People of the World where are you going? Turn back to God! Back to your faithful principles!
ARRANGEMENT OF THE CAMP
Arrangement of the Camp. The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
“The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), but at a distance.
A CENSUS OF ISRAEL’S WARRIORS
A Census of Israel’s Warriors. he LORD spoke [by special revelation] to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) on the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, saying,
“Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families (clans), by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head
from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go out to war. You and Aaron shall number them, army by army.
THE BIBLE BOOK OF NUMBERS
In the Hebrew this book is called “In the desert.” The ordinary name by which we know it is derived from the two “numberings” of Israel
LAWS ABOUT VOWS
Laws About Vows. Again, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man makes a special vow [consecrating himself or a member of his family], he shall be valued according to your [established system of] valuation of people belonging to the LORD [that is, the priest accepts from the man making the vow a specified amount of money for the temple treasury in place of the actual person].
DESOLATION AND CAPTIVITY FOR THE STUBBORN
Desolation and captivity for the stubborn. ‘If then, you act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times in accordance with your sins.
RESULTS OF OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE
Results of obedience and disobedience. If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and [obediently] do them, then I will give you rain in its season, and the land will yield her produce and the trees of the field bear their fruit.
KINDNESS FOR THE POOR
Kindness for Poor Brothers. ‘Now if your fellow countryman becomes poor and his hand falters with you [that is, he has trouble repaying you for something], then you are to help and sustain him, [with courtesy and consideration] like [you would] a stranger or a temporary resident [without property], so that he may live among you.
CONSIDERATION FOR THE POOR
Consideration for the poor. ‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell some of his property, then his nearest relative is to come and buy back (redeem) what his relative has sold.
THE SABBATICAL YEAR AND THE JUBILEE
But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow [seed in] your field nor prune your vineyard.
LIGHT AND BREAD AND THE HOLY NAME
The pure lamplight, emblematic of the influence of a religious life; and the showbread, set on the golden table, emblematic of lives of obedience and devotion, which are well-pleasing to God, are both said to be “before the Lord.”