Feb. 1, Num. 1; Feb. 15th, Num.15; Feb. 28th, Num."28.
COMMENTS
Numbers is the book of wilderness experience, through which God is known in the grace and mercy which meets His failing people along the way, and through which what they are in themselves becomes manifest. As the priestly house is prominent in Leviticus, because it is a question of the sanctuary and of access to God, so in Numbers the Levites are prominent, because it is a question of the transportation and care of the sanctuary through the wilderness. In the former it is service particularly God-ward; in the latter, particularly manward. The first ten chapters have as their general theme, God's order for His people. This is developed in respect of their unity, as seen in chs. 1, 2; service, chs. 3, 4, which show us the Levites in relation to God's house, but as dependent upon priesthood, that is, our Levitical service, the bearing of the precious things of Christ through the world, depends upon priestly activity, our going into God's presence before we come out before men as His servants; sanctification, ch. 5, the place of God's dwelling must be kept clean; giving, chs. 7, 8, the princes representing all the people give to the Levitical service and the altar, and then the Levites are given to the priests as an offering unto Jehovah ^remembrance by the way, ch. 9:1-14, reminding us we too have our feast, which in measure the Passover typified, and let us not be careless as to observing it; divine guidance, chs. 9:15-10:10, God with His people to order their journeying, to guide, protect and command.
In the next ten chapters (10:11-20:29) we get lessons concerning God's gracious provisions and His ways in government brought out through the people's failure. Note their murmurings, lust, envy, and rebellion against divine authority, and let us take heed to the warning words of the apostle in 1 Cor. 10; Heb. 3, 4. On the other hand we find prevailing intercession, the resources of priesthood, means for cleansing from death's defilement, and refreshment ministered-types which portray Him who is our great Intercessor, High Priest, and Minister of the good things of God to His pilgrim people.
In ch. 21 some precious thoughts are linked together. First, Edom is turned from; his land compassed. He is a type of the flesh and its resistance to progress. The lesson of how to overcome is presented in the Brazen Serpent-type of the judgment of sin; it sets forth the truth of what God does with the flesh, as set forth doctrinally in Rom. 6-8. Progress follows, marked by the upspringing well, typical of the Spirit's ministry, accompanied with the song of joy, and followed by victory over the enemy-Sihon and Og, the wisdom and power of the world broken for the Spirit-led and empowered believer.
It is beautiful to see that following this we get God's thoughts about His people as given in Balaam's four oracles, a portion well worth careful study. We see them as separated to God; justified by Him; in order and beauty according to His thought; and finally glorified, in connection with Christ's coming. What a sad contrast ch. 25 presents, as we see this people in their sin and under the judgment of God in His holy government over those who are associated with His name! Yet He spoke of them as He did by Balaam, fully knowing the end from the beginning; so too with us, though knowing all our sins and failures, He has set us before His face in the acceptability of the Beloved. Spite of ch. 25, the next two chapters show us the people numbered and ordered as heirs, while in the next two we have them as worshipers, and as such, the sacrifices they present. How all of this suggests the marvelous grace of our God with such poor and unworthy creatures as ourselves! All praise to our blessed Saviour through whose work of atoning sacrifice it could alone be possible.