Reassurance and Warning by Commandment
The Book of Numbers is better understood in terms of its name in Hebrew: Bemidbar, “in the wilderness,” for it described Israel’s preparations to depart from Mount Horeb/Sinai and their wanderings in the wilderness afterward. The events described therein would have taken place sometime around either 1450-1410 or 1250 BCE, depending on one’s view of the Exodus; Moses would have written the original text while in the land of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.
The Book of Numbers began with great hope for the imminent fulfillment of the rest of what YHWH had promised to the fathers. The people were faithfully counted and organized, and the Tabernacle and its service fully consecrated and dedicated, in Numbers 1:1-10:10.
Yet Israel turned in fear and rebelled against YHWH and His purposes. The people murmured and complained again, and even Aaron and Miriam questioned Moses in Numbers 10:11-12:16. Yet the ultimate rebellion, and its devastating consequences, came about on account of the spies and their bad report of the land of Canaan in Numbers 13:1-14:45. All the Israelites over twenty years old would die in the wilderness save Caleb and Joshua. The people acutely felt the judgment and condemnation of God.
In the immediate wake of these devastating and transformative events YHWH issued more commands to Israel through Moses in Numbers 15:1-41.
In Numbers 15:1-21, YHWH gave commandments to Moses for Israel about the sacrifices the Israelites should offer before YHWH when they live in the land of Israel. The legislation seems to parallel previous similar legislation in Leviticus 7:1-34 and related passages. Some detail changes can be perceived in Numbers 15:1-16, perhaps on account of modifications in the situation of Israel and expectations moving forward. Of significance is YHWH’s affirmation of the incorporation of the resident alien: the same laws about sacrifices exist for resident aliens as well as native born Israelites, and resident aliens who might want to enthusiastically offer sacrifices before YHWH should not be hindered from doing so (Numbers 15:13-16).
YHWH reiterated commandments and protocols related to sacrifices for unintentional sins by individuals in Numbers 15:22-29. Similar legislation was given in Leviticus 4:1-35. Much of the focus in Leviticus 4:1-35, however, was on unintentional sin by the community, while the focus in Numbers 15:22-31 involved the unintentional sin of individual(s) and how they might affect the standing of the community. YHWH again reiterated how the same law would be for the resident alien as well as the native-born Israelite (Numbers 15:29).
While sacrifice was possible for unintentional sin, YHWH wanted to make it clear to Moses and the Israelites no such forgiveness was possible for sins done “with a high hand” in Numbers 15:30-31: for such flagrant rebellion, such a one must be cut off from among the people of God. Some might want to extend this kind of transgression to involve any and all kinds of “intentional” sins, but we do well to understand the parallel use of the phrase “with a high hand” in Exodus 14:8 and Numbers 33:3. In those two passages Israel was said to have departed “with a high hand” away from Egypt and Pharaoh: they did so with complete disregard for the “power” of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Therefore, to sin “with a high hand” would involve complete disregard of YHWH and His power: we would not be wrong to see Jesus’ warnings about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:22-32 as an appropriate parallel.
Numbers 15:32-36 related an experience of Israel in the wilderness: a man was gathering sticks on the Sabbath. He was brought before Aaron and Moses, who then inquired of YHWH regarding what to do about the situation, because it was felt insufficient revelation had been given to make a confident determination. YHWH told them to put him to death by stoning outside the camp. Israel then did so as God had commanded.
While we could reasonably understand Numbers 15:1-21, 22-29, 37-41 as a series of commandments given by YHWH to Moses in the immediate wake of Israel’s rebellion in Numbers 13:1-14:45, it would seem Numbers 15:32-36 was introduced into this context. It is possible the event took place around the same time, but how the story was framed would make it seem it either happened at some point earlier, or perhaps even far later. We do best to understand its placement as a demonstration of what sinning “with a high hand” might look like from Numbers 15:30-31.
Why did Aaron and Moses feel they did not have sufficient revelation to determine the matter themselves? The man had clearly transgressed by doing the work of gathering sticks on the Sabbath. It becomes a more “high handed” sin, according to most interpreters, on account of the presumption the man was doing so in order to build a fire. In so doing he did not truly revere YHWH or trust in Him, but showed contempt toward YHWH and His commandments. We also do well to note how Israel here faithfully maintained the command to stone the man, a noticeable break from the patterns of persistent rebellion found in Numbers 10:11-14:45, hearkening back instead to the faithfulness found in Numbers 1:1-10:10.
In Numbers 15:37-41 YHWH gave commandment to Israel through Moses regarding tassels on garments: the Israelites should make tassels of blue thread on the fringes of their garments. These tassels were designed to be a continual reminder of the commandments of YHWH so the Israelites would not follow after their own heart and eyes and prove unfaithful. Such was expected to be a perpetual statute in Israel; and so it is modern Jewish people often have tassels on their garments.
We have found examples of tassels on garments in the ancient Near Eastern world; the idea of tassels on garments, therefore, was not a uniquely Israelite convention. But the color and the purpose of the tassel was to be paramount for Israel, and we can gain much from this instruction. We all know we should continually remember God, His faithfulness, and His commandments, and to always seek to obey Him. Nevertheless, we are often tempted in the business of our lives and passions of life to not maintain direct consciousness of God and His purposes. A continual visual reminder of God and His purposes would easily help a believer bring God back to his or her conscious memory. Christians have not been commanded to maintain tassels or anything of that sort; nevertheless, we do well to consider how we can best keep God in our conscious memory so we might always remain faithful to Him.
We might wonder why these commandments were placed at this point in time in Numbers 15:1-41. In light of the spies and the rebellion in Numbers 13:1-14:45, and the imminent rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and its effects in Numbers 16:1-17:13, the presence of commands in Numbers 15:1-41 seems jarring and a bit anticlimactic. But when we consider the substance of the commands, we can perceive God’s wisdom in providing them at this moment.
YHWH has sharply judged and condemned the Israelites in the wilderness, and for good and understandable reasons. But we could understand why the Israelites would thus fall into despair. Was YHWH abandoning them fully?
And so right after issuing the condemnation, YHWH gave commandments about what ostensibly younger generations of Israelites should offer to YHWH when they live in the land of Canaan in Numbers 15:1-21. In this way YHWH assured Israel: there would be Israelites who would inhabit Canaan. The promises would be fulfilled, even if not for the present generation.
In a similar way we can understand a lot of the legislation in terms of what Israel has most recently experienced. The emphasis on the inclusion of the resident alien in Numbers 15:13-15, 29, might well be in response to the “mixed multitude” who craved the meat at Kibroth-hattaavah in Numbers 11:4-35: that terminology presumes the foreigners who had come out of Egypt with the Israelites were the primary complainants, and we could easily imagine how some Israelites by ancestry might have grown resentful of them because of its consequences. Thus YHWH would remind Israel to treat resident aliens like native sons and not make such distinctions. Comparison and contrast between “unintentional” sins, and how they can be forgiven, versus sins “with a high hand” and how impossible they are to forgive might be an object lesson for Israel considering all they had just experienced, and presages what would happen to Dathan and his ilk. Finally, what Israel had just experienced reinforced the need for the tassels: Israel needed some kind of physical, immediate reminder of YHWH and His commands lest they again and again turn aside from His commandments and incur His disfavor.
In this way, therefore, God provided Israel both reassurance and warning through the commandments given in Numbers 15:1-41. The people of Israel would suffer the due penalty for their transgressions, but God was not entirely cutting them off. His promises would be fulfilled; Israelites would take over the land of Canaan in the next generation. Yet within these commands were potent warnings: do not sin with a high hand against God, or there will be no hope for you. Always remember who God is and what He has commanded lest you again fall short as before with the spies.
The narrative after Numbers 15:41 would bear all of these things out. Israel would indeed conquer the land in the next generation, and offerings would be made before YHWH according to His commandment. Unfortunately, Israel would continue to rebel against YHWH, both in the wilderness and after they entered the land of Canaan, and they would continually experience the judgments of God. We do well to learn from their examples and faithfully serve God in Christ so we might share in life in Him and avoid condemnation!
Ethan R. Longhenry
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