Journal Through the Bible: Week 21 Thursday

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Numbers chapter 5

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

• God would dwell within the camp if it was not defiled.
• God implied that He would directly judge with the sentence of guilty or not guilty when any woman suspected of adultery was brought before the priest by her jealous husband.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• Jesus is the trespass offering. (Discussed in previous posts.)
• Jesus is the jealous husband espoused to His bride. (See notes below for examples.)

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• God often used the marriage relationship to teach about relationship with Him. Just as the individual women were tested to see if they were faithful or unfaithful to their husbands, God punished the unfaithful Israel, the nation He betrothed to Himself, by sending her into exile. In Ezekiel chapter 16 God called Israel a harlot deserving of punishment. In the future, His bride will be restored and will be pure and spotless.
• The same analogy could apply to individuals. Jesus, the righteous judge, will either bless us or curse us for our faithfulness to Him. There are only 2 verdicts at the judgment: eternal punishment or eternal blessing. The only way anyone can be judged a faithful spouse is through the redemptive work of the Groom. The bride can never be faithful in her own power. 

Does God issue any commands?

• God commanded that they follow the rules of ceremonial cleanliness and put anyone who was unclean outside of the camp.
• God commanded that if anyone trespassed against another person restitution be made and 20% added to it. But if there was no one in the family to receive the restitution the trespass be given to the priests along with the ram given for the atonement and the offerings that had previously been described as being set aside for the LORD and the priests.
• God commanded that a woman whose husband suspected that she had committed adultery he was to bring her and her trespass offering without oil or frankincense to the priest so that she could be set before the LORD Who would reveal whether or not the deed had taken place. The woman's veil was to be removed from her head, her offering placed in her hands, and bitter water given her to drink. If the woman was guilty God would make her belly to swell and her thigh to rot. She would be an outcast from the people. But if she was not guilty, God would bless her instead of curse her by giving her children.