February 28, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Numbers? Here’s today’s reading:
Numbers 5 (NIV)
The Purity of the Camp
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body.........Continue Reading
God wants us to separate ourselves from sin. If we dwell with Him there is no place for sin in that relationship.
I love the God’s dealing with the adulterous woman includes the possibility that it is simply a jealous husband. Many a marriage has been destroyed by jealousy and mistrust of one another. Back then women had very little in the way of power in a relationship and this protected them from a jealous husband hurting them based on his own suspicions. God had a way to address, deal with, and bring resolution to the marriage.
Numbers 5
Numbers 5
Elvis had it right. We can’t go on together with suspicious minds. Can’t imagine a marriage where there is no trust.
Numbers 5
I love it when God addresses issues of public health. Especially in our day we see it’s importance and what must be done to keep people safe. It is also important that God encourages people to be honest about what they have done and take responsibility when they have wronged someone. It is unfortunate that we find it easier to point the finger at others rather than looking at our own responsibility and then rightfully compensating people for the harm we have caused. SO important that God oriented the Israelites (and us) to be like this.
And how interesting this test is..one wonders if the test itself would bring true confessions. But to have God say that He will make things happen that will indicate someone’s guilt or innocence…particularly in this situation…is very important. More confidence could be placed in this than a lie detector test. And I really appreciate Kelly’s comment above. As much as the woman is emphasized here, there really is protection for her in this to have her guilt proven as opposed to letting mere accusations carry weight. One hopes the Israelite men learned their lesson that the woman was innocent until proven guilty. How important for trust both ways…..
I was confused by this scripture: “Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. And every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.” Enduring word interprets this as the offering belonging to the offerer….but I am reading it as the offering then belongs to the priest.
Even though the “jealousy ceremony” seems really odd, I think it shows a great trust in and fear of the Lord. I believe that ,although these seem like superstitious actions today, I am sure under the old testament, with God living amongst the people, that the actual results would be as performed – a curse would be a curse, and absolved would be absolved. I think this would hopefully release the husband from his jealousy as well, when he saw the results after the ceremony.
I was reading in enduring word and the commentary there was suggesting that the “thigh rot” was referring to the womb, and the inability to have children.
Amy, I agree that the “his” refers to the priest, not the offerer….
Numbers 5
5The Lord said to Moses, 6“Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty 7and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged.
Numbers 5