Community Bible Reading : Crunching Numbers

As part of Community Bible Reading some of us in Marg churches are doing together, we are studying and sharing what we learn daily from common Bible portions. Things took an interesting turn for me when we started the book of Numbers.
Until recently, it was easy for me to share what I had learned from the Bible.

For example, from Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus, I learnt that I must expect temptation and ask for faithfulness in times of testing, because Jesus matters the most.

From Psalm 23, I learnt that I don’t need to look to people for provision, it is God who is my employer and my guardian. But –

What do we learn from Numbers chapter 1 : A census of Israel’s warriors?

And what do we learn from Numbers chapter 4: Duties of the Kohathites?

And what do we learn from Numbers chapter 6: The Nazirite’s vow?

It is a cultural mistake among believers today to rush into a chapter in the Bible to find what we can apply to our lives. Such hurried attempts meet with little success, especially with books like Numbers. Do you know why?

Principle : We need to always first understand what the verse or passage meant to the original audience.

How do we do that? And how can we learn what God intends us to learn while avoiding wrong interpretations of His Word?

1. Summarize the book you’re studying and forget not the big picture. This requires a cover-to-cover, basic understanding of God’s amazing story: what or who is the Main Thing in the Bible?

Each book, each major turning point in God’s word points to the one main character it is all about – Jesus, the Son of God, the one who saves His people from sin.

There is one grand narration happening throughout the Bible in four stages:
Creation.
Fall.
Redemption.
Restoration.

So when we read Numbers 8, let’s find out : how is this passage and chapter, linked to the larger Story?

It is easy to lose ourselves in the details of the Levites’ purification rites if we don’t remember that God was instituting a way of redemption and restoration between His holiness and His people who are stained by their sin.
So, for those who are part of the Marg Community Bible Reading, here is a summary of the Book of Numbers-

A brief summary of Numbers (spoiler alert!)
Israel journeys from Mount Sinai into the promised land. A counting of all the warriors takes place so that they could prepare for war. God devotes one of the twelve tribes, the Levites, to assist Aaron in the work of the priesthood and institutes various laws that show that Israel is to be set apart in purity, way different from the people around who did not worship the living God.

Entering the desert, the people begin to complain about everything from the lack of good ol’ food to Moses’s leadership. The plan to overthrow the Canaanite people sinks due to lack of faith in God. God punishes the current generation of Israelites (everyone except Joshua and Caleb), who will not be allowed to enter the promised land. Moses leads the people back toward the Red Sea to wander in the wilderness for a period of forty years. Another revolt happens due to jealousy toward Moses’s leadership. God kills the rebels when they complain against His authority and act against Him, but Aaron’s intervention brings God’s mercy on the remaining people. 

Next, Moses and Aaron themselves disobey God. God tells them that they will not enter the Promised Land as a consequence. Aaron dies soon after. When men of Israel sin by fraternizing with native women, who stood under God’s judgment, Phinehas saves Israel from punishment by killing a guilty Israelite and his Midianite mistress. 

Towards the end of the book, God chooses Joshua to succeed Moses as leader of Israel.

2. Ask your church family : Nobody said you can’t take help from your spiritual family! And God has placed them here- see Eph 4:10-13. God has gifted people in each local church with understanding of the Bible (and I don’t mean just seminary-trained people) so that we all are equipped to serve one another. Since this is God’s plan, let’s actively ask for help and guidance from those who are training themselves in understanding and obeying God’s Word.

3. Learn from wise Christians in the universal church: You might find out that people in your church may not have found all the answers yet. That is ok! Find books, sermons, blogs, Bible commentaries and dictionaries that bring you the hard work done by Christians before us. For example, here’ something I learnt from a blog-
Did you know that the original Hebrew title of the book of Numbers is– “In the Wilderness” (Makes sense, right)?

So, you don’t have to stay confused. Neither do you have to re-invent the wheel.

A big thanks to those who have been part of the Community Bible Reading plan and have taught me much in the last many weeks. Let’s by God’s grace, keep crunching numbers!

Helpful Resources

Two resources that helped me make sense of the Nazirite vow  –Constable’s notes and Faithtacoma.

Bible.org – a website which can assist your study with commentaries, sermons and more.

The ESV Gospel Transformation Bible –  Get a copy and read the section called The Gospel in ‘Numbers’. Worth it!