Just the WORD–Please!

NUMBERS 27

The Lord tells Moses to give the daughters of the sons of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, their father’s possession of land and gives Moses the ordinance of land inheritance distribution, :1-11.

Moses was told that he would go to mount Abarim and look on the land that God was giving to the children of Israel; and that after he had looked, he would be gathered to his people (die), because of his rebellion in the desert of Zin where Moses and Aaron did not sanctify the Lord in the sight of the people, :12-14.

Sidebar: How is it that Moses and Aaron did not sanctify the Lord? Numbers 20:10-11. “….must we fetch you water…”, as I read the account, the Lord was performing the miracles.

Do you notice there is no account of Moses begging the Lord to change His mind?

Moses spoke to the Lord asking that He set a man over the congregation to be their leader so that they “…would not be as sheep with no shepherd”. The Lord told Moses to take Joshua, a man in whom is the Spirit, set him before Eleazar the priest and the congregation and inaugurate him before their eyes. Moses did as the Lord commanded, :15-23.

NUMBERS 28

The Lord spoke to Moses concerning His offering, the food for His offering made by fire which the children shall be careful to offer at their appointed time. The Lord gives the ordinance of the morning and evening offering; the Sabbath offering; the monthly sacrifices; the Passover; Feast of Unleavened Bread; First Fruits (Pentecost), :11-31.

NUMBERS 29

The Lord continues with the Memorial of the Blowing of Trumpets, :1-6, the Day of Atonement, :7; Feast of Tabernacles, :12-39, and the Eighth Day, :35-38. These you shall present to the Lord at the appointed feasts beside your vowed and freewill offerings, :39-40.

NUMBERS 30

Moses gives the statutes of the vow or oath to the Lord. These are the statutes of the Lord between a man and his wife and between a father and daughter in her youth in her father’s house

NUMBERS 31

The Lord spake to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to you people. Moses told the men to prepare for war, a thousand men from each tribe. They warred against the Midianites as the Lord commanded and killed all of the males. They killed the five kings and also Balaam (Num 22:5), with the sword. They took the women and children captive; they took as spoil their cattle, all their flocks and their goods. They burned all their cities and forts, :1-10

They brought the captives, the booty and the spoil to Moses outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers and the captains who had come from the battle because they had saved the women. The Midianite women had caused the Israelite men to sin against the Lord, after which He sent a plague among the congregation. Moses said “Kill all the male children and every woman that has laid with a man; but all the virgins they could keep”

Moses commanded them to go through the purification ritual and to purify all their clothes and all that is made of skins; all work of goats’ hair and all things made of wood. Eleazar, the priest said “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses; only the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead, every thing that may abide the fire, shall go thru the fire and it shall be clean; but still it must be purified with the water of separation. And you shall wash your clothes and be clean afterward you may come into the camp”, :11-24.

The Lord told Moses to count up the plunder that was taken of man and beast and divide the plunder into two parts between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle and all the congregation.

Levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, cattle, donkeys and sheep; take it from their half and give it to Eleazar, the priest as a heave offering to the Lord. From the children of Israel’s half take one of ever fifty and give them to the Levites, who keep charge of the temple. So Moses and Eleazar did as the Lord commanded, :25-31.

After the tribute was paid the captains of thousands and of hundreds came to Moses and reported that not one man was lost and that they had brought an offering (freewill) that which every man found of ornaments of gold; bracelets, signet rings; earrings and necklaces to “make atonement for ourselves before the Lord”.

The gold of the offering received by Moses and Eleazar was 16,750 shekels. Moses and Eleazar brought the offering into the Tabernacle of the Lord, :32-54.

NUMBERS 32

The tribe of Reuben and Gad had much livestock, and wanted to stay in Jazer and Gilead, (it was a region that was the place for livestock); and not pass over the Jordan.

Moses asked “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?” Then Moses reminded them of the sin that their fathers’ had commited after they had spied out the land forty years earlier, :1-13.

“You have risen to your father’s place, a brood of sinful men, to increase more the anger of the Lord against Israel for if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people”.

They told Moses that they wanted to settle that land, “…but that all those armed for war will remain ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place”. They vowed that they would not return to their homes until every one of the Israelites had received their inheritance.

Moses agreed to their request, but warned that if they did not do as they promised, they will have sinned against the Lord and to be sure their sins would find them out, :14-23.

Moses said “Build cities for your little ones and folds for you sheep and do what proceeded out of your mouth. Moses commanded the priest; Joshua, and the father’s of the tribes of Israel concerning the tribes of Reuben; Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, :24-42.

NUMBERS 33

A review of the Israelites journey from Egypt, :1-49. The Lord tells Moses to tell Israel, “When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, drive the inhabitants out; destroy all their engraved stones; all their molded images and demolish their high places and divide the land equally, :50-54.

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then it will be that those you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell, :55.

And the Lord ends with a promise, :56.

NUMBERS 34

The Lord tells Moses the appointed boundaries of Canaan, :1-12. Moses commands Israel that nine and one half tribes would divide the land, :13-29

NUMBERS 35

The Lord commands the children of Israel to give the Levites cities to dwell in, from their inheritance, also, give to them common land around the cities, :1-8. The Lord says to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel about appointing refuge cities and who might be eligible to reside there, :9-34.

NUMBERS 36

The tribe of Manasseh inquired about the inheritance of the daughters of their brother, saying that upon marriage that their land would go to another tribe. The Lord told Moses to command that those daughters marry only within the family of their father, thereby, the land stays in their tribe, :1-13.

NUMBERS 17

After the destruction of Korah and his family the Lord told Moses to tell the children of Israel to give him a rod of each of the father’s (twelve tribes) house. He was to write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. The rod of the man who the Lord chooses will blossom and all will know who He has chosen to be His priest, :1-7.

The rods were placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle and the next day they found that Aaron’s rod had blossomed and yielded ripe almonds. Each man took the rod of his father’s house back, but the Lord told Moses to bring back the rod of Aaron and place it before the testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so will stop complaining “lest they die”, :8-13.

NUMBERS 18

The Lord tells Aaron the duties for him, his sons, and all the Levites, :1-7.

He is given the ordinances of the sacrifice and who shall eat of it. All that is offered (the holy gifts), the Lord had given to Aaron and his sons as a statute forever, :8-19, the Levites, however, would get no inheritance of land.

The children of Levi receive the tithes of the Lord from the children of Israel and they (the Levites) must tithe, of the tithe, back to God, (they lived on 90% of the Israelites offerings) this was the reward for the Levites service in the tabernacle, :20-32

NUMBERS 19

The Lord gives Aaron the ordinance of the red heifer sacrifice, the handling of the ashes and the preparation of the water of purification, :1-10.

The Lord tells Aaron the ordinance of ritual uncleanness, :11-19, one who refuses the purification process shall be cut off (killed) from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary, because he is unclean, :20-23.

NUMBERS 20

Miriam died in the Wilderness of Zin, in the first month. There was no water, the people started complaining and wished for death, :1-5.

Moses and Aaron petitioned the Lord. The Lord told Moses to take his rod, and his brother, gather the people and SPEAK to the rock before their eyes and it will yield water. But, Moses had a lapse in judgment and spoke as if he thought he was truly performing the miracles, instead of the Lord , and he made his speech and strikes the rock; twice, :10-11.

The water flows abundantly. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ”Because you did not believe Me to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, you shall not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.

Sidebar: Moses , a humble man, a man that the Lord spoke to face-to-face, a man that we know of no other act of disobedience—did not get to go to the “promised land”. This is a man that the Lord has said on multiple occasions that He would wipe out the others and start over with Moses descendants, Ex

Wrong, for it is Jesus in the capacity of the Lord, Jehovah, the Priest of the Most High God, that was in the Garden of Eden as the “Tree of Life”, I Am to Moses and the Lord our God that gave him His commandments, ordinances and statutes. The same Jesus, that is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.

Moses sent messengers to the King of Edom (Esau’s descendants), asking that the children of Israel (their father’s brother), might pass through their land promising not to travel through fields or vineyards nor drink water from their wells. Edom san “No”, and Israel turned away, :14-21.

They traveled to Mt. Hor. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron there, saying, Aaron you shall die and not enter the ‘promised land’, because you rebelled against My Word at the ‘water of contention’. The Lord told Moses to take the priestly garment off Aaron and place them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron died on Mt. Hor and the people mourned him thirty days, :22-29.

NUMBERS 21

The Canaanites attacked Israel and took some prisoners, Israel vowed to the Lord that if He would deliver this people into their hand they would utterly destroy them. The Lord listened and gave them the victory, :1-3.

As they journeyed around Edom’s land they started to complain. The Lord sent fiery serpents and many died. The people repented, Moses interceded and the Lord told him to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Everyone bitten, that looks upon the serpent on the pole shall live, :4-10.

They went forth destroying ever town from Oboth to Bamoth, :11-20. They sent messengers to Sihon king of Moab, asking to pass through their territory, Sihon went to war against Israel and was defeated, :21-35.

NUMBERS 22

After the Moabites saw what Israel had done to the Amorites, Balak, king of Moab sent the elders of Moab and Midian to Balaam with a diviner’s fee, that he would curse Israel, :1-7. Balaam told them to lodge with him overnight and he would bring back word from the Lord. God told Balaam “you shall no go with them, you shall not curse this people for they are blessed”.

Balaam did as God said and sent the men away. Balak sent them back beseeching that he come without delay, with the promise of more money. Balaam tells them, “if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold”, I could not go beyond what the Word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. But none the less he thinks that the Lord changed His mind, so he asked them to stay the night so that he “might know what more the Lord will say. The Lord says, “IF the men com to call you, go, but only speak what I tell you to”, :8-21

Sidebar: This part of scripture sends me into great thought as to the next verses. Why was the Angel sent to kill him? Was it because God knew what was in his heart/mind? Why was his donkey allowed to see the Angel, and talk? I always interpreted this as “God will use anybody to get His message across to you”, but I am seeing a lot more in this discourse now-a-days.

God’s anger was aroused because Balaam went with the men. The Angel of the Lord stood in his way as an adversary against him. His donkey saw the Angel standing with his sword drawn, three times, :22-34. Balaam repented and offers to go home.

Sidebar: Pay close attention here in verse :35, because the Angel of the Lord is speaking first person because, he is the Holy Spirit that speaks what the Lord tells him.

The Angel tells Balaam to go with them “But only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak”.

Sidebar: Moab and Midian were Baal worshippers, :35-41.

NUMBERS 23

Balak took Balaam to three locations to curse Israel, yet Balaam blessed them by the Word of the Lord, :1-24. Then Balak said, neither curse them, or bless them. Balaam said, “Did I not tell you all that the Lord speaks that I must do?”

So Balak says, I will take you to another place, and he built seven altars and offered bulls and rams on each, :25-30.

NUMBERS 24

The Spirit of the God came upon him and he blessed Israel again, :1-9. Balak’s anger was aroused and he told Balaam to flee to his place empty-handed. Balaam tells him again, “What the Lord says, that I must speak. Balaam told the Moabites and the Amalekites “what this people would do to them in the latter days”, :10-25

NUMBERS 25

Israel began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the Israelites to the sacrifices of their gods and the Israelites ate and bowed down to their gods.

So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor and the anger of the Lord was aroused. The Lord said take the leaders of the people and hang the offenders, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may be turned from Israel. Moses told the Judges of Israel to kill all the men who joined to Baal. :1-5.

An Israelite brought a Midianite woman into the camp in the sight of all the people. Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest took a javelin and thrust it through the man and woman and the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. Twenty seven thousand died in the plague, :5-9. The Lord gave Phinehas a covenant of peace, and told Moses to “harass and attack” the Midianites, :10-18.

NUMBERS 26

After the plague the Lord commanded a census to be taken of Israel, form twenty years old and above, of all the tribes. To these the land shall be divided as and inheritance, :1-55, but among them was not numbered those that Moses and Aaron numbered in the wilderness, for the Lord said, “they will surely die in the wilderness, :56-65.

To all those accompanying me on this “Sentimental Journey”, I ask you to forgive me for taking a side trip.

I was in an accident on January 25th, that totaled my only means of transportation. I thank God that I was not seriously injured.

However, my circumstances are such that I have had to relocate to my parent’s home during the week to be able to get to work, and either borrow my Mom’s car, to get home after the Sabbath or pay someone to drop me off and come back on Sunday to pick me up and bring me back.

It is unsettling, but I am remaining thankful. The enemy brings distractions but he is; was, and always will be a loser.

Praise God!

Let us get back on track:

As I read through the book of Numbers, there is one resounding message: The Lord, our God, has very exacting and specific methods of operation.

He gives to Moses a set of rules and guidelines to follow. He expects these commands to be carried out exactly as He has spoken them.

In chapters 1 – 8 the Lord establishes the manner in which the Tabernacle/His dwelling place among the children must be cared for and maintained.

Numbers 1

Numbers 2

Numbers 3

Numbers 4

God gave instructionfor the sons of Kohath 30 years to 50 years who enter to the service of the Tabernacle of meeting, Aaron and his sons, were responsible for preparing all the holy artifacts of the Tabernacle of meeting the ark, the showbread table; altar; lampstands, and all the other utensils for travel. They were given explicit instructions for their preparation. After these has been prepared then the sons of Kohath would come to carry them. However, they were commanded not to touch any holy thing, lest they die, :1-15.

The appointed duty of Eleazar, Aaron’s son was the oil for the lights; sweet incense. Aaron and his sons were to appoint each of them (sons of Kohath) his service and his task, but the sons of Kohath could not watch while the holy things were prepared, lest they die. :16-20.

The Lord told Moses to take a census of the sons of Gershon from 30 years to 50 years to perform the service to the work of the tabernacle of meeting serving and carrying. They carry the curtains of the Tabernacle and the
Tabernacle with its coverings; the hanging for the door of the Tabernacle; the hangings of the court, hanging for the door of the Tabernacle; the hangings of the court; hangings for the door of the gate of the court; all their cords; instruments of their service and all that is made for them. Aaron and his sons appointed the service of the Gershonites; their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar, :21-28.

As for the sons of Merari, they were numbered after their families by the house of their father’s from 30 years to 50 years. Their change was the boards of the Tabernacle; the bars; pillars; and sockets; the pillars of the court; their sockets; pin; cords with all their instruments, these were also under the charge of Ithamar, :29-33.

Sidbar: Did you notice that the Lord requires those in service to Him must be at the least thirty (30) years of age? What does this say to those “child” preachers that christendom will tell us “are the called of the holy ghost”?

The number of the Kohathites was 2750; the Gershonites was 2630; the Merarites was 3200, altogether there wer 8580 numbered as the Lord commanded Moses, :34.

Numbers 5

The Lord commanded that the Israelites put out of the camp every leper, everyone with an issue and those defiled by the dead. Both male and female must be put out of the camp, “that they defile not the camp because the Lord dwelt in the midst”, and the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded, :1-4

Sidebar: Did you notice the the Lord dwelt/lived among the children of Israel?

The Lord gives Moses the ordinances for the trespass against the Lord, that being confession and recompense of the trespass. Every recompense offering brought to the priest shall be his, :5-10.

Moses is given the ordinance for the trial of Jealousy, :11-31.

Numbers 6

Numbers 7

Numbers 8

Numbers 9

By this chapter the children are commanded to keep the second Passover; as they kept the Passover some men who were defiled by a dead body, asked Moses why they couldn’t present an offering to the Lord at the appointed time. Moses inquired of the Lord, Who said “those who are unclean at the appointed time or far away could observe the Passover in the following month on the appointed day, :6-12.

However, anyone else who did not keep the Passover, to them it is counted as SIN. If a stranger—non Israelite—wished to keep Passover, they must do according to the rite and the ceremony, one ordinance for the stranger and the native. Read Exodus 12:43-51.

Sidebar: Please take note Gentile men to partake of the Passover you must be circumcised :48-49.

When the Tabernacle was set up there was a cloud covering it during the day, and from evening to morning, it was above the tabernacle as the appearance of fire. When the cloud was taken up from above the Tabernacle it was time to move out, :15-23

Numbers 10

The Lord tells Moses to make two silver trumpets, to be blown to call the assembly and for journeying. If one trumpet sounds the princes (heads)of thousands shall come. The Lord gave moses all the responses to the blowing of the alarms for the journey; the sounding for the gathering of the congregation. Only the priest, Aaron’s sons shall blow the trumpets, :1-8.

If they went to war against the enemy they would blow the alarm with the trumpets and be remembered before the Lord and shall be saved. Blow the trumpet on the days of gladness; your solemn days; the beginnings of the months; over the burnt offerings; and your sacrifices for a memorial before your God, :9-10.

The cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Testimony; the trumpets were blown; the ark went before and the Israelites followed.

Moses’ brother in law was asked, by him, to stay with the children of Israel as they travel to the land their God has promised. Hobab declined, Moses said, “you know this wilderness, stay and be to Israel as one who knows the landscape, and if you go with us the goodness that the Lord shall do to us, we shall do to you, :11-32.

They departed from the mountain of the Lord to go on a three days journey, that ended up taking them forty years.

Whenever the ark set forward, Moses would say, “Rise up Lord and let thine enemy be scatterd and let them that hate you flee before you”. And when it rested he said, “Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel”, :33-36.

Numbers 11

The people complained off and on, now, for more than a year and the Lord was tired of hearing them.

They despised the manna (bread of heaven) and grew tired of the simplicity of it, much like we do today, (our Bread of Heaven is the Word of God).

While reading the actions and reactions of the children of Israel and the mixed multitude, it becomes evident that to mumble and complain in regard to how the Lord sustains us, is a very grave insult to the Lord.

In this chapter the Lord sent fire on the dissatisfied complainers. They were crying for meat/flesh and reminiscing about Egypt. Moses anger was aroused also with the people. He entered into a discourse with the Lord in this regard, :10-17, to wit the Lord understood and called for 70 elders/leaders to help Moses bear the burden of this stiff-necked, rebellious people.

The Lord sent quail for them to eat, enough that they could have eaten quail for a month. The Lord said it would be so much that they could eat until it came out of their nostrils and becomes loathsome, because they despised the Lord who was among them and they longed for Egypt (bondage and sin), :18-30.

Sidebar: It seems to be inherent in man to quickly forget how the Lord has done great and wondrous exploits in our lives and yet we doubt His words, His promises and the His power to provide.

A wind went out from the Lord and brought quail from the sea and left the birds fluttering near the camp about a day’s journey all around the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground and the people stayed up for two days and a night gathering them. However, there was something about the scene that provoked the Lord to wrath; while they were eating the Lord struck the people with a great plague and they buried in that place the people who had yielded to craving.

Numbers 12

Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses because he had married a Hamite. They questioned if he was the only one that the Lord speaks through and the Lord heard them.

The Lord called them out, set them straight as to with whom He was personal—face to face—with and His anger was aroused against them; and He departed. However after He departed suddenly Miriam became leprous—as white as snow. After Moses cried to the Lord, the Lord reveals that He was indignant about whatever it was that she had thought and said. The Lord implies that whatever it was, it compared to some deed that would make a human father “spit in her face” and she would be ashamed for seven (7) days, “so shall she be kept outside the camp for seven days”.

While Miriam was outside the people did not journey; after she was brought back, the children moved.

Numbers 13

The Lord told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan, :1-3. Moses called for one representative from each tribe, :4-16. Moses told them to see what the land and the people were like; if the land is good or bad; whether they inhabit camps or strongholds; if the land is rich or poor; or if the land was forest of not; and to bring back a sample of the fruit of the land, :17-23.

They spied out the land for forty days and upon their return they brought of the fruit of the land, :24-27. However, ten of the spies brought back an evil report of doubt and unbelief. In verse :30, Caleb and Joshua were ready to go to battle and win, but the ten manifested strong spirits of doubt and unbelief. They had once again believed the lies of the enemy, :31-33.

Numbers 14

All the people cried that night and they complained against Moses and Aaron, wishing they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness; they questioned God’s divine will and decided to return to Egypt. But Joshua and Caleb said the land is exceedingly good; their faith is demonstrated by their speech; the unbelief of Israel was made manifest by the calling for the stoning of Joshua and Caleb. The Lord had to give them a sign, :6-10.

The Lord asked a question that He knows the answer to: “Where is their faith; where is the faith of Abraham?” Jesus asked the question again when He came in the flesh; “When the Son of man returns will He find faith in the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Once again man disappoints God.

We are so stupid, because generation after generation, we remove ourselves further and further away from the only Hope that mankind has. The Lord says, I will hurt them and disinherit them and start over again with Moses.

Moses pleaded unto the Lord, interceding for the people; then he demonstrated his faith in God by repeating His words back to Him. The Lord pardoned the people because of Moses, but He swore that they would not enter the promised land; but Caleb because of his faith would and his seed shall possess it, :11-24.

Obviously the stupid, ungrateful children continued to murmur and complain and the Lord told Moses to tell them as they have spoken in His ears, that is exactly what He would do to them; they would not make it out of the wilderness; all those from the age of twenty and up would never get a peek at the promised land and that they would be in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day that they spied out the land—since you are against Me, I am against you. The ten men that brought an evil report (doubt and unbelief) died of a plague before the Lord, :25-39.

True to form, after they heard these things they mourned greatly. After the fact, they decided to attack the Amalekites and the Canannites without the Presence of the Lord, and they got whupped, :40-45.

Numbers 15

The Lord gives Moses the ordinance of the offering made by fire, that the people shall offer when they come into the “land of their habitation”, :1-13.

Also, all those born in that land or the stranger or whosoever that dwells among you , in your generations. As Israelites do so shall all do. One law, one manner, shall be for you and the stranger that sojourns among you, :14-16.

The Lord gives Moses the bread and sin offering ordinances regarding unintentional sin, :17-29, however, the intentional sinner whether born in the land or a stranger is a reproach to the Lord, and shall be “cut off form his people” (God talk for die in your SIN), because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, :30-31.

After Moses tell the people these things that the Lord has said evidently someone felt that his rights were being challenged and because he had a choice, he chose wrong and died, :32-36. The Lord says “look , these people are to forgetful, tell them to put fringes on the borders of their garments so when they look at the fringes that they will remember the Lord’s commandments and do them not disobey them and not seek to have your own way because “you own way” leads you away from God. Look at the fringes and remember to be holy unto the Lord your God, :37-41.

Numbers 16

Korah, a Levite, and others rose up against Moses and Aaron. The challenged Moses saying, the Lord is with all of us, seeing the “all the Levite congregation is holy”, :1-3.

Sidebar: Whhaaattt???? How quickly man forgets.

Moses said “Tomorrow the Lord will show you who is His; who is holy; and who can come near to Him. And since it isn’t good enough to be chosen to work unto the Lord He will show who His priest is, :3-19.

The Lord told Moses and Aaron to step away from them because “I am going to consume the in a moment. Moses and Aaron interceded for the Levites. Korah, Dalton, Abiram and their families were the sign that the Lord gave as conformation that Moses is the one the Lord sent to do His works. The earth opened up and swallowed these three and their families and closed back up again, and a fire from the Lord burned the two hundred fifty (250) that offered incense, :20-35.

The Lord spoke to Moses telling him to speak to Eleazar, Aarons son, to take the censers from the fire because they are hallowed and make them into broad plates to cover the altar as a sign to the children of Israel that no stranger that is not of the seed of Aaron come to offer incense before the Lord. However, the very next day the people murmured against Moses and Aaron saying “You killed the people of the Lord”, :36-43.

The Lord determines to consume this people. Moses tells Aaron to offer incense to make atonement for the people, because the wrath of the Lord had gone out and a plague had begun. Aaron did as Moses commanded and stood between the living and the dead and the plague stopped. Fourteen thousand seven hundred plus those that died in the Korah revolt, :44-50

February 27, 2008 | From the Trumpet.com

Emphasis mine throughout

Millions have once again thrown aside their inhibitions and partied till they dropped in the annual frenzy of carnality before the onset of the Christian season of Lent. What has all this got to do with religion?
By Ron Fraser

From Rio to Berlin, from Turin to Trinidad, from Cologne to New Orleans, crowds filled the city streets in the annual bacchanal that precedes the Catholic holiday known as Ash Wednesday. Increasingly, these celebrations are being taken on by the British and American people as annual celebrations in a vein once foreign to the English-speaking peoples.

What does all this annual expression of unbridled hedonism have to do with the practice of pure religion?

Well, to understand that, we need to go back in history to the beginning of religion as recorded in both secular and biblical history.

The common view is that Carnival, or Mardi Gras, is, at its origin, a Christian festival that precedes the season of Lent, itself also assumed to be of Christian origin. Carnival traditionally has been seen as the last opportunity to let off steam and indulge the flesh before the denial that is supposed to accompany Lent, the 40-day period that precedes Easter, another annual festival that is assumed to have Christian origins.

But what are the facts?

We assume so much as we grow up, acculturated into an already established society that educates us into the common view of the day. Too often we accept the customs and practices of our parents—and their parents, as well as the generations that preceded them—without question. Yet honest seekers of truth will be led at some point to question the basis of society’s beliefs.

That is the quest of the Trumpet.

The Trumpet strives to stimulate the reader into questioning and proving, beyond any doubt, the realities that underpin our beliefs, and, in the process, prove just what is ultimate reality—the plain, unadulterated truth.

Take Carnival for instance. Its etymology suggests two sources. One suggests carne vale, from the Latin “farewell meat,” as the source. This would appear to be quite a legitimate meaning of the term, given that the onset of Carnival signals the last debauch prior to the fasting at Lent. However, there is another more ancient derivation for Carnival suggested in some sources, the Latin carnous navilus, being a term describing the naval vessel that bore the Teutonic god of the North from his northern home southward to join in the annual pagan winter festivities.

Mardi Gras, synonymous with the Carnival preceding Lent, translated from the French, literally means “fat Tuesday.” This is the final day prior to Ash Wednesday on the Roman Catholic calendar (Shrove Tuesday on the Anglican calendar), the Tuesday before Lent begins. Lent is a tradition in the Roman, Anglican and Orthodox versions of the Christian religion.

Ancient history teaches us that this religion began at Babylon, developed in Egypt, and passed its traditions down to the Greeks and Romans. These civilizations had one thing in common. The highlights of the year on the religious calendar tended to revolve around the winter, signifying the cessation of agrarian productivity and the anticipation of spring, celebrating the renewal of fertility. The pagans created annual rites and festivals around these seasons. Rome adopted and promoted the most widely practiced of these pagan festivals and spread their practice throughout its empire under its own names. Thus the celebrations around the winter solstice became the Saturnalia and Brumalia festivals of winter, celebrated in December. The pre-spring festivals at the onset of the final lean month of winter led into the spring festival of Ishtar in Babylon, or Osiris in Egypt, signaling new birth. In between was the “love-fest” of Lupercalia.

When the Roman Catholic Church began to spread its influence throughout the world, it found that, wherever it went, the natives hung on tenaciously to these annual pagan festivals. So the church simply compromised. Rather than force Catholic dogma on the local populations, it simply “Christianized” the pagan festivals enjoyed by the masses. Thus Saturnalia and Brumalia became Christmas, merging with the Catholic teaching of the nativity. The spring festivals, retaining the name “Easter” after the pagan fertility godess Ishtar, merged with the Roman church’s interpretation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In between was Carnival, leading into Mardi Gras, out of which the Vatican created the season of Lent, leading to Easter, by imposing its own interpretation of Christ’s 40-days’ total fast in the wilderness by setting a time for the denial of meat in the 40 days leading up to its Easter celebration. In between Carnival and Easter, Lupercalia became catholicized into St. Valentine’s Day.

Following the Protestant Reformation, the various Protestant denominations that broke away from governance by Rome simply carried on celebrating the same seasons as the Roman church. One of the surprising things about all this is that those who say they base their religion on the Bible, the fundamentalists, can find no proof as to the endorsement of the pagan seasons that they still observe in the very Bible that they claim to follow, least of all in the life they claim to emulate, that of Jesus Christ Himself!
Christ, and the apostles who were personally taught the original Christian religion by Him, kept a demonstrably different set of seasons to that which the religion that carries His name—Christianity in all its myriad forms—does today. Check the Scriptures. Christ kept Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread and the feast of Pentecost in spring. In the autumn, He and the original apostles, plus the disciples of Christ who formed the first era of the true Church, celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. It was on the Last Great Day of that feast that Christ stood up and issued His great challenge to any who would seek to live the way of life He came to initialize on Earth: “In the last day of the feast, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).

Nowhere will you find in the canonized Word of God any account of Christ or His disciples celebrating any other feasts at any other time of the year than the original feasts of God laid down by statute in the book of the law by the ancient patriarch following the delivery of God’s law to the Israelites. Those holy days were commanded by God to be kept by the Israelites forever!

But, true to form, the Israelites simply rebelled and took up with the old pagan customs that surrounding nations had received from the original source in Babylon.

Now what about this season of Lent that precedes Easter? The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The real aim of Lent is, above all else, to prepare men for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ …. One can effectively relive the mystery only with purified mind and heart. The purpose of Lent is to provide that purification by weaning men from sin and selfishness through self-denial and prayer, by creating in them the desire to do God’s will and to make His Kingdom come by making it come first of all in their hearts.”

Yet the historian Alexander Hislop correctly states, “The festival, of which we read in church history, under the name of Easter, in the third and fourth centuries, was quite a different festival from that now observed in the Romish church, and at that time was not known by any such name as Easter …. That festival [Passover] was not idolatrous, and it was preceded by no Lent. ‘It ought to be known,’ said Cassianus, the monk of Marseilles, writing in the fifth century, and contrasting the primitive [New Testament] Church with the church of his day, ‘that the observance of the 40 days had no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained inviolate’” (The Two Babylons).

From the March 2008 Trumpet Print Edition »
By Mark Jenkins

Emphasis mine throughout

How do you know if Jesus Christ was the Messiah?

In Jesus’s day, the Pharisees asked Him for proof that He really was the Messiah, and this was His response: “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).

That was it—Jesus Christ only offered one sign: that, like Jonah (see Jonah 1:17), He would remain in the grave for three days and three nights.

Ever since, mankind has struggled with second-grade math, trying to squeeze three days and three nights into a barely 36-hour period between Friday evening and Sunday morning.

There were no eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection, and there is only one historical record: the Holy Bible. Jesus Christ’s proof of His messiahship was singular: not some spectacular miracle He would perform, or proofs that only the disciples were privy to, or even the fact of His resurrection. The only proof was the length of time He would be in the ground.

On this point, there can be no contention—they are the words of Christ Himself. Why, then, would anyone believe He died on Good Friday in the evening and rose on Sunday morning? Do other portions of the Bible reveal exactly when He died and was resurrected? And what does the truth about Christ’s resurrection mean for your observance of Easter?

Seventy-Two Hours

There is no real dispute as to the meaning of Christ’s words in Matthew 12. Certainly He knew how long a day was and how long a night was (12 hours each): “Are there not twelve hours in the day? … But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth,” He said in John 11:9-10.

Hebrew scholars agree that the expression “three days and three nights” in Jonah 1:17 refers to a 72-hour period. The division of the day and night was clearly established in the very first book of the Bible: “… and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. … And the evening and the morning were the second day. … And the evening and the morning were the third day” (Genesis 1:4-13). Notice it: God even spells out how long three days and nights would take: three periods of light, and three periods of darkness.

Four other scriptures confirm the period of time Christ was in the grave: Read Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31, Matthew 27:63 and John 2:19-21. All confirm the duration. If we reject that singular proof, we reject the sign that Christ Himself gave of His being the Messiah.

When Did Christ Die?

Realizing that the common belief has no connection to the scriptural record, can we ascertain which day Christ died—and which day He was resurrected? Absolutely yes!

One reason so many believe Christ died on Friday is actually quite sensible. The Bible explicitly says the day of the crucifixion was called “the preparation” (e.g. Luke 23:54). This means the next day was a sabbath. Everyone knows the Jews keep a Saturday Sabbath, so they naturally assume this “preparation” day was a Friday.
But the Apostle John was even more specific. The Jews intended to break Christ’s legs, which would have violated the prophecy that a “bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:36; Psalm 34:20). Why would the Jews do this? Because “it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day)” (John 19:31).

Note that. That expression “high day” does not denote the weekly Sabbath; rather, it was one of the annual holy days listed in Leviticus 23—specifically, the first day of Unleavened Bread. If His legs were broken, Christ would die in time to be buried before the holy day arrived. But, the Scriptures show, He was already dead when the soldiers arrived.

Matthew 26 makes this timing clear: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (verses 1-2). Jesus Christ died on Passover—the same day that the Passover lamb was killed throughout biblical history! The Passover was the day before, and therefore the preparation day for, the first annual holy day.

These annual holy days can fall on any day of the week, not necessarily on Saturday. In 2002, 2003 and 2006, for example, the Passover was on Wednesday—just as it was in 31 a.d., the year of Christ’s death (as the Hebrew calendar shows). The first annual holy day was on Thursday. Rather than dying on “Good Friday,” Christ died on Wednesday, the Passover, just as the Jewish people had typified with the slaughter of a lamb for thousands of years before.

So when was He resurrected?

Knowing that this was exactly a 72-hour period, we should immediately realize that Christ’s resurrection took place at the same time of day or night as His burial.

The preparation day would end at sunset (a day ends at sunset according to the Bible; see Leviticus 23:32), and law required that the dead be buried prior to the Sabbath. Christ “cried with a loud voice” at “about the ninth hour”—an expression referring to the ninth hour after dawn—or around 3 o’clock in the afternoon (Matthew 27:46). We know then, from the scriptural record, that Christ died in the late afternoon on Wednesday (verse 50), was buried before sunset, and was resurrected on the Sabbath—Saturday—at the same time. That is the fulfillment of the only sign Christ gave: the sign of the Prophet Jonah.

The Apostle Paul agreed that Christ fulfilled the Scriptures—and specifically that sign: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Misunderstood Scripture

A few other, related scriptures have been commonly misunderstood—most notably Mark 16:9. We read clearly that Mary Magdalene came to anoint Christ on “the first day of the week … at the rising of the sun” (verse 2). She found that the stone of His sepulcher was rolled away (verse 4). Verse 9 confirms that He had already been resurrected: “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week ….” Notice carefully though: It doesn’t say He “did rise” or “rose on the first day.” It says He was risen. He had done so, as the Scriptures so clearly show, on late Saturday afternoon.

That expression—was risen—is the sole basis for the idea that Christ was resurrected on Sunday morning—yet it says nothing of the sort! Instead, it simply confirms that Christ had already been resurrected and emerged from the tomb by the time Mary arrived.

So you have a choice: You can believe the common tradition, the minister down the street and most of your neighbors—or you can believe the only sign Jesus gave, the historical record found in your Bible, and an elementary mathematical calculation.
As for Easter and its traditional Sunday “sunrise service,” there is no biblical basis for its observance. The Catholic Encyclopedia frankly admits that “the apostolic fathers do not mention it” (article “Easter”).

That’s right: The word Easter is never even mentioned in the Bible. Although “Easter” is found once in the King James translation, scholars agree that the Greek word translated “Easter” (pascha) in Acts 12:4 should be translated “Passover.” In his commentary, Adam Clarke says about this word, “Perhaps there never was a more unhappy, not to say absurd, translation than that in our text.” The Philadelphia Trumpet

Peace

February 13, 2008 | From theTrumpet.com
Should true Christians not observe a day devoted to a “saint”?
By Wayne Turgeon

Emphasis mine throughout

Is there anything wrong with Valentine’s Day? Because there is no biblical basis for its observance, we must look to secular history to determine its origin.

Centuries before Christ, the Romans celebrated the evenings of February 14 and 15 as an idolatrous and sensuous festival in honor of Lupercus, the “hunter of wolves.” They called it “Lupercalia.” The custom of exchanging valentines and all the other traditions in honor of Lupercus—the deified hero-hunter of Rome—was also linked anciently with the pagan practice of teenagers “going steady,” usually leading to fornication. This, according to the Encyclopedia American article titled “St. Valentines Day,” closely parallels today’s societal decline.

When Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, there was much talk of doing away with the pagan free-for-all, but the Roman citizens would not hear of it. Only the more grossly sensual observances were toned down. By Pope Gelasius’s reign, the holiday had become a “Christian” custom appropriating the name St. Valentine in place of Lupercus (Lavinia Dobler, Customs and Holidays Around the World).

Valentine, or Lupercus, the hunter, was none other than “the mighty Hunter” Nimrod (Genesis 10:9). But why would the Romans set aside a day in his honor, albeit under a different name, St. Valentine? The word valentine comes from the Latin word valentinus derived from the word valens meaning “to be strong,” according to Webster’s Dictionary. Literally implying “strong, powerful, mighty,” Nimrod was their hero—their strong man—their valentine! Other names for Nimrod from the Greeks, Phoenicians and Semites confirm this.

An interesting point is that hearts were associated with honoring Nimrod. In the Babylonian tongue, the word for heart was bal (see Young’s or Strong’s Concordance). The heart—bal—was merely a symbol of Nimrod—the Baal or Lord of the Babylonians!
Another name for Nimrod is Saturn, a Latin word derived from the Semitic-speaking Babylonians meaning, “be hid, hide self, secret, conceal.” According to ancient tradition, Saturn (Nimrod) fled to the mountains of Italy and even briefly hid where Rome would later be built. Rome’s name, before it was rebuilt in 753 b.c., was Saturnia—the site of Saturn’s hiding. There he was found and slain for his crimes. Later, “Christians” made Nimrod a saint and continued to honor him under the name of a “Christian” martyr.

Nimrod—Baal or sun god of the ancient pagans—was said to have been born at the winter solstice, which anciently occurred on January 6, not December 25. It was the custom for the mother of a male child to present herself for purification on the 40th day after the day of birth. Forty days takes us to February 15, the celebration of which began on the evening of February 14—the Lupercalia, or St. Valentine’s Day. Semiramis, the mother of Nimrod, was said to have been purified and to have appeared for the first time in public with her son as the original “mother and child.”

The Roman month of February derives its name from the “februa,” which the Roman priests used in rites celebrated on St. Valentine’s Day. The “februa” were thongs made from the skins of sacrificial animals with which they struck women in order to take away their infertility.

Cupid, meaning “desire,” resulted from Semiramis lusting after her own son Nimrod, and as monuments in ancient Egypt bear out, she may have even married him. Later, as he grew up, Nimrod became the child-hero of many women who desired him. Daniel calls him the “desire of women” (Daniel 11:37). Ezekiel says that he provoked so many women to jealousy that an idol of him was often called the “image of jealousy” (Ezekiel 8:5).

As we can see, the observance of Valentine’s Day is rooted in pagan traditions. The celebration of Valentine’s Day is not commanded in the Bible. Rather, because it is based on the traditions of men, Christians should never participate in any of its abominable practices! •

LEVITICUS 15

The Lord gives Moses the ordinance regarding when a men has a discharge; after the discharge has ceased and he is cleansed, he shall wait seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, bathe in running water, and offer a sin offering, :13-15. When there is an emission of semen, both parties are unclean until evening. They must bathe in water, :16-18. The Lord gives the law for women with a bloody discharge, they are unclean all of the day of the discharge, :25-27 when cleansed she shall count seven days and on the eighth day shall offer a sin offering to the priest, :28-35. Sidebar: This brings to mind the woman with the issue of blood, that touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. What agony her life must have been for the years that she had been afflicted.

LEVITICUS 16

The Lord give Moses the ordinance of the Holy Place, inside the veil, to tell Aaron that he could not come into the Most Holy Place whenever he felt like it, lest he die. The High Priest could only come into the Most Holy Place one day a year, the Day of Atonement, :2-28. The statutes for the Day of Atonement, :29.

LEVITICUS 17

All animals are to be slain by the priest and sacrificed to the Lord, only, :1-6. The Lord forbids the offering of sacrifices to devils, He also forbids the peopl from eating blood, :7-14.

LEVITICUS 18

The Lord tells Moses to tell the Israelites, “According to the doings of the Egyptians and the Canaanites, you shall not do nor walk in their ordinances. You shall Observe My judgments and keep My ordinancesto walk in them: I am the Lord your God, :1-5. The Lord outlines the laws of sexual morality, :6-30.

LEVITICUS 19

God tells Moses to tell the people, “You shall be holy for I the Lord you God, am Holy, :1-2. Revere you Mother and Father, keep god’s sabbaths, do not turn to idols nor make molded gods. Eat their Peace offerings on the first and second day and if any remains it must be burned in the fire, to eat it on the third day is an abomination, :3-8. God gives Mises the ordincnce of reaping the harvest they myou must leave some gleanings for the poor and the stranger, :9-10. No stealing , false dealing or lying, do not sware falsely by the name of the Lord, no cheating nor robbing of your neighbor, if you hire someone, pay them on the same day, :11-19. More laws concerning sexual morality in regard to concubines, :20-22. The Lord speaks of the expected behavior when they come into the land. Again He demands the keeping of His sabbaths and the reverence of His sanctuary, :30; no prostitution, :29; no seeking familiar spirits, :31; the treatment of the elderly, :32; and the treatment of strangers.

LEVITICUS 20

The penalties for breaking the law for those giving their children to the false god Molech, :1-5; to those that turns to mediums and familiar spirits, :6; consecrate yourselves and be holy, :7; another call to keep His statutes and do them, :8; no cursing your parents, no adultry; no sex with son’s wife; no man having sex with men; no marrying your mother-in-law; no mating with animals; no sex with brothers and sisters; no sex during menstruation; no sex with aunts, uncles, or brother’s wife, :9-21. God warns, “You shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, therefore, I abhor (hate) them:….I am the Lord your God who separated you from the peoples”. God requires us to distinguish between clean and unclean animals, birds and not make ourselves abominable with any of the things God separated from us as unclean. “You shall be holy to Me for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine”. Mediums and familiar spirits shall be put to death, :23-27.

LEVITICUS 21

God give Moses the regulations for the conduct of the Priest , the sons of Aaron. None shall defile himself for the dead except their close relatives; being chief men among the people, they were not to defile or profane themselves, :1-6; their conduct with chosing a wife, the actions of their daughters, :8-24. Moses told all that the Lord had said to Aaron, his sons, and all the children of Israel.

LEVITICUS 22

More regulations for the Priest regarding clean and unclean; who may eat the holy offerings, :1-16; which offerings are accepted and which are not, :17-33.

LEVITICUS 23

God give Moses the ordinances and statutes of the Feasts of the Lord, in addition to the weekly Sabbaths, there are also seven annual Sabbaths.

LEVITICUS 24

Moses is given the ordinances for the care of the Tabernacle lamps, :1-4; the bread of the Tabernacle, :5-9; the penalty for blasphemy, :10-23.

LEVITICUS 25

The ordinances are given for the Sabbath of the seventh year, :1-7; and the Year of Jublilee, :8-17; the provisions for the seventh year, :18-22; redemption of property, :23-34, ordinance of lending to the poor, :35-38, and the laws concerning slavery, :39-55.

LEVITICUS 26

God gives the promise of blessing, :1-20; retribution, :21-39, and redemption, :40-46.

LEVITICUS 27

Moses is given the laws for redeeming persons and property dedicated to God.

Leviticus 1

The Lord gives Moses the ordinances of the Burnt offering for the herds and the flock.

Leviticus 2

The Lord gives the ordinances of the Grain offering.

Leviticus 3

The Lord gives the ordinances of the sacrifice of the Peace offering.

Leviticus 4

The Lord gives the ordinances of the sacrifice of the Sin offering.

Leviticus 5

The Lord outlines some sins and the offering to be made for these sins as the Trespass offering.

Leviticus 6

The Lord decrees that lies are a trespass against the Lord, and He gives Moses the statutes of how the Priest are to deal with the Burnt, Grain, and Sin offerings.

Leviticus 7

The Lord declares the law of the Trespass offering, (it is most holy). He gives explicit instructions in regard to who shall eat it and how to dispose of its ashes. The Lord forbids the eating of the fat and the blood, :23-27. Moses gives the instructions for the portion of the sacrifices and offerings that were to be for Aaron and his sons, :28-38.

Leviticus 8

The Lord tells Moses it is time to inagurate the Levitical priesthood. Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons, killed the sacrifice and placed them on the fire; told them all that the Lord had spoken to him in regard to their service to the Lord.

Leviticus 9

After the days of their consecration, Aaron and his sons began their duties as the Priest of the Lord. They offered the Sin offering to make atonement for the people, the Burnt offering; Peace offering, the and the Grain offering. After which, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and the fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar.

Leviticus 10

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put fire in the censer and put incense on it. However they offered strange/profance fire before the Lord, which He had commanded them not to do. Exodus 30:7-9

Fire went out from the Lord and killed them. Moses told Aaron that the Lord said, “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as Holy; and before all the people I must be glorified”.

Moses told Aaron and his two remaining sons, “Do not mourn for Nadab and Abihu, lest you die, but let the whole house of Israel bewail and mourn them”. Moses told Aaron not to go out of the door of the Tabernacle, lest he die, :7. No wine or strong drink while in the Tabernacle of meeting , lest you die. It shall be a statute forever for all generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy; between clean and unclean, and that you might teach the children of Israel all the statutes that the Lord spoke to Moses, :9-11.

Moses told Aaron and his sons to eat the Grain offering beside the altar, “it is most holy”. He told them that it was their due for their service to the Lord, :13-15. Moses was angry that Aaron and his sons had not eaten of the Sin offering, thereby bearing the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for the people, :.

Leviticus 11

The Lord gives Moses the statutes of the Dietary law. He states what animals, fish, insects, and birds are clean and unclean. The Lord reminds Moses to tell the people they must be holy, :45. The unclean animals that are abominable to God, and should also be to us, have the ability to defile even in death. Touching their dead carcasses would render the toucher unclean for hours, :8, :11, :25, :28.

Leviticus 12

The Lord give Moses the ordinance of the ritual after childbirth. After giveng birth to a male chiled the mother is unclean for seven days, on the eigth day the son is circumcised the for the next thirty three days of the blood of her purification, she could not touch anything hallowed, nor come into the sanctuary. For the birth of a female, she was unclean for two weeks and the next sixty six days in the blood of her purification. Whe their days of purification were complete they were to take burnt and sin offerings to the priest to make atonement for them and they would be clean.

Sidebar: I wonder what is the significance to God and what detriment we cause ourselves by ignoring what “thus says the Lord”? Could disobedience be the root cause of the myriad of maladies of modern man? I do not know. Just my thoughts.

Leviticus 13

The laws concerning leprosy reveals that the ancient people were very close and in each others business. Whoever had a sore or scales on the skin needed to go show themselves to the preist , who determined if the person needed to be isolated and re-examined to reveal if leprosy was present or not and if it was clean leprosy or unclelan. There were laws concerning leprous garments; upon the examination by the priest the decision was made whether to burn or clean and isolate the garment.

Leviticus 14

The ordinance of the ritual cleansing of healed lepers are given to Moses. lThe healed leper must be examined by the priest and a sacrifice must be offered and the blood of the sacrifice sprinkled and the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the cleansed leper. Moses was given the law for leprous houses.

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EXODUS 21

Since the people did not want to hear the voice of the Lord, He spoke to Moses giving him His statutes, judgments, and ordinances for the children of Israel. The first topic was “make no gods; the presentation at the altar, next judgment in relationship with your brethren, your parents your servants, your animals.

EXODUS 22

Judgments for thieves, fires, trust, borrowing, enticement of virgins, beastiality, worshipping and sacrificing to any god except the Lord; fair treatment of the stranger, the widow and orphan; lending money, treatment of God and the ruler of the people; and not procrastinating in offering the first fruits to the Lord. God said, “You shall be holy men to Me.”

EXODUS 23

The Lord continues talking to Moses and forbids lying, He says show no partiality, judge righteously, help your enemy, stay away from liars, do not kill the innocent and righteous, do not oppress a stranger, but remember when you were oppressed in Egypt.

He gave the statute of Sabbath rest for the land, :10-11, and the weekly Sabbath, :12, keep all of His commandments and make no mention of other gods, :13. He gives the statute of His feasts, :14-19. The Lord tells Moses that He send His Angel (Holy Spirit), :20, before the congregation to lead them to the promised land. He also gives a warning, :21, and a promise, :23,; another warning about worshipping false gods, :24, and a commandment to destroy all their pillars.

The Lord tells of the rewards of service to Him, :25-29; the boundaries of the land they will possess, :30-31, and once again warns them not to make any covenants with the people of the land , or their gods . He said, “they shall not dwell in your land”—(My Translation: Because you will go a whoring and worshiping gods that be no gods and they will be a trap for you), :32-33.

EXODUS 24

The Lord told Moses to bring the priest and seventy elders to Mt. Sinai to worship Him. Moses told the people all that the Lord had said and His judgments. The people answered with one voice, “All that the Lord has said, we will do.
Sidebar: Did you notice that 74 people saw “the God of Israel?

The people pledged obedience, yet less that two months later, they returned to their sins.
Moses was called back up on the mountain and was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, :13.

EXODUS 25

The Lord gave Moses instructions for the people. Ordinances of the free will offering, so that an acceptable resting place be made for Him that He might dwell in their midst, :25. The Lord gave explicit instructions as to His tabernacle and all of its trimmings, :40.
Sidebar: The Lord showed Moses all that He told him to construct.

EXODUS 26
More explicit instructions for the Tabernacle

EXODUS 27

EXODUS 28

Explicit instructions were given for Aaron and his sons who the Lord deemed to be His priest, the garments of the priest, and the instructions on how they shall minister to the Lord.
Sidebar: While Moses was getting these instructions , Aaron was agreeing with the world (people) and disobeying the Lord’s commandment by making an idol for the people.Moses was given all the intricate details as to how the priest should dress and the appropriate time to put the garments on. God’s whole theme throughout the Bible, His number one directive is “…be ye Holy….”.

EXODUS 29

Moses is given instruction to “hallow” the priest that will be serving the Lord by offering a bull and two rams; preparing Aaron in his priestly garments and to anoint him and his sons, thus he consecrated Aaron and his sons. After being consecrated as the Lord’s priest of a perpetual statute, Aaron and his sons were to place their hands on the head of the bull and kill the bull for before the Lord, it is the sin offering, ,burn the flesh with fire outside the camp, but the blood was to be placed on and beside the altar. The were to kill the rams the same way, but to take all tits blood and sprinkle it all around the altar. The Lord is very explicit as to how His priest are to conduct themselves before Him and denotes to Moses their duties and the ordinance of the burnt offering. The Lord said that He would dwell among the children of Israel.

EXODUS 30

The Lord continues His instruction to Moses regarding the altars and offerings. He explains to Moses the ordinance of the atonement and the collection of the atonement money.
He explains the preparation of the priest before they minister before the Lord; the ingredients for the holy anointing oil the anointing of the tabernacle and its contents and that it was not to be used for anything other than the anointing of the tabernacle, :32-33; the same ingredients were for the incense of the Lord, only; :37-38.

EXODUS 31

God filled the artist Bezalel with His spirit of wisdom, understanding and knowledge in all manner of workmanship and put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans to construct all that God commanded, :14. The Lord speaks of the significance of His Sabbaths and that we keep the Sabbath holy, with penalties of death for profaning (not keeping) it. After this the Lord finished speaking.

EXODUS 32

While Moses was on the mountain the people started to chide with Aaron, “Make us gos that shall go before us…” Aaron told them to bring him their gold, :2-4. Aaron joined the people in their sin, the people said, “This is your god O Israel, that brought you out of Egypt.”
Sidebar: Where in the world were these people’s heads at? They knew full well that was a lie.
Aaron made a proclamation “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. “They rose earl and offered burnt offerings; sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” The Lord tells Moses to get down the mountain because the people “that you brought out of Egypt”, had corrupted themselves, :7-10.
Sidebar: Did you notice how God distanced Himself from “His people”? He gave the responsibility for them to Moses.
The Lord contemplated destroying them all, but Moses pleaded for them, :11-14. The Lord changed His mind; Moses went down the mountain and found the people dancing and the golden calf. He broke the tablets the Lord had made and written the words with His finger, :15-16; he smashed the idol and ground it to powder. He chastised Aaron, who lied, :19-25. Moses made the people choose sides, those on the Lord’s side were commanded by Moses to kill brother, companion, neighbor….and when they had finished three thousand were slain. Moses returned to the Lord to make atonement and intercede for the people. Moses told the Lord “…forgive their sin–but if not, blot me out of Your book which you have written.”, :30-32.
Sidebar: The Lord had revealed to Moses that He has a Book of Life.
The Lord said, “Whoever has sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book, (this is still true today), :34-35.
Sidebar: God forgave them but promised to punish the people for their sin.

EXODUS 33

The Lord commanded Moses and the people “whom you have brought out” to depart and go to the land God had sworn to give their fathers. He promised to send His angel before them to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizites, Hivites and Jebusites. The Lord tells them it is a land flowing with milk and honey, but the Lord refused to be in their midst, becauses He might “consume (destroy, wipe out), them on the way”, for they are a stiff-necked (rebellious) people. The people mourned when they heard, and were repented for them. Moses took his tent and pitched it far from the camp and called it the Tabernacle of meeting. All who sought the Lord went out to the Tabernacle. When Moses went into the Tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door, and the Lord take to Moses. when the people saw it they all rose and worshiped from the door of their tents, :7-10. The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, then Moses would return to the camp, but Joshua stayed in the Tabernacle, :11. Moses says to the Lord, “if I have found grace in your sight, show me now Your way, :12-13.

The Lord said, “My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest”, :14. Moses tells God, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here”, :15-17. Moses asks the Lord to show him His glory. God says , I will make all my goodness pass before you and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, :18-23, but you can not see my face and live.
Sidebar: Notice how the Lord placed His hand over the cleft of the rock taking away the temptation to look upon His face, :22-23.

EXODUS 34

The Lord tells Moses, “cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these the words that were on the first tablets. He rose early and went up on Mt. Sinai. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with Moses there and He proclaimed the name of the Lord, :1-7. Moses bowed his head to the earth, worshiped and asked the Lord to go among the people. The Lord renews His covenant :10-27.

Moses was with the Lord forty days and forty nights and the Lord wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant. When Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets of the Testimony he did not realize that the skin of his face was shining, When the people saw it they were afraid. He called the people to him and gave them the Lord’s commandments; when he finished speaking he put a veil on his face, which afterward he only took off when he went before the Lord, :29-35.

EXODUS 35

Moses gave the Sabbath regulations, :1-3, offerings for the Tabernacle; chose the artisans to make the articles for the Tabernacle, :14-19. All the congregation departed and returned with their offerings, :20-29, the artisans are commissioned, :30-35.

EXODUS 36

The artisans did all according to all the Lord has commanded; the people brought so much free-will offerings, Moses had to command them to stop because they had more than enough. After this the artisans went to work on building the Tabernacle, :8-38.

EXODUS 37

Description of the making of the contents of the Tabernacle.

EXODUS 38

More contents of the Tabernacle, and the inventory of the materials of the Tabernacle

EXODUS 39

Decribes the making of the Priest garments, and the completion of the work.

EXODUS 40

They erected the Tabernacle in the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt. The cloud covered the Tabernacle of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. They continued their journey whenever the cloud lifted. The cloud of the Lord was there by day and fire by night, in the sight of all Israel