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NASB | Numbers 5:5 ¶ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Numbers 5:5 ¶ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, |
Bible Question:
Questions on Numbers 5:5-8 Chapters 1 through 4 described numbers of Israelite army and the preist tribe (Levi) and their responsibilities in taking care of the Tabernacle. When I get to chapter 5, the flow looks pretty strange that it seems not belonging there especially v5-8. (V11-31 could be understandable there since I surmise that it is in consideration of future battles that the Israelite men face that they might need to leave their wives behind when going to the battle field thus leaving the opportunity for the unfaithful wives disloyalty) In V5, what does it mean by "commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD" If that sin was an act unfaithful against the Lord, then why that restitution be made to the one whom wronged? and why to the relative in V8? From the penalty described, it looks like a civil law issue, if so, this passage is rather odd to be appeared in this chapter while the preceding and succeeding ones are describing other different things. Your help is much appreciated. Shalom Azure |
Bible Answer: Azure, I will not suggest that I've mastered all those passages. In fact, I am a bit hesitant to answer since I have spent so little time meditating on the texts you are asking about. But seeing as an answer to your question has been slow incoming I'll make a few points. First, you asked, "In V5, what does it mean by "commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD" If that sin was an act unfaithful against the Lord, then why that restitution be made to the one whom wronged? and why to the relative in V8?" We have to understand that there is a sense in which when we wrong man, the chief person offended is God. Pro 14:31 He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. So we see that after David was guilty of both murder and adultery he is still able to say in Psalm 51 Psa 51:4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. Now I do not believe for a moment that David truely thought he hadn't sinned against Bathsheba and her husband. But even when sinning against another person, there is a sense in which the most offended party is God. So we see a command that restitution is to be made to the people whom we wrong and God both. Should I steal from somebody, I can repay it to the man I stole from and bring reconciliation between us, but then I must still have reconcilliation between me and God. Which is found in Christ alone. Now concerning the relative. This is for clarification should the one sinned against be dead. In that case the restituion was to go to the nearest relative. And should that be lacking, it was to go to the LORD, but it had to be paid. All this is "besides the ram of attonement" which was to be the reconcilliation between the sinner and God (verse 8). Second, you ask how such a discussion fits within a section of scripture which is primarilly military. Now here is where I have not done due dilligence in digging through the context myself. I have of course read numbers, just not recently. However, let me ask a question. Do you suppose after the battle of Ai, when a man named Achan had defiled the people of Israel by sinning and the results of sin undealt with found its fruition in the people of Israel being defeated in battle, do you suppose that Israel saw an intimate connection between sin, restitution, cleansing and holiness, and victory in battle? I hope this has helped. In Christ, Beja |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Num 5:5 | Author | ||
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azurelaw | ||
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Beja |