Numbers 25 - 31

Numbers 25

Moab Seduces Israel

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to commit whoredom with the Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people did eat and bowed down before these gods. Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor (a Moabite deity – false god), and the LORD’S anger burned against them.

The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, and hang them up before the LORD in the bright sun, so that the LORD’S fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have joined themselves to Baal-peor.”

And behold, one of the children of Israel brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses, and the entire congregation of the children of Israel while they were weeping at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the congregation, took a spear in his hand, and followed after the man of Israel into the tent. He jabbed it in to both of them, right through the man of Israel, and into the woman’s belly. Then the plague against the Children of Israel was stopped, but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The LORD said to Moses, “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the children of Israel. Since he was as zealous for my sake among them as I am, I did not consume them in my jealousy.

Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.”

The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the prince of a chief house among the Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, he was head of a chief house in Midian.

The LORD said to Moses, “Bring trouble upon the Midianites and kill them. For they troubled you when they deceived you in the matter of Peor, involving their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, who was killed in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.”

Numbers 26

The Second Census

Numbers 27

Zelophehad’s Daughters

The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. These are the names of his daughters Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.

They came forward and stood before Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and all the congregation by the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and said, “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from among his people because he had no sons? Give us a possession of inheritance among our father’s brethren.”

So Moses brought their cause before the LORD, and the LORD said to him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren, and give their father’s inheritance to them.

“Speak to the children of Israel, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his family, that he may possess it. This shall be a statute of judgment for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.’”

Joshua to Succeed Moses

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim and see the land I have given to the children of Israel. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was gathered.

For you rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command during the bitter conflict with the children of Israel, to sanctify me as holy before their eyes.”

Moses said to the LORD, “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, set a man over the congregation, to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest, and the entire congregation, and commission him in their presence.”

And you shall put some of your honor on him, so that the entire congregation of the children of Israel will obey him. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire congregation of Israel will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest, and the entire congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Numbers 28

Daily Offerings (1 – 8)

Sabbath Offerings (9 – 10)

Monthly Offerings (11 – 15)

The Passover (16 – 25)

The Feast of Weeks (26 – 31)

Numbers 29

The Feast of Trumpets (1 – 6)

The Day of Atonement (7 – 11)

The Feast of Tabernacles (12 – 40)

Numbers 30

Vows

Numbers 31

Vengeance on the Midianites

The Lord said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.”

So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from every tribe, were supplied from the tribes of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him holy instruments, and the trumpets for signaling.

They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man.

Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

And the children of Israel captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They burned all the cities and castles, where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel to their camp on the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who returned from the battle.

“Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. “Behold, these are those who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Children of Israel to be unfaithful to the Lord in the matter at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.”

“Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has been with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never been with a man.”

“Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair, or wood.”

Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”

Dividing the Spoils

The Lord said to Moses, “You, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation, are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils equally between the men of war who took part in the battle, and the rest between the whole congregation.”  

“From the men who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. From the children of Israel’s half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD’S tabernacle.”

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Count of the Spoils (32 – 54)