Numbers 22

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Numbers 22:1

Judgment and Atonement

On the third day the people assemble again against Moses and Aaron. Yesterday the leaders were judged. The people have not yet been judged. Yesterday the people fled, but what happened did not change their minds. Now the evil of the people is revealed. They speak of the rebels as “the LORD’s people” and blame Moses and Aaron for their death! And this while Moses has prayed for the people that the LORD will spare them (Numbers 16:22). They have not let themselves be warned by the judgment they have seen.

Because of this attitude, God judges immediately. Moses sees how the crowd starts to fall. And again we see Moses’ love for his people and even more how much he knows what is in God’s heart of the plans He has with his people. He orders Aaron to take his censer with which he enters the sanctuary on the day of atonement. The incense on it speaks of the Lord Jesus. If God smells this, it is for Him the reason to stop the plague. When God is reminded of the Lord Jesus, He can show mercy.

Atonement here is done by incense and not by blood. That is exceptional. Moses has insight into the heart of God. The Lord Jesus once on the cross brought about atonement by pouring His blood. If we as believers sin, we must confess our sins and there is the “Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1-2). Incense represents prayer (Psalms 141:2; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4). Because of the intercession of the Lord Jesus not all the people are killed. He can point out to God what He has done on the cross and to Whom He is in the perfection of His Person.

We have arrived in the history of professing Christianity on the third day. The hallmark of that day is that the whole people are carried away by new teachings, ecumenism and charismatic movement, following what the leaders proclaim. Around us, people in large numbers fall prey to all these doctrines and practices. In order to remain standing, we need the Advocate, Whom we see in the midst of the church of God. Seeing Him and His loveliness to God is the only thing that keeps us from grumbling and rebellion.

Numbers 22:2

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:3

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:4

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:5

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:6

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:7

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:8

Judgment and Atonement

Numbers 22:10

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

In the killing of the two hundred and fifty rebels, the LORD has shown in judgment who He has chosen for the priesthood. Aaron is the only one accepted with his censer with incense. Now follows another test, not by exercising judgment, but by generating life.

Moses should not take his own staff, but that of Aaron. Among other things, a staff speaks of authority, of rule (cf. Genesis 49:10). If Moses’ staff had been there, we would have been reminded of discipline and judgment. Aaron’s staff also speaks of authority, but more specifically in showing mercy and compassion toward weakness.

God wants the rods in His sanctuary, close to the source of all authority, and outside the presence of man. God will show whom He has chosen. That is determined in the sanctuary. He also shows what is the feature of the High Priest, that He is a great Priest over the house of God and that it depends on His faithfulness.

Numbers 22:11

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

Numbers 22:12

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

Numbers 22:13

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

Numbers 22:14

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

Numbers 22:15

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

Numbers 22:16

Twelve Rods in Front of the Ark

Numbers 22:17

Aaron’s Staff Sprouts

Bringing life out of a dead staff is something only God can do. That Aaron’s staff has sprouted indicates a priesthood in the power of an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16). It is resurrection life, life that comes from the dead wood of the staff. It is therefore also a life of victory, for life has conquered death. The life that comes from Aaron’s dead staff is not only an unmistakable sign of Aaron’s choice as a priest, but also a significant sign of the true place of the priesthood, which here in type is based on death and resurrection.

Not only life has come, but also fruit. This indicates that fruit only appears in connection with the priesthood God has chosen. The fruit is for the sanctuary. Life is expressed in blossoms and almonds. The almond tree is the tree that blooms after the winter, which wakes up first from hibernation. The Hebrew name for almond means ‘the watchful one’ (cf. Jeremiah 1:11-12). This tree is as it were the herald who announces the awakening of abundant upcoming life.

Thus Christ rose from the dead as “first fruits”, followed by “those who are Christ’s at His coming”, these are all who possess Him as their life (1 Corinthians 15:23). Through His life they are able to produce fruit. All those who have brought their staff are given their staff back, but there is no life in it. Only in the Lord Jesus is life, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). We are dead of ourselves, but in Him is life. In connection with Him we live and will enter life.

Numbers 22:18

Aaron’s Staff Sprouts

Numbers 22:19

The Rod of Aaron Kept

The rod must be placed in the ark, near the jar holding the manna (Hebrews 9:4). We need both the manna and the rod for our journey through the wilderness. The manna represents the life of the Lord Jesus. When we occupy ourselves with Him, feeding ourselves with Him, it gives us strength for our walk. The rod presents Him as the One Who was dead and now lives as the High Priest to pray for us. The rod reminds us on our journey through the wilderness that the source of life can only be found in Christ.

The people do not understand what happened to the rod. They are afraid. It characterizes man who does not understand the grace of God.

Numbers 22:20

The Rod of Aaron Kept

The people do not understand what happened to the rod. They are afraid. It characterizes man who does not understand the grace of God.

Numbers 22:21

The Rod of Aaron Kept

The people do not understand what happened to the rod. They are afraid. It characterizes man who does not understand the grace of God.

Numbers 22:22

The Rod of Aaron Kept

The people do not understand what happened to the rod. They are afraid. It characterizes man who does not understand the grace of God.

Numbers 22:24

Bear the Guilt

The theme is still that we depend on the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. It is a priesthood in the power of resurrection. More than ever before, we depend on that priesthood in our time. On the basis of the intercession of the Lord Jesus, there are also believers in professing Christianity today who are kept from being dragged along in the general apostacy that is becoming increasingly apparent.

This chapter is the answer to the people’s question about the priesthood at the end of the previous chapter (Numbers 17:12-13). For the first and only time the LORD addresses Himself directly to Aaron. He does this to show Aaron the privileges of the priesthood, not only of the high priest, but also of his sons. The point is that in the believers, as priests on earth, fruit for God comes forth, worked by the High Priest. That is what God desires. To this end He has formed us into a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6).

But then He must also speak of iniquity. Being a priest gives not only privileges but also a great responsibility. They will notice every guilt of the people, to which the people are insensitive, and will bear it before God. They must act accordingly in accordance with the holiness of God and remove that guilt from His presence according to His instructions. Thus, believers who know the priesthood as a privilege and actually exercise it, will feel co-responsible for what happens in professing Christianity. They will acknowledge its guilt before God, while they also know that by virtue of the intercession of the Lord Jesus and their own intercession God still tolerates Christianity.

Numbers 22:25

The Levites Serve the Priests

There is not only responsibility, there are also privileges. Performing the priestly service is such a privilege. The Levites have nothing to do with the sanctuary and the altar, that is, they have no direct task there. Their service is to help the priests in their priestly task. Thus the ministry of the Word is intended to promote the priestly service of the believers. If the Word of God is explained, it will arouse the desire of believers to praise God, that is, as priests they approach God with spiritual sacrifices.

The close connection between priesthood and Levite service is emphasized here. The Levite must join the priest, not the other way around – Levi means ‘added’ (Genesis 29:34). Every Levite service must be aimed at enabling the priest to do his work better, the bringing of offerings. Levite service outside the sanctuary cannot be separated from the priesthood exercised before God in the sanctuary. God wants the connection between what happens outside and what happens inside the veil to remain.

Numbers 22:26

The Levites Serve the Priests

Numbers 22:27

The Levites Serve the Priests

Numbers 22:28

A gift for the Priests

Of the priesthood it turned out in the previous chapters that it was not appreciated by the Israelites. God now shows that His attitude toward Israel depends precisely on the priesthood they despise. We can apply this to the situation in professing Christianity. There is little or no worship in spirit and truth in professing Christianity. Where it is found, God accepts it as representation for the whole and can let the whole exist.

We read that the Levites are a gift and that the priesthood is a gift. Both gifts are given to the priest. That is, it is grace and not merit. As far as we are concerned, we must acknowledge that we are only unworthy slaves (Luke 17:10). Believers who are aware of this will serve the Lord with joy as Levites and with great gratitude as priests, which in turn will be to the benefit of the whole.

Numbers 22:29

A gift for the Priests

Numbers 22:30

A gift for the Priests

Numbers 22:31

The Income of the Priests

The priests are distinguished in Aaron and his sons (Numbers 18:8-10) and Aaron and his whole family, sons and daughters (Numbers 18:11-19). There is food that is only for Aaron and his sons, those are the most holy things. There is also food that his whole family can eat, that is, all those who are clean from his sons and daughters. In the pictures of the Bible we see in the sons believers who live up to their priesthood. They are not satisfied that they know they are priests, but they actually exercise their priesthood. The daughters represent believers who are priests in principle, but in practice do nothing with it.

This difference is reflected in the food consumed. The grain offerings, guilt offerings and sin offerings are only for the sons. The peace offerings are for the sons as well as the daughters. All offerings speak of the Lord Jesus. But spiritual maturity is needed to feed on the Lord Jesus in what He has been in His life on earth, and to understand what He is as the One Who has taken the guilt upon Himself and bore the sin.

This insight is not necessary in the case of a peace offering. If someone has only recently come to conversion, he can immediately thank the Lord Jesus for his salvation. He can enjoy the breast of the wave offerings as a picture of the love of the Lord Jesus and of the right thigh as a picture of the power of the Lord Jesus. That is eating the peace offering.

In order to penetrate into what that redemption has cost Him, it is necessary to have been occupied with the meaning of the work of the Lord Jesus. Daughters represent believers – both men and women! – who are satisfied with the awareness that they are priests, but are not concerned with spiritual things. They know their position and are grateful for it, but it does not encourage them to enter the sanctuary with offerings. Sons represent believers – both men and women! – who are active in searching the Scriptures to know the meaning of the work of the Lord Jesus. It touches their hearts and they long to praise God in the sanctuary for what they have seen of His Son.

The sin offering is slaughtered in case someone has sinned. The priest who brings it must eat it. Eating the sin offering represents the penetration into what it has cost the Lord Jesus to undergo judgment for that sin. If someone has sinned, a priestly believer can help such a person confess it. This is only possible by thinking about the Lord Jesus as sin offering and showing that He suffered for that sin. By confession sin is forgiven. Helping someone to be restored in the fellowship with the Father and the fellow believers cannot be done by a ‘daughter of Aaron’. This must be done by a ‘son of Aaron’. A newly converted can’t do that. It requires priestly maturity.

The income of the priests consists of (parts of) different sacrifices and the best of the land. The latter, of course, can only be got when the people live in the land. It is the responsibility of the people to give the best of their income to the LORD (Leviticus 27:30). Also every consecrated thing and the firstborn is for the LORD and He designates it for the priests. What is for the LORD is also for the priests.

This regulation is given by the LORD to increase the togetherness of the people. So the people must also be busy with the blessing of the land. People, priests and Levites, all is connected. As believers we are the people, and we are also priests and Levites. Our daily lives contribute to our service as priests and Levites. Our lives also contribute to the priestly and Levite services of the others.