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Deuteronomy 7:

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Israel’s Mandate as God’s First-Born Son:
This is the mandate from God to the Israelites, summarized succinctly by Moses.  Yahweh has chosen the nation Israel to be His own portion. From the Tower of Babel event, all the nations of the world were scattered about, and effectively placed under control of other fallen Elohim, fallen-angels, so-called “gods.” This is why they worship idols and demons, practice the occult and witchcraft, and make human and child sacrifices. They are following evil teachings by these evil beings. But, not so with Israel.  Israel is God’s portion.  They are to be “set-apart” and holy.  They are to follow the one true God, Yahweh, and shirk all other evil pagan cults and practices. Israel is God’s “first-born” son, a holy and priestly nation, meant to lead back all the other fallen-away children of God, and not to be ensnared by their paganism and demonic idolatry (as embodied with the Canaanites).

Thus, Moses adjures the Israelites: “When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than yourselves, and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them; then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to them. You shall not make marriages with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.  For they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.” (Deut. 7:1-6)

The Hidden Drama:
The Canaanites represent evil and sin, so we should have no compromise with evil and sin.  The Lord tells them: “your eye shall not pity them; neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.” (Deut. 7:16)  In some respects, this is a war between the one, true God Yahweh, and the plethora of false gods, fallen-angels, demons, principalities and powers.  The Israelites and the Canaanites are almost secondary characters in the divine drama going on with God judging the fallen angels who have enslaved humanity.  It is a divine drama happening of God undoing, bit by bit, through Israel all the evils that the fallen angels have inflicted upon humanity.

Keep the Lord’s Commandments – Blessings and Curses:
Because of all this, the Lord reminds Israel: “You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day.” (Deut. 7:11)  If the Israelites keep the Commandments of God, “You shall be blessed above all peoples.”  On the other hand, the Israelites are to spurn the evil of paganism.  “The graven images of their gods you shall burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house, and become accursed like it; you shall utterly detest and abhor it; for it is an accursed thing.” (Deut. 7:25-26)

God Will Send “Hornets”:
The Lord tells the Israelites not to worry, even though these other nations are bigger and stronger than they are, because the one true God is on their side.  He tells them: “Moreover the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. You shall not be in dread of them; for the Lord your God is in the midst of you, a great and terrible God.” (Deut. 7:20-21)  What these hornets are is up for debate.  This is mentioned also in Exodus 23:28. It is possible that God has just directed actual literal hornets to chase these peoples off of the land. There is an abundance of aggressive types hornets in Palestine. Or, it is possible that the “Angel of the Lord” is going before them, harassing the Canaanites in one form or another, or with a plague of some sort.

Deuteronomy 6:

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The Great Commandment / The Shema:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:4-9)  This is the “Great Commandment,” that you should love the Lord, your God, with all you heart, soul and might.  The Shema (Hebrew for “hear”) is written in Jewish phylacteries and bound to their heads and hands, as well as on the doorpost, or the mezuzah.

Jesus Quotes the Shema:
Jesus too quotes the Shema saying: “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’” (Mk. 12:28-30)  It is interesting to note too that Jesus adds one line to the Shema saying we should love God “with all your mind.” The Law is not meant to be a mechanical following of rules and regulations, but rather, it is a Covenant, which is meant to be a heartfelt relationship with God. The Shema expresses this. It is a summation of the whole Law itself.

Jesus Rebukes Satan with Deuteronomy:
Jesus rebuked Satan in His tempting in the desert wilderness. Jesus answered Satan with quotes from Deuteronomy:

1. “You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.” (Deut. 6;13)
2. “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” (Deut. 6:16)
3. “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut. 8:3)

Jesus shows the efficacy of the Old Testament scriptures, and that He has not come to erase the Law but to fulfill it; “For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Mt. 5:18)

Deuteronomy 4-5:

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Obedience Tied to the Land:
“And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you.” (Deut. 4:1)  Taking and possessing the land is tied to obedience to the Lord.  God further tells Moses: “Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Ba′al-pe′or; for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Ba′al of Pe′or; but you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive this day.” (Deut. 4:3-4)  Moses reminds the Israelites how they received the Commandments at Mt. Sinai: “And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.” (Deut. 4:11-12)  God warns them against worshiping false idols of stone or worshiping the stars and planets. Yahweh is not any created thing.  He is outside of the physical universe, not limited by the things on earth or in the universe, but is the source of all created things.  The pagan religions all around the Israelites worship these things, stone idols, stars, and planets.  But, not so with the Israelites, although the wilderness years shows how they struggled with this.  Moses laments this and partially blames them, the Israelites, for his not being allowed into the Promised Land: “Furthermore the Lord was angry with me on your account..” (Deut. 4:21)

The Might of God and an Impassioned Plea for Fidelity:
“Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.” (Deut. 4:34-35)  And, “by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at this day; know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deut. 4:37-39) Moses reiterates then keep His statutes and commandments. What follows is one of the most passionate defenses of singular fidelity to God alone in the whole Old Testament.  In fact, in Jesus’ temptations (Mt. 4:4, 7, 10) in the desert wilderness, He will rebuke Satan by quoting three times from this section of Deuteronomy (Deut. 6:13, 16, 8:3).

The Ten Commandments, and Walking Right with God:
Here, in chapter five of Deuteronomy, Moses reiterates the Ten Commandments.  Moses then lists the Ten Commandments again.  Afterwards, he said, “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them to me.” (Deut. 5:22)  The Lord then addressed Moses alone because the people were afraid to hear the voice of God, lest they die.  So, the Lord instructed the Israelites: “You shall be careful to do therefore as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess.” (Deut. 5:32-33) The same is true for us today. We must not turn to the left or to the right, but follow the Lord in all His precepts, His Ten Commandments, and likewise approaching Confession, the Eucharist and the sacraments to abide continually with the Lord. We, like the Israelites, must maintain that relationship with the Lord through our actions.

Deuteronomy 2-3:

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Israelites’ Initial Conquests:
The Lord has Moses pass by the land of Seir, given to the sons of Esau, and He has them pass by Moab, given to the sons of Lot as their possession.  They too had destroyed the previous resident “giants” called: “The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; like the Anakim they are also known as Reph′aim, but the Moabites call them Emim.” (Deut. 2:10-11)  Other conquered ‘giants’ were: “known as a land of Reph′aim; Reph′aim formerly lived there, but the Ammonites call them Zamzum′mim, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before them; and they dispossessed them, and settled in their stead.”  (Deut. 2:20-21)  “Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. And the Lord our God gave him over to us; and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. And we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed every city, men, women, and children; we left none remaining.” (Deut. 2:32-34)  After defeating Sihon, Moses and the Israelites headed north to Bashan and king Og.  And, the Israelites attacked King Og and the 60 cities of Bashan: “we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon the king of Heshbon, destroying every city, men, women, and children.” (Deut. 3:6)  Thus, did Moses and the Israelites defeat the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan.

Giant King Og of the Rephaim:
“For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Reph′aim; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.) (Deut. 3:11)  Og of Bashan was one of the race of “giants.” For this, Moses gives a measure of his bed, which was nine cubits long and four cubits wide.  Or, in other words, which would put his bed at about 13.5 feet long x 6 feet wide.  There is some dispute over the actual size of a cubit, but it is roughly 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 feet long. There is also a textual link with these dimensions to Ugaritic texts. The implication being to the Hebrew mind, that through destruction of Og of Bashan, and his kingdom, this proves the superiority of Yahweh over the Canaanite kings and pagan gods and religion.

Joshua to Lead the Israelites in Taking the Promised Land:
“And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are going over.  You shall not fear them; for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’ (Deut. 3:21-22)  And, Moses entreated God to let him behold the Promised Land, even though he was forbidden from entering.  He said: “Let me go over, I pray, and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill country, and Lebanon.’  But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not hearken to me; and the Lord said to me, ‘Let it suffice you; speak no more to me of this matter.  Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and behold it with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him; for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land which you shall see.’” (Deut. 3:25-28) The Lord tells Moses to climb the mountainous area of Pisgah on from the plains of Moab, specifically Moses climbs up Mount Nebo (in Jordan) to behold the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 1:

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Overview of Deuteronomy as a “Vassal-Suzerainty Treaty”:
Deuteronomy means “second law,” or a copy of the law.  Deuteronomy recaps Genesis through Numbers and previews Joshua’s conquest through 2 Kings.  Deuteronomy is Moses’ parting speech, addressed to the second wilderness generation of the Israelites on the plains of Moab before his death.  It is of utmost importance.  It is the final and definitive form of God’s Covenant with Israel; Israel’s theological and political constitution.  After the Israelites’ successive rebellions and covenantal renewals, Deuteronomy gives, not the familial covenant of Mt. Sinai, but the basic contours of a second-millennium vassal, suzerainty treaty – that is, a king-servant binding covenant.  Whereas the original Covenant is given on the mountaintop, Mt. Sinai, this new covenant is on the “plains of Moab.” The Covenant with God is no longer at the holy mountaintop but down on the plains, indeed even the “valley opposite of Beth-peor.” Israel’s relationship with Yahweh has degenerated from a family relationship to a vassal covenant.  Its emphasis is on Israel’s obligation to obey God’s laws under the threat of mortal curses.  Israel is now treated more like a servant than a first-born son.

Moses’ Overview of the Exodus:
“The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain; turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland, and in the Negeb, and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them.’” (Deut. 1:6-8)  Moses reiterates God’s promise to them of the land.  Yet, Moses listened to the Israelites and sent spies into the land to get a glimpse of it.  Their report back brought fear into the Israelites.

Israel Refuses to Enter the Land:
They murmured and complained against God saying: “Because the Lord hated us he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Whither are we going up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ (Deut. 1:26-28) So, Moses addressed their rebelliousness: “Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day.” (Deut. 1:32-33)

God’s Anger at the Israelites’ Rebellion and Unbelief:
“And the Lord heard your words, and was angered, and he swore, ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers..” (Deut. 1:34-35) None shall enter the Promised Land, except Caleb and Joshua.  The Israelites went up into the hill country to attack the Amorites, but Moses advised against that because the Lord “was not in the midst of you.”  Yet, the Israelites attacked anyway and we’re beaten back by the Amorites.  “And you returned and wept before the Lord.” (Deut. 1:45)

Numbers 22-35:

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Balak, King of Moab, Seeks to Curse Israel:
Israel is now camped out in Moab near the city of Jericho.  Balak, the king of Moab, summons Balam, a pagan gentile divinizer, to divinize and place a curse upon Israel.  God came to Balam and told him not to curse Israel for “they are blessed.”  Yet, in the morning Balam got up, rode on his ass to go see the king Balam, against the will of the Lord.  This angered God, so the “Angel of the Lord” stood in the road to block his way.

Balam’s Talking Donkey:
“Then the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the ass, “Because you have made sport of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” (Num. 22:28-29)  “Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.  And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your ass these three times? Behold, I have come forth to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me..” (Num. 22:31-32)  Balam then repents “I have sinned.”  Then, Balam went back to Balak to prophesy.

Balam’s First Oracle:
“And God met Balam.”  And, Balam offered seven bulls and seven rams to the Lord.  Balam spoke: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?”  And, King Balak complained to him: “And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” (Num. 23:11)

Balam’s Second Oracle:
“The Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. God brings them out of Egypt; they have as it were the horns of the wild ox; For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel;” (Num. 23:21-23)

Balam’s Third Oracle:
As Balam, the pagan Gentile, begins his third oracle, “And the Spirit of God came upon him.”  God does not abandon anyone who calls upon His name, even a gentile pagan. “Blessed be every one who blesses you, and cursed be every one who curses you.” (Num. 24:9)

Balam’s Fourth Oracle:
Now, Balam gives one of the most famous prophecies in the Old Testament.  “I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”  Here is the prophesy:

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Be′or,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down, but having his eyes uncovered:
 I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not nigh:
a star shall come forth out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the foreheadof Moab,
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Edom shall be dispossessed,
Se′ir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed,
while Israel does valiantly.
 By Jacob shall dominion be exercised,
and the survivors of cities be destroyed!”

Then he looked on Am′alek, and took up his discourse, and said, “Am′alek was the first of the nations, but in the end he shall come to destruction.” And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse, and said,

“Enduring is your dwelling place,
and your nest is set in the rock;
nevertheless Kain shall be wasted.
How long shall Asshur take you away captive?” And he took up his discourse, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this? But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
and he also shall come to destruction.”  (Num. 24:15-24)

Balam as a “Magi from the East:”
Here, Balam prophesies about the coming of the Messiah, “a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”  After this, Balam and Balak went their separate ways. Balam is a kind-of “magus” from the East paralleling the Magi who come from the East to offer worship of the new Christ child (Mt. 2). Here, Balam, a precursor to the Magi, also prophesies about the future Magi who will come worship Christ.

The Israelites Worship Baal at Peor:
The picture of the “wilderness generation” of the Israelites is basically how not to walk with God.  It is a negative example to us of how we should not model our behavior.  This is a warning to future Christian generations to not fall into the same types of sins of unbelief, immorality and idolatry lest we be judged not to enter into the true Promised Land of Heaven.  The wilderness years are a disaster for the Israelites, and a nadir in their relationship with God.  With that in mind, back at Peor, the Israelites began to worship the Moabite false-god, Baal.  “While Israel dwelt in Shittim the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Ba′al of Pe′or. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.” (Num. 25:1-3)  In the Lord’s anger, He instructs Moses: “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

Sexual Immorality and Spiritual Apostasy Link:
After the plague is finally stayed, 24,000 Israelites have been killed! (Num. 25:9)  Intermingling and intermarrying with the Midianites led to their worshiping of Baal. So God tells Moses, “Harass the Mid′ianites, and smite them; for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Pe′or..” (Num. 25:16-17)  Sexual immorality again is linked with spiritual apostasy.  This is the same as what happened with the Golden Calf incident, spiritual apostasy and sexual immorality.  What the Golden Calf incident was to the Exodus (1st) generation, so too, was the Idolatry of Baal at Pe’or for the Wilderness (2nd) generation. But again, we see the link between spiritual apostasy and sexual immorality.

Phineas, son of Eleazar, Assuages God’s Anger:
“And the Lord said to Moses, “Phineas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace; and it shall be to him, and to his descendants after him, the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” (Num. 25:10-13)

Another Census, the Second Wilderness Generation:
The Lord calls for a new census to find out “all in Israel who are able to go forth to war.”  After the census is complete, it is determined: “This was the number of the people of Israel, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.”(Num. 26:51)  That is, 601,730 Israelite men of fighting age.  And, “The Lord said to Moses: “To these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names.” (Num. 26:52-53)  The Promised Land is to be divided among this second generation and divided up according the size of each tribes’ population.  Only Joshua and Caleb are left of the first generation of the Exodus, and will be permitted to enter into the Promised Land.

Appointing Joshua the Successor to Moses:
“The Lord said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Ab′arim, and see the land which I have given to the people of Israel.  And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was gathered, because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin during the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes.” (Num. 27:12-14) At this point, Joshua is commissioned to take over the leadership of the Israelites and lead them into the Promised Land.  Then, God told Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him; cause him to stand before Elea′zar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight.  You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.” (Num. 27:18-20)  Allegorically, it is not Moses (“the Old Testament”) that leads us to the Promised Land (“Heaven”), but it is Joshua (Greek for “Jesus”) and His Gospel of the New Covenant to the Promised Land of Heaven.

The Two Daily Offerings: Morning and Evening:
“This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a continual offering.  The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening.”  Along with the offerings of the two lambs, one in the morning and one in the evening, they are to offer a grain offering and a wine offering. (Num. 28:3-8)  The same offering is to be made every Sabbath as well, and a monthly offering.

Further Feast Offerings Described:
The Lord then described the proscriptions of offerings for the Passover Festival and the other holy Feasts and Festivals.  This includes the Feast of Weeks, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Booths.  Also, one interesting note about the offerings of the Feast of Booths, over the seven day festival the Israelites were to offer 70 bulls.  The 70 bulls are offered for the “70 gentile nations” of the world. Israel, the first-born son, is offering and interceding for the gentile nations of the world.

 War Against Midian:
“The Lord said to Moses, “Avenge the people of Israel on the Mid′ianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” (Num. 31:1-2)  The Israelites then conquer the Midianites, and bring all the spoils and booty of war to present it all before Moses and Aaron.

The Beginning Conquests of Jordan and Canaan:
“We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.” (Num. 32:32)  “And the Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho,  “Say to the people of Israel, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,  then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places;  and you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.” (Num. 33:50-53)

The Lord Sets the Boundaries of the Promised Land:
Here the Lord sets the boundaries of the Promised Land to the north, the south, the west, and the east. “Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot..” (Num. 34:13)

Ordinance Against Murder:
“And these things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  If any one kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses; but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” (Num. 35:29-30)

Numbers 20-21:

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The Sin of Moses and Aaron:
This chapter begins with the death of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron.  After that, there is another famine at Kadesh.  The Israelites issue the same grumblings as before: “And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink.” (Num. 20:5)  The Lord then appears to Moses and Aaron and tells them to go and “order the rock to yield its waters.” (Num. 20:8) Yet, Moses goes before the Israelite community and shouts at them “Listen to me, you rebels!  Are we to bring water for you out of this rock? Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff, and water gushed out in abundance for the community and their livestock to drink.”  (Num. 20:10-11)  The Lord did as He promised and provided water for the Israelites, yet He was angry with Moses and Aaron for disobeying Him.  He said, “Because you were not faithful to me in showing forth my sanctity before the Israelites, you shall not lead this community into the land I will give them.” (Num. 20:12)  Moses was angry with the Israelites and treated them contemptuously.  But, more egregiously, he did not just speak to the rock as the Lord had commanded him, but struck the rock twice in defiance of God’s orders.  Moreover, Moses contends that he is the one bringing water from the rock, and not God. Because of these sins of disobedience, God forbids Moses and Aaron from entering the Promised Land.  This they did at the waters of Meribah.

Edom’s Refusal of Passage:
Moses sent word to the Edomites that their “brother Israel” wished to pass through their country along the King’s Highway, which runs north-south in Edom (Jordan), parallel to the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. .  Edomites were the descendants of Esau, who had been the twin brother of Jacob.  Yet, just as Esau was bitter at Jacob, so too still, was Edom bitter at Israel, saying, “you shall not pass through.”

The Death of Aaron:
The Israelites reach Mount Hor on the border of Edom.  The Lord instructs Aaron to come up to the top of Mt. Hor and divest his garments and give them to his son, Eleazar, “for there Aaron shall be taken in death.” (Num. 20:26)  Once up on top of Mt. Hor, “Aaron died there on top of the mountain.”

The Bronze Serpent:
After mourning Aaron for 30 days, the Israelites departed from Mt. Hor and headed back on the Red Sea road to bypass Edom.  But, again, the Israelites grumbled against Moses and against God saying, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water?  We are disgusted with this wretched food!” [ie, the manna] (Num. 21:5)  It is interesting that the Israelites complained against the manna from heaven, as many today grumble against the Eucharist and Jesus.  For punishment, the Lord sent “fiery serpents” among them, which “bit the people so that many of them died.” (Num. 21:6)  The people then repented of their sin and asked Moses to pray to the Lord, to forgive them and save them from the serpents.  Then, Moses prayed and the Lord instructed him: “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover.”  (Num. 21:8) So, Moses made a “bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered.” (Num. 21:9)  Jesus, of course, referenced this passage directly, by applying it to Himself.  He said: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)  Jesus was referring to Himself being lifted up on the Cross, and whoever believes in Him would have eternal life.

Israelite Victories:
The Israelites journey around Moab, and conquer Sihon, the king of the Amorites. From there, the Israelites went up along the road to Bashan, and advanced against Og, the king of Bashan. With the assurance of the Lord, they advanced against Bashan and struck down Og and all his people “until not a survivor was left to him, and they took possession of his land.” (Num. 21:35)

Numbers 18-19:

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The Distinction of the Levites from the Lay People:
In response to the latest rebellions, the Lord tells them that the “Israelites may no longer approach the Meeting Tent; else they will incur guilt deserving death. Only the Levites are to perform the service of the Meeting Tent, and they alone shall be held responsible; this is a perpetual ordinance for all your generations.” (Num. 18:22-23)  And, “Any layman who draws near shall be put to death.” (Num. 18:7)  Lay people are no longer allowed to approach the Meeting Tent, but only the Levite priests can.

The Ashes of the Red Heifer:
With the death of so many people, there were many dead bodies around the camp.  Therefore, God provides the Israelites with a ritual for making “holy water” to cleanse people who have had contact with a dead body, corpse.  This holy water is made through the ashes of a red heifer cow.  This mysterious commandment is of great importance and precision, as the Lord tells Moses and Aaron: “This is the statute of the law.” (Num. 19:2)  The Lord instructs them:

“Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and upon which a yoke has never come. And you shall give her to Elea′zar the priest, and she shall be taken outside the camp and slaughteredbefore him; and Elea′zar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of her blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. And the heifer shall be burned in his sight; her skin, her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall be burned; and the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer.” (Num. 19:2-6)

Red Hair:
There are a number of intriguing details about the sacrifice of the red heifer.  First, it must be a red cow without defect or blemish.  Much like the Passover lamb, the red heifer must be perfect.  This is a typology of Jesus.  Some have argued based on this law of the red heifer that Jesus, in fact, had red hair.  Red hair or “redness” seems to be in the genealogy of Jesus too.  The name Adam, the first man, comes from the Hebrew word (אָדוֹם) for earth or redness.  Esau, the first-born son of Isaac, is described as having been born “red, covered in hair like a fur coat.” (Gen. 25:25)  Jacob, later known as “Israel,” of course, stole Isaac’s fatherly blessing of Esau (as the first-born son) by “putting on” Esau’s garments.  Christians similarly “put on” Christ’s garments to obtain the blessing of the Heavenly Father.  Moreover, King David is also described as “ruddy” in appearance (1 Sam. 16:12).  “Ruddy” meaning having a healthy, red in appearance complexion, or possibly red-haired.  There is no physical description of Jesus as having red hair, nothing in Scripture or in the historical record, although some early iconography of Jesus does depict him with reddish hair.  Nevertheless, the Lord does instruct Moses and Aaron that the sacrificial offering, representing Christ, must be a red heifer (without blemish).  Perhaps Christ did have red hair.  More importantly, red symbolizes blood and life.  The red heifer is a symbol of blood, life and pure vitality.  It is the key ingredient in creating the “living waters,” the holy water to cure the impurity of death. Killed outside of Camp:The red heifer should be killed outside of camp.  Jesus too was killed outside the walls of the Temple and Jerusalem on the hill of Calvary.  Later, in the days of the Temple, the red heifer was killed outside of the Temple and Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives.   

Cedar wood, Hyssop, and Scarlet Yarn:
This is the same combination of materials used also in Leviticus 14 for the curing of people with leprosy.  These ingredients are interesting as they are reminiscent (foreshadowing) of Jesus’ Crucifixion.  Jesus carried the wood of the Cross and was crucified on the wood of the Cross. Isaac had similarly carried wood to be part of his sacrifice.  Jesus had been draped in a “scarlet robe” being mocked by the Roman soldiers: “And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him..” (Mt. 27:28)His death and piercing by the spear resulted in His blood (“scarlet”) coming forth from His side.  Lastly, as far as the hyssop, the soldier had used the hyssop to give Jesus a taste of vinegar or wine while He hung dying on the Cross: “so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.” (Jn. 19:29)  The wood, hyssop and scarlet yarn are clear foreshadows of the Cross of Christ.

Living Waters / Holy Water of the Red Heifer:
“For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and running water shall be added in a vessel; then a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the furnishings, and upon the persons who were there, and upon him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave; and the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.” (Num. 19:17-19) On the third day, and then again on the seventh day they need to have the living water sprinkled upon them.

The Priest is made Unclean:
One of the more peculiar things about this ritual is that in making burning the red heifer and making the holy water, the priest himself is made ritually unclean.  It is almost as if Jesus on the Cross took on sin and became sin and death, so too, in the same way, the Levite priest becomes ritually impure in making the water that purifies.

Nine Red Heifers, and the Tenth Shall be by the Mashiach (Messiah):
In Maimonides’ Jewish Law, he claims that there were 9 red heifers offered in history, but the 10th one will be brought by the Messiah.  He writes: “Nine red heifers were offered from the time that they were commanded to fulfill this mitzvah until the time when the Temple was destroyed a second time.  The first was brought by Moses our teacher.  The second was brought by Ezra. Seven others were offered until the destruction of the Second Temple.  And the tenth will be brought by the King Moshiach; may he speedily be revealed. Amen, so may it be God’s will.” (Mishnah, Parah Adumah 3:5)  Indeed, even today the red heifer is associated with messianic fulfillment.  Jews (and Christians) looking to re-establish the Temple (ie, the Third Temple) are eagerly looking for a new red heifer to be born, so the priesthood and the animal sacrifices of Temple worship can be reinstated.

The Red Heifer Fulfilled with Jesus:
Jesus, in fact, did fulfill the prophecy and ritualization of the red heifer. He was “washed” in His tears as He wept over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.  Later, He was sacrificed as a sin offering outside the walls of the city and Temple, just as the red heifer was, with the wood, and the hyssop and the scarlet yarn.  The blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side are the true “living waters” that Jesus promised: “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.  He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38)

The Book of Hebrews:
The author of the Book of Hebrews mentions this too, saying: “ For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ..” (Heb. 9:13-14)  The waters of Baptism and of Christ are much greater than the living waters of the red heifer.

Numbers 15-17:

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More Laws: Inadvertent sin and Mortal Sins:
In consequence of the Israelite’s testing the Lord, they are given more laws and requirements.  These are given here for the consequences of inadvertent sin and gravely defiant sins.  For the inadvertent sin they are to offer a “sin offering” through the priest to make atonement for their sin.   On the other hand, if “anyone who sins defiantly, whether he be a native or an alien, insults the Lord, and shall be cut off from among his people.”  That is, if the person knowingly, and defiantly, breaks one of the Ten Commandments, “he must be cut off.”  (Num. 15:31) The punishment for breaking the Ten Commandments is either banishment from the Israelites community, or death. There is no sacrificial atonement system or forgiveness for these offenses.  Breaking the Ten Commandments is, in effect, a mortal sin.  It results in the person’s physical death.  Today, in our Christian understanding, a mortal sin similarly results in our spiritual death.  When we commit a mortal sin we are cut off spiritually from the Lord.  Yet, we have it so much better than the Israelites did.  When they committed a mortal sin, there was no forgiveness, no atonement, no restitution. They were simply “cut off” or killed.  For us Christians, in the New Dispensation, under the Gospel of the New Covenant, God treats us very mercifully.  There are no sins, even mortal sins, which we cannot be forgiven.  If we turn with a contrite heart and ask forgiveness from God, particularly in the Sacrament of Confession, then God will forgive us our sins.

Death Penalty for the Sabbath Breaker, and Sunday Mass:
As an illustration of the willful breaking of the Ten Commandments and the subsequent punishment, we read the story of the Sabbath breaker.  A man was caught outside the camp gathering wood on the Sabbath, so they brought him to Moses.  The Lord instructs Moses to take him outside the camp and “stone him to death.” Breaking the Sabbath is a mortal sin, which results in his physical death.  Consider this when we, as Christians, Catholics, fail to go to Church on Sunday and participate in the new Sabbath of Christ’s Mass.  Our failure to observe the Sunday Sabbath is a mortal sin that results in our spiritual death.  This is why going to Sunday Mass each week is obligatory, and not optional.  It is one of the Ten Commandments: keep the Sabbath holy. Jesus changed the Sabbath from Saturday in the Old Covenant to Sunday in the New Covenant (for, as He said, He is the Lord of the Sabbath).  As the Israelites broke the old Sabbath resulted in physical death, so too, when we break the new Sabbath it results in our spiritual death. Going to Mass is serious business!

Tassels on their Garments:
The Lord instructs Moses that they should put “tassels on the corners of their garments” so that “the sight of them remind you to keep all the Commandments of the Lord..” (Num. 15:39)  The tassels are to be a visual reminder to keep the Commandments and not break any of them.

The Religious Rebellion of Korah:
Korah was a son of Levi, or in other words, he was a Levite priest.  Korah “took two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders in the community, members of the council and men of note.”  They stood before Moses and Aaron and said, “Enough from you!  The whole community, all of them, are holy; the Lord is in their midst.  Why then should you set yourselves over the Lord’s congregation?” (Num. 16:3)  Korah the Levi priest was leading a religious rebellion.  This rebellion is roughly akin to Martin Luther’s Protestant rebellion that there is no ministerial priesthood but all are part of the “priesthood of all believers.”  In order to carry out his plans, Korah attracts the political support of Dathan and Abiram, leaders in the tribe of Reuben.  He seeks political support for his religious rebellion.

The Lord’s Punishment of Korah, and Dathan and Abiram:
The Lord tells the Israelite company to withdraw from the space near “these wicked men” Korah and Dathan and Abiram.  As Moses is speaking against them, “No sooner had he finished saying all this than the ground beneath them split open, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their families and all of Korah’s men and all their possessions. They went down alive to the nether world with all belonging to them; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the community.” (Num. 16:31-33)  Similarly, “fire from the Lord came forth which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.” (Num. 16:35)

Further Punishment of the Israelite Community:
Amazingly, many in the Israelite community were not impressed with Moses and the Lord’s supernatural punishment of Korah and his band.  So, the next day, they “grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying ‘It is you who have slain the Lord’s people.'” (Num. 17:6)  The Glory Cloud suddenly appeared over the Meeting Tent, and the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Depart from this community, that I may consume them at once.”  As the wrath of God went out upon the Israelites, Moses tells Aaron to run in amidst the community with incense offering atonement.  Aaron the High Priest then stood “between the living and the dead” making atonement.  Aaron’s High Priestly intercession for the people stopped the scourge, yet 14,700 people died in the divine chastisement!

Aaron’s Staff Sprouts and Blossoms:
Then, to quell any further religious rebellion, the Lord tells the Israelites to take one staff from each of the ancestral houses and their tribal princes and bring them to the Meeting Tent.  The staff that sprouts shall be the Lord’s choice to lead them.  “The next day, when Moses entered the Tent, Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth not only shoots, but blossoms as well, and even bore ripe almonds!” (Num. 17:23)  This miraculous sign is to show that the priesthood is restricted to the Levi clan alone.

Numbers 11-14:

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The Israelites Complaining:
The Israelites complained in hearing the Lord and “when he heard it his wrath flared up so that the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.” (Num. 11:1)  But, Moses prayed and the fire died out.  The “foreign elements among them were so greedy for meat that even the Israelites lamented again, ‘Would that we had meat for food!'” (Num. 11:4)  The Israelites complained, “we see nothing before us but his manna.”

The Manna and the Complaining for Meat:
“Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.  The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil.  When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.” (Num. 11:7-9)  The manna fell like the dewfall, just as we hear in the liturgy of the Eucharist as Mass.  Moses likewise complained to the Lord, “Where can I get meat to give to all this people?  For they are crying to me, ‘Give us meat for our food.’  I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me.'” (Num. 11:13-14)  Moses takes his complaining to the Lord to the extreme saying, “If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.” (Num. 11:15)  Moses is ready for death rather than face the Israelites’ complaining any more.

The 70 Elders:
The Lord then tells Moses that He will bestow some of His Spirit upon the Elders so that Moses will not have to bear the Israelites alone.  The Lord tells the Moses to tell the people: “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, when you shall have meat to eat.” (Num. 11:18)  Further, He says: “Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you..” (Num. 11:19-20)  The Lord promises to provide meat for them, reminiscent of Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse that His flesh is “meat indeed.” It is of particular importance too that the spirit if conferred upon the 70 Elders through the laying on of hands. The ordination rite is passed, like today in the Christian dispensation for Holy Orders, through the bishops’ laying-on of hands of the priests and bishops. So too, was it in the days of Moses and the 70 Elders.

The Quail:
“And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and it brought quails from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.” (Num. 11:31) The Lord provided flesh and meat for the Israelites to eat.

Aaron and Miriam Complain against Moses:
Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ sister, complain against the intimacy that Moses enjoys with the Lord.  They use the pretext of him marrying a “Cushite woman” to complain against him.  Yet, Moses was the “meekest man on the face of the earth.”  The Lord addresses Aaron and Miriam directly saying He speaks “face to face” with Moses. “Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?” (Num. 12:8)  In the Lord’s anger, He afflicts Miriam with leprosy. Moses again intercedes for her, and the Lord let her be afflicted for 7 days, and to stay outside the camp with the affliction, “only then may she be brought back.”

The Twelve Scouts and the “Bad Report”:
The Lord tells them to send one scout from each tribe to the land of Canaan. The scouts reported back: “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Yet the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and besides, we saw the descendants of Anakim there.” (Num. 13:27-28)  The large, giant people live there.  Most of the scouts are intimidated and advise against taking the land that the Lord has promised.  So, they “spread discouraging reports among the Israelites.”  They said, “And all the people we saw there are huge men, veritable giants [the Anakim were a race of giants]; we felt like mere grasshoppers, and so we must have seemed to them.” (Num. 13:32-33)

The Israelites Panic and Joshua Responds:
The Israelites panicked and said, “Let us appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”  Yet, Joshua tore his garments saying, “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us in and give us that land, a land flowing with milk and honey. But do not rebel against the Lord!  You need not be afraid of the people of that land; they are but food for us!” (Num. 14:8-9)

The Ten Complaints, and None shall enter the Promised Land:
Despite all of the signs and wonders the Lord worked for them in releasing them from bondage in Egypt, yet the Israelites “have put me to the test ten times already and have failed to heed My voice, not one shall see the land which I promised on oath to their fathers.  None of these who have spurned Me shall see it.”  (Num. 14: 22-23)  The Israelites’ grumbling and testing of the Lord leads Yahweh to declare that no one of that generation shall enter the Promised Land.  The Lord declares that, “Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall.”  “Forty days you spent in scouting the land; forty years shall you suffer for your crimes: one year for each day.” (Num. 14:34)  Thus, the Lord condemns the Israelites to wander the desert for 40 years.

The Ten Tests Against the Lord by the Israelites:
1. Rejection of Moses and message (Ex. 5:15-6:9)
2. Complains and loses faith at the shores of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:10-12)
3. Murmurs at the bitter waters of Marah (Ex. 15:22-25)
4. Murmurs against hunger, so God provides manna (Ex. 16:1-36)
5. Murmurs and tests the Lord at Massah; God provides water from the rock (Ex. 17:1-19)
6. The Golden Calf Incident (Ex. 32:1-35)
7. Complaints against God at Taberah (Num. 11:1-3)
8. Demanding meat, so God provides quail (Num. 11:4-35)
9. Miriam and Aaron question and rebel against Moses (Num. 12:1-16)
10. Revolt after the bad report from the spies (Num. 14:1-38)

Only Caleb and Joshua Shall Enter the Promised Land:
Caleb and Joshua believed in the Lord and in the Promised Land, so they alone of this ‘wicked generation’ shall enter the Promised Land.  The people felt “great remorse,” yet they still tried to seize the Promised Land.  Moses advised against it as they had disobeyed the Lord. And so, “the Amalekites and Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and defeated them..”