Archive for April, 2008
Notes: April 27, 2008 - Numbers 31
Bob Feather April 27th, 2008
English language Bible study guide used by Trinity International Baptist Church of Athens, Greece.
Balak had failed to get a prophet to curse Israel (Numbers 22-24), but the Midianites were able to vex Israel by enticing them to sexual and spiritual whoredoms. In consequence, God instructs Moses to destroy the Midianite nation.
- Twelve thousand soldiers are sent out (1-6).
- The Midianite men are killed including five kings; the Midianite cities are destroyed; Midianite possessions are taken as spoils of war; but the Midianite women and children are brought back to the camp of Israel (7-12).
- The Midianite boys and any Midianite girl/woman who had previously had sex were killed (13-24).
- God orders the spoils of war divided between the troops themselves and the congregation; and He expects each group to present a percentage of the spoils as an offering (25-47).
- In gratitude for not losing any soldiers in the battle, the troops make a separate, free-will, offering worth 16,750 shekels (48-54).
Meditation Points:
We find that Balaam, the prophet who could not curse Israel, had counseled the Midianites as to how they might vex Israel (Numbers 31:8,16).
| Spoils from the Midianite Conquest |
|---|
| Captured | Total | Soldiers’ Tribute 1/2 X .2% | Congregation’s Tribute 1/2 X 2% |
|
sheep |
675,000 | 675 | 6750 |
|
beef |
72,000 | 72 | 720 |
|
asses |
61,000 | 61 | 610 |
|
females |
32,000 | 32 | 320 |
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Numbers 31:8,16
8And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Notes: April 26, 2008 - Numbers 29 & 30
Bob Feather April 26th, 2008
It’s never too late to join our comprehensive, 3-year, through-the-Bible reading program. These notes follow the daily schedule that we use ourselves at Trinity International Baptist Church in Athens, Greece. Two evenings each week we gather to discuss what we’ve read since our last meeting, and recordings of those discussions are usually available through links found along with the reading schedule. English is our language of choice for all discussions; and you’ll find a comfortable informality at every meeting.
Chapter 29 of Numbers continues yesterday’s discussion of various feasts and offerings.
- The feast of trumpets (1-6)
- The day of atonement (7-11)
- The feast of tabernacles with its eight days of sacrifices (12-38)
Chapter 30 of Numbers presents the laws concerning vows.
- When a man vows, the vow cannot be broken (1-2)
- When an under-age and unmarried woman vows, her father can annul the vow (3-5)
- When a married woman vows, her husband can annul the vow (6-8)
- A widow or divorced woman is bound to the vows she made, even though her husband is no longer around (9-15)
Meditation Points:
Regular daily and weekly sacrifices and special feast days and feast weeks provided many opportunities for the devout to worship God. Is God in your thoughts more than just at holiday seasons?
God takes seriously our vows to Him. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-6)
Christ, the husband of the Church, has every right to annul our errant vows and intentions.
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Numbers 31:8,16
8And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-6
1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
Notes: April 25, 2008 - Numbers 27 & 28
Bob Feather April 25th, 2008
1. Land for families without sons (27:1-11)
2. Moses allowed to see the promised land before he dies (27:12-14)
3. Joshua chosen to replace Moses (27:15-23)
4. Morning and evening sacrifices (28:1-8)
5. Weekly Sabbath sacrifices (28:9-10)
6. New Year sacrifices (28:11-15)
7. Passover sacrifices (28:16-17)
8. Feast of Unleavened Bread sacrifices (28:18-25)
9. Feast of Firstfruits sacrifices (28:26-31)
Meditation Points:
- Concern for perpetuating the family name
- Moses’ bitter sweet view of Beulah
- Unknowingly, Moses had been training his replacement
- Reminders of the various required sacrifices. Do we need reminders to worship God?
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Numbers 31:8,16
8And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-6
1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
