Sabbath School Commentary: Sep 26-Oct 2: A New Order

Teaching Points

1. What kind of census did the Lord ask Moses and Aaron to draw up, and why? Num. 1:1,2, 3.

Num. 1:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Num. 1:2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
Num. 1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

ANSWER: To organize them into armies. “Israel would serve as God’s executioners of these nations who had filled the cup of their transgressions (Gen. 15:14–16). Israel was now a theocracy, directed by God Himself, and they were a people, a might army, on the move.” SSL p. 7

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION:

We need to put on the armor of God and fight until we enter into the heavenly Canaan.
Eph. 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph. 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
1Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
2Tim. 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2Tim. 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

APPLICATION QUESTION:

How much “fighting” do you do in your Christian experience?
Why did God give permission to kill back in the Old Testament time and why is it not ok in our days?

2. To what task was the tribe of the Levites appointed? Num. 1:50-54.

Num. 1:50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
Num. 1:51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Num. 1:52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
Num. 1:53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
Num. 1:54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

ANSWER:

Num. 1:50- To oversee all the things in the sanctuary.
Num. 1:51- To set up the sanctuary and to protect it from strangers.
Num. 1:53- To camp near by the tabernacle.
Moses pitched the portable tabernacle in the middle of Israel’s encampment. The Levites pitched their tents around it, on all four sides. Their presence acted as a kind of barrier, protecting the place where God manifested His presence. SSL p. 8

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION:

Levites are pastors or any believers (1Pet. 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light).
Pastors and laymen should strive to “tabernacle” near to God everyday as they journey through this world of “wilderness”.
Pastors should protect the holy things of God from unholy influences.
Since there are the golden candlesticks, the table of shewbread, the golden altar of incense, and the mercy seat in the sanctuary where God’s presence dwelled, we must dwell in the Holy Spirit (the golden candlesticks), in the Word of God (the table of shewbread), in prayer (the golden altar of incense) and in the glory of God (the mercy seat), in order to experience the presence of God today.

APPLICATION QUESTION:

How often do you feel the nearness of God’s presence?
How do you maintain the presence of God in your life?

3. Read Numbers 2. Talk about organized religion! What is one thing that becomes apparent about how the Israelites were supposed to live?

ANSWER: In order and in community according to their families.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION:

1Cor. 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
1Cor. 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
God is the Creator of all things. Therefore we can see God’s character in the work of His creation. So when you read Genesis 1, you can see how organized God is. Therefore, organization is a part of God’s character.

APPLICATION QUESTION:

How organized is your church?
How organized is your family life?
How organized are you with your own life?

4. Read Numbers 3. Who are the Levites according to Numbers 3? What would be their main role?

Num. 3:12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
Num. 3:13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
Num. 3:15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Num. 3:9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

ANSWER:

Every male from a month old and up was given to the service of the tabernacle and as priests to assist Aaron and to his sons

OBSERVATION:

Levites are from father Levi
“Levi” means attached, and it comes from the meaning of to unite, to remain, abide with, cleave, join, and lend.
Levi was the third son from Leah.
Notice why she named her third son Levi. Gen. 29:34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
It is interesting to see why Leah named her third son Levi. She thought that having a third son; this would help her husband to be with her. Therefore Levi became an instrument to bring the husband back to his wife.
Do you see how Levite priests can represent mediators based upon the meaning of Levi itself?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

What spiritual applications could you make about Levites based upon above observation?
How could we be spiritual priests today?

5. Read Numbers 10:1–11. What happened, and what lessons are there for us today?

ANSWER: God’s people were directed by the sound of silver trumpet or trumpets.

OBSERVATION:

Silver represents God’s word. Psa. 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
God’s voice sounds like a trumpet. Rev. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.
We were told to speak like a trumpet. Is. 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION:

In order to move and to direct God’s people today, we need “silver trumpets,” the word of God clear and loud. But not without love. 1Cor. 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. But with certain sound. 1Cor. 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? Silver flutes are nice but they can put you to sleep. We need to awake up with the sound of silver trumpets!

CONCLUSION:

In the book of Numbers, we can see clearly how God puts structure into His people. We should not expect any less today. God does support a concept of organization. God does not work with confusion. Therefore in order to have “order” in our church today, we all need to hear the clear sound of God’s “silver trumpets” so that we can move according to God’s word and not by any individual thoughts or independent ideas.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: