The Blessing!

#  13 2026 Dev. Numbers 5-6. The Blessing! Read all of chapter 4,5 first.  We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Nu.5 “The Unclean, Wrongs, an Unfaithful Wife.”

Vs.1-4. God ordered Moses to remove those unclean from the camp. This is a time when very little medication was available. We read in the former chapter that if there was healing, the person could be deemed clean by the priest. In those days prayer and dependence on God was in the forefront of healing. This still is important today, even with all the medications we have, God always answers our prayers, we are healed in this life or when God calls us home.

Vs.5-10. “The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way^. and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty.” Restitution must be made and a fifth of the value is added on plus a ram sacrificed which is atonement for the wrong. That is how the court system works today, the guilty person must make restitution. But it appears that all wrong, large or small, “in any way,” is an affront to God.

Vs.11-13. The unfaithful wife: if she is suspected of adultery, but there is no witness, the priest must perform the ceremony for wrong doing. She must confess or face the test of drinking water mixed with dust from the temple floor. If not guilty the curse will not harm her. This still goes on in some cultures, I know of it in the African context. The question I have is; what about an unfaithful husband. It seems that since polygamy was allowed, he is never questioned. Thank God we have laws today that treat women and men alike when it comes to unfaithfulness.

Nu.6 “The Nazirite, The Blessing.”  

Vs.1-21 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink…”’ Further they may not cut their hair for the duration of their vow and they must keep themselves ceremonially clean.

At the end of their vow they must do the following: “‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over. They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting. There they are to present their offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made with the finest flour and without yeast—thick loaves with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves brushed with olive oil.” The person presents himself to the priest, he/she is shaved and the hair is burned in the fire under the alter. The priest makes a sin offering. Do we make vows today? Yes, I think we do, we dedicate ourselves to a ministry or a worthy project or a financial commitment to a worthy cause. And God blesses us accordingly!

Vs.22-27. ^“The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:             The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.                           So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”  Today God puts His Name on us and blesses us” Thanks be to God!

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