Números 15

Números 15

MacDonald - We don’t know how much time elapsed between chapters 14 and 15, but the contrast is striking. “… they certainly shall not see the land” (Nu 14:23). “When you have come into the land” (Nu 15:2). God’s purposes, though sometimes hindered by sin, are never thwarted. He promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, and if one generation of his descendants was too faithless to receive it, He would give it to the next. (BBC) THOUGHT - There is a principle here which is very important. God has redeemed EVERY believer to have a specific divine purpose (see Eph 2:10+) and play a role in His grand plan of redemption. Here is the point -- if we neglect or refuse His purpose and plan for our life, His overall plan and purpose of redemption will be fulfilled by someone who is willing to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please Him in all respects. Beloved, we are only making one pass through this temporal life before we step into eternity. Would you not rather enter eternity confident that you had been faithful to fulfill God's plan for your life? That's clearly a rhetorical question. The answer is clear from Mt 25:21, 29, 34 (cf "abundantly supplied" in 2 Peter 1:10-11+) In this passage we see Man's responsibility balanced with God's provision - You enter (man's responsibility = the responsibility of the second generation) and I am giving = God's gracious, sovereign provision. It was a gift and the life they lived there was also in a sense a gift, and as they laid hold of the gift of the land and the life, God would be glorified and pagan nations would see God's good hand of blessing and potentially be drawn to Him. (E.g., Queen of Sheba note her response in verse 9 - 1 Kings 10:1-8, 9) When they did (enter the promised blessing) they were expected to take time to thank God and worship Him. Do you pause to thank God for sharing His blessings with you? (ED: ANY time is the RIGHT time!) -- Warren Wiersbe NET Note - The wilderness wandering officially having begun, these rules were then given for the people to be used when they finally entered the land. That they would be provided here would be of some encouragement to the nation after their great failure. God still spoke of a land that was to be their land, even though they had sinned greatly. NET NOTE on I am giving - The Hebrew participle here has the futur instans use of the participle, expressing that something is going to take place. It is not imminent, but it is certain that God would give the land to Israel. God is showing His faithfulness to the everlasting covenant He had cut with Abraham and renewed with Isaac and Jacob to give Israel the land of Canaan On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: 19the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.” (Ge 15:18-21, cf Ge 12:7; Ge 13:15, 18; Ge 24:7; 26:4; Nu 34:2; Dt 34:4) Numbers 15:3 then make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the LORD, from the herd or from the flock. will make: Ex 29:18,25,41 Lev 1:2,3,9,13,17 10:13 a burnt: Lev 1:1-17+ a sacrifice: Lev 7:16 22:18-23 De 12:11 a freewill: Lev 22:21,23 De 12:6,17 16:10 your appointed times Nu 28:16-19,27 29:1,2,8,13-40 Lev 23:8,12,36 De 16:1-17 a soothing aroma: Ge 8:21 Ex 29:18 Mt 3:17 Eph 5:2 Php 4:18 See Table of Levitical Offerings below Numbers 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Eph 5:1-2+, Therefore be (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. A PLEASING AROMA TO THE LORD Soothing is a key word in Numbers 15 - Num 15:3, 7, 10, 13, 14 and then in the next section in Nu 15:24. In short, the first section Numbers 15:1-21 is about pleasing the LORD.