A Teaching Outline for the Book of Numbers

Taking its name from the Greek word arithmoi (from which “arithmetic” is derived), the book of Numbers is called such because of the censuses that are listed near the beginning and end of the book (cf. Num. 1-4, 26). For that reason, many get the initial impression that this fourth book of Moses is little more than a dry, dispassionate accounting of records. But the Hebrew title, In the Wilderness (taken from the fifth word in the book), more adequately represents its contents: the historical narrative picks up at Mount Sinai and records the decades’ long journey of Israel—through the wilderness—to prepare them for entry into the Promised Land. On that basis, the book divides neatly into five primary sections, each based on the geographic location and movement of the people. First, they were prepared by God to enter Canaan while still near Mount Sinai (cf. Num. 1-9). Next, they followed God through the wilderness to the border of Canaan (cf. Num. 10-13). Upon sending spies to examine the land, and failing to trust in God’s ability to overcome the inhabitants, Israel was condemned to wander for forty years in the wilderness (cf. Num. 14-19). Afterward, God once again led them toward Canaan (cf. Num. 20-21). Finally, the nation’s younger generation found themselves on the plains of Moab, restored by God and ready to enter the land (cf. Num. 22-36).

Despite their repeated sin and failure, the Israelites were never alone during their pilgrimage; God was with them, faithfully leading them to their intended destination as He promised (cf. Exod. 6:8). And so it is that those “numbers” recorded by Moses weren’t just statistics; they were souls. The God who was with His people as they journeyed in the wilderness long ago is the One who is with His people as they journey through life today. And He will bring us to our intended destination just the same (cf. Rom. 8:28-39).

The book opens with several censuses as Israel prepared to travel to the Promised Land, beginning with a count of military-aged males from eleven of the tribes and concluding with a count of ministry-aged males from the twelfth tribe (Levi). With the count of those qualified for war standing at 603,550 (cf. Num. 1:46, Exod. 38:26), the entire population undoubtedly numbered in the millions. The stark contrast between the hundreds of thousands of men coming out of Egypt with the less than one hundred who went in, four hundred years prior (cf. Gen. 46:26-27), testified to the reality that the God who promised Abraham a multitude of descendants is the God who keeps His word.

But God not only cared about the size of the nation, He also cared about the spiritual condition of the nation. For that reason, He positioned the tabernacle, where He would fellowship with His people, in the center of the tribes as they camped (cf. Num. 2:2). Furthermore, as they assembled for travel, God stressed the role of the Levites because readiness for the journey would involve not just preparing their belongings, but preparing their hearts. It wouldn’t be enough for the tribes to be in right proximity to God; they needed to be in right relationship with God. The Levites, among whom were the priests (descendants of Aaron), facilitated this. Moses divided them up into their three major family groups and assigned each group a role with the tabernacle. The Gershonites were responsible for the curtains and coverings (cf. Num. 3:25-26), the Kohathites were responsible for the holy furniture (cf. Num. 3:31), and the Merarites were responsible for the frame and hardware (cf. Num. 3:36-37). Similar to Christians exercising their spiritual gifts in the Church today, all parties were needed in order for corporate worship to function as intended (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14-18).

With the roles and responsibilities of each tribe in order, the purity of the nation was next in the order of business (cf. Num. 5:1-4). Moses reminded them that those who were ritually unclean were to be removed from the camp, because God was among them. The cleanliness laws he had already taught them were neatly categorized into four main areas of possible defilement: food they ingested into themselves (cf. Lev. 11), children birthed out of themselves (cf. Lev. 12), diseases formed upon themselves (cf. Lev. 13-14), and fluids emitted from themselves (cf. Lev. 15). Not at all for the purpose of stigmatizing uncontrollable medical conditions, these laws were intended to be ceremonially didactic; that is to say, the rituals were teaching tools that provided a tangible illustration of the polluting effects of sin. Just as the Israelites’ could be physically encompassed by the defiling effects of these various situation, so too is all mankind spiritually encompassed by the ruinous effects of sin. From the lips of his mouth (cf. Rom. 3:14) to the soles of his feet (cf. Rom. 3:15)—from top to bottom, inside and out—mankind is, by nature, totally depraved. That’s not to say that every man is as evil as he could be, nor that man cannot do anything helpful for his fellow man, but that every man’s entire nature is radically corrupted—from conception—to the extent that he is spiritually dead (cf. Eph. 2:1), hostile toward God (cf. Rom. 8:7), opposed to righteousness (cf. John 3:20), and incapable of comprehending spiritual matters (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14). And in that natural condition, he is alienated from his Creator (cf. Gen. 3:24, Col. 1:21). Only by a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, being born again and given a new nature, will a man finally hate his sin enough to repent of it and desire forgiveness from Christ enough to receive it through faith, at which point he is reconciled to God (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20). The exclusion of defiled Israelites from being with God in the camp pointed to these vital Gospel truths.

On the other hand, for Israelites who wanted to draw closer to God than they otherwise might, a special vow known as the “Nazirite vow” was explained (cf. Num. 6:1-2). From the Hebrew word nazir (“to separate or abstain”), this vow was for those who wanted to separate themselves from ordinary life in order to serve God in a special way. Whether it was to request a gracious gift from God (cf. 1 Sam. 1:11) or to prepare for an intentional period of greater devotion (cf. Judg. 13:4-5), the Nazirite vow was particularly important for non-Levites looking to be as consecrated to God as a Levite would be. None of this was for the purpose of gaining God’s favor, however. On the contrary, God already cared for the nation, which is why they had been rescued from Egypt in the first place. As reassurance of that important point, the Aaronic blessing was taught to the priests so they could pronounce it upon the people: “The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-25). Indeed, the triune God had already shown them exceeding grace and love by that point in time. Similarly, for Christians, the ultimate response to the Gospel is to devote one’s entire life to God as a spiritual sacrifice—not as a merit for God’s love, but as a response to it (cf. Rom. 12:1-2).

Preparation at Sinai also included commitments from each tribe to support the work of the tabernacle. “Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who were over the numbered men). When they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented them before the tabernacle” (Num. 7:2-3). Though this contribution chronologically occurred a month prior to the nationwide census (cf. Num. 1:1, 7:1, Exod. 40:1), Moses included it at this point in his narrative to demonstrate that the other eleven tribes were just as devoted to God as the tribe of Levi (cf. Num. 8:6). Upon observing the Passover (cf. Num 9:4), the nation was ready to set out toward the Promised Land (cf. Num. 10:11). As they marched, the pillar of cloud above the ark was a constant reminder that God was with them.

Sadly, neither the glorious presence nor gracious provision of God deterred their hearts from sin. Just as they grumbled when leaving Egypt (cf. Exod. 14-17), so too did they complain when leaving Mount Sinai (cf. Num. 11). The journey was just too difficult for them, despite the fact that God was leading them to resting places (cf. Num. 10:33). The daily manna just wasn’t good enough for them, despite its quality appearance (cf. Num. 11:7), versatility (cf. Num. 11:8a), and taste (cf. Num. 11:8b). The leader wasn’t exceptional enough, despite the fact that he had been chosen by God (cf. Num. 12:8). The threefold grumbling account (reminiscent of the previous episode) not only indicated the depth of the Israelites’ sin (that it wasn’t a one-time misstep), but the continuity of their sin. In both duration and degree, the hard-heartedness of the nation was on full display. And that unbelief peaked after they reached the edge of Canaan, sent spies in to examine the land, and subsequently concluded that it would be far too difficult to overcome the inhabitants (cf. Num. 13:30-14:4). For doubting God’s promise—and thus God Himself—the nation was condemned to wander and die in the wilderness: “But as for you, your corpses shall fall in this wilderness. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they shall suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness” (Num. 14:32-33). Their failure would echo across the centuries as a warning to future generations who might doubt God, as noted by the psalmist (cf. Psa. 106:24-26), the writer of Hebrews (cf. Heb. 3:17-19), Jude (cf. Jude 5), and the Apostle Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 10:5-11). All the promises of God are true in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20), therefore those who reject Christ in unbelief will die in their sins just as that generation did. Being among Christians is not the same as being a Christian. Being in a local church is not equivalent to being in the universal Church. Artificially attaching oneself to the body of Christ, like a spiritual prosthetic, is not the same as being genuinely baptized into the body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13). “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

Despite the unbelief of an entire generation, that wasn’t the end for the nation. God made a promise that He intended to keep, and nothing could thwart His plan (cf. Isa. 46:10). Thus, after sentencing the Israelites to forty years of wilderness wandering, He spoke to Moses and began with the following words: “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you…” (Num. 15:2-3). Amazing grace! The fact that God continued to speak to Moses, giving regulations for Israel to obey in the land of Canaan, was in and of itself an amazing testimony to His mercy and compassion. To that point, the regulations for firstfruit offerings (cf. Num. 15:21), the confirmation of the priesthood (cf. Num. 17:5), and the required financial support of the tabernacle (cf. Num. 18:2) were not a random assortment of laws and events, but reminders from God that served as a gracious guarantee: one day Israel would be in the land! By virtue of their subject matter, the laws given by Moses necessarily implied that one day the wandering would be over. The God who picked Israel up out of Egypt would take them across the finish line: “…you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place” (Deut. 1:31).

Based on that same principle, Christians can be “confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30). In eternity, God foreknew His people (having a redemptive love for them), elected His people (making a redemptive choice of them), and predestined His people (decreeing a redemptive plan for them). Glorification, then, is but the caboose in a long train of God’s salvific purpose for His elect.

Before resuming their journey to Canaan, after forty years of wandering, the nation was given another statute from Moses and Aaron: the way of purification. With the older generation being sentenced to death for their unbelief, and widespread judgment already occurring for those who opposed the priesthood (cf. Num. 16:1-3), death had become a regular occurrence. The nation needed a way to purify itself from death’s defiling effects in order to remain in fellowship with God at the tabernacle. To cleanse them, God instituted a ritual in which a vessel containing the ashes of a red heifer (sacrificed by the priest) was left outside the camp. Anyone defiled by a corpse could go out to the vessel and be sprinkled with an ash-water mixture made from it, on the third and seventh days of his or her defilement, and be rendered clean afterward (cf. Num 19:12). This ritual was to be a “perpetual statute for them” (Num. 19:21), implemented any time a person was contaminated by death. As with other ceremonial aspects of Mosaic Law, this law contained a didactic element pointing to fulfillment in Christ. The unending nature of the ritual should have caused a heightened sense of introspection in the worshiper: “If the ashes of a red heifer are necessary for the cleansing of my flesh, how much greater is my need for a sacrifice to cleanse my spirit? If the sacrifice of an animal is necessary to bring me back to God in a tent, how much greater must a sacrifice be in order to bring me to God in heaven?” This is precisely the line of reasoning expressed by the writer of Hebrews, who set forth the glorious answer found in the Lord Jesus Christ: “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” In Christ, we have a greater purification than that of a red heifer. Our purification penetrates past the skin, to the soul. Our purification cleanses immediately, rather than after seven days. And our purification needs no repeat treatment, since it lasts throughout eternity. And that same greater purification was afforded to any Israelite who had eyes of faith to see through the red heifer to the coming Messiah.

Upon embarking once again to the Promised Land, the second generation of Israelites had what can only be described as an astonishing case of spiritual amnesia: “There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, ‘If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?” (Num. 20:2-4). To provide the grumblers with water, God gave Moses three distinct instructions: take his rod, assemble the people, and speak to the rock—at which point it would yield water (cf. Num. 20:8). Moses obeyed the first two, but in sinful anger, he struck the rock instead. For acting as if the authority were with him, and consequently treating his supernatural ability as magic from himself rather than a miracle from God, Moses failed to honor the Lord’s holiness. And it cost him entrance into the Promised Land. Later on, when the people complained yet again (cf. Num. 21:5), it would cost many of them an even swifter judgment: their very lives (cf. Num. 21:6). In judgment, “The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died” (Num. 21:6). Yet, in mercy, God provided a bronze serpent fashioned by Moses so that all who looked to it would be saved (cf. Num. 21:8-9).

But in both of these murmuring narratives, there’s more than meets the eye. The rock was about more than a rock. The serpent was about more than a serpent. As the Apostle Paul explained, “[They] all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). Jesus Himself explained, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Without a doubt, it is vital that we learn from the bad examples of the Israelites in the wilderness (cf. 1 Cor. 10:6, 9). But first and foremost, we must learn to drink from Christ, as the One who can give us living water (cf. John 4:10-13), and look to Christ, as the One who was lifted up to become the very curse that afflicts us (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). Drink! Look!

As the nation of Israel approached the plains of Moab (cf. Num. 22:1), intending to enter Canaan from there, the king of Moab sought to impede their progress. Worried that the Israelites would destroy the surrounding nations (including his own), King Balak sought out a prophet named Balaam to curse them: “Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (Num. 22:6). Unfortunately for Balak and Balaam, the God of Israel had already made such a promise in a covenant with Abraham: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Thus, when Balak’s messengers sought to hire Balaam on several occassions, God spoke to Balaam each time. First, He told Balaam not to go, warning him that Israel was blessed by God (cf. Num. 22:12). Then, He told Balaam to rise up and go, but only to speak what he was told (cf. Num. 22:20). Finally, after using a donkey to rebuke Balaam, God told him to continue going, but reminded him once again to only speak what he was instructed to say (cf. Num. 22:35).

At first glance, it would seem contradictory that God told Balaam not to go, but then later told him he was allowed to go. Did God change His mind? Did He “react” to a different set of circumstances? It would be an egregious misunderstanding to think so. God is eternal (cf. Psa. 90:2), existing outside of time. He is immutable, unchanging in His nature (cf. Jas. 1:17). And He is timeless (cf. Psa. 90:4), unaffected by a succession of moments. Therefore, God doesn’t think discursively (like man), but instead knows all things intuitively. His knowledge is complete and immediate, not partial and successive. Based on who our transcendent Creator is, it must be recognized that He didn’t “adapt” His plans. God’s first “no” followed by a second and third “yes” to Balaam were all part of His eternal plan, manifesting themselves in time and space within creation (cf. Eph. 1:11). God gave Balaam over to his evil desires, exactly as ordained.

In the end, Balaam’s attempt at cursing the Israelites turned into a blessing upon them—extending even into a future prophecy about the coming Messiah. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth” (Num. 24:17). When Jesus returns to establish His kingdom for a thousand years, God’s sovereign glory will be on display even in the fulfillment of words force-fed into the mouth of a false prophet. Our God reigns.

Though Balaam’s divination against Israel failed, his temptation of them did not. Using Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men into immorality (cf. Num. 25:3, 31:16), Balaam’s evil plot brought about God’s wrath upon 24,000 Israelites. In fact, the plague that had broken out among the nation was only stopped when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, valiantly put to death an Israelite who had the audacity to continue the immoral behavior in his tent while the congregation was still mourning (cf. Num. 25:6)! Because of his faithfulness, God made a covenant with Phinehas to give him a perpetual priesthood (cf. Num. 25:10-13). Perhaps the least-known covenant in the Bible, this Phinehasic Covenant will find its fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom when the priesthood is restored in Jerusalem under the authority of King Jesus (cf. Jer. 33:21). In the coming kingdom, Phinehas’ priestly line will continue through the lineage of Zadok (a descendant of Phinehas who was also faithful to God, cf. 1 Chron. 6:4-12). For a thousand years, the glory of God, through the legacy of Phinehas, will be on full display as Zadokian priests offer memorial sacrifices in the Millennial temple (cf. Ezek. 44:15-16). The God who promised it is faithful to make it happen. What a sight it will be!

As the nation neared the end of their journey, they were afforded time to reflect on all that God had done in the wilderness, as well as prepare for all that God would do in Canaan. The previous forty years revealed an abundance of grace (cf. Num. 33:1-49). In fact, the three major movements of Israel’s physical journey—salvation, sojourning, and success—reflect, in many ways, a Christian’s own spiritual journey. God’s elect are redeemed from slavery to sin (justification), then wind their way through life’s difficulties as they follow Christ (sanctification), and finally find themselves present with the Lord in heaven one day (glorification). Just as the Israelites packed their tents to follow God from place to place until finding their home in the Promised Land, so too do Christians today dwell in a “tent” (2 Pet. 1:13-14) as they travel in this life toward their home in heaven (cf. 2 Cor. 5:1, Phil. 3:20). Remembering that we’re merely pilgrims passing through is one of the greatest cures for covetousness, complacency, complaining, crusading, and a host of other earthbound sins that poison our flesh.

Like earlier commands in the book, the later commands given at the close of the book served as additional reminders that God’s plan was unassailable; the Israelites were guaranteed to cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan. From laws concerning worship in the land (cf. Num. 28:1-29:40), to assigning proportional divisions of the land (cf. Num. 34:13), to maintaining tribal allotments of the land (cf. Num. 36:9), to the vital—and most necessary—governmental purpose of administering justice in the land (cf. Num. 35:30-34, Rom. 13:1-4), the implication was clear: they would need these laws for living in the land because they were going to make it into the land. The grace inherent in the ongoing instruction from God simply cannot be overlooked.

The final statement in the book of Numbers underscores the unending love of God for His people: “These are the commandments and the ordinances which the Lord commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho” (Num. 36:13). The book began with God speaking to Moses at Mount Sinai (cf. Num. 1:1) and ended with God speaking to Moses in Moab. The Lord had been with them every step of the way. Moses served as a faithful shepherd, but he wouldn’t always be with them (cf. Num. 20:12, Heb. 3:2). Joshua was chosen as the next shepherd, but he too would be inadequate (cf. Num. 20:15-20, Heb. 4:8). But Jesus, the Good Shepherd (cf. John 10:11)—indeed, the Great Shepherd (cf. Heb. 13:20)—is always with His people, even through the darkest of valleys (cf. Psa. 23:4). For that reason, we can walk by faith in Him, knowing that all we long for, all we anticipate, will come to fruition. He will bring us home. So, as you study and teach the book of Numbers verse by verse, be sure to count your blessings. The following outline is offered to help.

Preparation at Sinai: Counts of Military-Aged Males (Numbers 1:1-54)

Arrangements for a Census (Num. 1:1-4)

Assistants from Each Tribe (Num. 1:5-19)

Amounts from Each Tribe (Num. 1:20-46)

Assignment for the Levites (Num. 1:47-54)

Preparation at Sinai: Campsites around the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:1-34)

Distance of Tribes from the Tent (Num. 2:1-2)

Designation of Tribes to the East (Num. 2:3-9)

Designation of Tribes to the South (Num. 2:10-17)

Designation of Tribes to the West (Num. 2:18-24)

Designation of Tribes to the North (Num. 2:25-31)

Distinction of the Tribe of Levi (Num. 2:32-34)

Preparation at Sinai: Counts of Levitical Males (Numbers 3:1-51)

Distinctions Between Priests, Levites, and Laymen (Num. 3:1-10)

Determination for Firstborns Belonging to God (Num. 3:11-13)

Designation and Duties of Gershon to the West (Num. 3:14-26)

Designation and Duties of Kohath to the South (Num. 3:27-32)

Designation and Duties of Merari to the North (Num. 3:33-37)

Designation and Duties of Aaron to the East (Num. 3:38)

Differential Payment for Firstborns Exceeding Levites (Num. 3:39-51)

Preparation at Sinai: Counts of Ministry-Aged Males (Numbers 4:1-49)

Covering the Holy Furniture by Priestly Kohathites (Num. 4:1-14)

Carrying the Holy Furniture by Non-Priestly Kohathites (Num. 4:15-20)

Carrying the Curtains by Gershonites (Num. 4:21-28)

Carrying the Boards by Merarites (Num. 4:29-33)

Counting the Eligible Kohathites (Num. 4:34-37)

Counting the Eligible Gershonites (Num. 4:38-41)

Counting the Eligible Merarites (Num. 4:42-45)

Completing the Census of the Tribe of Levi (Num. 4:46-49)

Preparation at Sinai: Cleansing for the Nation (Numbers 5:1-31)

Removal of the Ritually Unclean (Num. 5:1-4)

Repayment for Financial Wrongs (Num. 5:5-10)

Reason for the Law of Jealousy (Num. 5:11-15)

Ritual for the Law of Jealousy (Num. 5:16-26)

Result of the Law of Jealous (Num. 5:27-31)

Preparation at Sinai: Commitment from Individuals (Numbers 6:1-27)

Conditions of the Nazirite Vow (Num. 6:1-8)

Continuation of the Nazirite Vow (Num. 6:9-12)

Conclusion of the Nazirite Vow (Num. 6:13-21)

Comfort of Nationwide Blessing (Num. 6:22-27)

Preparation at Sinai: Commitment from the Nation (Numbers 7:1-8:4)

Equal Commitment to God from all Tribes (Num. 7:1-11)

Equal Contribution to God from Judah (Num. 7:12-17)

Equal Contribution to God from Issachar (Num. 7:18-23)

Equal Contribution to God from Zebulun (Num. 7:24-29)

Equal Contribution to God from Reuben (Num. 7:30-35)

Equal Contribution to God from Simeon (Num. 7:36-41)

Equal Contribution to God from Gad (Num. 7:42-47)

Equal Contribution to God from Ephraim (Num. 7:48-53)

Equal Contribution to God from Manasseh (Num. 7:54-59)

Equal Contribution to God from Benjamin (Num. 7:60-65)

Equal Contribution to God from Dan (Num. 7:66-71)

Equal Contribution to God from Asher (Num. 7:72-77)

Equal Contribution to God from Naphtali (Num. 7:78-83)

Equal Connection to God for All Tribes (Num. 7:84-8:4)

Preparation at Sinai: Commitment from the Tribe of Levi (Numbers 8:5-26)

Directions for Levite Service (Num. 8:5-19)

Debut of Levite Service (Num. 8:20-22)

Duration of Levite Service (Num. 8:23-26)

Preparation at Sinai: Commitment for the Journey (Numbers 9:1-10:10)

Ready to Worship in the Passover (Num. 9:1-14)

Ready to Walk by Pillar of Cloud and Fire (Num. 9:15-23)

Ready to War and Feast with Trumpets (Num. 10:1-10)

Travel to Canaan: Setting out from the Mountain (Numbers 10:11-36)

Advance at God’s Direction (Num. 10:11-28)

Assistance for God’s Blessing (Num. 10:29-32)

Assurance of God’s Presence (Num. 10:33-36)

Travel to Canaan: Sinning while Sojourning (Numbers 11:1-12:16)

God’s People Annoyed about Adversity (Num. 11:1)

God’s Servant Acknowledged in Prayer (Num. 11:2a)

God’s Wrath Averted by Grace (Num. 11:2b-3)

God’s People Annoyed by Food (Num. 11:4-9)

God’s Servant Assisted by Leaders (Num. 11:10-30)

God’s Wrath Aroused with a Plague (Num. 11:31-35)

God’s People Annoyed with Leadership (Num. 12:1-3)

God’s Servant Advocated For at the Tent (Num. 12:4-8)

God’s Wrath Administered with Leprosy (Num. 12:9-16)

Travel to Canaan: Sinning after Spying (Numbers 13:1-33)

An Explorer from Every Tribe (Num. 13:1-16)

An Exploration of the Land (Num. 13:17-24)

An Explanation of the Inhabitants (Num. 13:25-29)

An Expetation of Failure (Num. 13:30-33)

Condemnation in the Wilderness: Punishment for Unbelief in God (Numbers 14:1-45)

Rebellion Against God’s Leaders Moses and Aaron (Num. 14:1-4)

Reassurance of God’s Help from Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14:5-9)

Response from God’s Glory to Israel (Num. 14:10-12)

Request for God’s Pardon from Moses (Num. 14:13-19)

Result of God’s Judgment upon the Adults (Num. 14:20-38)

Ruin without God’s Presence in Canaan (Num. 14:39-45)

Condemnation in the Wilderness: Proof of a Future in the Land with God (Numbers 15:1-41)

Giving Their Abundant Offerings at the Tabernacle (Num. 15:1-16)

Glorifying Their God in Firstfruits, Sacrifices, and Sabbaths (Num. 15:17-36)

Guarding Their Hearts Against Apostasy with Tassels (Num. 15:37-41)

Condemnation in the Wilderness: Protection of the Priest Chosen by God (Numbers 16:1-17:13)

Complaint from Korah Disputing Aaron’s Authority (Num. 16:1-14)

Calamity in a Chasm Defending Aaron’s Authority (Num. 16:15-35)

Accusation from the People Condemning Aaron’s Legitimacy (Num. 16:36-42)

Atonement with Incense Confirming Aaron’s Legitimacy (Num. 16:43-50)

Scrutiny with the Leaders Examining Aaron’s Leadership (Num. 17:1-7)

Sign from a Budded Rod Exonerating Aaron’s Leadership (Num. 18:8-13)

Condemnation in the Wilderness: Purification from Death to Be with God (Numbers 19:1-22)

The Making of Cleansing Water with Red Heifer Ashes (Num. 19:1-10)

The Meaning behind Cleansing Water for Impurity (Num. 19:11-13)

The Method for Cleansing Water in Various Situations (Num. 19:14-22)

Travel to Canaan: Further Grief after Forty Years (Numbers 20:1-29)

The Next Generation’s Murmuring Provokes Moses’ Disobedience (Num. 20:1-13)

The Next Generation’s Messengers Are Rejected by Edom’s Defiance (Num. 20:14-22)

The Next Generation’s Ministry Begins after Aaron’s Death (Num. 20:23-29)

Travel to Canaan: Further Grace after Forty Years (Numbers 21:1-35)

God Delivered Up the Enemies of the Next Generation (Num. 21:1-3)

God Disciplined the Grumblers of the Next Generation (Num. 21:4-9)

God Directed the Campsites of the Next Generation (Num. 21:10-20)

God Dispossesed the Inhabitants for the Next Generation (Num. 21:21-35)

Restoration in Moab: God’s Sovereign Plan Spoken to Balaam (Numbers 22:1-41)

Balaam Petitioned for Divination by Balak (Num. 22:1-6)

Balaam Prohibited from Travel by God (Num. 22:7-13)

Balaam Permitted to Travel by God (Num. 22:14-20)

Balaam Prevented from Travel by God (Num. 22:21-35)

Balaam Prepared for Divination with Balak (Num. 22:36-41)

Restoration in Moab: God’s Abrahamic Promises Spoken through Balaam (Numbers 23:1-24:13)

Balaam Prophesies of the Seed of Israel (Num. 23:1-12)

Balaam Prophesies of the Blessing upon Israel (Num. 23:13-26)

Balaam Prophesies of the Land for Israel (Num. 23:27-24:13)

Restoration in Moab: God’s Judgment on the Nations Spoken by Balaam (Numbers 24:14-25)

Balaam Predicts Israel’s Triumph (Num. 24:14-19)

Balaam Predicts Amalek’s Destruction (Num. 24:20)

Balaam Predicts the Kenites’ Captivity (Num. 24:21-22)

Balaam Predicts Greece’s Rise and Fall (Num. 24:23-25)

Restoration in Moab: God’s Anger toward a Nation Tempted by Balaam (Numbers 25:1-18)

Compromise by an Obstinate People (Num. 25:1-3)

Condemnation of Outright Paganism (Num. 25:4-9)

Covenant with an Obedient Priest (Num. 25:10-13)

Concern for Ongoing Purity (Num. 25:14-18)

Restoration in Moab: Counts of Military-Aged Males (Numbers 26:1-51)

Arrangements for a Census (Num. 26:1-4a)

Amounts from Each Tribe (Num. 26:4b-50)

Attestation to God’s Grace (Num. 26:51)

Restoration in Moab: Care for the Next Generation (Numbers 26:52-27:23)

Arrangement of Land (Num. 26:52-62)

Assessment of Leadership (Num. 26:63-65)

Absence of Land (Num. 27:1-5)

Assignment of Land (Num. 27:6-11)

Absence of Leadership (Num. 27:12-14)

Assignment of Leadership (Num. 27:15-23)

Restoration in Moab: Consistent Worship (Numbers 28:1-15)

Offerings for New Daily Mercies (Num. 28:1-8)

Offerings for New Weekly Mercies (Num. 28:9-10)

Offerings for New Monthly Mercies (Num. 28:11-15)

Restoration in Moab: Commemorative Worship (Numbers 28:16-29:40)

Offerings for First Month Feast of Unleavened Bread (Num. 28:16-25)

Offerings for Third Month Feast of Weeks (Num. 28:26-31)

Offerings for Seventh Month Feast of Trumpets (Num. 29:1-6)

Offerings for Seventh Month Day of Atonement (Num. 29:7-11)

Offerings for Seventh Month Feast of Booths (Num. 29:12-34)

Offerings for Seventh Month Final Assembly (Num. 29:35-40)

Restoration in Moab: Committed Worship (Numbers 30:1-16)

Binding Vows of a Man upon Himself (Num. 30:1-2)

Breakable Vows of an Unmarried Woman by Her Father (Num. 30:3-5)

Breakable Vows of a New Wife by Her Husband (Num. 30:6-8)

Binding Vows of a Widow or Divorcee upon Herself (Num. 30:9)

Breakable Vows of a Wife by Her Husband (Num. 30:10-12)

Binding Vows of a Wife upon Her Husband (Num. 30:13-16)

Restoration in Moab: Destruction of the Midianites (Numbers 31:1-54)

Retribution from God (Num. 31:1-5)

Results of Warfare (Num. 31:6-12)

Requirement for Purification (Num. 31:13-24)

Redistribution of the Spoils (Num. 31:25-47)

Recognition of Mercy (Num. 31:48-54)

Restoration in Moab: Division of the Israelites (Numbers 32:1-42)

A Short-Sighted Request from Two Tribes (Num. 32:1-5)

A Stern Rebuke from Moses (Num. 32:6-15)

A Sobering Resolution before God (Num. 32:16-27)

A Solemn Report to Eleazar and Joshua (Num. 32:28-32)

A Settled Region East of the Jordan (Num. 32:33-42)

Restoration in Moab: A History of God’s Gracious Leading (Numbers 33:1-49)

Salvation by God’s Power from Egypt to Sinai (Num. 33:1-15)

Sojourning with God’s Presence from Sinai to Kadesh (Num. 33:16-36)

Success according to God’s Plan from Kadesh to Moab (Num. 33:37-49)

Restoration in Moab: Commands for Apportioning Inheritance in the Land (Numbers 33:50-35:8)

Drive Out the Inhabitants Completely (Num. 33:50-56)

Draw the National Borders in Each Direction (Num. 34:1-12)

Designate Representatives from Each Tribe (Num. 34:13-29)

Determine Cities for the Levites (Num. 35:1-8)

Restoration in Moab: Commands for Administering Justice in the Land (Numbers 35:9-34)

Committed Places for Mediation (Num. 35:9-15)

Capital Punishment for Murderers (Num. 35:16-21)

Compassionate Protection for Manslayers (Num. 35:22-29)

Correct Procedures for Mediation (Num. 35:30-34)

Restoration in Moab: Commands for Assuring Inheritance in the Land (Numbers 36:1-13)

Expression of Concern from God’s People (Num. 36:1-4)

Explanation of Marital Requirements from God’s Law (Num. 36:5-9)

Embrace of Obedience to God’s Command (Num. 36:10-12)

Evidence of Grace by God’s Presence (Num. 36:13)