"Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with GOD, is guilty, and must confess the sin. Full compensation plus twenty percent must be made to whoever was wronged. -Numbers 5:5-8
This idea of eroding trust through lying or sin is the same principle Andy Stanley was talking about....
I must admit, my Catholic upbringing at least kept the concept of sin in there and the need for confession and some sort of compensation. I'm not sure our current idea of a cavalier "sorry" is sufficient.
Also, I think we have lost the connection that a sin against a man is a sin against God, that it transfers into the relationship this directly:
"In line with the spirit of the Law which regarded sin against one’s fellowman as sin also against God (cf. Psa_51:4)" -BKC
NOT directly related to this but relevant and intriguing nonetheless. From Clarke:
1. There is one doctrine relative to the economy of Divine Providence little heeded among men; I mean the doctrine of restitution. When a man has done wrong to his neighbor, though, on his repentance, and faith in our Lord Jesus, God forgives him his sin, yet he requires him to make restitution to the person injured, if it lie in the compass of his power. If he do not, God will take care to exact it in the course of his providence. Such respect has he for the dictates of infinite justice that nothing of this kind shall pass unnoticed. Several instances of this have already occurred in this history, and we shall see several more. No man should expect mercy at the hand of God who, having wronged his neighbor, refuses, when he has it in his power, to make restitution. Were he to weep tears of blood, both the justice and mercy of God would shut out his prayer, if he made not his neighbor amends for the injury he may have done him. The mercy of God, through the blood of the cross, can alone pardon his guilt; but no dishonest man can expect this; and he is a dishonest man who illegally holds the property of another in his hand. The unnatural brethren who sold their brother are now about to be captivated themselves; and the binder himself is bound in his turn: and though a kind Providence permits not the evil to fall upon them, yet, while apprehending it, they feel all its reality, conscience supplying the lack of prison, jailer, and bonds.
2. The ways of Providence are often to us dark and perplexed, so that we are ready to imagine that good can never result from what appears to us to be directly contrary to our interest; and we are often tempted to think that those very providential dealings of God, which have for their object our present and eternal welfare, are rather proofs of his displeasure, or evidences of his vindictive judgment. All these things are against me, said poor desponding Jacob; whereas, instead of being against him, all these things were for him; and by all these means was the merciful God working for the preservation of himself and his family, and the fulfillment of his ancient promise, that the posterity of Abraham should be as the stars of heaven for multitude. How strange is it that our faith, after so many evidences of his goodness, should still be so weak; and that our opinion of him should be so imperfect, that we can never trust in him but while he is under our own eye! If we see him producing good, we can believe that he is doing so, and this is all. If we believe not, he abides faithful; but our unbelief must make our own way extremely perplexing and difficult. -Clarke
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BKC:
10:29-32 Hobab was Moses' brother-in-law. Raguel (same as Reuel and Jethro) was Hobab's father and therefore Moses' father-in-law. Being a Midianite, Hobab was probably very familiar with the wilderness. Perhaps that is why Moses invited him to accompany the Israelites—"You can be our eyes." Many Bible interpreters believe that this invitation showed a lack of faith on Moses' part, since God had already promised to guide.
Another view is held by Kurtz, who suggests,
The pillar of cloud determined the general route to be taken, the place of encampment, and the length of tarry in each location; yet human prudence was by no means precluded with respect to arranging the encampment so as to combine most advantageously the circumstances of water, pasture, shelter, supply of fuel. In all these particulars, Hobab's experience, and knowledge of the desert, would be exceedingly useful as supplementary to the guidance of the cloud.
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On Aaron & Miriam trying to usurp Moses (Numbers 12)
"Aaron followed her, being no more able to resist the suggestions of his sister, than he had formerly been to resist the desire of the people for a golden idol (Ex 32)." K & D
Good point....Aaron was a bit of a follower....easily coerced.
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On Mose's comment about his meekness:
"No doubt it was only such a man as Moses who could speak of himself in such a way, - a man who had so entirely sacrificed his own personality to the office assigned him by the Lord, that he was ready at any moment to stake his life for the cause and glory of the Lord (cf. Num_11:15, and Exo_32:32), and of whom Calmet observes with as much truth as force, “As he praises himself here without pride, so he will blame himself elsewhere with humility,”-a man or God whose character is not to be measured by the standard of ordinary men (cf. Hengstenberg, Dissertations, vol. ii. pp. 141ff.)." K & D
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From Wikipedia, on Kadesh:
Kadesh or Qadhesh in Classical (Hebrew: קָדֵשׁ), also known as Qadesh-Barneʿa (קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ), is a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible where a number of historical events took place. Kadesh was an important site in Israelite history.[1]
It was the chief site of encampment for the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness of Zin (Deut. 1:46); it was from Kadesh that the spies were sent out into Canaan (Num. 13:1-26); The first failed attempt to take the land was made from Kadesh (Num. 14:40-45); Moses disobediently struck the rock that brought forth water at this location (Num. 20:11); Miriam and Aaron died and were buried nearby (Num. 20:1, 22-29); and Moses sent envoys to the King of Edom from Kadesh (Num. 20:14), asking for permission to let the Israelites pass through his terrain. The Edomite king denied this request.
Kadesh-Barnea is also a key feature in the common biblical formula delineating the southern border of Israel (cf. Num. 34:4, Josh. 15:3, Ezek. 47:19 et al.)[2] and thus its identification is key to understanding both the ideal and geopolitically realized borders of ancient Israel. There is a moshav in the Negev desert of modern-day Israel with the name Kadesh Barne'a, also called Nitzanei Sinai.
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I find it interesting that Moses always falls on his face before the Lord when the people complain to him. What an interesting response! My reaction to complaint is to focus on the people complaining. Surely Moses has a better focus in bringing the situation to the Lord before reacting a particular way.
Ex. Numbers 20:6
In Numbers 20 when Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it, I always come away wanting more details and information. The text doesn't give much in terms of the severity of this sin. Striking the rock instead of speaking to it seems to be a minor infraction in light of all Moses endured in the desert over 40 years.
On Aaron & Miriam trying to usurp Moses (Numbers 12)
"Aaron followed her, being no more able to resist the suggestions of his sister, than he had formerly been to resist the desire of the people for a golden idol (Ex 32)." K & D
Good point....Aaron was a bit of a follower....easily coerced.
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On Mose's comment about his meekness:
"No doubt it was only such a man as Moses who could speak of himself in such a way, - a man who had so entirely sacrificed his own personality to the office assigned him by the Lord, that he was ready at any moment to stake his life for the cause and glory of the Lord (cf. Num_11:15, and Exo_32:32), and of whom Calmet observes with as much truth as force, “As he praises himself here without pride, so he will blame himself elsewhere with humility,”-a man or God whose character is not to be measured by the standard of ordinary men (cf. Hengstenberg, Dissertations, vol. ii. pp. 141ff.)." K & D
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From Wikipedia, on Kadesh:
Kadesh or Qadhesh in Classical (Hebrew: קָדֵשׁ), also known as Qadesh-Barneʿa (קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ), is a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible where a number of historical events took place. Kadesh was an important site in Israelite history.[1]
It was the chief site of encampment for the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness of Zin (Deut. 1:46); it was from Kadesh that the spies were sent out into Canaan (Num. 13:1-26); The first failed attempt to take the land was made from Kadesh (Num. 14:40-45); Moses disobediently struck the rock that brought forth water at this location (Num. 20:11); Miriam and Aaron died and were buried nearby (Num. 20:1, 22-29); and Moses sent envoys to the King of Edom from Kadesh (Num. 20:14), asking for permission to let the Israelites pass through his terrain. The Edomite king denied this request.
Kadesh-Barnea is also a key feature in the common biblical formula delineating the southern border of Israel (cf. Num. 34:4, Josh. 15:3, Ezek. 47:19 et al.)[2] and thus its identification is key to understanding both the ideal and geopolitically realized borders of ancient Israel. There is a moshav in the Negev desert of modern-day Israel with the name Kadesh Barne'a, also called Nitzanei Sinai.
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I find it interesting that Moses always falls on his face before the Lord when the people complain to him. What an interesting response! My reaction to complaint is to focus on the people complaining. Surely Moses has a better focus in bringing the situation to the Lord before reacting a particular way.
Ex. Numbers 20:6
In Numbers 20 when Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it, I always come away wanting more details and information. The text doesn't give much in terms of the severity of this sin. Striking the rock instead of speaking to it seems to be a minor infraction in light of all Moses endured in the desert over 40 years.
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