This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
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Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
NUMBERS
1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
God told Moses to write down the movements of Israel in the full journey from
3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Though Israel had been slaves, they left Egypt as conquerors. Verse one says
4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
God had sent the angel of death to take the lives of all the firstborn of Egypt, and
There are three sets of "travels" mentioned in the following verses (5-40).
5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
6 And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.
8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
9 And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.
10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
1) From Slavery to Freedom - (the rescue period).
These verses record the nation's movements from Egypt all the way to Mt. Sinai where
16 And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hatta'avah.
17 And they departed from Kibroth-hatta'avah, and encamped at Hazeroth.
2) From Freedom through Rebellion - (the training period).
In Kibrothhattaavah, the people complained of no meat, and God fed them quail. This is
18 And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
19 And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez.
20 And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah.
21 And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.
22 And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.
23 And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.
24 And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.
25 And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.
26 And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.
27 And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah.
28 And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.
29 And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.
30 And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.
31 And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.
32 And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad.
33 And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.
34 And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.
35 And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber.
36 And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
Therefore, verses 18-36 of Numbers 33 are a recording of the nation's
37 And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.
38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.
39 And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.
40 And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
3) From Training to Conquering.
These verses record the journeys from Kadesh to Mt. Hor. After the
41 And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
42 And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.
43 And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth.
44 And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.
45 And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad.
46 And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almon-diblatha'im.
47 And they removed from Almon-diblatha'im, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Beth-jesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.
Recorded here is the journey from Mt. Hor to the banks of Jordan in the plains of
50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:
53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
54 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
Before entering the land, God tells Moses to solemnly warn the people about
Please continue to join us for daily Bible study Monday through Friday.
CHAPTER 33
Egypt to the time they came to the West bank of Jordan. So the first 49 verses of this
chapter give an account of each time and place the nation camped.
Notice in verse 2 that their journeys were mapped out by God. How much do we have to
do with our movements in this world? How much does God have to do with them?
they left marching as a great army under their tribal banners, and under their general
Moses and High Priest Aaron. Verse three says they "went out with a high hand."
In other words, they had shamed the armies of Pharoah, and the following verse tells why.
Isreal was released because of God's victory over Pharoah and his false gods.
ANY victories we have in this life, as Christians, are because of God's powerful and
sustaining hand on our lives.
Moses received the ten commandments. Verse eight points out that they went "through
the mids of the sea" as they were escaping Pharoah's army.
where they committed the sin of gluttony due to their lust. And when they moved to
Hazeroth, Aaron and Miriam revolted agains Moses and Miriam was given leprosy (Num. 12).
From Numbers 12 to Numbers 20 no mention is made of any travels. However, in Numbers 20
we see the nation moves to the "wilderness of Zin." Zin is not mentioned in Numbers 33,
until verse 36.
travels during the forty years of wanderings.
No mention is made in this chapter of the rebellion which occured at Kadesh-Barnea
when twelves spies were sent out and ten brought back and "evil report" (Numberse 13).
Numbers 33:36 ends the forty-year wandering back at Kadesh-Barnea where they had been
once before.
confrontation with the Edomites who refused Israel the right to cross their
land, the nation camped at Mt. Hor where Aaron died (Numbers 20:22-25).
Then, King Arad sent some of his army to capture some of the Israelites. But
Israel soundly defeated his army and destroyed his cities (Numbers 21:1-3).
Moab. It was heare God told Moses they could turn "northward" (Deut. 2:3).
Thirty-eight years had passed and all those who had rebelled against God were now dead.
"driving out" all the inhabitants of Canaan (verse 52). They are also to "destroy
all their molten images" or idols.
God's purpose is two-fold in this admonition. First, He is using Israel to bring just
judgment on a people who have continually refused to listen to Him.
Second, if Israel does not drive the Canaanites out, that people will
eventually defile the Israelites (verse 55).
Some people will say this is a ruthless thing for God to do. But the real truth is that
God is merciful to spare any when all are so sinful!
(And, by the way, it is true many Canaanites were killed; but, they could have
run away!)
A note here: Israel never did totally drive out all the Canaanites. And as a result,
they began to worship the false gods of the Canaanites. And God's prophecy of verse 56
came to pass (See also Deuteronomy 4:25-28).