1 Samuel 17: David vs. Goliath

How tall was Goliath? How can we replicate David's faith?

Introduction

One of the most famous moments in Bible history is the slaying of the giant Goliath by David. This story is told in 1 Samuel 17. Goliath challenged the Israelites that if a man could slay him, the Philistines would leave, but if Goliath slayed the Israelite, the Philistines would automatically win the battle.

Without any details, it seems like a convenient way to avoid massive bloodshed. Imagine, if instead of the world's armies fighting on 3 fronts in WWII, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Churchill, Kai-shek, Roosevelt, and Hirohito just fought each other. Instead of millions of people dying, bombs dropping on innocent civilians, and destroying the land, only the majority of the opposing side's leaders would have died. That sounds like a good deal, right? In the Israel-Philistine case, only one person had to die. However, the fact that Goliath was a giant and a warrior put fear in Israel's heart that none of their men could defeat him. They thought it might be better to fight an all out battle which they had better odds of winning. Only David, who wasn't even supposed to be on the battle field, was brave enough to take on Goliath.
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Goliath

Goliath's height is given as 6 cubits and a span. A cubit is generally considered to be 1.5 feet,^[1] and a span is given as 9 inches.^[2] This means Goliath was a whopping 9'9" tall. For comparison, the tallest man in secular record is Robert Waldow, who was 8'11",^[3] and the tallest NBA players were Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, who were only 7'7".^[4] The current tallest man alive is Sultan Kosen, who is 8'3".^[5] Basically, Goliath was astronomically tall, and that's not just my short-statured, 5'3"-self talking.

Considering the fact that Mr. Kosen's extreme height was caused by health problems and Mr. Waldow had to wear an ankle brace, I'm sure that both men would be in no condition to take on someone who was healthy at 9'9".^[3][5] Mr. Bol and Mr. Muresan, who were fit and athletic, are still more than 2 feet shorter than Goliath. Can you imagine being asked to fight to the death with a man 2 feet taller than you? Now take in to account that the average height for a man today is about 5'10".^[6] Most of Saul's army was probably about 4 feet shorter than Goliath.

Goliath's enormous height is probably one of the biggest (pun-intended) details of the story. The story is etched in our memory as this huge, warrior of a man being defeat by the young and small David. However, Goliath's height is actually debated. The Hebrew Text (also called the Masoretic Text) that records Goliath's height as 9 cubits, however, a copy of the Book of Samuel from the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as, the Septuagint list Goliath's height as 4 cubits and a span. Using these measurements, Goliath would only be 6'9", though this still pretty tall to the average person.^[7] Even at 6'9", Goliath would be in the 99.997th percentile for height in America and the 99.995th percentile in Israel today.^[8] This means 99.9% of the people he came into contact with would be shorter than him.

In addition to the conflict in texts, we have to remember that "cubit" and "span" were measurements controlled by distances on the body; they varied from person to person. Using the average height of the Israelites during David's era, one Bible scholar estimates that a cubit was probably around 16 inches and a span around 7 inches. Using these measurements he estimates that Goliath would have been either 8'10" (just shy of the tallest man ever recorded) or 6'1", depending on which measurement is correct. In both cases, Goliath still would have towered over the Israelites, whose average height of the time was 5'3".^[7]

The wonderful thing is that the text reads the same way regardless of which height you choose. The point was that Goliath was exceedingly tall compared to the Israelites, and whether he was over 9' tall or just over 6' tall, he still towered over them.
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David

David is described as being but a youth when he goes up against Goliath. I would guess he was in his teens, since Israel's age for military service was 20 years old (Numbers 1:45) and David was not in the army with his older brothers. In fact only 3 of his brothers were involved in the battle. One could try to assume that this means 4 of his brothers were also under 20 years of age. If they were a year apart in age, this would place David's age at approximately 14. While this definitely makes his victory all the more compelling, and explains Saul's declaration that he was but a child, we have to remember that brothers were likely forbidden from fighting in the same battles. The fear was that a family would lose it's name if all the sons died in the battle. It was likely that brothers were split up during wars to increase the likelihood of at least one survivor to carry on the family name.^[9] It is possible that the other 4 brothers were in battles elsewhere across the nation. After all, if the other sons were present, why was David the one sent to take food to his eldest brothers in battle?

Nonetheless, the narrative tells us David was quite young and quite confident in God to deliver the Israelites once again. While the Israelite soldiers cowered before Goliath, David boasted that God would not fail Israel. He had faith that whoever volunteered would be protect by God, and thus come out victorious. David's faith and confidence in God to take care of the people clearly illustrates why God described David as a man after his own heart.

Sometimes we let the details of life intimidate us. We think our problems are too great and the people against us too powerful for us to win the battle. At these times we are stagnant, unable to move forward. However, we should be like David, and remember that God can handle anything. Just as David was able to face the taller and more experienced Goliath by the grace of God, we are able to do the same with problems in our lives.
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The Battle

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.Isaiah 54:17 KJV

Initially, Saul gives David his own armor, which was not only a statement of their friendship, but a statement of Saul's blessing as the king. With Saul's armor, you can bet David had quality, top-of-the-line armor. Saul even lent David his sword to fight with. However, the armor didn't sit well with David. In 1 Samuel 17:39, David says he had not proven the armor, so he gave it back. It isn't exactly clear what David meant here, but there are a few possibilities. It could have been that David was not used to the weight of the armor and thought it would hinder him battle. Another possibility is that as a youth who was not even trained as an entry level soldier, David felt it above his station to wear the kings armor.

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Asif Akbar

After casting off Saul's generous offer, David is left to find his own weapon for battle and prepares to fight Goliath unprotected. David chooses 5 smooth stones to be his weapons. Goliath is insulted that the Israelites send this small boy, not even baring a sword, to fight him. As is the pattern with God winning battles for the Israelites, the odds were stacked against David so if he won, it could only be attributed to God. David wastes no time using a slingshot to fire off one of the stones at Goliath. The stone lands in Goliath's forehead so hard it sinks in a bit. This knocks Goliath to the ground where David severs Goliath head from his body with his own sword—remember, David didn't bring a sword to the battle. How humiliating is that?

Once David has won the battle, the Israelites drive the rest of the Philistines back and Saul inquires of David's father. It is not clear why he wants information on David's father, but studies have suggested he wanted to reward the man for producing and raising the son who became a hero for Israel.

References

1. Sergey Gershtein and Anna Gershtein. "Cubit Conversion Chart". Convert-Me.Com. 2016
2. "Span to Inches". ConvertUnits. 2016
3. "Tallest Man Ever". Guinness World Records. 2016
4. "The Tallest Players in NBA History". Sports Illustrated. March 3, 2015
5. "Tallest Man Living". Guinness World Record. 2016
6. "List of average human height worldwide". Wikipedia. 2016
7. Randy McCraken. "Goliath’s Height: How Tall Was He?". Bible Study With Randy. May 23, 2016
8. "Height Percentile Calculator, by Age or Country". Tall.Life. 2016
9. "Sullivan Brothers". United States Senate. 2016

Joshua 16&17: Dividing the Land (Ephraim and Manasseh)

The lot for Joseph is divided between Ephraim and the remaining half of Manasseh.

Introduction

Joshua divides Joseph's lot for both the tribe of sons (Ephraim and the other half of Manasseh). Though Manasseh was the eldest, Ephraim's portion is given first. Manasseh still receives the largest portion of the two and possibly overall (only Judah's territory appears to be larger).
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The Tribe of Ephraim

Ephraim is given territory to the northwest of the Dead Sea. The territory Ephraim receives is much smaller than that of Manasseh. The only water source they seem to have in their borders is the Yarkon River. "The sea" is mentioned in Joshua 16:6, so depending on the location of Michmethah, perhaps there is a coastal city. Like Judah, there is a city in the territory the men of Ephraim didn't fully conquer: Gezer. The people of Gezer are not driven out or killed, but instead are forced to served as tribute to Israel. Scholars suggest that the Israelites spared the inhabitants not out of mercy, but out of covetousness and greed.^[1][2]
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The Tribe of Manasseh

Manasseh received a huge portion of the land, especially when you include the land east of the Jordan. Manasseh's son Machir is described as a man of war; he must have been a leader in the battles against Gilead and Bashon. Likely, this is why he received the land east of the Jordan. The western part of Manasseh is located southwest of East Manasseh, north of Ephraim extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean in between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Manasseh's western lot is divided into 10 portions. One of these portions is given to the daughters of Zelophehad, who were given permission to inherit ensuring Zelophehad's name continued. The back story for these women is given in Numbers 27. Looking at the map and back to Joshua 12:24, it is interesting to see that at least one town appears to have been named after Zelophehad's daughter Tirzah, just as Gilead was named for Machir's son.

Like Ephraim, Manasseh does not drive out all of the Canaanites.
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Extra Land

Photocredit: Holman KJV Study Bible pg. 391

Ephraim and Manasseh complain about having only one lot split between them. Joshua tells them to take the mountain and the land of the Perizzites as well. The men of the tribes are afraid and doubt their ability to conquer the Perizzites who are said to be giants with iron chariots. Joshua reminds them that if they have faith in God, they will be successful.
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References

1. Henry, Matthew. "Joshua 16". Bible Study Tools. 2014
2. Gills, John. "Joshua 16:10". Bible Study Tools. 2014

Joshua 10&11: The Southern and Northern Campaigns

Joshua battles two sets of alliances against Israel, one in the North and one in the South.

Introduction

In Joshua 9 and 10, we see that the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon came together against Israel. I talked about the fate of the kings (death) in the previous post, but in this post I will discuss the conquest of their cities and the armies that that followed the kings. Once Joshua handles this alliance, another alliance forms in the north; I will discuss their fate as well.
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Southern Campaign

When Joshua learns that the kings of the alliance have hidden in a cave, he demands that they be trapped in the cave while the Israelites eliminate what is left of the army. The Israelites are instructed not to let the men return to their cities, but to kill them as God has instructed. Following the destruction of these armies and their kings, Joshua moves to take many of the southern cities: Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, Debir. We are told that Joshua fought, won, and eliminated the cities from Kadeshbarnea to Gaza and the country of Goshen
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3 of the 5 Kingdoms Destroyed

During this conquest, Joshua conquers 3 of the 5 kingdoms involved in the first alliance against Israel: Lachish, Eglon, and Hebron. For some reason Jerusalem and Jarmuth are not yet captured. During the leadership of Moses in the Books of Law, the Israelites are cautioned about the pace at which they take the land, so perhaps this is why these cities are saved for later (see Deuteronomy 7:22).
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Gaza

One thing that stood out to me in this passage, was the mentioning of Gaza. If you know anything about the tension in Middle East, you know that a major conflict exists between Israel and The Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is home to the Palestinians (or Philistines, as they are known Biblically). Much tension surrounds the issue of who should possess the land. By Biblical standards, we see that it was originally given to Israel, however, the lost the land over time and when the modern country of Israel was created, much of that territory was given to Palestine. At the close of World War II, the territory was a British territory inhabited by Palestinians. The territory was originally to be divided into Israel and Palestine, to give the Jews a portion of the land, but a war broke out. The Palestinians hoped to create an independent Palestine. Instead, Israel won most of the territory and we have an independent Israel (looks like history was repeating itself). The Gaza Strip is one of two areas the Palestinians maintained control of. Unlike Israel, Gaza is not an independent country.^[1][2]
Unfortunately, due to the animosity and situation, many of Gaza's citizens live in poverty.
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Northern Campaign

In the north, another alliance formed upon receiving the news of the south's decimation. The hand of God was moving swiftly through the country, and fear was in the hearts of the kings. The instigator of this alliance is Jabin, king of Hazor. Jabin calls for an alliance between Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, and the king of Achshaph. Interestingly, we are not given the names of the kings from Shimron or Achshaph. Many of these cities have been mapped to current cities in Israel. Shimron is linked to the modern city Tel Shimron in the foothills near the Jezreel Valley. Achshaph is linked to the modern city of Tell Keisan, which is west of the Acco plain. Madon may be linked to Tel Qarnel Hittin, which would place it east, near the Sea of Galilee.^[3]

God reassures Joshua that the Israelites will triumph, and once again Israel fights a victorious battle. All of the men fighting on the opposing side are slain per God's command.
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The Chariots

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Jon Wisbey

An interesting point is made about Joshua burning the chariots of the armies (Joshua 11:6). Chariots were the most sophisticated weapon of war at he time of Joshua. In terms of intimidation factor, chariots would have been the equivalent of a nuclear warhead today (since that is the most sophisticated weapon of our day); only the most powerful armies had chariots. Yet, God didn't want Israel to keep the chariots, he wanted them destroyed. Many scholars point out that this forced Israel to rely on God for victory, and was a show of His hand in battle that Israel could win without chariots.^[3] However, I think this also says something about God's views on war. God didn't want His people fighting using chariots, how do you think He felt about tanks, subs, and airplanes? Guns and bombs? To me this is a reminder than mankind went above and beyond to figure out how to kill each other, which was never what God wanted from us.
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Hazor

Joshua makes a special effort to fight Jabin and Hazor. This kingdom is the leader of the allied kingdoms, which is inferred earlier in the chapter when we learn that Jabin started up the alliance. This is the only city during this campaign that Joshua burns to the ground after defeating the people. It is possible that the motivation for burning this city is linked to Jabin's instigation of the alliance, however it seems that there were certain cities God deemed particularly wicked and those were the cities that were to be burned to ash.

The modern ruins of Hazor have been examined and scholars have identified a layer of destruction roughly around the time of Israel's entry to Canaan.^[3]
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Time at War

Joshua spent a lot of time warring with the cities of Canaan; only Gibeon surrendered, so all the other cities had to be defeated. However, Joshua doesn't give up. Can you imagine how overwhelmed Joshua might have felt at the thought of leading these people against so many armies? Yet, he knew that God was doing the heavy lifting. We have to remember that in our own journeys. Sometimes the tasks ahead of us will be much larger than we think we can handle, and they may take years to overcome, but if it is the direction God is taking you in, He will fight the battles.

The miraculous victories Joshua reaped from following God did not convince the Canaanites to repent and join God as the Gibeonites did. Instead it caused their hearts to harden the way Pharaoh's did in Egypt. This is an interesting thing to think about when sharing God's glory and hearing about God's glory. Depending on where you are in your sin, you may hear of God's wonder and be awed to follow him, or you may turn even further away. When we see that people become more hate-filled at God's success, the only thing we can do is pray for God to warm their heart.
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The Anakims

Ancestors of Goliath, the Anakims are confirmed in ancient Egyptian texts, as well as the Bible.^[3] They were known to be legendary warriors (and giants). Joshua manages to cut them off from the mountains and destroys them and their cities. Joshua does not succeed in destroying all of the Anakims, though. There are some left in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. It is from the Anakims that Joshua did not destroy that Goliath will descend.
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References

1. Fisher, Max. "9 questions about Israel-Gaza you were too embarrassed to ask". Washington Post. November 2012
2. "Gaza Strip". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2016
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 381-383. 2014

Deuteronomy 5-26: The Second Address (Part 1)

Moses' second address covers the 10 commandments, idolatry, the promised land, and more. The Shema is also introduced.

Introduction

The 2^nd address of Moses is the longest of the 4 addresses; it contains a reiteration of the 10 Commandments. Though no location is specified, it begins with Moses calling the Israelites together, which is what separates this address from the previous one. There is no indication for how much time occurred between the two addresses. The opening for this address is a reminder that the Israelites had a personal connection and conversation with God.^[1] Deuteronomy 5:4 says they spoke to God "face to face;" since we know that no one has seen God's face, we also know that the term face to face means in person or rather, in God's presence. The Israelites heard the Words God spoke from God Himself, and were given witness to His presence as the pillar of cloud or fire, as opposed to us who merely receive His written Word. Moses was beginning his speech with a reminder of how privileged they were as God's chosen people.

Due to the number of chapters this address covers, the post would be very lengthy if I tried to cram it all in to one. Instead I am going to break it into 3 parts. The first (this one) covers Deuteronomy 5-12. Part 2 will cover Deuteronomy 13-20, and part 3 will cover Deuteronomy 21-26.
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The Ten Commanments

Deuteronomy 5 is a rehash of the 10 commandments given near the beginning of the exodus in Exodus 20. I covered each commandment in their own individual post; you can access them through the main-menu above. Most of the commands are word for word here, however for a few, additional details are provided. Exodus relates the Sabbath to creation, while Deuteronomy stresses the importance of allowing servants to honor the Sabbath. Essentially, Exodus tells us when the Sabbath was created while Deuteronomy tells us why we need one. God's additional information is meant to remind the Israelite that they should not recreate what they experienced in Egypt to other people.

Commanment	Deuteronomy 5	Exodus 20	Leviticus 19
Thou shalt have none other gods before me	Deuteronomy 5:7	Exodus 20:3
8Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,	Deuteronomy 5:8-9	Exodus 20:4-5	Leviticus 19:4
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.	Deuteronomy 5:11	Exodus 20:7	Leviticus 19:12
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee	Deuteronomy 5:12-15	Exodus 20:8-11	Leviticus 19:30
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.	Deuteronomy 5:16	Exodus 20:12	Leviticus 19:3
Thou shalt not kill.	Deuteronomy 5:17	Exodus 20:13
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.	Deuteronomy 5:18	Exodus 20:14
Neither shalt thou steal.	Deuteronomy 5:19	Exodus 20:15	Leviticus 19:11
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.	Deuteronomy 5:20	Exodus 20:16	Leviticus 19:11
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.	Deuteronomy 5:21	Exodus 20:17

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Keep the Commandments

Moses tells the Israelites that they are to love God with all their heart, soul, and might. If they did, the commandments would be in their heart. This is reiterated by Jesus in Mark 12:28-30. Jesus also tells us that if we love Him, will keep His commandments. This principle and the Hebrew phrase in Deuteronomy that reflects it is called the Shema.

The Shema

In Jewish Culture, the Shema is known to be the heart of the covenant. It was passed down to their children just as God commanded. God says it will be a sign upon the hand and frontlets between the eyes—this is repeated in Deuteronomy 11:18.

⁶And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: ⁷And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ⁸And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.Deuteronomy 6:6-8 KJV

To say that it will be a sign on the hand is to say that it will manifest in the actions of the people who bear it. People who love God, keep God's commands, and thus their actions match His expectations. For this to work properly, the person's mind has to be in the proper place. Frontlets between the eyes refers to the forehead, or the person's mind. A person who loves God will think of God first and ensure that their mind stays on Godly topics. (It's hard to follow God's commands if all your thoughts are contrary to His Will). This parallels the marks mentioned in Revelation for the end times (one mark of God and one mark of the beast). When I get to the portions of the Bible that deal with prophecy, I'll touch on this in more depth, but it is quite clear that these marks are symbolic of loyalty, which manifests in the law you follow. Those keeping the law of God are expressing loyalty to God and those following the law of a false gods (or mankind) are expressing loyalty to the beast. To ward against falling into the trap of following other laws or neglecting God's law, the Israelites were instructed to keep the law all around them. Everyone who entered their home was to follow the law as well.
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Serve the Lord

The Israelites are told not to waver in their loyalty when they reach the promised land. God will not share His people with false gods or idols; they are warned that the Lord is a jealous God. When they take over Canaan, they are instructed to remember that God delivered them to a city that was already built. The land was already planted and ready for harvest, buildings had already been erected, and wells had already been dug. After a (very) long journey, they were arriving to a move-in-ready kingdom. All they had to do was drive out the Canaanites, which God would help them with, and all traces of paganism.
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God's Glory

When the Israelites heard God speak from the fire upon the mountain they feared they would die because no one had ever spoken to God in that manner and lived. This proves that they knew of God beforehand, likely from stories passed down from their forefathers. This knowledge had enough power that the Israelites fear for their lives when they hear God, so they send Moses to speak with God and promise to obey any command God gives. God is not content with the verbal affirmation, however. It's easy for us to say we will follow Him, but it's much more difficult to carry out the promise. People often make rash promises in the heat of the moment, but God wanted Israel's full commitment to come from the heart and be everlasting. As an incentive, He also promises that those who keep His commandments prolong their days in the land.
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Deliverance

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/lily rosen

The Israelites were to make sure their children knew of God's great delivery of the Israelites in Egypt and remind them that the commandments were for their own good, to keep them alive. While Gentiles weren't enslaved in Egypt, and thus couldn't be freed from bondage in Egypt, God still freed us from a our bondage to sin in a similar fashion. This is why as Christians, we are to remember God saving us through Jesus, who served as the Passover Lamb, the way the Israelites remembered the Passover as the time God delivered them from Egypt. These two victories join us in seeing God's absolute authority.
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Destroying the Canaanites

7 nations resided in the land of Canaan prior to the Israelite's conquest: Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizites, Hivites, and Jebusites. All 7 nations are described as greater and mightier than Israel. God commands Israel to destroy those nations when God delivers them into the hands of the Israelites. The Israelites were forbidden from cutting deals or making covenants with these nations, because as God has warned them, the pagan nations would lead them down the path of idolatry (like at Baalpeor). Perhaps in the memory of Baalpeor, they are also warned not to take wives or husbands from these nations. God is exceedingly concerned about the idolatry and sin these nations will bring upon the Israelites, because we see in Deuteronomy 21:11 that God is allowing men to take captives as wives. The finality of God's judgement that these nations be completely destroyed says that there was no hope for the these people.

This command has nothing to do with race as some people try to make it. It's not even about nationality so much as it is about belief. These nations were pagan and did not respect God the same way the Israelites did. Not only were these nations full of idolaters, but they were known to lure the Israelites into their pagan ways. This made them dangerous to the spiritual well being of Israel. The same is true today; in every mixed-religion couple I've seen, either one person is converted or neither person is very involved in their religion. Either way, the odds would have been stacked against them to chose God, so He leveled the playing field.
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God Chose Israel

God chose the Israelites to be special, but not because of their size. Their population growth was a result of God choosing them. They were reminded that God brought them out of Egypt and to keep God's favor, they were to follow God's commandments. This is Israel's part of the covenant. Interestingly, whereas Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, God says He will repay those that hate the Israelites. I think this is why we don't need to say anything or respond to those who are against us (as Jesus advises); God handles it for us. With this favor, God blesses Israel and all that they touch: land, crops, cattle, etc. God says no person or livestock will be barren while they follow His commands. God also promises to destroy the nations that rise up against Israel. When they doubt their strength they are to remember God and all that He accomplished in Egypt. Once again, God condemns all idol worship by commanding Israel to destroy all idols and followers of the idols as they take the land. However, God warns them to overtake their enemy little by little. This strategy ensured that the Israelites did not over extend themselves. Also, this enabled the land to be kept up in the other parts of the land while Israel made their way from border to border, settling as they went.
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Remember God's Care

Many times, the Israelites are told to keep God's commandments because He brought them out of Egypt. Similarly, as Christians, we are to follow due to our love and acceptance of Jesus (who brought us out of sin and death). In chapter 8, Moses tells the Israelites to remember how God cared for them in the wilderness. The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated their time in the wilderness, but I think God wanted them to carry it in their heart as a reminder of both His power and love. When times are hard, we often forget all the wonderful things God has done—this is possibly the major problem for non-believers who can't see God's glory. Here, God was telling them to take time to remember.

After the Israelites refused to enter Canaan, God cursed them to wander in the desert for 40 years—1 year for each day the spies explored the promised land. In Deuteronomy 8:2, God explains that this was to humble the Israelites, to prove Himself to them and to see what was in their hearts. God already knows our hearts, though; He knows us before we are born,^[4] so why does God say He did this to know something? From the foreshadowing of Jesus at the fall of man in Genesis, the Feasts prophesying His arrival,^[2][3] and the probable cross imagery in their camp while in the wilderness, it is obvious that God already knows the answer is that the Israelites would not be able to keep the commandments. If it were possible to keep the law on our own, there would be no need for Jesus' sacrifice. I don't think God meant to see for Himself if they would keep the laws. More so, I think He meant to show the Israelites that they were capable of being His chosen people.

The Israelites were survivors of slavery, which means their self esteem was probably low. Like African-Americans today, they may have been taught that they were inferior and subjected to systematic practices designed to make them feel worthless. God wanted to show them that they were in fact His people, and that while He was there, nothing could harm them. That would take time. In the same breath, He had to humble them into trusting God first. After 400 years of bondage, it isn't odd that they would fear engaging in war and doubt their ability to succeed. God took that 40 years to both lift them up, as well as, humble them into obedience.

God provides them with protection and food, which would have been a major feat for a human leader such as Moses. Feed that many people and keeping them safe was child's play for God, though. This was His proof to them that He is the Ruler above all.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.Deuteronomy 8:3

Deuteronomy 8:5 reminds us that just like a man chastises his son out of love, God chastises His children. He does not want us to go off in to darkness and wrong doing, and unlike our earthly parents, God actually knows what the outcome of our actions will be. After we have committed to following God, we should expect that when we disobey His commands, we will be punished.
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A Good Land

The promised land, also known as the land of milk and honey, is repeatedly said to be a good land. God says it has fountains, brooks, wheat, barley, figs, pomegranates, and olive oil. Basically the land of Canaan is an oasis in the desert. Even today, we can see why one would prefer that land to the surrounding land—its location on the Mediterranean has made it vital for a thriving nation.

God says the stones are iron and out of the hills they can dig brass. I have a feeling these represent power and strength, since both iron and brass are used for weapons and fortresses. A site on Biblical meanings suggests that each metal mentioned has a symbolic meaning; they define brass to mean natural good and iron to mean natural truth.^[5] Metals appear in Daniel 2, concerning end time prophecy, but there iron and brass are not said to be symbolic of such things nor do the meanings fit the prophecy Daniel gives. While multiple meanings can be attributed to a symbol, I don't think that is the case here. Just as Daniel proclaims the metals to represent the strength of specific kingdoms, they probably represent the strength of Israel when discussed here.
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Do Not Forget the Lord

To forget God is not indicative of forgetting that He exists, but neglecting Him and His commandments. God doesn't want the Israelites to drift in their own direction and forsake His commands. Christians do this today when we neglect to spend time in God's Word. The Israelites were to remember that it was not of their own power that led them to success or wealth, but the power of God. In Deuteronomy 8:19-20, the Israelites are warned once again about idolatry.
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Possessing the Land

It would be impossible for the Israelites to overtake the nations of Canaan on their own. Despite their numbers, which we can't be sure would have even given them an advantage since we don't know the population size of the other nations, the Israelites had been slaves for generations. They were not trained to fight or to act as an army the way these nations would have been. It was unlikely they had any knowledge of battle plans, strategy, or fighting. Thus, God reminds everyone that it is Him who will gain their victories. He promises to bring down the Anakims—described as giants. God also reminds the Israelites that they are a stiff-necked people," and He isn't destroying these nations because of Israel's righteousness. He destroyed those nations because those He judged those nations to be wicked. Israel inherited the land solely because of God's promise to Abraham, who gained favor through his strong faith.
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Rebellion

The Israelites rebelled against God a few times during their 40 year journey. Moses reminds them of the golden calf, as well as a few other incidents.

While Moses was receiving the law they had just promised to keep, the Israelites fell to idol worship of the golden calf. We were given an account of these events in Exodus 32. God was furious, but Moses convinced Him to spare the Israelites. When Moses descends the mountain and sees the behavior for himself, he too becomes enraged and breaks the stone tablets. After handling the situation, Moses returns to the mountain where he receives the second set of tablets.

Interestingly, while many assert the law was first given at Sinai, the Israelites rebelled against the law while Moses was receiving the law. This means that when Moses went to receive the law, they already had some knowledge of the law.
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The Journey Continues

In chapter 10, Moses discusses the journey of the Israelites. The timeline is difficult to pinpoint as we read these verses because of all the topics Moses discusses. He mentions moving locations, along with Aaron's death, the Levite's lack of inheritance, and his 40 days on the mountain to receive the second set of tablets. It's not likely that Moses is giving us a chronological order of events. Many conclude that he is making a spiritual connection between the loss of the first tablets, the first priest, and the firstborn's inheritance—essentially he is simply talking about loss.^[6] As I read Bible scholars' critique on why Moses brings up Aaron's death and the Levites, it occurred to me that by following God and taking on the burden of the tabernacle, the Levites lost their Earthly inheritance. Jesus confirms that when we follow Him, we will lose our Earthly wealth to gain Heaven.

²⁴Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. ²⁶For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?Matthew 16:24-26 KJV

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Gains & Losses

While the Levites are adequately provided for, they don't actually receive any land or inheritance. They are exalted as the firstborn of Israel, considered holy, and responsible enough to have charge over the tabernacle, yet they have no claim to the Earthly city of Israel. Interestingly, in the New Testament, Jesus tell us not to worry about life on Earth. As I mentioned above, the Levites gained a relationship with God, which is better than any Earthly possession we could buy or inherit.
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Requirements

Moses lays out the requirements God stipulated of Israel: fear the Lord, walk in His ways, love the Lord with all of our heart and soul, and keep the commandments. Notice, this is repeated to us in the New Testament. Moses further explains that the only way for them to discontinue being a "stiff-necked" people is to circumcise their heart. Circumcision of the flesh was symbolic of God's covenant with Abraham, but circumcision of the heart is needed to obey God. This is also discussed in Romans 2:25-29 and Colossians 2:8-15.

Moses reminds the Israelites that God doesn't show partiality; they were not to mistreat strangers, widows, or orphans. Moses also confirms fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to make his seed as the stars.
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God's Miracles

The Israelites who were in Egypt when God delivered them had the privilege of witnessing God's display of power firsthand. Their children, who would be the ones to actually inherit the promised land, would only know about God's glory by their parents' stories. One would one think the generation that saw His glory would have been overcome with faith and love. Yet, it seems all they did was complain. This is an insight to our life today. For one, it is a reminder that even when God is working miracles in our lives, we may refuse to see Him and lose the blessing He has waiting for us. It also tells me how easy it is to twist and distort God's show of power into every day redundancy.

Moses reminds the people of what happened with Abiram, Dathan, and Korah; what they did is something very common today. It impossible to say how they truly felt, but these men wanted power more than they wanted to listen to God. God had made clear indications that He was choosing Moses as leader and Aaron as priest. Perhaps because life wasn't a cake walk, the rebelling men misinterpreted God's actions, or perhaps, they just wanted power. Either way, their actions are still being duplicated by churches today. Churches split over leadership and argue over who should be in charge. We should be learning from the Israelites, and by now, we should know to ask God when we have doubts. We come many, many, generations after God displayed His glory, but that doesn't mean we have to be weaker than the generations that witnessed it first hand. In fact we should be stronger, because we have their example to guide us.
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The Land of Milk and Honey

For the "umpteenth" time, God says the Israelites must keep the commandments to inherit the land; clearly, God places importance on keeping His law. He promises that keeping the commandments yields strength and longevity. This is what will enable them to inherit and keep the land of Canaan in all of its abundance.

Unlike the desert climate of Egypt, which required back breaking labor and the flooding of the Nile for success, the promised land would be watched over by God constantly, and He would provide them with rain. If the Israelites strayed from God's commandments or worshipped other gods, they would kindle God's anger and lose the richness of the land. Similarly, when we don't follow God today, we make it harder for ourselves just as the Israelites made it more difficult for themselves.
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Loving God

Deuteronomy 11:18 is the second time we are told about a mark; this is the mark of God that will be counterfeited by Satan in the end.

Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.Deuteronomy 11:18 KJV

See "The Shema" above for more detail on the meaning of this verse.

The laws were to be passed down to their children and written on their door posts. As long as they obeyed this, they would posses the land. The duality of their choice was symbolized by the twin peaks of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Mount Ebal was cursed and Mount Gerizim bore the blessing. This was the same location in which Jacob built a well and would later be the site of a Samaritan temple.^[7]
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Destroying Idol Temples

God forbade the Israelites from leaving any signs of idol worship. I find this interesting because while God tells the Israelites to "utterly destroy" these shrines, people today are quick to incorporate things originally not meant to worship God in worship. From songs written for secular purposes being rewritten (e.g. "Love" by Musiq Soulchild vs. "the gospel version") to actual traditions (e.g. Christmas trees). It seems that God was not for including such things in worshipping Him.
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More on Worship

God is very explicit concerning how and where the Israelites are to worship Him. Moses reiterates these commandments in Deuteronomy 12.
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Sacrifices

God would choose a specific place for sacrifices to be carried out and bear His name; with our current knowledge, we know this location to be the temple mount in Jerusalem. Everything as to go to God through this site (or at the temple). God says they can continue to worship as they have been in the wilderness until they have fully inherited the promised land. He also warns that they are not to worship at every place they see, there is to be only one place which God's name would be written, and that place was the only place permissible for sacrifices. This prohibition reinforced the fact that Israel was a single entity.^[7]

Unlike before, the Israelites would be able to kill and eat within their cities without the requirement of talking the sacrifice to God first. Now that they were spread out and blessed in abundance, they could reap these blessings. The Israelites are warned again not to consume blood (they are warned about this at least 3 times during just this address!).

Deuteronomy 12:15 gave me pause on first read, but after re-reading and a little investigating, I realized I was just reading it wrong.^[8] God is telling the people that everyone can eat inside their city's gate despite their status of clean or unclean (on my first read I thought it was saying they could eat unclean meat, but that is not what this verse is saying). It may take a closer look at the sentence structure to catch this if you read the verse too quickly (as I did). It is important to take our time when reading the Word to avoid these problems.
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Eating in the Gates

God refines the idea of eating flesh within the gates without taking the flesh to Him first. In Deuteronomy 12:20-32, this ability is quantified by distance; those who were too far away from the holy site to make the trip could eat within their own gates. Abstinence from blood is commanded once again, and they are instructed to pour the blood upon the ground like water. Note that all holy offerings were still required to be carried out before God.
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Holy Food

Tithes, firstlings, vows, etc. were never to be eaten within the gates of a city. These holy offerings were to be brought before God, no matter the distance the Israelites had to travel. Everyone in the house, including servants and Levites, was to partake in the feast after such offerings.

It is interesting that God mentions the Levites within the gates along with family and servants. Did each family or clan have a Levite living with them? Or is this in reference to the Levites who happened to be in the area when a sacrifice was made? God's commands make it clear that the other tribes were not to forsake or forget about the Levites.
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The Other Nations

Once again, the Israelites are reminded not to follow the nations that in habit the land; they were to be destroyed as the Israelites took the land. God calls it an abomination to go after these false gods. They were to follow God's commands exactly as written; nothing was to be added or taken away from the law.
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References

[1] "Deuteronomy 5:4 Commentary". Bible Hub. 2016
[2] Numbers 29
[3] Leviticus 23
[4] Jeremiah 1:5
[5] Swendenbord, E. "Iron, Brass, Metals". Bible Meanings. 1972
[6] "Deuteronomy 10:6 Commentaries". Bible Hub. 2016
[7] Holman Bible Publisher. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 322-323. 2014
[8] "Deuteronomy 12:15". Bible Study Tools. 2014

Deuteronomy 1-4: The First Address

A look at Moses' first address to Israel.

Introduction

Deuteronomy is comprised of 4 addresses given by Moses, each given during the period just before the Israelites cross the Jordan. The first address is presented in chapters 1 through 4. It is given in the plain against the Red Sea between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizhab. Though it is possible that the addresses are all given at the same location,^[1] Moses provides us with location details for multiple addresses. Moses' first address was given in the 40^th year on the first day of the 11^th month.
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God's Command

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Acuzio
Can you imagine, Moses addressed the
entire congregation without the aid of
a microphone!

Moses informs the people that God has decided they have been at Mount Hor long enough. God has commanded them to go to the mount of the Amorites which is in the land of the Canaanites. This location is bordered by Lebanon and the Euphrates river. This is the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (the forefathers of the Israelites). I imagine for someone like Moses, who had worked with almost unceasing faith to escort the Israelites to God's promised land, this must have been a bittersweet moment. On the one hand, they were so close to obtaining God's promise; yet, on the other hand, Moses had lost his chance to experience it. He would be filled with happiness at seeing God's promise fulfilled, and sorrow at his impending death.
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Leaders

We know that Moses grows weary under the weight of leadership and asks God for help. The command from God to choose wise men to share the load is a result. Moses takes wise men and chiefs of each tribe to be captains over the people. Also discussed is the creation of judges to hear issues against the citizens; judges were to decide righteously amongst men. They were not to play favorites, but to give everyone a fair chance. If the situation was too difficult they were to take the issue to Moses. The passage about Moses appointing judges, as suggested by his father-in-law, is given in Exodus 18. God appoints the 70 elders to share the burden with Moses in Numbers 11—God also sends His Spirit to rest upon the elders.
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Mountain of the Amorites

The next part of the journey Moses recounts, is sending the 12 spies into Canaan to scout the land out. We are first told the account of this event in Numbers 13-14. At first, the spies give a positive account of the promised land, but out of fear, they switch to a negative view. With the exception of a few, the spies work to convince the people not to obey God's command to take the land. Joshua and Caleb are the only spies to stand with God. They argue against the other spies in attempt to steer the people back to God. This event is the reason the Israelites are cursed to wander the desert for 40 years. God forbids the entire generation that escaped from Egypt (presumably all those over the age of 20 at the time they refused to enter the promised land) from entering the promised land at all, with the only exceptions bestowed upon Joshua and Caleb. An interesting point noted in Deuteronomy, not found in Numbers, is that those who were too young to know good and evil were not punished for their parents mistake. This proves that people who are too young or mentally incapable of discerning right from wrong will not be punished—God looks out for them.

After being cursed, the Israelites want to enter Canaan, but now, God is not amongst them. He tells them they will lose if they fight, per His curse that the rebelling generation will not inherit the promised land. The Israelites do not listen to God, deciding to try out their luck instead. The are defeated in Seir and forced back to their camp. Back at the camp, they realize they must stay in the wilderness until God commands otherwise.
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The Wilderness

Moses recounts the Israelite's run-in with Edom, as well. God instructs the Israelites not to fight Edom. My guess as to why God commands this is as follows: due to their lineage through Esau (brother of Jacob and grandson of Abraham), the Edomites may have been seen as partial inheritors of God's covenant with Abraham. God stands by the fact that Edom owns Mount Seir. There is a Mount Seir today, which is located in Jordan.^[2] I am not sure if this is the same Mount Seir discussed Biblically or a mountain named for the famed Biblical mountain.
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Moab & Ammon

The fate of is Israel's interactions with the nations of Moab and Ammon are discussed in Deuteronomy 2. It is important to remember that the citizens of Moab and Ammon are descendants of the sons born of Lot's daughters.^[3] Moab was not to be taken by the Israelites, on God's command, and they were not to engage the Moabites in war. The same generosity is placed on Ammon. Perhaps this is more of God's favoritism, in that God held some favor for Lot (though I am sure He was not pleased with Lot's daughter's decision). It may also have been God's way of leaving the evidence of Lot's daughter's sin as an example to warn the Israelites from such behavior.

The lands of Moab and Ammon are also home to giants: Emims and Zamzummims. Once again we should notice the "im" suffix to refer to these giants. Several other "im" nations are named throughout this chapter as well. God destroys both the Horims and the Zamzummims. Likely the connection is that is merely a plural suffix, though that does not stop people from speculating.
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Conquest

Initially, Israel asks to pass through Heshbon, but Sihon, the king, refuses them, choosing to attack the Israelites instead. Since God has not reserved land for the people of Heshbon nor commanded Israel not to harm Heshbon, He sides with Israel in the battle, which ensures the Israelites' victory. This battle occurs at Jahaz.

Next, the Israelites have to fight the kingdom of Bashon when Bashon's king, Og, attacks them. The spoils of Bashon, as well as the land, are granted to Israel upon their victory. This area is located at the border of Jordan and Syria. Since the land of the East of the Jordan River was not promised to God's people, this land was not part of Israel's inheritance and may be why the modern nation of Israel was not given that land. God simply gave the land to the Israelites at that time because the king of those lands tried to block Israel from the promised land.

Moses informs us that Og was the only remaining giant, which is a detail that is left out in Numbers 21. Also, since Joshua defeats giants in the book of Joshua, we must also presume that Moses meant referring to giants in that specific area or outside of the promised land. This "extra" land was given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and a portion of Manasseh. In exchange for this land, the men of these tribes were still required to go to battle with the rest of Israel to fight for all of Canaan.
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Joshua to Lead

We learn than Moses pleads with God to be able to enter the promised land, but God has made up His mind and His firm with His decision. In Moses' stead, the Israelites will need a new leader. God anoints Joshua to take Moses' place as the leader of Israel. This is amazing for multiple reasons. Joshua was Moses' servant, now he would be the leader of the Israelites. Not only does this prove that God does not limit His favor to the elite, but it reminds us that from a Biblical point of view slaves and servants were not supposed to be considered inferior human beings. Servitude was something He meant for His people to be able to overcome. Furthermore, we see that while Moses may have been one of God's favorite people and may have had the strongest faith of all the Israelites, he was still punished for his sins.

I had a teacher once point out the errors of God's chosen people and question why they were so special. God's chosen people aren't perfect, they're human just like us. What set people like Moses and Abraham or Joshua, apart from everyone else was their faith.
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Obey God

Deuteronomy presents us with the first time we are told not to add or subtract from God's Word:

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.Deuteronomy 4:2 KJV

The Israelites are urged to keep the statutes sent by God and reminded of what happened to those at Baalpeor who did not keep God's commands. God says the other nations will recognize their wisdom. They are to remember what God has shown them and pass it on to their children. The most important thing for them to remember, He says, is when they gathered at Mount Horeb to meet God and accept the covenant, when God gives them the 10 commandments. This is commemorated by Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. In the New Testament, this is further commemorated by God sending the Holy Ghost at Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection.
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Idolatry

Many cultures worship images or objects, but God made it clear that we are not to do this. This was a great temptation for the Israelites due the the cultures around them, but it isn't something we don't have to worry about today. All of these so called portraits and statues of Jesus could be seen as idols, as well. For starters we now have millions of people who think some blue-eyed white man with brown straight hair is Jesus when the descriptions of Him state the contrary. These pictures were created at least 1000 years after Jesus walked the Earth so we know they're false; we're attributing a false image to Him just as the Israelites attributed the golden calf to God. Furthermore, the antichrist could show up in that form and people would recognize him as Jesus—the Bible already says many will be deceived, is this part of the reason why? How confused will people be when the real Jesus shows up and looks nothing like that image?

Moses correctly predicts that the Israelites will have trouble with idolatry and provoke God's wrath in the future. He says that God would then scatter them amongst the nations and their numbers would dwindle. This is exactly what happened to the Israelites. They were conquered by many nations—namely Babylon and Rome—and only a few tribes survived in identifying as Israelite descendants. The word Jew that we use today is from the tribe of Judah. Since Many tribes were "lost" or assimilated into other groups, the people we call Jews today actually only represent to a portion of the original Israel (mainly Judah, Levi, and Benjamin).^[4][5]
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Repentance

Moses reminds the Israelites that there is always a path back to God—even in the latter days (the end of time). The key back to God has always been repentance form the heart.
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Chosen People

The Israelites are God's chosen people. God shows them all manner of His glory so that they know He is God. This privilege is bestowed upon Israel out of love for their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). A caveat of this choice is that the Israelites must obey God's commandments; it is not simply God choosing them, but them following his commandments signals that they are choosing Him back. This is a crucial point that is emphasized throughout the Bible.
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Cities of Refuge

The cities of refuge on the east of the Jordan are listed by name: Bezer (in Reuben), Ramoth (in Gad), and Golan (in Manasseh). Assumably, these cities are built before they cross the Jordan.
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg 299-302. 2014
2. Various Authors. "Mount Seir". Google Maps. 2016
3. Genesis 19:36-38
4. Hancock, Harlod. "Is There a Difference Between Hebrews, Jews, and Israelites?". Timberland Drive Church of Christ. 2016
5. Dawsett, Frank W. "Hebrew, Israelite, or Jew?". Ensian Message. 2016

Numbers 20: Moses Sins

This chapter presents another episode of disbelief that plagues the Israelites, however this time, Moses and Aaron also succumb to this doubt.

Introduction

This chapter presents another episode of disbelief that plagues the Israelites, however this time, Moses and Aaron also succumb to this doubt.
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Summary of the Event

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Lars Brinkman

After Miriam's death, the Israelites experience another shortage of water. In response, and per their history, the Israelites gripe and complain that they were better off in Egypt. God tells Moses and Aaron to speak to a rock, similar to the situation in Exodus 17, which will cause the rock to provide water. Instead of following God's instructions and instead of giving God the glory, Moses takes credit for the miracle and strikes the rock twice despite God instructing Moses only to speak to the rock. Aaron goes along with Moses' action, causing both brothers to irk God. Because of their disbelief, God tells Moses and Aaron that they will not lead the Israelites into the promised land. Like the original generation of Israelites led from Egypt, Moses and Aaron will die without entering the land.
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What's the Big Deal?

Moses has been God's faithful servant and then suddenly after striking a rock instead of speaking to it, he loses his right to the promised land. Many people find this problematic and don't understand what the big deal was with the rock. In all my readings, I never questioned why Moses wasn't allowed in the promised land; I always thought Numbers 20:12 summed it up pretty well.

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.Numbers 20:12 KJV

I also, didn't necessarily interpret that to be the point that Moses lost his entry to the promised land. In Numbers 14, God says no one but Caleb and Joshua from that generation would enter the promised land. God made no exceptions for Aaron, Moses, or Miriam. Perhaps their indiscretions that are described after the fact were foreseen by God, but it is also possible that these faults were shown to us merely to prove that they were just like the other Israelites. After all, during the decision not to enter Canaan, we don't see Moses or Aaron jump on Caleb and Joshua's side to declare that God would not lead them to a dead end.

Regardless, I have found an explanation of the episode in Numbers 20 that makes the fallacy of Moses' actions immensely more clear. The beauty of the Bible is that in many of God's literal events, we find symbolism of future events. In the New Testament, we learn the Jesus is our rock; we are even given confirmation that the rocks in Exodus 17 and Numbers 20 are in fact linked to Christ.

¹Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; ²And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³And did all eat the same spiritual meat; ⁴And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.1 Corinthians 10:1-4 KJV

From this, one source explains that Moses is not merely striking a rock, he is striking Jesus.^[1] When you take this into consideration, the first occurrence, in Exodus 17, represents Jesus' sacrifice; the strikes being symbolic of His first coming and suffering for us. The second time they run out of water, Jesus has already been sacrificed (or hit) for their water privileges. Like us today, all they needed to do was believe and ask. In stead Moses strikes the rock twice! This is a haughty display of disbelief. It would be akin to someone today sacrificing their cow for forgiveness. As God explains in Numbers 20:12 (quoted above), Moses and Aaron lost their faith in the moment; they didn't believe that by merely talking to the rock, God would bring forth water.
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Parallels of Today

We didn't talk about this much in church. I don't remember Bible study focusing in on the details of the Exodus. In fact, I don't remember talking about the Exodus after my preschool-elementary Bible class. However, I think this passaged is chalked full of important lessons for believers today. As I mentioned above, this passage is about faith in God's Word. From a human perspective, sometimes God's Word seems like the impossible. It's easy to fall in the trap of questioning God. Moses did just that when God sent him to Egypt to deliver the Israelites. Similarly today, when God tells us to take action, we are quick to say "but how Lord?" when we should just start moving in the direction He commands.

Doubt is the most dangerous ground we can stand upon. Sure there are many sins and infractions we can commit, but doubt is the root of many of these holes we dig ourselves in. We take matters in to our own hands instead of following God's lead because we doubt His presence or His abilities. We take a chance on sin, because just like Adam and Eve, we doubt that God actually meant "ye will surely die." Our goal should be to emulate Joshua and Caleb, who were ready to go into battle against giants simply because God told them He would march with them. Top

References

1. Shields, Thomas. "Why was God so upset with Moses for striking the rock the second time in the desert?". StackExchange: Christianity. April 2012

Numbers 13&14: Scouting

The Israelites scout out the terrain, but refuse to enter the promised land. Here we discuss how this relates to today and trusting in God.

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Stasi Albert

The first thing anyone would do before entering a new land would be to scout out the terrain, especially if there are other people occupying the land and you plan to remove them. The Israelites select 12 men, 1 from each tribe, who are tasked with scouting the Promised Land. This marks a major milestone in the Israelite's journey. The events that take place after the scouting mission prompts God to lengthen what would have been about a 2 year journey to a 40 year journey.

The 12 men selected for the mission are as follows:

1. Shemmua (Reuben)
2. Shaphat (Simeon)
3. Caleb (Judah)
4. Igal (Issachar)
5. Oshea/Joshua (Ephraim)
6. Palti (Benjamin)
7. Gaddiel (Zebulun)
8. Ammiel (Dan)
9. Sethur (Asher)
10. Nohbi (Napthali)
11. Geuel (Gad)

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First Fruits

Because it was the time of the frist fruits, it was the perfect time to see what the land produced. Not only were they viewing the land during "optimal" production season, but it would bear witness to God's glory when the land produced even better crops under the Israelites' dominion. It takes the spies 40 days to scout the entire the land. Upon completion, they return to the congregation with grapes, figs, and pomegranates.
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A Positive Report

Initially, the spies bring a good report back to the Israelites. They all agree that the land is good, overflowing with milk and honey as God has promised. The spies also inform the Israelites that the sons of Anak (the inhabitants of the land) are great and strong. The Hittites and Jebusites are also identified as owning the land. Caleb tells the Israelites that he believes they can overtake the people of the land, suggesting they move at once to claim the land.
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A Negative Report

Doubt is a common problem amongst people, it may even be the root of all our problems. With the Israelites, specifically, doubt was a constant issue and this occasion was no different. The other spies did not agree with Caleb and feared the inhabitants, despite having God's promise of victory. As a result, they give the people negative reports and call the Anakim giants.

There is much speculation about giants, Nephilim, and the Anakim. These speculations may be fueled by the fact "im" is a common suffix amongst types of angels (e.g. Cherubim and Seraphim). Following this line of thinking, it is not hard to see how people come to the conclusion that angels are involved with Anakim and Nephilim. I talked more in depth about the possibility of half-man, half-angel beings in the post Genesis 6-10: Noah & the Flood. Here, we don't know if the description of the Anakim is literal. For one, we know the spies were spooked and attempting to convince the who nation to abort the plan of attack. Under those circumstances, it seems highly possible that they would exaggerate. The fact that the spies compare themselves to grasshoppers also makes it seem more likely that they exaggerated.

Whatever the case, this information persuades the Israelites to refuse to enter the promised land. Can you imagine walking that far (it's over 150 miles from the border of modern day Egypt to modern day Israel), fighting that hard, and enduring everything they had endured just to get there and refuse to accept your new home? Where did they expect to go if not in to Canaan? From their doubting perspective, they thought God had lead them to a dead end and from God's all knowing perspective, He saw them as distrusting and rejecting Him. The Israelites' constant attitude that they were better off as slaves infuriates God, which is quite understandable.
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Joshua & Caleb

Joshua stands with Caleb to convince the people they should fight to claim the land. Together, they try to convince the Israelites to follow God's plan, and though they are unsuccessful, this earns them favor with God. Conversely, the Israelites threaten to stone them. Needless to say, God is not happy with the Israelites' behavior.

Per Numbers 13:15, we see that Joshua, Moses' servant and future leader of the Israelites, is the same person as Oshea and a descendant of Ephraim. The names Oshea, Hosea, Jehoshua (Yehoshua), Osee, and Jesus (Yeshua / Iησοῦς) all translate to the same name, meaning "salvation" or "YHWH is salvation."^[1][2][3]
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Moses Intercedes

As usual, Moses intercedes to calm God's wrath. He pleads for God forgive the Israelites and points out that if God didn't deliver the Israelites to the promised land the nations who heard their story would say God failed. Being the forgiving God He is, He decides to forgive them, but vows that none of the Israelites who provoked Him would enter the promised land. Only the children of these people (plus Joshua and Caleb who found favor) were granted permission to enter the promised land. It seems a fitting punishment considering they refused to enter anyway.
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God Punishes Israel

In addition to banning the current generation of Israelites from entering the promised land, God sentences them to wander for 40 years—one year for each day the spies spent exploring the land. Everyone over the age of 20, excluding Joshua and Caleb, were denied entry to the promised land, including Moses! While the Israelites are punished for being lead astray, those who incited them to stray from God's plan are punished to a greater extent. The 10 spies who brought the negative report were struck with a plague and died soon after. This is a reminder that we are accountable for our actions; the excuse "my pastor told me..." will not exempt us from our responsibility to seek out God or Jesus for ourselves. It is also a reminder that if we are the ones to lead people astray, we will suffer even greater consequences.
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 253. 2014< /li>
2. Slick, Matt. "Is Jesus' name really Yeshua?". Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (CARM). 2016
3. "Joshua". Bible Hub. 2016