Numbers 5 – 6

Numbers 5 – 6

The first part of chapter 5 deals with quarantining people (making them live outside the camp) who appear to have diseases. In this way, God protected the Israelites. In previous readings, we’ve seen that God also provided a way back, a way to become ceremonially clean and be allowed back in the camp again.

At first, I was a bit troubled by the ritual established to determine if a wife goes astray. What about if a husband goes astray? There was no provision for that. Then, it occurred to me that this ritual was a blessing in two ways:

• It protects the wife who is faithful
• If a woman strays, she might become pregnant and her husband could unknowingly have to bring up a child that is not his; the straying husband cannot become pregnant

Chapter 6 discusses the requirements and provisions for becoming a Nazirite, described as one who sets himself or herself to the Lord in a special way.

They were required to:

• Give up wine and other alcoholic drinks
• Not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks
• Could not drink even fresh grape juice
• Could not eat grapes of raisins
• Could not eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine
• Could not cut their hair throughout the time of their vow
• Could not go near a dead body during the entire time of their vow, even if the dead body was a close relative
• If someone dropped dead besides them, they had to be cleansed from defilement and the length of their vow started over

At the end of chapter 6, the Lord passes on the priestly blessing to be given by Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel:

Numbers 6:24-26 – “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” This is from the New Living Bible.

The New King James says it in this way: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

In this way, the priests would put God’s name on the children of Israel and He would bless them.

Wow!

Tomorrow, it’s Numbers 7.

It’s 6:11 on Saturday morning.l I wanted to make sure I posted my blog today so I decided to do so early instead of waiting until I am too exhausted to do so.  Hoping the move will go well.

Until next time…