Thetwo were, by the ancient Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could becalled the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second being wholly occupiedwith the relation of transactions that did not take place till after the death of thateminent judge. Those whom God had redeemed from slavery in Egypt and with whom he had made a covenant at Mount Sinai responded not with faith, gratitude and obedience but with unbelief, ingratitud… Introduction The Book of Numbers, called Arithmoi (meaning “Arithmetic”) in the Septuagint, gets its name from the census in chapters 1 and 26. It is interesting to note that, on average, one in every five scriptural verses contains a number. Compiled & Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Thecanonical authority of this book is well established; but another under the name of Ezrais rejected as apocryphal. Various opinions are embraced andsupported as to the authorship of this book, some ascribing it to Ezra, to Nehemiah, or toMordecai. Elwell; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids MI, 1989. The few passages on which the rationalists grounded theirassertions that it was the composition of a later age have been successfully shown towarrant no such conclusion; the use of Egyptian words and the minute acquaintance withEgyptian life and manners, displayed in the history of Joseph, harmonize with theeducation of Moses, and whether he received his information by immediate revelation, fromtradition, or from written documents, it comes to us as the authentic work of an authorwho wrote as he was inspired by the Holy Ghost ( 2 Peter 1:21 ). Indeed the referencesare so numerous, and the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaicbooks throughout the whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character,design, and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible, notwithstanding therationalistic assertions of their forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments,that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidencein proof of their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman classicsbeing the productions of the authors whose names they bear. God is 'The Great Geometrician' and does everything after a plan by number, weight, and measure. At a later period he returned with new powers and commenced new andvigorous measures of reform, which are detailed in the later chapters of the book. Proud member "The precision with which the Bible numbers all fall into their places cannot be accounted for except by the supernatural power and wisdom of a God Who is infinite" (Ibid., page 20). Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish Church,which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, whofrequently quotes from them (compare 1 Kings 17:9 ; 2 Kings 5:14 with Luke 4:24-27 ; 1 Kings 10:1 with Matthew 12:42 ). The Scriptures exhibit a numerical design that can only be explained by the direct inspiration of a Creator. The Pentateuch, the name by which the first five books of theBible are designated, is derived from two Greek words, pente, "five," and teuchos, a "volume," thus signifying the fivefold volume. ESTHER derives its name from the Jewess,who, having become wife of the king of Persia, employed her royal influence to effect amemorable deliverance for the persecuted Church of God. Thus, in the words of W.A. As it does for the rest of the Pentateuch, universal Jewish and Christian tradition attributes the authorship of the book of Numbers to And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes … 1a. R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, pp. Purpose and Scope. "[The] various writers of the different books, men who lived in different ages, and most of whom never saw the others, would have crossed up each other had they not all been guided by a master mind, One, Who never makes a mistake, and Whose knowledge and wisdom comprehend the events of all time. The book tells of the murmuring and rebellion of God's people and of their subsequent judgment. Imagine what the Scriptures would be like without the direct inspiration of a single Author! Numbers Introduction to the Old Testament — John Edgar McFadyen Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x.28 -- so called, rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv. Indeed, God has wonderfully revealed Himself through His creation (Romans 1:20). There is thestrongest reason, then, for believing that the Pentateuch, as it exists now, issubstantially the same as it came from the hands of Moses. 1 lesson overview of Numbers. The arguments that have been alreadyadduced as establishing the Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch prove of course that Moses wasthe author of Genesis. Much of its legislation for people and priests is similar to that in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Certain prophetic books of the Bible, such as Daniel and Revelation, introduce a complex, interrelated system of numerology which exhibits definite patterns. Israel leaves Mt. C. One of the difficulties of analyzing Numbers is its rather unusual organization of material; i.e., the mixture of law and narrative and its inclusion of miscellaneous material. All rights reserved. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Numbers relates the story of Israel's journey from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab on the border of Canaan. It doesn’t have any application to our Bible study. Secondly, there arethe testimonies borne in various parts of the later historical books to the Pentateuch asa work well known, and familiar to all the people (see Joshua 1:8 ; 23:6 ; 24:26 ; 1 Kings 2:3 , &c.) Thirdly,frequent references are made in the works of the prophets to the facts recorded in thebooks of Moses (compare Isaiah 1:9 with Genesis 19:1 ; Isaiah 12:2 with Exodus 15:2 ; Isaiah 51:2 with Genesis 12:2 ; Isaiah 54:9 with Genesis 8:21 Genesis 8:22 ; compare Hosea 9:10 with Numbers 25:3 ; Hosea 11:8 with Genesis 19:24 ; Hosea 12:4 with Genesis 32:24 Genesis 32:25 ; Hosea 12:12 with Genesis 28:5 ; 29:20 ; compare Joel 1:9 with Numbers 15:4-7 ; 28:7-14 ; Deuteronomy 12:6 Deuteronomy 12:7 ; Deuteronomy 16:10 Deuteronomy 11 ; compare Amos 2:9 with Numbers 21:21 ; Amos 4:4 with Numbers 28:3 ; Amos 4:11 with Genesis 19:24 ; Amos 9:13 with Leviticus 26:5 ; compare Micah 6:5 with Numbers 22:25 ; Micah 6:6 with Leviticus 9:2 ; Micah 6:15 with Leviticus 26:16 , &c.)Fourthly, the testimony of Christ and the Apostles is repeatedly borne to the books ofMoses ( Matthew 19:7 ; Luke 16:29 ; 24:27 ; John 1:17 ; 7:19 ; Acts 3:22 ; 28:23 ; Romans 10:5 ). The chief objectionis founded on Ezra 5:4 , wherethe words, "Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the menthat make this building?" They are frequently referredto by Christ and the Apostles as forming part of "the Word of God" (see thegenealogies in Matthew 1:1-16 ; Luke 3:23-38 ; compare 2 Chronicles 19:7 with 1 Peter 1:17 ; 2 Chronicles 24:19-21 with Matthew 23:32-35 ). 84-90. Introduction, Part B. Just as God employed mathematical laws to create everything, He used numerals in the design of His word. 1 This designation is based on the numberings that are a major focus of chaps. It is certain, however, that it preceded the Second Book of Samuel (compare Judges 9:35 with 2 Samuel 11:21 ), as well as theconquest of Jerusalem by David (compare Judges 1:21 with 2 Samuel 5:6 ). See Explanation “ Backward / Upside Down Nuns ” in “Hebrew Anomaly” for for more information. The minute notices of the heathen people with whom they had come incontact, but who afterward disappeared from the pages of history, as well as the accountsof the fertility and products of Canaan, and the counsels respecting the conquest of thatcountry, fix the date of this book and the time of its composition by the hand of Moses.The close, however, must have been added by another; and, indeed, it is supposed by someto have formed the original preface to the Book of Joshua. LEVITICUS. Originallythese books formed one continuous work, as in the Hebrew manuscripts they are stillconnected in one unbroken roll. Various titles havebeen given them; in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Thirdand Fourth Books of Kings. In the New Testament numerous allusions to incidents in the Book of Numbers appear: the bronze serpent (Jn 3:14–15), the sedition of Korah and its consequences (1 Cor 10:10), the prophecies of Balaam (2 Pt 2:15–16), and the water gushing from the rock (1 Cor 10:4). Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. Numbers Introduction – Easy English Bible (EASY) – This is the story of Israel's people. Bible prophecy numbers are primarily meant to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the one and only messiah. The chief divisions of the Book of Numbers are as follows: 187-188. The PURPOSE for writing this book is not to entertain the careless, nor for predicting the future. EZRA was, along with Nehemiah, reckoned onebook by the ancient Jews, who called them the First and Second Books of Ezra, and they arestill designated by Roman Catholic writers the First and Second Books of Esdras. 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