Numbers

Last week I finally finished reading Numbers. 

Here are my notes from the book.

• The Lord directed Moses and Aaron to count the poeple with help from those named by God; they were the 12 leaders of Israel, one from each tribe.
• They counted the tribes, but the Levites were not counted; they were to keep the Holy Tent.  Those age 20+ were counted for Israel's army. 
• The Lord directed locations for each tribe to set camp with their banners; they were all around the Levites.
• The Levites were to help Aaron and sons, the priests.
• Of the Levites, the first borns were given to God. 
• This was a little confusing on exactly what that meant to me.
• The Levites were counted by family groups. Each family was responsible for a part of the Holy Tent.
• Each part of the Kohath Levite Family group carriers part of the Holy Tent as assigned.
• Those unclean were senta way from the camp.
• Doing wrong to others was sin to the Lord and must be paid for.
• Husbands who know or suspect their wives of unfaithfulness must bring them to the priest with a jealousy offering.  A process with bitter water will curse the unfainthful women or prove her faithfulness to her husband. 
• Nazirites belong to the Lord in a special way by a promise they made to God.
• Nazarite rules:
• No grapes in any form
• No cutting your hair
• Not near dead bodies
• If it occurs suddently and you're near them you must follow the rules to become clean again.
• When Nazaritie time is over, offerings are made. 
• Each tribe gave offerings for the Holy Tent.
• They celebrated Passover.
• Israelites moved as the Lord directed through a cloud that looked like fire over the Holy Tent.
• Silver trumpets used by the priest to direct Israelites for moving and gathering.
• They complaind; God send fire; Moses prayed; fire stopped.
• The people complained for meat; God gave quail for a month, much more than they wanted and started to turn against God.  They were complaining they had meat in slavery in Egypt.
• Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.  The Lord then speaks to them and tells them they should be afraid.  Miriam is given a skin disease and sent outside of camp for 7 days.
• Moses sent spies to survey Canaan.  They found fertile land, big people and walled cities.
• Israelites complained about their current life; God is angry; He is powerful.
• Those who complained won't see the promised land and will wander the desert for 40 years.
• The Lord punishes guilty people.
• There are rules for offerings once the Israelites arrive in the new land for themselves and foreigners. 
• A man working on the Sabbath was stoned to death.  (This is convicting.)
• A group came against Moses and Aaron; God had the ground open and swallow their leaders and families and killed their men.
• The Israelites complained again and God killed.  Aaron made sacrifices and saved the remaining people.
• Aaron's walking stick buds; 12 leaders sticks were with Aaron's for God to show/prove who is choosen so the people wouldn't compalin. 
• The Levites are responsible for the Holy place and 1/10th of the Israelites earnings will be theirs and 1/10th of that is Gods. 
• A cleansing offering is described.
• The Israelies compalin again for water and Moses disobeys God and hits a rock instead of speaking.
• Edom didn't let them pass through their land in their traveling.
• Aaron dies as God said and his clothes went to his son Eleazar.
• They won't enter the promised land because they disobeyed with the rock and water. 
• Israelies were attacked but God let them defeat their enemy and destroy their cities.
• The Israeliets complained again and God sent snakes poisoning them. 
• They asked Moses to pray for them; God directed Moses to build a bronze snake for them to look at when bitten to be saved.
• The Amorites wouldn't let them pass.  They put up a fight and the Israelites defeted them.
• Moab was afraid of the Israelites and asked Balaam's to curse them so they could be defeated. 
• Balaams refused at God's direction. Then Balaam went away with his doney.
• Three times the donkey stopped for an angel and Balaam hit the donkey before the Lord reveleaed himself to him through the speaking donkey.
• Balaam went on with them doing only as the Lord guided and blessed those Mab wanted cursed three times.
• Balaam then told them Israel will be victorious!
• The Israelites started sinning and worshipping Baal with the Midianites. 
• Phinehas saw a man come with Midianites woman and killed them; sickness left Israelite then.
• Midianites became their enemies.
• Israwlies were counted again, none from the fire countere were left; they died in the desert.
• Moses brought a daughters concern to the Lord who said daughters should receive the farther's estate if no brothers. 
• Joshua becomes their new leadder; Lord tells Moses he will see promised land from a hilltop and die.
• There were descriptions of the offerings:
• daily
• Sabbath
• monthly
• Passover
• Feast of Weeks
• Feast of Trumpets
• Day of Cleansing
• Feast of Shelter

As I read through the offerings and the required number of livestock to sacrifice I thought about how much they were asked to provide.  It seems like a lot.  We asked asked of much, but they were asked of much of thier livelihood too.

•  Men must keep their promises.
• Women must keep their promises unless their father or husband won't allow it.  Then the promise is cancelled.  The Lord frees her of her promise.
• Israel attachs the Midianites, killedm en, capture women and children, but they were supposed to kill all.  THey had to then kill the boys and the non-virgin women.
• Goods from the Midianites were split up.
• The tribes went after more land and shared it by tribes.
• There was a summary of the travel journey through Egypt by location.
• The borders of Canaan were established.
• The towns were given to the Levites.
• There were cities of safety established.  Murders may go for fair trail in a city of safety.  Victims family must kill the murderer when they meet. 
• A murder not done in hate must be evaluated.
• Do not accept bribes.
• The murder is a punshiable offense only if there is a witness to it.
• Women who inherit land must marry within their own tribe so the tribe doesn't loose their land.