesh to the border of Canaan(20;1-21;35) Geological background In the wilderness The wilderness of Paran (past for 40years) Kadesh (now) -> Their last year of The wilderness The plains of Moab (final destination)

Generation exchanges The first generation of Exodus died in the wilderness -Miriam, Aaron, Moses’ death -Not allowed to enter the Promised Land The next generation becomes the new Israel

A.Water from the Rock (20:1-13) An event which was caused the failure of Moses and Aaron’s failure to enter God’s promised land “Because you did not believe in me to treat me as holy before the Israelites,….”(Nu 20;12) ->What they had done was not wrong, but rather they had acted in unbelief. Failure to enjoy God’s promises was the result of unbelief.

B. Edom Denied Israel Passage (20:14-21) Because of Moses’ unbelief, Israel was denied by the Edomites. 5 Major Events (not listed in chronological order) 1. Israel’s first request: Israel sent messengers to ask Edom to pass through their land (20:14-18) 2. Israel’s second request: The whole nation came to the borders of Edom to pass through the land 3. Israel left Kadesh and came to Mount Hor,where Aaron died. 4. Israel fought with Arad and destroyed their cities. 5. Israel left Mount Hor and went around Edom by the way of the sea on their way to the land.

Theological parallelism is more important than the chronological order of the events. Start; ComplaintCause; Lack of Faith Effect; Defeat Complaint of People(14:1-4) ; about the report of the Canaan Israel’s lack of faith (14:11) Defeat by Amalekites (14:40-45) Complaint of People(20:2-5) ; about no water Moses’ lack of faith (20:12) Defeat by Edomites (20:14)

Sailhamer’s interpretation on the events with Edom The author is more concerned to establish patterns in these narrated events, which shows the similarities between Israel’s failure of faith and that of Moses. The complaints of the people lead the Lord to conclude that Israel and Moses are lacking in faith. Both failed to believe God and hence could not go into the land. Edom and Amalekites are used as the hindrances.

C. Death of Aaron (20:22-29) T After Aarons’ death, the priesthood of Eleazar and his family was to have a long succession throughout the remainder of Israelite history in the Bible. Aaron’s death Be told to go up to the top of Mount Hor Eleazar, the son of Aaron was installed as the new high priest Moses’ death Be commanded to go to the top of a mountain Joshua was installed as the new leader for Israel

The narrative events of the establishment of the Davidic kingship The Pentateuchal narratives appear deliberately to foreshadow the time of the establishment of the Davidic kingship. Before the kingship of 1 Samuel, the author inserts a series of narratives that record the reestablishment of the proper priesthood from the family of Eleazar. It will become clear at the end of the Balaam oracles that the time of the fulfillment of these prophecies in Numbers looks far beyond David’s own kingdom.

A parallelism between Num and the establishment of the Davidic kingship in 1 Samuel PriestKingPriest Anointing of Aaron’s son Eleazar(Nu 20) Balaam’s Oracles (Nu 22-24) Selection of Eleazar’s son Phinehas(Nu25 Prophecy of the future(1Sa 2:35) David the king (1Sa 15-2Sam) Fulfillment of prophecy(2Sa 8:17)

D. Arad Destroyed (21:1-3) A parallelism with Ex17 *Ex 17: Israel’s murmuring on lack of water— Moses gave them water from the rock—Israel were attacked by the Amalekites—Israel defeated them through the power of prayer *Nu 21: Israel’s murmuring—gaining water from the rock—Israel were attacked by the Canaanites—Israel defeated them through prayer

E. The Bronze Serpent (21:4-9) as a sign of Israel’s faith Exodu s 4:3 Before Exodus, Moses was given a sign=the snake came from his staff in order to test and strengthen Israel’s faith Nu 21:4-9 At the end of their life in the wilderness, God commands an image of snake as a sign of Israel’s faith The necessity of the people’s response of faith in the sign. They must look to the sign in faith before they can be delivered.

F. Journey to Moab(21:10-20) The Israelites moved around Edom and into the territory of Moab. The land of Moab is the central focus of the next several chapters of Numbers. According to the “Book of the Wars of the Lord,” the boundaries listed are portrayed as conquered territory.

G. Defeat of Sihon(21:21-32) The necessary introduction to the account of Balaam: The Moabite king Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel. But God would overturn Balaam’s curse so that it resulted in Israel’s blessing. Moab had already lost control of these areas to the Amorites, whom Israel had been chosen to dispossess (Ge 15:16-21) Israel had thus rightly taken them as their own.

H. The Defeat of Og(21:33-35) 21:34 “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you….” Israel’s victories are from the hand of God Balak who tried to go against the plans of a sovereign God eventually be defeated.

IX. Balaam(22;1-24;25)

IX. Balaam(22:1-24:25) Balaam play a strategic role to develop a central theological thesis; ->God’s original intention for humanity and his continual concern was blessing. God chose Abraham as the channel of the promised land to bless him and all the nations of the earth through this seed. However, his people would first undergo a time of bondage and oppression.

The ‘ Balaam’ narrative within the promise of Abraham According to that promise, those who bless his seed will be blessed and those who curse his seed will be cursed. Balak, the king of Moab had hired Balaam to curse the seed of Abraham, but God permitted him only to bless them. ->Through Balaam, the seed of Abraham is blessed and the seed of Moab is cursed.

A parallelism between Pharaoh in Exodus and Balak in Number Pharaoh and Balak were kings of large and powerful nations which represented a major obstacle to Israel’s entering the promised land. Pharaoh and Balak made three attempts to counteract the blessing and to decrease the number of God’s people and each attempt was turned into a blessing.

Pharaoh’s plansBalaam’s oracles against Balak motivated by the fact that Israel had become “too numerous.” ->God intervened and the plans were turned into a blessing 1th putting slave masters over the Israelites to oppress them “How can curse those whom God has not cursed?” (Nu 22;8)->the phenomenal growth of God’s people 2 nd Commanding the Hebrew midwives to kill the male children “God brought them out of Egypt, they have strength of a wild ox…like a lion.”(Nu 24;8) -> Israel’s mighty strength 3rdCommanding to kill every male children “This seed is in the abundant waters”(Nu 24;7) -> the abundance of Israel’s seed Balaam’s oracles paralleled to Pharaoh’s three attempts to suppress God’s blessing

Messianic importance of the last oracles of Balaam Numbers 24;1-24 Balaam, looking back at the great salvific event of the Exodus, says of Israel; “God brought them out of Egypt”(Nu 23;22) To view the reign of the future king taken from God’s great acts of salvation in the past. The central messianic themes of the Pentateuch restated and expanded. (Ge 49;9 / Ge 27;29 / Ge 12;3 / Ge 3;15)

X. The establishment of new leadership in Israel A.The Failure of the Old Leaders; Moab Seduces Israel “A Midianite woman led the people away from the Lord.”(25;6,14,15,18) The account of God’s act of salvation is immediately followed by that of the people’s apostasy. -> It shows not only the horrible conditions among the Israelites but also the need for new forms of leadership.

B. Second Census(26;1-65) The new census refers to the Lord’s words of judgment in Numbers 14; > A example of the fulfillment of the Faithful God’s word One feature in common-The situation of the continuance of a family line in spite of the death of the head of the family. The lineage of Moses; Moses, Aaron, and Miriam from the house of Levi.

C. Zelophehad’s Daughters (27;1-11) The situation of Zelophehad’s daughters and the question of the survival of the line of Korah -> A conscious attempt to deal with the larger issue of the survival of the priestly line. -> Even in the midst of God’s judgment, a remnant of the house of Korah is saved.

D. Joshua appointed Successor to Moses (27;12-23) The portrayal of Moses’ passing his authority over to Joshua and Joshua’s reception of the Spirit is similar to the transition of prophetic office from Elijah to Elisha in 2 Kings 2; > The leadership and the succession of the prophetic office guided by the Spirit of God.

Evaluation 1)Don't make a complaint from lack of faith, which causes the defeat of the circumstances and the hindrance for the promised blessing and even being killed. -> And do not grumble, as some of them did-and were killed by the destroying angel. (1 Corin. 10;10) 2) Hold the first belief firmly. The unbelief and lack of faith of the believers, although he is the high priest regarded as the most faithful spiritual leader, leads to the failure of the promised blessing. -> We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. (Heb 3;14)

-> And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.(Heb 6;15) 3) Despite our failure of faith, God gives us another way to avoid and finally through the prayer, we get to the promised land. Finally, he fulfills his promise. -> No temptation has seized except what is common man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corin 10;13) -> Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4;16)

4) Understand and acknowledge the promise of Abraham. God chose Abraham to bless him and all the nations of his seed through him. God's blessing and curse will be fulfilled. However, his people should undergo the time of bondage and oppression like the old ancestors of belief. -> Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (Jam 1;12) 5) God's promise of Abraham is working through all the present believers as well as the believers of Balaam's age.

Any word spoken to the prophets by God has being fulfilled through all the Israel history until now on. ->It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this us covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.(Deut. 5;3) 6) The Messianic prophecy of God for salvation is being proclaimed and fulfilled through all the age, from the Exodus, through Balaam of this chapter and any other prophets, to the present, by establishing the messianic king and priests and by giving his messianic son (It's the fulfilled peak) and by giving the holy spirit for another leadership until now. All is by the promise of God and by the holy spirit.