1. Pentateuch – Class 9 Wed. Nov. 9th and Sun. Nov. 13th
Certificate in Christian Studies - Pentateuch Class 7
Pentateuch – Class 9 Wed. Nov. 9th and Sun. Nov. 13th
Schedule:
Class 10 – Wed. Nov. 30th & Sun. Dec. 4th
? Class 11 – Wed. Dec. 7th & Sun. Dec. 11th
Lessons and Carols – Thurs. Dec. 15th
Synoptic Gospels – begins Wed. Jan. 4th & Sun. Jan 8th
Today - Textbook chapter 6
Numbers chaps
Discuss the meaning of “wilderness.”
How do you enter into “wilderness,” and how do you emerge from “wilderness” ?
Dr. Susan Bubbers

2. Textbook Chapter 6 - Numbers
Certificate in Christian Studies - Pentateuch Class 7
Textbook Chapter 6 - Numbers
Remember – the physicalspiritual are integrated
All of the rules and practices are designed to continue to immerse the nation of Israel in the “culture of holiness” and to show forth (and even effect) the “spiritual aspect” through the “physical aspect”
This book addresses topics such as: national census, clans’ genealogies, org-chart, job descriptions, zoning, military strength, the centrality of worship…
Dr. Susan Bubbers

3. Title of the Book “Numbers”
Textbook Chapter 6 - Numbers p
Title of the Book “Numbers”
Common title – taken from the two censuses (1:2; 26:2); this title is found in the LXX.
Jewish writings often referred to the book by the fifth Hebrew word in 1:1, Bemidbar, “In the Wilderness.”
It is also known as the “Fourth Book of Moses.”

4. Literary Structure
Genesis has “These are the generations of (the family histories of)”. Exodus has alternating narratives and law-giving sections. Leviticus has sections of law-giving, each beginning with “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Lev. 1:1; 4:1; 6:8; 8:1; 11:1; 12:1; 16:1; 17:1). Numbers can be structured geographically, topically related to each census, or thematically related to the generations.

5. Literary Structure Numbers geography time theme census 1:1 – 10:10
Still at Mt. Sinai
1446 BC
20 days
The Old (Exodus) Generation
Military focus 1:2
10:11 – 25:18
Wilderness wanderings
1446 – 1406 BC
38 years,
3 months, and 10 days
Transition and Transformation
26:1 – 36:13
Plains of Moab by the Jordan
1406 BC
5 months
The New Generation
Allotment focus 26:2

6. Numbers chaps. 1-4 National census, clans’ genealogies, and arrangement
First National Census “What’s up with these huge numbers?” see handout; another possibility – ecology was different at that time This census was mostly for military planning, focusing on males 20 yrs old and older. The clans were also told where they would be billeted. The clan of Levi had special duties, to serve Aaron in priestly roles.

7. Numbers chaps. 5 - 9 Holiness practices reiterated
Num. 5 Separation of unclean persons Num. 6 Sanctification through Nazirite vow Num. 7-9 Sanctification through worship – donations, priests, and Passover

8. 40 year purging chaps
Primary theme – Wilderness Because of doubt and disobedience, an 11 day journey (approx 300 miles) became a 40 year purging.

9. Numbers chaps. 10-11 Journey begins, Israel’s failure
Num. 10:11-14 Departure from Mt. Sinai Num. 10:33-36 Three days journey Num. 11:1 Failure Num. 11:2-9 Manna given, even amidst complaint, because of Moses’ intercession Manna – typological of Christ, the bread of Life; John 6:30-35, 41, 47-58

10. Numbers chaps. 12- 14 Journey begins, Israel’s failure
Num. 12 Miriam and Aaron’s failure vs. 9 Num. 13 “Recon unit” sent to Canaan; vs. 31 failure Num. 14 vs. 4,10,12 rebellion Moses – typological of Christ; in each case of failure, he intercedes for the people 12:13; 14:13-20 – but with consequences 14:21-23; 36-38

11. Numbers chaps. 15 - 25 Wilderness wanderings
Num Review of Offerings; Korah’s rebellion 16:3; confirmation of God’s chosen leaders; Moses’ presumption 20:1-13 Num Balak, King of Moab, wants Moabite seer Balaam to curse Israel; even the donkey knows better
Balaam – foresees the rule of a Messiah, Num. 24:17
Num Israel’s failure, joined in Moabite idolatry
Gustav Jaeger, 1836

12. Transition and Transformation in the Wilderness
From a slave mentality, immature in the ways of God’s holiness, weak in faith, inconsistent in obedience… to a “Joshua” generation ready to stand (and fight) for the ways of God’s holiness, and enter the Promised Land, and do what is necessary to secure and inhabit it.

13. Numbers chaps. 26 - 36 Second census, and preparations to enter
Num. 26 Second census; focus is preparation for apportionment in Canaan, the Promised Land; males one month old and older; the Exodus generation was excluded, Num. 26:64-65; 32:11-13 Num. 27 Daughters of a faithful member of the Exodus generation, with no brothers, are granted the right to inherit property; further, daughters now have precedence over uncles in such cases 27:7-8 Num. 27:15-23 Joshua succeeds Moses Num Reiteration of Offerings, Passover, Festivals Num Successful battle against Midian, Division of the Lands east and west of the Jordan River, Cities for the Levites and Cities of Refuge

14. Christological Typology
Substitution for the first-born
Num. 3:12-13; referred to as a “ransom” in vs. 46; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Rev. 1:5
The Levites took the place of every firstborn son and every firstborn clean animal of the people, as wholly consecrated to the Lord, fulfilling God’s just claim to all the firstborn, a claim shown through the first Passover.
Jesus is the True Firstborn, who was eternally consecrated for the purpose of accomplishing “Passover” for all those whom He ransomed.

15. Christological Typology
The rock that quenches thirst
Num. 20:2-13; 1 Cor. 10:1-6
Jewish tradition refers to the mobile rock, and that the
water on this occasion came from the same rock that Moses had struck in Exodus 17. It had traveled with the people .
“Now He led His people out into the wilderness; for forty years He rained down for them bread from Heaven, and brought quail to them from the sea and brought a well of water to follow them. And it [the water] followed them in the wilderness forty years and went up to the mountains with them, and went down into the plains.” [Pseudo-Philo, Book of Biblical Antiquities 10:7, 11:15]
“And so the well that was with Israel in the desert was like a rock the size of a large container, gushing upwards as if from a narrow-neck flask, going up with them to the mountains and going down with them to the valley.” [Tosefta Sukkah 3:11]
The Tosefta (Aramaic) is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Also from this era – Pseudo-Philo, the name commonly used for a Jewish work in Latin, so called (false Philo) because it was transmitted along with Latin translations of the works of Philo of Alexandria, but is very obviously not written by Philo.

16. Christological Typology
The wilderness of the world, with salvation in Christ as our Promised Land
Jukes p. 52 – maturity and apprehension
Christian maturity arises from our apprehension of that which is already true for us in Jesus.
One Christian may see but be limited to apprehending himself as still in the house of bondage, hiding within the blood-sprinkled door-posts, waiting to depart from Egypt. cf. 1 Pet. 1:13; Ex. 12:11
Another by faith sees further, even to the experience of the wilderness knowing that Pharaoh is judged – John 12:31 – and the Red Sea behind him.
A third sees further, even into the land, and knows himself to be over the Jordan. Eph. 2:6
In other words, one has appropriated the meaning of Exodus in Christ, another the meaning of Numbers, another the meaning of Joshua.

17. Christological Typology
The wilderness of the world, with salvation in Christ as our Promised Land
Jukes p. 34 – Numbers gives the history of Israel in the wilderness, their services, their trials, and the failures there – which brings out repeated types of the Christian’s experience and pilgrimage in the world as a wilderness.
Israel’s coming out of bondage was typical – of salvation.
Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness was typical – of sanctification.
Israel’s entrance into the land was typical – of ultimate fulfillment.
In the wilderness, God’s people learn experientially what they are made of, and God’s discipline / formation.

18. Christological Typology
Bronze serpent Num. 21:4-9; John 3:1-17
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo (Spanish, Seville 1617–1682)

19. For Class 10 Wed. Nov. 30 and Sun. Dec. 4th Read textbook chaps. 7&8
Deuteronomy chaps
Questions:
What is the “promised land?”
In Israel’s history, in the period of the Exile / Intertestamental, in the era of the New Covenant, in the Eternal Order?
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