Journey Through Numbers Part 2 and DeuteronomyНамуна

Intro

Nicole introduces this course on Numbers Part 2 and Deuteronomy. We will witness a new generation that will move onto the Plains of Moab for the final words of Moses—words of warning, yet words offering life and a future.

Intro

Nicole introduces this lesson as we continue in the book of Numbers. We’ve left the deserts of Sinai for Paran and Zin, and are now moving into Moab, where Moses will summarize the history and laws of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers in Deuteronomy’s “Farewell Sermons.” But before we get there we’ll encounter complex extended family dynamics, political drama, and more “numbers”—but more importantly, we’ll encounter YHWH as a divine warrior who protects his people.

People Not Ready: In the Text

Numbers ends with a sense of hope for the new generation that is replacing those who caused the 40-year delay. They are commissioned to execute their unique (and precarious) role as agents of God’s justice.

The Old Generation & the New Generation

The generation that we begin the book of Numbers with is not the one that will enter the Promised Land. They will be told at the beginning of Deuteronomy, “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors.”

Dennis Olson has noted a number of parallels between Numbers 1-25 and Numbers 26-36. He calls the first part of the book “The Old Generation of Rebellion” and the second “The New Generation of Hope.” The contrast between the fates of the two generations appears to be deliberately outlined in the book’s structure.

Note the contrast by matching passages regarding the “Old” and “New” generations.

Numbers has been filled with disappointment and rebellion, but for the new generation it will end with stability and hope.

Source: Roy Gane, The NIV Application Commentary: Leviticus, Numbers, 2004, pp. 476-478.

Family Tree

In the Bible’s first books we meet many people and groups that have shared ancestors. Over the course of the next few lessons we’re going to encounter groups such as the Midianites, Edomites, Moabites, Ishmaelites, Arameans and Ammonites. Three of these groups are direct descendants of Abraham. Keeping track of kinship ties will help you understand the severity and extent of judgment as well as the expectations for loyalty.

The Divine Warrior