Answers to Thoughts to Ponder in Moses: Called by God
Chapter 20: The Israelites Grumble
Exodus 15:22-16:8
Q1 - Recall that a “mixed multitude” left Egypt along with the Israelites (see Exodus 12:38, Numbers 11:4). How do you think these people influenced the attitudes and behaviors of the Israelites?
A1 - The murmurings by the Israelites have already started. When Pharaoh and the Egyptian army appeared (Exodus 14:11–12), the people declared it would have been better for them to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. Then at Marah where the water was bitter (Exodus 15:23–24), they grumbled against Moses and asked what they were to drink.
Here in Exodus 16:2–3, the Israelites again murmured, evidently from their general living conditions. This time they took their dissatisfaction so far as to wish they had died back in Egypt. They reminisce about the abundance of food, of meat and bread, they had there to eat.
Although the “mixed multitude” is not mentioned here, it’s quite possible they were already influencing the Israelites and sowing seeds of dissatisfaction among them. After all, just as a little yeast leavens the whole loaf, so the complaints of a few can quickly spread through an entire group. The complaints here concerning the lack of meat are similar to the complaints instigated by these people in Numbers 11:4.
While the scriptures do not state exactly who the “mixed multitude” (Exodus 12:38) or “rabble” (Numbers 11:4) were, they may or may not have been slaves of the Egyptians like the Israelites were. That’s because people from other countries may have come to Egypt seeking food during the famine and also became enslaved. Bible commentators suggest some of them could have been of mixed heritage, such as the children of Hebrew women by Egyptian fathers. (An instance of this intermarriage within the Israelite community is given in Leviticus 24:10–11.)
It seems these people chose to leave Egypt on their own, and it’s quite likely this trip was not turning out to be anything like what they had envisioned. Yahweh might not have even their god, yet here they were following Him out into the desert where life would be difficult to sustain.
Q2 - When the Israelites were complaining to Moses about the food and water, how were they actually complaining against God?
A2 - The Israelites were guided in their travels by the pillar of cloud in which the presence of God dwelled. Therefore, God was directly responsible for them being where they were. However, it was much easier to complain against Moses and Aaron who were present in the flesh. The Israelites may also have felt it was safer to complain against their human leaders rather than directly against God.
Q3 - How do people in general, and Christians in particular, murmur against God today? What can you do to change your attitude when you find yourself complaining against God?
A3 - When unfortunate events or tragedies occur, you often hear people question why a good God would allow such bad things to occur. Within the church, you may hear others talk in a negative way about the minister’s message, the selection of songs, the order of the service, or the attire of other attendees. You can probably think of many other examples.
Many times, we find ourselves complaining about things that are a matter of personal preference. Always turn to God’s Word to see what is said on a given topic. Perhaps things are being done in error. If so, Jesus gave us a blueprint for how to deal with these situations in Matthew 18:15–17 (NIV): “‘If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.’”
You can also directly approach someone if you have a suggestion for a better way to do something. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of your idea in a non-confrontational way. Whether you achieve the change you desire or not, you have presented your idea in an honorable way without going behind someone’s back and creating dissent.
Chapter 21: Manna and Quail
Exodus 16:9-36
Q1 - Although God rested on the seventh day of creation, did those who worshipped Him observe a day of rest on the seventh day prior to His instructions given here in Exodus 16?
A1 - God made man on the sixth day of creation, and on the seventh day, He rested. Genesis 2:3 (NIV) states: “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Other Bible versions say He sanctified it or hallowed it. Thus, from the beginning God set aside the seventh day as a special day.
Whether early mankind observed the Sabbath in any way is not recorded in scriptures. Here in this lesson, when Moses commanded the people to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day and none on the seventh, the community leaders all came and asked Moses for an explanation (Exodus 16:22). He then explained that the seventh day was to be a day of rest set aside for the Lord. So it would seem that the Israelites were unaccustomed to observing the Sabbath up until this point in time. Recall that the Ten Commandments which formally commanded the Sabbath had not yet been given, so the keeping of the Sabbath here predates the Law of Moses.
Q2 - What did Moses do with the manna so that future generations would remember God’s care for the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land? Why was it important for him to do this?
A2 - Moses told Aaron to take a jar, put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept for generations to come (Exodus 16:33). This jar or pot of manna would eventually end up being placed inside the Ark of the Covenant. Note that, as yet, the Ten Commandments (also referred to as theTestimony), had not been given (that would occur in Exodus 20), nor had the Ark of the Covenant been built (God gave the instructions for the Ark in Exodus 25:10–22). Whenever the Ark was finally built, it would house the Testimony or the tablets of stone on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments (Exodus 25:16). The Hebrew writer would later state in Hebrews 9:4 that the Ark of the Covenant contained three things: the tablets of stone, the jar of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded.
The jar of manna would serve as evidence of God’s care for the Israelites during their forty-year journey. Future generations would have physical proof that the manna was real, even though God ceased sending it after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The fact that the manna did not spoil while it was kept over the centuries provided further evidence of the divine hand of God.
Q3 - At this point, God has not yet given Moses the Law, which He will do later at Mt. Sinai. How has He been introducing the Israelites to various elements that will later be included in the Law?
A3 - God seemed to be transitioning the people by introducing various elements of worship that would later be part of the Law. While they were still in Egypt, He introduced the Passover and gave instructions as to how it was to be celebrated in the future. In this lesson, He instructed them to observe the Sabbath. Both the Passover and Sabbath were elements of worship that would later help characterize the Jewish people.
Chapter 22: Water from a Rock and the Battle at Rephidim
Q1 - Joshua is mentioned for the first time in scripture in this chapter. What do you know about Joshua’s early life before he became the next leader of the Israelites? Why didn’t Moses himself go fight? Why did God specifically direct that Joshua hear and know about what Moses was to write in the scroll or book?
A1 - Very little personal information is mentioned in the scriptures about Joshua. About all we know is that he was somewhat younger than Moses and his father was Nun from the tribe of Ephraim. The fact that he is old enough here to battle the Amalekites means he had to have been born in captivity in Egypt.
Moses was already 80 years old when he went back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh. Although he was a strong and capable person, he needed to be the overseer of the battle and not down in the thick of things. Moses knew that God would be the one to give the Israelites the victory, and he needed to position himself to be able to commune with God.
God wanted to make sure Joshua knew what had transpired that had made it possible for for the Israelites to win the battle against the Amalekites. Even though Joshua was the one fighting the battle, it was God who gave the victory. Later, Joshua would be the one to carry on the leadership of the Israelite people after the death of Moses, something for which God had undoubtedly already planned.
God also wanted recorded in history what the Amalekites had done against the Israelites. He wasn’t through with them yet, and He needed for future generations to know what had transpired back at this point in time. Later, both Saul and David would fight the Amalekites, but it would be during the reign of Hezekiah when they would finally be completely wiped out as God had decreed (see 1 Chronicles 4:41–43).
Q2 - What was the significance of Moses holding up his hands during the battle with the Amalekites? What about his staff?
A2 - The staff, which God had made sure Moses took with him when he went back to Egypt (see Exodus 4:17), had no innate power of its own. The miracles came from God, the Creator, not from the piece of wood He had created.
God's people through the centuries have frequently lifted up their hands in prayer to God. Moses, by lifting his staff toward heaven, appealed to God for His help and intervention. It’s quite likely he was also praying fervently during this time as well.
David fervently called upon his God in Psalm 28. He said this in verse 2 (ESV): “Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.”
Paul wrote this to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV): “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.”
James stated in James 5:16 (NKJV): “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Q3 - The Amalekites were kinsmen of the Israelites. Why did God condemn them so harshly?
A3 - From ancient times, God’s people have practiced hospitality, taking in strangers and feeding and caring them. Particularly in such desolate areas, there were usually zero accommodations available. The very lives of travelers often depended upon the kindness and hospitality of strangers.
It’s highly likely the Amalekites knew the Israelites were their kinsmen. Additionally, with the towering pillar of cloud which accompanied them, there could be little doubt that God was with this group of people.
Instead of meeting with their leaders and finding out their intent, whether they were simply passing through or desired to permanently settle in this territory, they chose instead to sneak up from behind and attack their weakest and most vulnerable members. What the Amalekites did to their kinsmen was unconscionable.
Chapter 23: The Beginnings of a Judicial System
Q1 - Review the list of qualifications that Jethro suggested for the lower court judges (see Exodus 18:21). Then look at the qualifications given for deacons (see Acts 6:1–6 and 1 Timothy 3:8–13). How are their qualifications and appointed duties similar or dissimilar?
A1 - Jethro suggested Moses choose these type of men to be judges in Exodus 18:21 (NIV): “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
The men selected in the early church for ministering to the widows needed these qualifications (Acts 6:3 ESV): “Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.”
Paul gave a longer list of qualifications for choosing deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8–12 (NKJV): “Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”
In comparing the qualifications Jethro suggested with those given in New Testament times, the basics are the same. The candidates should be men who are capable, fear God, and are trustworthy and honest. Jethro added that they should also be from “all the people,” indicating they should be representative of everyone, men selected from the entire group and not just from among a select few known associates. Appointing them as judges over varying size groups implied that the larger the group, the more capable a candidate should be. That’s because the cases would get progressively more difficult as they were handed over to a higher judge.
The role of a deacon differs somewhat from that of the judges Jethro suggested for the Israelites. Whereas the judges would be deciding who was right or wrong in a given case, the deacon’s role was to serve.
The need for deacons arose in Acts 6 when the twelve apostles realized they alone could not meet both the spiritual and physical needs of the early Christians. (Recall that Matthias had been selected to take Judas’ spot among the apostles, so they again numbered twelve.) The apostles needed to be out and about, actively preaching and teaching the Good News of Jesus. Yet, the widows needed to be cared for. So they told their brethren to select from among them seven men to help with the daily distribution of food.
As the early church grew and its needed expanded, elders or bishops were appointed in the various congregations of believers. Their role was to oversee the spiritual needs of their church members (1 Peter 5:1–2, Hebrews 13:17).
The complete role of deacon was not as well defined, which may have been intentional in order to allow the churches latitude to meet their particular needs. In general, it seems that deacons were to take care of the physical needs of the church members, or perhaps handle whatever the elders assigned to them.
So while the basic qualifications of the judges Jethro suggested to Moses and the deacons of the New Testament church are very similar, the roles they were to fulfill differed.
Q2 - Note the interactions between Moses and Jethro. Jethro is probably older than Moses, as he is the father of Moses's wife. He is also recognized as a priest and spiritual leader. Yet, Jethro is careful to honor Moses and treats him with great respect, even while he gives him instruction as to how to organize the judicial system. What insights might Jethro have gained concerning Moses's character during the forty years he lived in Midian? Now that the Israelites have been safely brought out of Egypt by God, what does that tell Jethro about Moses?
A2 - Moses distinguished himself even as he first met Jethro by defending his daughters from the other shepherds and watering their flocks for them (Exodus 2:15–21). Jethro thought enough of him to invite Moses to stay with him and ended up giving him one of his daughters in marriage. He also trusted him with tending to his flocks. In all, Moses stayed in Midian with Jethro and his family for forty years, so Jethro must have gotten to know Moses pretty well.
The fact that Moses was able to deliver such a massive group of slaves from from the hand of Pharaoh, one of the most powerful rulers on earth must have spoken volumes to Jethro. When Moses had departed Midian, he told Jethro he wanted to go back to his own people in Egypt to see if any of them were still alive (Exodus 4:18). What must Jethro have thought when he later heard through the desert grapevine all that God had done through the hand of Moses? As a priest, he surely had to have recognized that God was with Moses. Then, as Moses explained all that had transpired, Jethro knew for sure that Yahweh reigned supreme and had been the force behind the deliverance of the Israelites. Without a doubt, he now knew God was with Moses.
Q3 - Up until he met with Moses, it’s possible that Jethro may have worshipped or offered sacrifices to more than one god, perhaps to cover all the possible contingencies. He seemed truly delighted to learn all that God had done in delivering the Israelites out of Egypt. This proved to him that the one God of the Israelites was real and truly powerful, unlike other gods made of wood or stone. How do you think Jethro’s meeting with Moses helped spread the worship of God, Yahweh, throughout other parts of the known world? (Recall God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 12:1–3 that through him all nations or families of the world would be blessed.)
A3 - Jethro’s meeting with Moses and learning of all God had done for the Israelites had a powerful impact on him. As was discussed in the lesson, he brought a burnt offering for a sacrifice to God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to dine with him in the presence of God (Exodus 18:12). Here was a priest who had not descended from Isaac, Abraham’s son through whom God had made His promise, taking the lead in this offering and communing with the Israelite leaders in the presence of God Himself. Jethro left shortly after this offering took place and went back home. We assume that he continued to worship only God and spread the knowledge He had learned about God to his family, friends, and neighbors.
Chapter 24: God’s Covenant with the Israelites
Q1 - What was the purpose of the people having to sanctify themselves before their meeting with God? Does God want us to be physically clean today? Was this for the people’s benefit or for God’s?
A1 - The process of sanctification involved the people washing themselves, washing their clothes, and abstaining from sexual relations. This was to be done in preparation for them coming before God. No doubt while they performed this outward cleansing process, they had time to contemplate on getting their hearts and minds focused on God, an inward cleaning process. God is a holy and righteous God, and they needed to cleanse themselves to be as holy as they could get in order to stand before God. Of course, they could never become clean enough.
Today, we cleanse our inward selves. Jesus shed His blood on the cross to become the perfect sacrifice for sin, once and for all time (Hebrews 10:11–14). We participate in his death, burial, and resurrection when we are baptized into Christ. As Paul explained in Romans 6:3–4 (ESV): “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
The water of baptism cleanses our inward selves. Peter explained that with baptism we receive forgiveness of our sins. He said this in Acts 2:38 (NIV): “‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
When we are in Christ, we become new creatures in Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV), Paul tells us: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
John instructs us to continue to walk in the light. He says in 1 John 1:7,9 (ESV): “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The steps taken to cleanse one’s self, whether under the Old Law or the New Covenant, were then, and are now, for the benefit of the individual. God is holy and pure already. He cannot be made more so with the steps humans take to purify themselves, nor can He be made less so because of our uncleanness. The steps the Israelites took to purify themselves helped them to focus on God and turn their hearts toward Him. It’s much the same for us today, except we do so on a spiritual rather than a physical level.
Q2 - What does it mean that the Israelites were to be a “kingdom of priests?”
A2 - The priests were set apart for service to God. They served as the go-between, the mediators, between God and the people. They helped the people offer their sacrifices to God, and they helped teach and instruct the people about God and His laws.
As a nation, God promised the Israelites that if they would obey Him and keep His covenant, then out of all the earth, they would be His treasured possession. They would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5–6). As a nation, they would perform many of the functions that the individual priests did. They would help bring the knowledge of God to other peoples. They would also serve as the go-between in bringing Christ’s saving grace to the world. Through their lineage would come the Messiah. Because of Jesus, the Israelite nation would ultimately serve as the link that helped connect God with the world.
Q3 - How did the happenings here at the mountain of God help validate Moses’s role as God’s chosen leader of the Israelites?
A3 - God, by communing with Moses and responding to him in the presence of the people showed that Moses was God’s chosen leader. God responded when Moses spoke to Him!
The exhibit of God’s might at Mount Sinai had to have been a sight to behold. The people must have been terrified on the morning when when the thick cloud enveloped the mountain and smoke went up like that of a furnace. Yet, even with the thunder and lightning and the whole mountain shaking violently, Moses led them out to the base of the mountain for them to witness God’s presence. This had to impress upon all the people that Moses was truly the leader God had chosen for the Israelites.
Chapter 25: The Ten Commandments
Q1 - Will every person who honors their parents necessarily live long on the earth? What is the deeper meaning of God’s statement in the fifth commandment?
A1 - The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:1–3 (NKJV) essentially repeated the fifth commandment: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’”
Unfortunate accidents or illnesses can occur through no fault of the individual which can result in his or her untimely death. However, those who honor their parents will hopefully listen to their teachings and learn from their wisdom (and hopefully the parents will have good teachings and wisdom to share!). It follows, then, that such people will be less inclined to make foolish mistakes or use poor judgement which could lead to their early demise. When people make good decisions, they are also more likely to enjoy a better quality of life as well as live a longer life.
Q2 - God hates a liar. Which command(s) deal with intentionally making false statements? What other scriptures come to mind about the gravity of telling a lie?
A2 - Actually two of the commandments speak against intentionally making false statements. The ninth command clearly states that people should not bear false witness against their neighbor. Additionally, the third command can be seen as encompassing false statements against God. When God’s name is taken in vain, an untruth has been declared. God is holy, and any statement to the contrary is false. When people swear an oath in God’s name and then break their oath or lie under oath, they have lied against God.
Proverbs 12:22 (NKJV) states: “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
Proverbs 6:16–19 (ESV) actually addresses falsehoods more than once in this list of what God hates: “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
Revelation 21:8 (ESV) states what will happen to those who lie: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Q3 - Are Christians commanded to keep the Sabbath today?
A3 - When God had finished His work of creating the world, he rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2:3 (ESV) states: “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
Whether the patriarchs recognized or kept the seventh day as a day of rest or not is not recorded in the scriptures. Later, when God gave the Law to Moses at Mount Sinai, He formally created the seventh day of the week as a Sabbath for the Israelites. In His fourth commandment, He stated they should keep the day holy and do no work on that day (Exodus 20:8–11).
Jesus lived under the Law and kept the Sabbath. However, by living a life without sin and sacrificing Himself on the cross for the sins of the world, He fulfilled the Law. The Apostle Paul explains in Colossians 2:6–15 the freedom we have through our life with Christ. In speaking of the Law, he states in verse 14 that Christ cancelled the written code with its regulations. He took it away, nailing it to the cross.
The Law served a vital role. It served as a schoolmaster or tutor to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Then, when Christ came, with His death, burial, and resurrection He ushered in a New Covenant. He told His apostles this at the last supper before His death on the cross. He said in Luke 22:20 (NIV), “‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” The cup represented His blood which would soon pour out of the side of His body when the soldier pierced His side as He hung upon the cross. With the shedding of His blood and His ensuing death, burial, and resurrection, He established a New Covenant.
The early Christians at first met together every day (Acts 2:46–47). Then, because Christ rose on the first day of the week, Christians started meeting on Sundays (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2).
While there is nothing wrong with meeting together on Saturday, Paul states we are not to be judged by whether we do or do not keep certain days. He says in Colossians 2:16–17 (NLT): “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.”
These articles discuss the topic further:
Chapter 26: Moses Intercedes for the Israelites
Q1 - Why were the people so fearful of hearing the voice of God?
A1 - Back in Egypt, the Israelites had witnessed another terrifying display of thunder and lightning flashing back and forth when God sent the plague of hail upon the land (see Exodus 9:22–26). That storm proved to be disastrous, with the scriptures stating it was the worst storm in all of Egypt since it had become a nation (Exodus 9:24). Only the land of Goshen where the Israelites resided was spared.
Recall that the people’s knowledge of the one true God had been quite limited up until the time Moses had appeared on the scene and started performing miracles. Yahweh was unlike any of the so-called gods of the Egyptians, most of whom they would not have dared approach even if they could.
When God spoke to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the whole scene must have been terrifying. There was thunder and lightning, and the mountain was covered by a thick cloud and with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. Smoke billowed up like from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled. There was also the sound of a trumpet blasting, which grew louder and louder (see Exodus 19:16–19). Think how loud the voice of God had to have been for them to hear it against such a backdrop as this. All of this made for quite a memorable event. It’s no wonder the people were so afraid.
Q2 - How is approaching God different for us today? See Hebrews 12:18–24.
A2 - The Hebrew writer contrasts how differently approaching God is for us today than it was for the Israelites back at Mount Sinai. They approached a physical mountain and a terrifying sight.
Today, we instead approach a spiritual mountain. Hebrews 12:22–24 (NKJV) states: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
Jesus, by conquering death, has made all this possible for us. It’s still an awesome scene to contemplate, but we can do so with great joy and with eager anticipation for what awaits us in eternity.
Q3 - Why did the Israelite people need an intermediary? Why do we need one today?
A3 - The Israelite people could not approach God directly. We learn from God’s instructions concerning the physical mountain that they would have been killed for even touching the mountain where God presented Himself.
With the giving of the Law, God established a system of priests to go between Him and the people, to be intermediaries. The priests obeyed strict instructions concerning their cleanliness, their garments, their food, and almost every aspect of their lives. God is holy, and those who would approach God needed to be holy as well (to the extent that is possible for humans to be). The priests then offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. The sacrifices were necessary to make atonement for their sins.
When Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, He did so once and for all time. Because He did this, physical sacrifices are no longer needed. He also acts as our intermediary, and He does so from His place seated at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10 explains the sacrifice Christ made and contrasts how things were under the Old Law with how they are now under the New Covenant which Christ established.
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can now, in a spiritual sense, enter the Most Holy Place (see Hebrews 10:19–23). What was once forbidden for individuals and only accessed by the high priest once a year has been opened to us. We can now approach God directly. Jesus has made this possible, and He serves as our high priest and intermediary forever.
Chapter 27: Ratifying the Covenant
Q1 - How did Moses know what to do in making preparations for ratifying the Israelites’ covenant with God? What did each of the steps he took symbolize?
A1 - If God gave Moses instructions as to how to make preparations for the ratifying of the covenant, it’s not recorded in scripture. Bible commentators suggest that the ceremony was likely modeled on proceedings that were customary during that time. Looking back at the covenant God made with Abram in Genesis 15, God told him which animals to bring but Abram seemed to know what to do with them, indicating he knew what was customarily done.
Moses first built an altar which would be for offering sacrifices to God. He knew the Israelites would be worshipping God that day.
He also erected twelve pillars. These stones served as a memorial which represented the Israelite people, the descendants of the twelve sons of Israel. They would be a party in entering into this covenant with God.
Moses had young men prepare oxen for the offerings. Some of the offerings were burnt offerings which were totally burned up in the worship of God. Other offerings were peace offerings which were partially burned (the portion which went up to God) and partially eaten by the participants. The peace offerings represented the people communing with God.
The blood from the oxen Moses divided in half. One half he sprinkled on the altar. The other half he placed in basins to use later, after the people had committed to the covenant.
Moses then read the covenant in the hearing of the people. They agreed to obey all that the Lord had told them to do. Then Moses sprinkled the blood upon the people, thus sealing the agreement between the two parties—God and the Israelite people.
Q2 - Why did God wait until the seventh day after Moses ascended the mountain to speak to him?
A2 - The scriptures do not tell us why God waited. We do know that God, who as an infinite being, is not constrained by time. 2 Peter 3:8 states that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Perhaps seven days represented completeness, as God completed His work of creating the earth in seven days. Perhaps He was giving Moses time to pray and develop a responsive mindset. Regardless, Moses had the good sense to wait upon God to call to him.
Q3 - Why was Moses on the mountain for forty days and forty nights? Was Joshua with Moses the entire time God presented His Law on the mountain?
A3 - According to the article, Meaning of Numbers in the Bible: The Number 40, the number 40 is mentioned 146 times in scripture and usually symbolizes a period of testing, trial, or probation. Here are just a few of those times:
During the great flood, the rains fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12).
Moses's own life was divided into 40 year segments: 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and 40 years leading the Israelites.
The spies Moses sent into the promised land retuned after 40 days (Numbers 13:25).
God sentenced the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, one year for each day the spies had explored the Promised Land (Numbers 14:34).
Jonah was sent to warn the city of Nineveh that it would be destroyed in 40 days (Jonah 3:4).
The prophet Ezekiel laid on his right side for 40 days to bear Judah’s sins, a day for each year (Ezekiel 4:6).
Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days where He was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:2).
Moses went up on the mountain for forty days on several occasions. You can understand how God presenting to him the rest of the Law that Moses recorded in the Book of the Covenant could take some time, particularly if God explained things to him as they went along. Moses also may have spent some of that time in prayer and meditation while waiting for God to speak. The scriptures do not tell us many of the details. The forty days may have symbolized completeness or perhaps a time of testing, which would turn out to be more of a test for the Israelites than for Moses.
Moses’s forty days on the mountain when the golden calf was created certainly proved to be a time of great testing, not only of the people, but of Aaron and Moses in particular. Aaron failed miserably, while Moses proved his commitment to God. That the people failed this test is obvious. However, it is to be noted that the Levites only killed 3,000 of their fellow Israelites. There had to be a million or more people in the camp, which means that the Levites killed less than one percent of the population. Hopefully that means many of the people were holed up in their tents and chose not to participate in the debauchery, but the scriptures are silent on this point.
Whether Joshua went all the way up with Moses or not is unknown, but it’s likely he stayed a distance away from the presence of God. We do know that he was with Moses at least part way as he ascended (Exodus 24:13) and also when he descended (Exodus 32:17).
Chapter 28: The Golden Calf
Q1 - A characteristic of God is that He cannot lie. Discuss Titus 1:1–3, Hebrews 6:13–20, and other scriptures which speak to the nature of God.
A1 - The scripture in Titus states that God does not lie. The scripture in Hebrews expounds further. It explains that God made a promise to Abraham and then swore by Himself as there was no one greater to swear by. A promise from God is more than sufficient all by itself, but God wanted to make doubly sure that Abraham’s heirs understood His purpose remained unchanged, and hence the oath (see Genesis 15 for God’s promise to Abraham and the ensuing covenant He made with him). Even though it took many years and several generations before God’s promise was completely fulfilled, He wanted them to know He would neither forget nor fail to do what He said He would do.
This very generation of Israelites served as living proof that God keeps His promises. They were the ones God had foretold would be delivered from slavery and come out with great possessions (see Genesis 15:13–16). In so doing, they had actually participated in an integral portion of the fulfillment of God’s promise! They had witnessed the awesome power of God’s miracles in the plagues against the Egyptians. Just a few days earlier they had stood trembling before Mount Sinai amid another awesome display of God’s power and solemnly pledged to do all that God had commanded. Of all people, they should have trusted God. Yet, Moses’s forty days on the mountain proved to be too long for them. They gave up both on God and on Moses.
Another scripture reference that speaks to God’s unchanging nature can be found in the second oracle of Balaam, the soothsayer. He had been summoned by King Balak of Moab to curse the Israelites shortly before they entered the Promised Land. Balaam told Balak he could only say what God had told him to say. In Numbers 23:19–20 (NIV) he said this in the second oracle which God delivered through him to Balak: “‘God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.’”
Q2 - Which of the Ten Commandments were broken during the incident with the golden calf?
A2 - Definitely the first two commands were broken. By abandoning God and then demanding Aaron physically make them a god, they broke the first command not to have other gods before Him. In so doing, it follows that the second command was also broken. The second command stated they were not to make idols in the form of anything God had created (not in the heavens above, earth beneath, or waters below) or bow down or worship them. Not only did they bow down to the golden calf and sacrifice to it, but they also gave it credit for what God had done with His mighty hand—bring them up out of Egypt.
It’s likely the Israelites also broke the third command to not misuse the name of the Lord. Certainly, they made a mockery of all that God had done for them.
Q3 - Why was it such an abomination for Aaron to build an altar before the golden calf and then declare a festival to the Lord?
A3 - More than anyone else that Moses left down below in the camp, Aaron knew God’s commands. He had been with Moses many of the times they had spoken to the people and confronted Pharaoh. He knew the right thing to do was to stand against the people and that building an idol was absolutely not the right thing to do. Even if the mob had killed him, Aaron would have died doing the right thing. Yet, he did not have the strength to speak against them, and worse, he fulfilled their sinful demands.
Then, Aaron took this occasion of sin and somehow thought he could whitewash it. He built an altar before the golden calf and declared that a festival to the Lord should take place. What then occurred was just as bad as the creation of the calf itself, and possibly worse, because the people began to engage in base revelry. Perhaps they would have done this anyway, but Aaron declaring the festival seemingly gave them the go-ahead. Associating the name of God with an idol and this sinful event amounted to blasphemy.
Aaron compounded his wrongdoing by lying to Moses. He told him when he threw the jewelry into the fire, out came this calf. Aaron’s one original sin of caving to the people snowballed into many more sins being committed by both him as well as a multitude of people. It’s no wonder God was so angry with him over this incident.
Chapter 29: Moses Smashes the Tablets
Q1 - What book does Moses refer to in Exodus 32:32–33?
A1 - Up to this point in the scripture, the few times the “book” is mentioned seems to refer to a book of historical records. Genesis 5:1a (ESV) tells us: “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” We know that Moses was keeping such a record from Exodus 17:14 where God told him what to write in the book concerning the Amalekites and to recount it in the hearing of Joshua. The Book of the Covenant referred to in Exodus 24:7 contained all the laws and instructions God gave to Moses that were in addition to the Ten Commandments. These writings evidently became part of the historical record that Moses was already keeping. The whole of Moses’s writings then became the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Bible.
The reference here in Exodus 32:32–33 appears to be a different book, a record of names that God keeps. Moses refers to it in verse 32 (NKJV) as “Your book which You have written.” God, in His reply in verse 33 (NKJV), refers to it as “My book.” Some Bible commentators believe this book to be similar to a civil list or register which the Jews evidently kept of those who were currently alive. When someone died, they were erased from the book (Ezekiel 13:9 refers to the records of the house of Israel). Other commentators feel it’s in reference to the eternal Lamb’s Book of Life mentioned in the New Testament, although it’s unknown how much Moses knew of God’s plan of eternal salvation. So, while this question is an interesting one to contemplate, we don’t really know the answer.
Q2 - After all they had witnessed and experienced, why was it so hard for the Israelites to give up pagan worship? How hard has it been for you to give up former practices, beliefs, and behaviors?
A2 - It seems to be human nature to return to what is familiar. People who are abused often return again and again to their abuser. The Israelites, even though the knowledge of God had been passed down to them from their ancestors, had, nevertheless, been born into paganism while residing in Egypt. When things didn’t go as they thought they should or they became tempted, the Israelites fell back into various aspects of pagan worship. Then, after they finally entered the Promised Land, they allowed themselves to be influenced by the pagan worship they found there.
On a personal basis, it will be interesting to hear what the members of your group have to share on the topic.
Q3 - Romans 8 is a good chapter to read to gain a better understanding of how both the Holy Spirit (see v. 23, 26–27) and Jesus (see v. 31–34) intercede on the behalf of believers. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and of Christ (see v. 35–39). How does this assurance affect your life and worship?
A3 - What would have happened if Moses had not interceded for the Israelites after the incident with the golden calf? God was so angry that He wanted to destroy them and make Moses into a great nation instead (see Exodus 32:10). The parallel account in Deuteronomy 9:13–21 tells us Moses ascended back up the mountain to plead for their lives and fell prostrate before the Lord for another forty days and forty nights. During that time, he fasted, eating no bread or drinking any water. Although Moses had developed a close relationship with God, still he was fearful. He said in Deuteronomy 9:19a (NIV): “I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you.” Then he added in verse 20 (NIV): “And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too.”
Fortunately for the Israelites, God listened to Moses (Deuteronomy 9:19b). He didn’t destroy them, but He did send a plague for what they had done concerning the calf Aaron had made (Exodus 32:35). Whether some of the people died with the plague or simply fell ill is not known, but regardless, it wasn’t pleasant.
Moses would go on to intercede on other occasions for the Israelites, begging God not to destroy them. But as much as Moses tried, he was not perfect. Although he was able to keep God from wiping them out, he couldn’t save them from eternal death. That would take Jesus, who lived a life without sin and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, once and for all time.
The Apostle Paul in Romans 8 explains that Christians have not one, but two, intermediaries—the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. You will want to read all of this deeply meaningful chapter, but here are a few of the highlights (all are from the NIV):
8:16–17: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
8:26–27: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
8:33–34: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
8:37–39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Thanks be to God that Christians today have such powerful and perfect intermediaries! We, like the Israelites, stumble often along the pathway of life. God, with His plan of salvation, brought Jesus Christ to earth to fulfill His role as the Messiah, and Jesus, after His ascension, sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter or Advocate (John 14:16–17; 16:7). Now we have both to intercede for us before the Father. What immeasurable love God has bestowed upon us!
Chapter 30: Moses’s Friendship with God
Q1 - How was the establishment of the tent of meeting an important step in the Israelites’ developing their own relationship with God? See Exodus 29:38–46 for God’s instructions concerning the continual offerings and the sanctification of the tent of meeting. See also Exodus 33:7–11.
A1 - After God presented the Ten Commandments to the Israelites in Exodus 20, Moses ascended the mountain and stayed forty days and nights (Exodus 24:15–18). During that time, God gave Moses many instructions, including how to construct the tabernacle and the items which were to go inside as well as information concerning the priests and their garments.
In the interim before the tabernacle could be built, the tent that Moses had pitched outside the camp became a place where God would come down in the pillar of cloud and talk with Moses. The people could come also, and the glory of God consecrated the tent (Exodus 29:42–46). Sacrificial offerings were made at the entrance to the tent, and it gave a physical place for God to dwell among His people.
Prior to God coming down to the tent of meeting, Moses had to ascend the mountain to talk with Him. Not only did it take time for Moses to hike up the mountain and back, but it took him away from the view of the people, which had proven disastrous in the incident of the golden calf.
By having the tent of meeting just outside the camp, the people could watch Moses enter the tent. They could witness the pillar of cloud coming down to the tent, and during these times they would stand outside their own tents and worship. The tent of meeting brought the presence of God much closer to the people, and it gave them a place where they themselves could go make inquiries of God. While the mountain was a fearful place that the people dared not go, the tent was approachable and allowed the people to begin to develop a more personal relationship with God.
Q2 - When Moses asked to see God’s glory, he asked this favor for himself. What other personal requests, not associated with being an intermediary for the Israelites, did Moses make of God during his lifetime that are recorded in scripture? Why did God not immediately grant Moses’s request to see His glory?
A2 - Moses was called the meekest or humblest man to ever live. Perhaps his refraining from asking God for personal requests and always seeking the good of the Israelites helped him earn that designation. Almost every communication that’s recorded in scripture that Moses made with God concerned the welfare of the Israelite people in some way.
After being so closely associated with God, Moses knew that he had only been partially witnessing Him. He had never seen God totally and fully revealed. When he secured God’s promise that He Himself would accompany the Israelites on to the Promised Land, Moses became emboldened to make his personal request to see God’s glory, His full presence.
God waited until Moses went up on the mountain for the second set of stone tablets where he was well away from the camp of the Israelites to fulfill his request (see Exodus 34:4–9). This was likely for the people’s safety, but it also made for a private time between God and Moses. When Moses came back down, his face was radiant from his speaking with the Lord. The sight of Moses's glowing face frightened the people, and he had to coax Aaron and the others to come near him (see Exodus 34:29–32). Think how much more terrifying it would have been for them to witness even a small measure of God’s glory.
Moses made another personal request of God shortly before the Israelites reached the Promised Land. Because he and Aaron had sinned while bringing water from the rock at Meribah, God had told them that neither he nor Aaron would be allowed to enter Canaan (see Numbers 20:1–13). He would later beg God to allow him to cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan. However, God did not change His mind and told Moses not to speak to Him anymore about the matter. God did allow him to look over right before his death (see Deuteronomy 3:23–27, 34:1–6).
Q3 - What are the characteristics of the Holy Spirit? How does it function in the lives of Christians today?
A3 - The Holy Spirit does many things in the lives of believers, several of which will be discussed here. He is the third person of the Trinity, along with God the Father and God the Son. He was with God from the beginning of creation. Genesis 1:2 (NKJV) tells us: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Moses had received the Spirit, although scriptures do not state how or at what point in time. When Moses asked God for help in dealing with the people, He took some of the Spirit that was within Moses and put it on seventy of the elders of the community to help him carry the burden of the people (Numbers 11:11–17).
Also during Moses’s time, the Spirit of God gave various skills to the craftsmen who made the tabernacle, ark of the covenant, and all the other items God had commanded, as well as the priestly garments (Exodus 31:1–11).
When Moses asked God to appoint a successor to him so that upon his death the people would not be left like sheep without a shepherd, God told him: “‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him’” (Numbers 27:18, NKJV).
There are other instances in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit came upon people for a period of time and then departed. For example, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon Saul and he prophesied in 1 Samuel 10:6–10. Later, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David and departed from Saul in 1 Samuel 16:13–14. After David’s sin with Bathsheba, he pleaded with God not to take His Holy Spirit from him in Psalm 51:11.
In the New Testament, Jesus promised His disciples that after He departed, He would send them a Comforter (or Helper, Counselor, or Advocate) to be with them forever, the Spirit of truth (John 14:16–21). Then, after His resurrection, He gave them these instructions in Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV): “‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Indeed, the Holy Spirit would be bestowed upon Christians, the followers of Christ. In Acts 2:38 (NIV), when the words which the Apostle Peter had been speaking pierced the hearts of his listeners, they asked him what they should do. Peter replied: “‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Then, in verse 39, he continued by saying: ‘“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’” The forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit would not be only for the people to whom Peter spoke; it would also be for us today!
Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit. He acts as a deposit or down payment, guaranteeing our inheritance. The Apostle Paul tells us in (Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV): “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Paul goes on to admonish us in Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) not to grieve the Holy Spirit: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers and helps us in our weaknesses. We are told in Romans 8:26–27 (ESV): “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
The Holy Spirit does so much more than what we have addressed here. Search the Bible on “Holy Spirit” at https://www.biblegateway.com/ to see the many scriptures that speak of the Holy Spirit.
This article also provides more information: "Understanding Who the Holy Spirit is and His Roles In A Believer's Life."
Chapter 31: The New Tablets
Q1 - What other people did God promise to make a great nation of their descendants? What makes the lineage through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so special?
A1 - God promised to make a great nation of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, his wife’s handmaiden. At the time God changed Abram’s name to Abraham in Genesis 17, He also established His covenant of circumcision with him. When God told him he would have a child by his wife Sarah, Abraham laughed and told God in verse 18 (NIV): ‘“If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’” God told him He would establish an everlasting covenant with Isaac and his descendants. As for Ishmael, God promised to bless him also, to make him fruitful and greatly increase his numbers. He would become the father of twelve rulers, and God would make him into a great nation. The names of Ishmael’s twelve sons who became tribal rulers are given in Genesis 25:12–18.
When Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, became pregnant with twins, they jostled within her womb such that she inquired of the Lord in Genesis 25:22 (NIV), “‘Why is this happening to me?’” God told her that two nations, two different peoples, were within her womb. Although Jacob would be the one through whose lineage God’s promise to Abraham would be fulfilled, Esau’s descendants would also become a nation. The account of Esau’s many descendants is given in Genesis 36.
Of course, God promised to make a great nation of Abram. In Genesis 12:1–9, God called him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to the land He would show him, the land of Canaan. God promised to bless him and make him into a great nation. He would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him. He also promised that all nations on earth would be blessed through him. God went on to make a formal covenant with Abram in Genesis 15 and explained the events that would occur before his descendants would be able to come back to Canaan.
God renewed His promise to Abraham’s son, Isaac, in Genesis 26:1–5. He told him his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and that He would give these lands to them. Through his offspring, all nations of the earth would be blessed because Abraham obeyed God and kept His commands.
In Genesis 35:9–13, God changed the name of Isaac’s son, Jacob, to Israel. He told him to be fruitful and increase in number, which he did by having twelve sons. God went on to tell Israel that a nation and a community of nations as well as kings would come from him. He told him the land that He had promised to Abraham and Isaac He was also promising to Israel and to his descendants after him.
In Exodus 19:4–6, God promised the Israelites that if they would obey Him and keep His covenant, then out of all the nations, they would be his treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. In Exodus 29:44–46, God stated He would dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
In Exodus 34:10, when God displayed His glory to Moses, He declared He was making a covenant with Moses and the Israelites. He would do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. If they would obey His commands, He would drive out the inhabitants of Canaan from before the Israelites. Then in verse 27, He told Moses He would make His covenant with Moses and Israel in accordance with the words He told him to write on the tablets—the Ten Commandments.
You can tell from the many promises and covenants God made with Abraham and then with his descendants that they were a special people to God. God didn’t just make His promise one time; He renewed it on down the line to Isaac and to Jacob. Then, with the Israelite people, He made a covenant with them in the Ten Commandments, the foundational elements of the Law.
It would be through the lineage of the Israelite people that the Messiah would enter the world. Jesus Christ would be the ultimate fulfillment of the promise God had made to Abraham so long ago, that through him all peoples of the world would be blessed. Of the many blessings that came because of Jesus and His life on this earth, the greatest of all would be the hope of eternal salvation for all who believe on His Name and obey His teachings.
Q2 - God listed some of His characteristics when proclaiming His name to Moses. Discuss the meaning of these characteristics. How did they come into play during His dealings with the Israelites? See Nahum 1:1–8 for a further description of God’s characteristics.
A2 - In revealing Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV), God proclaimed His name and listed His attributes. “‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.’”
God displayed all these characteristics in dealing with the Israelites. Although He showed His mercy and love over and over and forgave them on numerous occasions, He did not give them a blanket pass. He is also a God of justice, and there were instances where He punished them severely.
After their egregious sinning with the golden calf, Moses ascended back up the mountain to ask God’s forgiveness for the people. He told God that if He would not forgive them, to blot out his name from God’s book. God replied in Exodus 32:33 (ESV): ‘“Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.’” In this instance, God forgave them but caused a plague to come upon them (Exodus 32:35).
Other scriptures also tell us that God holds each person individually responsible. Deuteronomy 24:16 (NIV) states: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.” This concept of individual responsibility is found in both the Old and New Testaments (see Jeremiah 31:30, Ezekiel 18:20, 2 Corinthians 5:10).
While each person is responsible before God for his or her own sins, the poor decisions of their parents or other ancestors can sometimes impact the lives of their descendants for generations to come. A prime example occurred in Numbers 14 when the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land and even talked of stoning Caleb and Joshua for encouraging them to do so. God condemned all the people to wander in the wilderness for forty years until the generation responsible had died off.
Although the children and grandchildren of those condemned may not have sinned, they still had to spend years of their lives wandering in the wilderness as they waited for their elders to die. You can probably think of many examples in today’s world of how the choices and actions of parents have caused their problems to be handed down to their children and perhaps grandchildren. On the positive side, when parents act with foresight and wisdom, they can greatly enrich the lives of their children and future generations.
Q3 - Have you ever met someone whose joy in the Lord was evident from the way they spoke and acted? How can Christians live so as to reflect God’s glory? Discuss Ephesians 4:17–32.
A3 - When Moses would spend time in God’s presence, his face became radiant such that he covered his head with a veil to keep from frightening the Israelites (see Exodus 34:29–32). His face physically reflected the glory of God. The Apostle Paul talked about that veil in 2 Corinthians 3:12–18. The Law hinted of greater things to come, but the reality was always shrouded, as if with a veil. Only when Christ came was that veil taken away. For those who turn to Him, He makes clear the way of salvation.
When we look to the Lord, we, too, reflect His glory—not physically as Moses did, but rather we do so spiritually. Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT): “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
Isn’t it amazing to think that we can reflect the glory of God? And it’s not a dull reflection. Other Bible versions liken it to that of a mirror. Here is verse 18 in the New King James Version: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” So, not only are we reflecting His image, we are also being transformed into it!
All of this occurs by the lives we life. Paul gives us a blueprint for Christian living in Ephesians 4:17–32. He instructs us to put off our old, corrupt ways and to put on a new attitude. In verse 24 (ESV) he tells us to: “… put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Paul goes on to include other attributes of Christian living in his list:
Put off falsehood and speak truthfully (v. 25).
Control your anger so as not to give the devil a foothold in your life (v. 26–27).
Do not steal; instead, work with your own hands doing something useful so you will have something to share with those in need (v. 28).
Watch your speech and only say things that help build others up according to their needs; try to benefit those who listen to you (v. 29).
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (do things which go against God’s Word) (v. 30).
Get rid of bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and every form of malice (v. 31).
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (v. 32).
Chapter 32: Becoming a Nation
Q1 - How were the Israelites able to construct the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, all the items that accompanied the tabernacle, and construct the priestly garments while camped for a year at the mountain of God?
A1 - The source of the materials used in constructing all that God had commanded likely came from the many items the Israelites had received from the Egyptians as they left Egypt. Recall in Exodus 12:33–36 that they collected articles of silver and gold and also clothing from them. When you consider the vast number of Israelites involved, this amounted to a tremendous amount of goods.
The acacia wood was probably obtained from the trees around the areas where the Israelites camped. Some items, such as the ram skins, likely came from their own livestock. Then, when the Israelites battled and subsequently defeated the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8–16), it’s quite likely the Israelites gathered plunder from them. It’s also possible the Israelites traded goods with other people who may have lived in the area or were passing through.
When it was time to assemble the materials for the tabernacle, God told Moses the items that were needed. The people were to bring what they had in accordance with what their hearts prompted them to give (see Exodus 25:1–7).
While Moses was on the mountain, God gave him detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, the items associated with it, the ark, and the priestly garments (Exodus 25–30). He then endowed certain craftsmen with the skill, ability, and knowledge to create all that He had commanded (Exodus 28:3–5; 31:1–11).
Q2 - In what situations were the trumpets to be sounded (see Numbers 10:1–10)? Find other Old Testament references to the trumpets and how they were used.
A2 - Moses and Aaron must have welcomed the addition of the trumpets which God commanded be made. These instruments certainly made communicating with this multitude of people much easier and more efficient. Different blasts meant different things. The trumpets were to be used when calling an assembly, breaking camp, going into battle, and also in times of rejoicing and worshipping (Numbers 10:1–10).
The sound of a trumpet heralded the meeting of God with the Israelites shortly before He gave them the Ten Commandments. Recall that when Moses led the Israelites out of the camp to meet with God at the foot of Mount Sinai, there was a very loud trumpet blast. The whole mountain trembled violently and smoke billowed up from the mountain like a furnace. During all this, the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then, Moses spoke and God answered him (Exodus 19:16–19).
Other times when the Old Testament records that trumpets were sounded include these:
Trumpets were to be used in commemorating the sacred assembly which the Israelites were to observe on the first day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:23–25).
During the time of the judges, Ehud, who had killed Eglon, the king of Moab, blew a trumpet to summon the Israelites to come help him fight (Judges 3:26–30).
Trumpets were used along with other instruments when King David and the Israelites were celebrating before God during the time they were moving the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 13:7–8).
When King David declared that his son Solomon was to become king after him, he gave instructions concerning his anointing. Afterwards, the trumpet was to be blown and they were to shout—“Long live King Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:32–35).
As the Israelites were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, their enemies opposed them. They armed themselves and had someone with a trumpet be with them. When the trumpet sounded, everyone was to come join them (Nehemiah 4:16–20).
When the wall had been rebuilt around Jerusalem, trumpets were used in the dedication ceremony (Nehemiah 12:31–37).
Q3 - How is our Communion or Lord’s Supper today similar to the Passover? How does it differ?
A3 - God’s instructions concerning the first Passover are given in Exodus 12:1–23 and 12:43–51. The account of Jesus's last supper is given in Matthew 26:17–30, Mark 14:12–26, and Luke 22:7–23. John’s account of the last supper doesn’t give the specifics of the meal but does talk about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples in John 13:1–30.
In creating the original Passover celebration, God provided a way to feed His people in preparation for the arduous journey which lay ahead. In so doing, He also provided a way for them to be spared from the death of all their firstborn. The blood from the same lamb which nourished them was to be sprinkled around the door frames of their homes, thereby signaling the destroyer to pass over their homes and not to enter.
The sacrifice could be either a young male lamb or a goat that was without blemish. It was to be roasted whole over the fire with none of its bones broken in the process. Along with the meat, they were to eat bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. All of the meat had to be consumed by morning or else they had to burn any that remained. It was to be eaten in one house, with none of it taken outside. They were to eat in haste, with their staff in their hands, their sandals on their feet, and their cloak tucked in their belt. When it was time for them to depart, they needed to be ready to walk out the door. No uncircumcised males could partake of the Passover feast.
Jesus, shortly before He was betrayed, hosted one last meal for His disciples. During this meal, He took bread and blessed it and gave it to his disciples to eat. Because this occurred during the time of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, which lasted for seven days, the bread would have been unleavened or baked without yeast, much like the bread the Israelites ate during the first Passover. He also took a cup of wine or the fruit of the vine, gave thanks, and offered it to His disciples as well.
Several things differed between Jesus's last supper and the original Passover meal. Only bread and wine are mentioned as being part of Jesus’s last supper. There is no indication they ate lamb with bitter herbs as the Israelites did during the first Passover. Also, the drinking of wine or grape juice is not mentioned as being part of the original Passover celebration. Through the years, wine did become part of the celebration and must have been traditionally done by the time Jesus came to earth, as He included it in His meal.
Christians today seek to celebrate Communion or the Lord’s Supper in accordance with the way Jesus hosted His last supper. Jesus Himself served as the lamb without blemish that was offered for the sins of the world. He likened the bread to His body and the cup to His blood which was poured out for us. Whereas in the original Passover, the body of the lamb provided nourishment for the people and its blood saved the Israelites from physical death, Jesus, as our Passover Lamb, gave His blood to save us from spiritual death. His Word, the New Covenant which came into effect upon His death, nourishes our souls. By our obedience to His Word, we have life eternal.
Other scriptures which talk about the Lord’s Supper include: 1 Corinthians 5:7–8, 10:16–17, 11:23–29, and John 6:26–59.
Chapter 33: Leaving the Mountain of God
Q1 - How does the Bible describe “this manna” that the Israelites spoke against in this reading? In addition to today’s reading, see also Psalm 78:21–25 and 1 Corinthians 10:1–5.
A1 - The reading for this lesson in Numbers 11:7–9 describes the manna as being like coriander seed and the color of bdellium (an amber color). When prepared, it tasted like pastry made with oil. Psalm 78:24–25 calls manna the bread or grain from heaven, the food of angels.
In 1 Corinthians 10:3, the Apostle Paul says the Israelites ate spiritual food. While this food was supplied by God and nourished their physical bodies, it also nourished their souls. It served as tangible evidence of God’s divine care and protection for His people.
From these readings, it sounds like the manna which God provided the Israelites tasted good. Certainly, it had to have been nourishing for the people to have lived off of it during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Sometimes we grow complacent or even resentful of what we do have when we start to dwell on what we don’t have.
Q2 - The people’s complaints against their hardships and food were only a symptom of what underlying problem? (The entire chapter of Psalm 78 gives a brief history of Israel. See verses 18–25 and verses 32–33 in particular.)
A2- Recall that other people, a “mixed multitude,” accompanied the Israelites in their exodus out of Egypt. Even though here in Numbers 11:4–10 they seem to be the ones who instigated the complaining and weeping about the food, the Israelites readily joined in. The scripture references in Psalm 78 provide a bit more information concerning the underlying problem.
Psalm 78:21–22 tells us the Lord was very angry with them for their complaining because it showed they did not believe in Him or trust in His deliverance. Verse 32 goes on to state that in spite of all that God had done and the wonders He had worked among they, they kept on sinning and did not believe. Then verses 34–37 tell us that when God would slay them because of their misdeeds, they would eagerly turn back to Him. But, while they flattered Him with their mouths, they lied to Him with their tongues. In short, their hearts were not loyal to Him, nor did they keep His covenant.
Q3 - For whatever reason, two of the seventy elders remained in the camp when God placed His Spirit upon those who had been chosen to help Moses. (It’s interesting to note their names were recorded, Eldad and Medad, while those of the other sixty-eight were not.) Why was Joshua upset when he heard they were prophesying in the camp? What did Moses mean by his reply to Joshua?
A3 - Up to this point, Moses had been the undisputed leader of the Israelites. Although Aaron was the high priest and frequently accompanied Moses, he did not lead as Moses did (and, in fact, had failed miserably when left in charge by creating the golden calf while Moses was on the mountain). Joshua could have been worried that others sharing in the leadership role would lessen Moses's authority. He could also have been worried about an insurrection occurring in the camp.
Moses welcomed the spread of the Spirit of God throughout the camp. He had borne the heavy burden of leading these people and had grown weary to the point of crying out to God for help in Numbers 11:11–15. In fact, he even told God that if things were going to be this way, to go ahead and kill him right now! Such strong words which Moses obviously spoke in desperation. Having more people in the camp endowed with the Spirit would help him considerably in handling the many situations which seemed to occur regularly.
A similar instance occurred in the New Testament during the time Jesus was on earth teaching and preaching. Parallel accounts are given in Mark 9:38–41 and in Luke 9:46–50. The Apostle John told Jesus they had seen a man driving out demons in His name, and they told him to stop because He was not one of their group of disciples. In response, Jesus told him, “‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side’” (Luke 9:50 NKJV).
Chapter 34: Miriam and Aaron Criticize Moses
Q1 - Why was only Miriam punished by God and not Aaron also?
A1 - The scriptures do not tell us the answer to this question. Several commentaries suggest that because Miriam’s name is listed before Aaron’s in this passage, that she was the primary instigator of the complaint against Moses and that Aaron followed her lead. The incident with the golden calf seems to indicate Aaron may well have lacked the character needed to speak against her influence, if that were the case.
At any rate, Aaron immediately cried out when he saw Miriam was leprous. He asked for forgiveness, but there is no record of Miriam being repentant or asking for forgiveness. In fact, Miriam is not mentioned again in scriptures until her death in Numbers 20:1.
Whether Aaron being the high priest played a part in his not being punished is unknown. However, it stands to reason that it would not be a good thing for him to be made unclean by becoming leprous as Miriam was.
Q2 - What comes to mind when you hear someone referred to as meek or humble? Think of Moses’s life and consider the many times he spoke with resolve or acted decisively and powerfully. How did his words or actions exemplify real humility?
A2 - If you look up the words meek and humble in the dictionary, you find definitions such as quiet, submissive, and unassuming. Yet, those descriptions seem inappropriate for a man who became so angry with an Egyptian taskmaster that he killed him. Nor do they fit someone who stood so boldly before the powerful king of Egypt time after time, challenging his authority to hold the Israelites as slaves. Certainly, they fail to characterize someone who was able to lead such a massive horde of people and livestock out of Egypt, through the waters of the Sea and back to the Mountain of God.
Moses exhibited real humility in that he conformed his will to the will of God. He often acted forcefully, but he did so as God directed and guided him to do. Moses was meek and humble, but not in the ways that the world would consider someone to be. He was meek and humble before God.
When God called Moses to be the leader of the Israelites, Moses felt he lacked the qualifications, particularly in regard to his speaking ability. It’s interesting to note that later the Apostle Paul would also describe himself as someone who lacked eloquence of speech. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, he wrote this: “…When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God…I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5, NIV).
Paul went on to become one of God’s most powerful mouthpieces in all of Christianity, just as Moses had been under the Old Law. In their great humility, they both relied on God to guide them rather than on their own abilities. They serve as examples for us today to not let our own feelings of inadequacy keep us from doing the work God has called us to do. Our weaknesses only make God’s wisdom and might all the more evident.
Q3 - In Hebrews 3:1–6, the writer compares Moses to Jesus. How are they similar? How is Jesus superior to Moses?
A3 - In your study of this scripture, you will want to go ahead and read all of Hebrews 3, as the writer of Hebrews uses the Israelites’ unbelief as an example for us today.
Both Moses and Jesus were faithful to God who appointed them. However, Moses was faithful as a servant in all of God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. Christ was faithful as a Son over God’s house, and He was the future. He was the One to whom the Old Testament scriptures pointed.
In verse 1, Jesus is called both an apostle and a high priest. (Evidently, this is the only place in the scriptures where Jesus is referred to as an apostle.) According to the Encyclopedia of the Bible, the word apostle means one sent out. Moses was sent to lead the Israelites and to bring the Law to them. The mission Jesus was sent out to perform was much broader in scope. He would make eternal salvation available to the whole world, and upon His death He would usher in a New Covenant.
While both Jesus and Moses were sent out from God, only Jesus would also be able to become our high priest. According to the Law, that was not a role that Moses could fulfill. God had appointed his brother, Aaron, and his descendants instead. They were earthly high priests, and they were all fallible. Jesus, after becoming our perfect sacrifice, sat down at the right hand of God. There he continues to act as our spiritual high priest, a role that he fulfilled once and for all time (see Hebrews 10:11–14).
Chapter 35: Exploring the Promised Land
Q1 - Where else are giants (or Nephilim or descendants of Anakim) mentioned in the Bible? Did the Israelites have to go against them later when they finally were able to enter the Promised Land?
A1 - The Nephilim are referred to in the Bible in Genesis 6:4 and here in Numbers 13:33. According to the scriptures, they were people of great stature who were the descendants of Anak. The Anakites or the Anakim people are referred to several more times in the Old Testament. Moses described them in Deuteronomy 9:2 as being strong and tall. They evidently lived in the “city of Arba" or Hebron (Joshua 15:13).
The Israelites did have to battle the Anakites during the conquest of Canaan. Joshua conquered all of them who had been living in the Israelite territory. Some of them survived in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:21–23). As an aside, the giant Goliath, whom David slew with his slingshot, was from Gath (1 Samuel 17:23).
For more information, see the Encyclopedia of the Bible. Search on Anak and Nephilim.
Q2 - In the Deuteronomy account of this incident, the report given by the ten spies was so discouraging that it caused the people to lose heart or melted their hearts in fear (see Deuteronomy 1:28). When have you lost heart only to later realize the conditions were not actually as dire as they had originally appeared? What did you learn from your experience?
A2 - Answers will vary, depending on personal experiences. Often the dread of anticipation turns out to be worse than the reality itself.
Q3 - After the Israelites heard this negative report of the ten spies, they retreated to their tents and allowed their discontent and discouragement to fester even further. “‘Because the LORD hates us,’” they said, “‘He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us’” (Deuteronomy 1:27, NKJV).
While God actually sought to bring them safely into the Promised Land, the people allowed their thinking to twist His intent around to the polar opposite. What caused them to get this so wrong? Do you think their upbringing in Egypt impacted their thinking? Read Psalm 1 and think about whom you should accept counsel from.
A3 - This generation of Israelites was never able to genuinely trust in the Lord even though they had witnessed so many miracles performed on their behalf. Can you imagine the experience of walking between great walls of water on dry ground, when just a little while earlier you saw yourself as being trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea? Whatever happened in the past never seemed to translate forward into what they could expect of God in the future.
They had been born in slavery in Egypt, a society which worshipped a multitude of false gods. Their knowledge of Yahweh, the true God, had been passed down to them from their ancestors. They had witnessed God’s great power and might, and they had pledged to follow all of God’s commands when He delivered His Law to them at Mount Sinai. But, unfortunately, the faith they inherited never developed into a true faith, even after God reveled Himself to them repeatedly. As the psalmist noted: “In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe” (Psalm 78:32, NIV).
When the twelve men returned from spying out the land of Canaan, they reported accurately what they saw—it was a land flowing with milk and honey, the cities were large and fortified, and some of the people were of great stature. However, ten of the men then offered their personal assessment—the people were stronger than the Israelites, and the land devoured those living in it. They failed to factor in the power of God.
Only two of the men encouraged the people to go ahead and take possession of the land. They believed that, with God’s help, they could do it. The people let themselves be swayed by the ten negative reports and chose not to listen to those two men who had faith in God. The writer of Psalm 1 admonishes us to be careful to whom we listen. He concludes in verse 6 by assuring us: “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction” (Psalm 1:6, NIV). The two men who trusted in God, Joshua and Caleb, later crossed over into the Promised Land; the ten men responsible for spreading the bad report were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord (Numbers 14:36–38).
Chapter 36: Forty Years of Wandering!
Q1 - God once again threatened to destroy the Israelites and make Moses and his lineage a great nation instead. What arguments did Moses present to God to preserve these people?
A1 - Even though they were out in the wilderness, news travels, and what happens even in desolate places eventually becomes known elsewhere. Moses told God that if He destroyed the Israelites, the Egyptians would hear about it, as would the inhabitants of Canaan. Then people would say that the Lord was unable to bring the Israelites into the land He had promised to them, so He slaughtered them in the wilderness instead. That would mean Yahweh was not powerful enough to make what He had planned actually happen and cruelly killed the very ones He had said He would deliver. Moses urged Him to forgive the Israelites and fulfill His promise.
Q2 - While “murmuring” usually doesn’t involve taking overt action against someone or something, it can create a very powerful force. When the Israelites murmured against Aaron and Moses, what were the deeper implications?
A2 - People don’t usually murmur against someone they admire and respect, even if they don’t understand their reasoning or the position they have taken. Moses had warned the Israelites earlier when they longed for meat to eat in Exodus 16, that when they grumbled against Moses and Aaron, they were actually grumbling against God (Exodus 16:8).
By grumbling or murmuring, the people were showing a lack of faith in God to see them through as He had promised. They were disregarding His Word and His promises, in effect showing ingratitude and contempt toward God.
Q3 - How does this reading show that the “sins of the fathers” can affect their children and future generations? What other examples can you think of where this has happened, in either Bible times or modern day? How can the good things people do impact their children and future generations?
A3 - When God condemned the current generation of Israelites to wander in the wilderness for forty years until they had died that meant that their children would have to wait all those years before they could enter the Promised Land (see Numbers 14:30–34). The children suffered because of the decisions their parents had made.
Children do not create the environment into which they are born. That means, for example, that children who are born into poverty or other dire circumstances will often lack good nutrition and a safe environment, conditions which may impact them in various ways for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, children who are born into a stable home environment will often be provided good nutrition, a safe environment, and many opportunities to learn and develop their talents and abilities. Then, if these children provide a stable home for their children, the benefits are compounded through the future generations.
Chapter 37: Korah’s Rebellion
Q1 - When Moses fell facedown, what did it signify? Toward whom was this action directed? What do you think he was thinking or speaking while he lay on the ground? Although this action is not customarily done today, how can you apply the meaning of Moses’s response to handling challenges in your own life?
A1 - Evidently falling on ones’ face has been practiced for centuries as a means of showing submission or honor toward someone else, particularly when before a ruler or king or god. Moses regularly fell facedown before Yahweh. Yet, in several instances, he fell facedown before the Israelite people. He did so in Numbers 14:5 when the people rebelled against entering Canaan, and now in this lesson, in Numbers 16:4, he fell facedown when he learned of the rebellion which Korah was leading. He would fall facedown several more times before this incident was over, but in Numbers 16:22 and again in Numbers 16:45, he appears to be prostrating himself before God rather than the people.
Moses was God’s appointed leader for the Israelite people, but at the same time, he was their servant. He had devoted his life to fulfilling what God had called him to do, to see that the Israelites got to the Promised Land. After all that he had been through with these people and the times he had interceded for them to keep God from destroying them, for them to now turn on him and revolt against his leadership must have been heartbreaking.
We can only speculate as to what thoughts were going through Moses's mind as he lay prostrate before the people. Certainly, he felt great distress over the rebellion Korah had instigated. He knew the people were actually rebelling against God, and that once again, they were provoking Him to the point of destroying them. In all likelihood, Moses was praying fervently for God to show mercy toward the Israelites and begging Him for wisdom to know how to deal with them.
Falling facedown shows great humility. Certainly, it should get the attention of others. In this case, it probably kept Moses from screaming at the people. One Bible commentator noted that Moses listened first, then fell facedown, and finally, he spoke. While most people might not respond today by falling facedown, certainly it is often a good idea to listen first and gather your thoughts, even while praying for God’s guidance, before opening your mouth to speak.
Q2 - Why do you think God spared Korah’s sons but destroyed the entire families of Dathan and Abiram? Who were some of the descendants of Korah? (See 1 Chronicles 6:33–38.) Psalm 42 is among the eleven Psalms credited to the sons of Korah. This article provides more information on the sons of Korah: “Who were the sons of Korah in the Old Testament?”
A2 - When this insurrection occurred, Korah and his company of followers gathered at the entrance of the tent of meeting in opposition to Moses and Aaron. You’ll notice that Korah’s family is never mentioned either here or later when the earth split open and swallowed the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Evidently his family did not join him in this insurrection, or if they did initially, they turned away when they realized the gravity of the situation. At any rate, we are told in Numbers 26:11 that Korah’s line did not die out (other versions state his sons or his children did not die).
While Dathan and Abiram were identified as part of those participating in the rebellion, they were not present at the time Moses was confronting Korah and the others. When Moses sent for them, they stayed in their tents and refused to come. So when Moses went to them, the families of Dathan and Abiram stood together with them at the doors of their tents. In so doing, their families intentionally cast their lots with these men, and they subsequently perished with them. Dathan and Abiram are specifically mentioned along with Korah in the account of the second census given in Numbers 26:7–11.
As was mentioned in a footnote to this lesson, On, the son of Peleth, is named only in Numbers 16:1. Neither he nor his father are mentioned anywhere else in the whole Bible. Various commentators suggest that maybe he had a change of heart when he learned the gravity of the situation, but we do not know.
The sons of Korah not only survived this incident, but they also went on to become leaders in the Israelite community. Eleven of the Psalms are identified as being a psalm of the “sons of Korah”—Psalms 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, and 88. Korah’s descendants are given in 1 Chronicles 6:22–38. His great-grandfather was Levi, who had three sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari (1 Chronicles 6:1). Korah descended from Kohath, and you’ll notice in the listing of those who later descended from Korah the name of the prophet, Samuel (1 Chronicles 6:27).
Then the scriptures in 1 Chronicles 6:31–38 explain how King David went on to put several men in charge of the music in the house of the Lord. From the Kohathites came Heman, the musician, who was the grandson of Samuel. This listing traces Heman’s lineage back to Korah and finally on back to Levi.
Q3 - Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) states: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” What does this scripture mean? Discuss it in light of today’s lesson. This article provides a good discussion of the topic: “What does it mean that God is not mocked?”
A3 - Korah, Dathan, and Abiram sowed a great deal of discord among the Israelite people. They challenged the leadership that God had put in place. They claimed that they and the whole community were holy and were therefore just as qualified as Moses and Aaron. Somehow in their arrogance, they thought they could go head-to-head with God Himself.
Dathan and Abiram took their defiance even further. First, they refused to go to Moses when summoned. Then, they and their families stood together at the entrances of their tents and taunted Moses with untruths. They claimed Moses had brought them up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, meaning Egypt, only to kill them in the desert. Then they had the audacity to claim that Moses had failed to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey or given them an inheritance of fields and vineyards. In fact, Moses had brought them to Canaan, but the Israelites not only refused to cross into the land and take it, they also talked of stoning Caleb and Joshua for urging them to do so. And they also wanted to choose a leader and go back to Egypt, the very land from which God had so miraculously delivered them.
These insurrectionists, while acting in defiance of Moses and Aaron, were actually spitting in the face of God. They were saying that all that God had done for them wasn’t good enough, that they preferred Egypt over God! It’s no wonder that God responded in such a dramatic fashion by having the earth split open and swallow up these people and their belongings. They certainly reaped the rewards of their defiance and all the discord they had sown.
Chapter 38: God Reaffirms His Leaders
Q1 - After witnessing these catastrophes, how did the people respond? (See Numbers 16:34 and Numbers 17:12–13.) For children of God, what would have been a better response? What can we learn from these people?
A1 - After witnessing the earth swallow up the insurrectionists and their possessions in Korah’s rebellion, the people fled the scene, crying out that the earth was going to swallow them, too. Then, after Aaron’s rod had budded, the people knew without a doubt that God had chosen Aaron as high priest. They also knew they had been wrong to challenge Moses and Aaron, and again they cried out, fearful that they would all be punished and die.
What seems to be missing in the people’s response to these incidents is repentance. They were fearful, and rightly so, because they had challenged God and the leadership He had established. Yet, they failed to show a true change of heart by admitting their error and telling God they were sorry for their actions.
If we had lived during the time of these Israelites, it’s doubtful we would have done any better than they did. Fortunately for us, we live on the other side of the cross and have ready access to God’s Word. We can study both the Old Law and the New Covenant. We can come to know God today in ways that the Israelites of long ago could not. Our vantage point offers us the opportunity to observe the mistakes and shortcomings of those who came before us and to learn from them.
We will all make errors as we live our lives, and we will sin, sometimes grievously. When we do, rather than panic and scream and run, may we respond with humility as Moses so frequently did. May we repent, turn from our errors, and beg God for His mercy.
Q2 - What was the purpose of the incense offering? What is incense sometimes symbolic of in the scriptures? (See Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, and Revelation 8:3–4.) This article talks about the symbolism of incense: Signs & Symbols of the Bible (Incense).
A2 - The incense that was burned upon the altar of incense was to be made according to a special recipe and could only be used to worship the Lord (Exodus 30:34–38). Aaron (or the priest at the time) was to burn this incense every morning and then again at twilight each evening during the times when he tended the lamps (Exodus 30:7–8). Because it was slow burning, the incense smoldered almost continually on the altar, creating a pleasing aroma before the Lord.
The altar of incense was a small altar overlaid with gold that was used only for incense; no other type of offering was to be made upon that altar. It stood inside the tabernacle, before the opening to the holy of holies where the ark of the covenant was kept. The fire used on that altar to ignite the incense could only come from the altar of burnt offerings which stood outside the tabernacle in the courtyard (Exodus 30:1–10, Leviticus 16:12).
Not only did the altar of incense create a pleasing aroma, but its smoke also partially shrouded the interior of the tabernacle. A curtain shielded the holy of holies from the view of the priests who entered the tabernacle. Only on one day a year, the Day of Atonement, did the high priest enter the holy of holies. Before he could do so, he had to offer a sin offering for himself and his household. Then he was to burn incense on the altar of incense so that when he pulled back the curtain to the holy of holies, the cloud of the incense would shroud his view of the mercy seat which covered the top of the ark of the covenant (Leviticus 16:13). It was there that the presence of the Lord dwelled. The smoke from the incense kept the priest from seeing God’s presence so that he would not die as he sprinkled the blood for atonement inside the holy of holies. (See Leviticus 16 for an account of what all was to be done on the Day of Atonement.)
Scriptures sometimes symbolically link the offering of incense with prayers going up before God. David pleaded with God in Psalm 141:2 (ESV): “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” In Revelation 5:8 (NKJV), those who fell down to worship the Lamb had “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Again, in Revelation 8:3–4 (NKJV): “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.”
[It is to be noted here that the Bible refers to all Christians or believers as saints and not a select group of those who have passed away. The word, “saint,” means one separated from the world and consecrated to God; a believer in Christ (see Easton’s Bible Dictionary). Search the New Testament for the word “saint” at BibleGateway.com to see how it’s used in scriptures and to whom the word applies. This article addresses the topic of saints: "What does the Bible say about Christian saints? What are saints?"]
What a powerful, yet humbling, image these scriptures present: the prayers of believers being likened to an offering of incense ascending before God. Unlike the priests who lived under the Old Law, we do not have to perform all the rituals they needed to do before approaching God’s presence in the holy of holies. Simply with our heartfelt prayers, Christians are able to present a beautiful offering to God and approach His throne.
Q3 - Why are Christians no longer required to offer sacrifices on altars? Rather, what is your sacrifice or offering to be?
A3 - The sacrifices offered under the Law were not able to take away sins. They were made in obedience to what God had instructed His people to do, but they had to be repeated over and over. The writer of Hebrews explains that the sacrifices were an annual reminder of sins, because it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:1–4).
When Jesus came to earth and lived a life without sin, He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins when He died on the cross. He did this once, and for all time. His blood takes away the sins of believers, of all those who will avail themselves of His precious blood. Therefore, no other sacrifice for sin will ever be needed (Hebrews 10:8–18).
A sacrifice is something that has been consecrated, set apart for God and offered to Him. Because Christians are no longer required to offer physical sacrifices, we instead offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices. Paul urges us in Romans 12:1 (NIV) to: “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Peter states in 1 Peter 2:9–10 (NIV) that believers are: “…a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
The writer of Hebrews also tells us to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) and to not neglect doing good and sharing with others (Hebrews 13:16). God is pleased with these sacrifices. In fact, we are told that everything we do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17) and to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). When we live for God, we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, dedicated to Him.
Chapter 39: Moses Strikes the Rock
Q1 - Even as the time to enter the Promised Land drew near, the people were almost taunting Moses and Aaron with the fact that where they were at the moment had no grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates. Who else had presented a similar argument to Moses? What happened to them?
A1 - During Korah's rebellion which occurred in Numbers 16, Dathan and Abiram, who were part of the rebellion, refused to go to Moses when summoned. They accused Moses of bringing them up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, meaning Egypt, to kill them in the desert. Then they said in Numbers 16:14 (ESV): “‘Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards.’”
Dathan and Abiram’s words were particularly inflammatory, as Moses had led the people to the border of Canaan, but they refused to enter and take possession of the land. Because of their lack of faith that God would fight for them, that whole generation of Israelites had been condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years until they had all died. As a result of Korah’s rebellion and Dathan and Abiram’s defiance, the earth split open and swallowed them, their families, and their possessions.
Q2 - If the Law was imperfect, why did God put it in place at all if He planned to replace it later? What purpose did it serve (see Galatians 3:19–29)?
A2 - The Law was part of God’s plan to ultimately bring salvation through His Son. Although no one could be made righteous in God’s sight by keeping the Law, Paul tells us in Romans 3:20 (NIV) it was: “…through the law we become conscious of our sin.” He speaks further concerning the purpose of the Law in Galatians 3 and states in Galatians 3:24–25 that the Law was our schoolmaster (or tutor or guardian) to bring us to Christ so that we could be justified by faith. Then he tells us that now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
In essence, the Law was an interim step in God’s plan to prepare the world for His Son. Paul concludes his explanation of the Law acting as a guardian by telling us how we can become children of God through faith in Galatians 3:26–29 (NIV): “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Q3 - In what ways does Christ fulfill for Christians today both the roles that Moses and Aaron had under the Law? How is He superior to them?
A3 - In addition to being the leader of the Israelites, Moses often acted as a mediator or intercessor, going between God and the people and pleading for them. While Moses was fallible, we now have a perfect intercessor in Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 8:34 (NIV) that: “…Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Aaron, a descendant of Levi, was God’s first high priest. Many priests followed him, because death prevented them from continuing in office (Hebrews 7:23). The Levitical priesthood was imperfect, and Jesus established a new priesthood in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:11). The Hebrew writer goes on to tell us in Hebrews 7:24–25 (NIV) that: “…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
The priests offered sacrifices for the sins of the people under the Law, and they had to do so repeatedly. Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, and He did this once and for all time. Hebrews 7:26–28 (NIV) tells us: “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”