Go and Teach all Nations

Which Is the First Commandment of All?

2009-12-31T23:29:00.001-09:00

Which Is the First Commandment of All?

The first and great commandment and the second is like it…

Matthew 22:35-40

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Goandteachallnations

The duties of Gershon’s clan

2009-11-08T11:10:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

The duties of Gershon’s clan

Numbers 4:21-28

v21 The LORD spoke to Moses. The LORD said,
v22-23 ‘Also prepare a list of the men in the families that belong to Gershon’s clan. Register all the men who are between 30 and 50 years old. Only count those men who can work in God’s Tent.
v24 These are the duties of Gershon’s clan.
v25 The men from this clan must carry God’s Tent, its curtains and its two outer covers. They must carry the curtain for the entrance
v26 and the curtains of the yard that surrounds God’s Tent. Also, they must carry the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the yard. The men from Gershon’s clan are responsible for all the equipment that belongs with these curtains. They must look after all these things.
v27 Moses and Aaron will tell them what to do and where to carry these things.
v28 These are the duties of Gershon’s clan in God’s Tent. Aaron’s son, Ithamar the priest, must direct them in this work.’
Comment:
Verses 21-28 - Gershon’s clan was responsible for all the curtains and ropes in God’s Tent. This included the curtains that surrounded the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place. Also, it included the outer covers of leather.
Gershon’s clan was responsible for the curtains and equipment of the yard, too. God allowed the men from Gershon’s clan to touch these things. But the priests, especially Ithamar, watched them and gave them instructions.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

The duties of Kohath’s clan – Part 2

2009-10-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 4:12-20

The duties of Kohath’s clan – Part 2
v12 Then Aaron and his sons must take all the objects that people use to worship in God’s Tent. They must wrap the objects in a blue cloth. They must put a special cover of leather over them. Then they must put the objects in a frame to carry them.
v13 They must remove the ashes from the altar of bronze. They must put a purple cloth over it.
v14 On the cloth, they must put all the equipment that people use at the altar. This includes the pans for the fire, the forks for the meat, the shovels (a type of tool) and the bowls. They must put a special cover of leather over it. Then they must put in place the poles that they use to carry the altar.
v15 When the camp is ready to move, the men from Kohath’s clan must be ready to carry all these things. But they must wait until Aaron and his sons have covered all the sacred objects. The members of Kohath’s clan must not touch the sacred objects. They will die if they touch the sacred objects. These are the duties of Kohath’s clan. They must carry the sacred objects whenever the Israelites travel.
v16 Aaron’s son, Eleazar the priest, must look after the oil for the lamps and the incense. He must look after the grain that people offer to God. Also, he must look after the oil that the priests use to anoint people. He is responsible for God’s Tent and everything that is in it.’
v17 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
v18-19 ‘Do not cause the end of Kohath’s clan. Do not let its members die. This will happen if they come near to the sacred objects. So Aaron and his sons must go into God’s Tent with Kohath’s clan to prevent this. They must tell each man what to do and what to carry.
v20 But the men from Kohath’s clan must not go into God’s Tent in order to look at the sacred objects. If the men from Kohath’s clan just glance at the sacred objects, they will die.’
Comment:
Verses 12-15 - Also, they wrapped all the things that they used with the table, the stand for the lamps and the altars.
The priests had to prepare everything so that it was ready for Kohath’s clan. The men from that clan had to carry these objects on their shoulders. The poles made it easier for the men to move all the objects. They carried the sacred objects on poles so that they did not touch them.
Verse 16 - Aaron’s older son, Eleazar, had a very important job. He had to make sure that everyone obeyed these instructions. He told everyone what to do in God’s Tent. Also, he carried the different oils, the incense and the grain for the sacrifices.
Verses 17-20 - Again, God warned Moses and Aaron. Only the priests could look at these sacred objects. If anyone from Kohath’s clans saw the sacred objects, they would die.
God is holy completely. When we worship him, we must remember this. We can come near to God only by means of Jesus, God’s Son. Jesus became the only sacrifice for our sins that God accepts. When we believe in Jesus, God allows us to come near to him. In fact, he invites us to come near to him!
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

The duties of Kohath’s clan – Part 1

2009-10-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 4:1-11

The duties of Kohath’s clan – Part 1
v1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
v2-3 ‘Kohath’s clan is part of Levi’s tribe. Prepare a list of the men in their families. Register all those men who are between 30 and 50 years old. Only count those men who can work in God’s Tent.
v4 Kohath’s clan will be responsible for the most sacred objects that people use to worship in God’s Tent.
v5 When the Israelites are ready to move the camp, Aaron and his sons must go into God’s Tent. They must take down the curtain that is in front of the Ark. They must cover the Ark with it.
v6 They must put a special cover of leather over this. They must put a blue cloth on the top. Then they must put in place the poles that they use to carry the Ark.
v7 Next, Aaron and his sons must cover the table for the bread that they offer to the LORD. They must use a blue cloth. They must put on it the plates, dishes, bowls and jugs. These are the jugs for the wine that they offer to the LORD. Some bread must be on the table always.
v8 They must put a red cloth over all of this. They must put a special cover of leather on the top. Then they must put in place the poles that they use to carry the table.
v9 They must cover the stand for the lamp with a blue cloth. They must cover all the lamps, trays, holders for oil and snuffers. (A snuffer is a tool. People use it to cover a lamp so that the flame disappears.)
v10 They must wrap the stand and its equipment in a special cover of leather. Then they must put it on a frame to carry it.
v11 They must put a blue cloth over the altar of gold. They must put a special cover of leather on the top. They must put in place the poles that they use to carry the altar.
Comment:
Verses 1-3 - There were three groups of families in Levi’s tribe. These were Gershon’s clan, Kohath’s clan and Merari’s clan. Each clan had different duties. The priests told them what to do. Moses counted all the men in Levi’s tribe who were between 30 and 50 years old. These men had to work in God’s Tent and in the yard that surrounded it. They had to take all the parts down and to carry them whenever the camp moved.
Verses 4-6 - Moses counted Kohath’s clan first. They were responsible for the most sacred objects in God’s Tent. But the priests had to cover these sacred objects before Kohath’s clan saw them. Only priests could look at the sacred objects. Anyone else would die if they looked at the sacred objects.
The most sacred object was the Ark. There were two rooms in God’s Tent. The Ark was in the smaller room. This room was called the Most Holy Place.
A curtain divided the smaller room from the larger room. The larger room was called the Holy Place. The priests wrapped the Ark in this curtain. They put a cover of leather over this. The Hebrew word that we translate as ‘leather’ means ‘the skin of an animal’. But we do not know to which type of animal the skin belonged. Experts think that it was probably an unusual animal.
Lastly, the priests wrapped the Ark in a blue cloth. Probably, the colour blue reminded the people of heaven (see Exodus 24:10).
There were rings on the Ark. The priests put poles through these rings. When the camp travelled, four men lifted these poles onto their shoulders. They carried the Ark in front of all the Israelites as they marched. This showed that God was leading them.
Verses 7-11 - Next, the priests wrapped all the sacred objects that were in the Holy Place.
There was a special table in the Holy Place. There were 12 loaves of bread on it (see Leviticus 24:5-9). This was the number of the tribes of Israel. The loaves showed that God was with all the Israelites. On every Sabbath, the High Priest took away the old loaves. He put new loaves on the table. There was bread on the table always. This showed that God was with his people always.
The priests covered the special table first. Next, they covered the stand for the lamps. This stand was very important. We shall write more about it in the notes on chapter 8:1-4. Also, they covered the altar of gold. The priests did not sacrifice animals to burn on this altar. Instead, they burned special incense.
Then, they covered the altar on which the priests burned sacrifices of animals.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Moses counts the Israelites’ first-born sons – Levites dedicated instead of the first-born sons

2009-09-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:40-51

Moses counts the Israelites’ first-born sons – Levites dedicated instead of the first-born sons
v40 The LORD said to Moses, ‘Now count the Israelites’ first-born sons. Register all those who are one month old or older. Write their names in a list.
v41 The Israelites’ first-born sons belong to me. But instead, I shall accept the males who are in Levi’s tribe. They will be mine. I am the LORD! Also, I shall accept the animals that Levi’s tribe own, instead of the Israelites’ first-born animals.’
v42 Moses obeyed the LORD. He counted the Israelites’ first-born sons.
v43 He registered the names of all the first-born males of one month old or older. There were 22 273 names in this list.
v44 The LORD said to Moses,
v45 ‘Give Levi’s tribe to me instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons. Give to me the animals that Levi’s tribe own, instead of the Israelites’ animals. Levi’s tribe will belong to me. I am the LORD!
v46 There are 273 more first-born Israelites than males in Levi’s tribe. You must buy the extra Israelites from me.
v47 You must collect five pieces of silver for each Israelite. The pieces of silver must be the official weight (see note).
v48 You must give this money to Aaron and his sons.’
v49 So Moses collected the money for the extra 273 first-born sons.
v50 He collected 1365 pieces of silver from them. The pieces of silver were the official weight.
v51 Then, he gave the money to Aaron and his sons, as the LORD had ordered him.
Comments:
Verses 40-51 - The first-born Israelites belonged to God (see note on verses 11-13). A person who belongs to someone is a slave. So these first-born Israelites were really God’s slaves. But God had decided to accept the males from Levi’s tribe instead of the first-born Israelites. However, there were 273 more first-born Israelites than males from Levi’s tribe. So Moses had to buy these 273 first-born Israelites from God.
Moses had to collect five pieces of silver for each first-born Israelite. This was the price of a slave at that time. It was a lot of money. Many people earned less than one piece of silver in a month. We do not know who paid the five pieces of silver. Perhaps Moses collected it from all the first-born Israelites. Perhaps just the 273 males paid it. But again, Moses obeyed God.
At that time, people used pieces of silver for money. But the pieces of silver were not all the same weight. The ‘official weight’ (verse 47) was the same weight as a piece of silver that people kept in God’s Tent. The weight of this piece of silver was about 11.5 grams. So the pieces of silver that people paid for their first-born sons had to weigh about 11.5 grams. Still the Jews today make this payment to redeem their first-born sons. (To redeem means to buy back by means of a sacrifice or a payment.)
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 3:38-39

2009-08-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:38-39

Whenever the Israelites travelled, each clan had to carry their own parts of God’s Tent
v38 Moses, Aaron and Aaron’s sons had to camp in front of God’s Tent, on the east side. They had to carry out duties in God’s Tent on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the priests’ work would die.
v39 So Moses and Aaron obeyed the LORD. They counted Levi’s tribe by their clans. There were 22 000 males in Levi’s tribe who were one month old or older.
Comment:
The priests camped on the east side of God’s Tent (verse 38). Kohath’s clan camped on the south side of God’s Tent (verse 29). Kohath’s clan was the biggest group. They had a very important job. They were responsible for the special furniture in God’s Tent.
Gershon’s clan camped on the west side of God’s Tent. They were responsible for the covers, curtains and ropes.
Merari’s clan was the smallest group. They camped on the north side of God’s Tent. They had to look after all the parts of the Tent’s frame and the things in the yard that surrounded it.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 3:33-37

2009-08-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:33-37

The census of the two families in Merari’s clan; where they camp and their duties
v33 There were two families in Merari’s clan. They were the families of Mahli and Mushi.
v34 They had 6200 males who were one month old or older.
v35 Merari’s clan had to camp on the north side of God’s Tent. Their leader was Zuriel, Abihail’s son.
v36 They had to look after the frames of God’s Tent and all the things that supported it.
v37 Also, they were responsible for the poles, bases and all the other objects in the yard.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 3:27-32

2009-08-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:27-32

The census of the four families in Kohath’s clan; where they camp and their duties
v27 There were four families in Kohath’s clan. They were the families of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
v28 They had 8600 males who were one month old or older. Kohath’s clan had to look after the objects inside God’s Tent.
v29 Kohath’s clan had to camp on the south side of God’s Tent.
v30 Their leader was Elizaphan, Uzziel’s son.
v31 They had to look after the Ark, the table for the special bread and the stand for the lamp. They also looked after the altars. They were responsible for the objects that the priests used to worship God in the Holy Place. Also they were responsible for the curtain in front of the Most Holy Place. And they also looked after everything else that had a relationship with these things.
v32 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, was the chief leader of Levi’s tribe. He governed those people who looked after God’s Tent.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 3:21-26

2009-08-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:21-26

The census of the two families in Gershon’s clan; where they camp and their duties
v21 There were two families in Gershon’s clan. They were the families of Libni and Shimei.
v22 They had 7500 males who were one month or older.
v23 Gershon’s clan had to camp on the west side of God’s Tent.
v24 Their leader was Eliasaph, Lael’s son.
v25 Their duties were to look after God’s Tent, its outside cover and the curtain over the entrance.
v26 There was a yard outside God’s Tent. This yard was round the altar. There were curtains that hung round this yard. Gershon’s clan were responsible for these curtains. Also, this clan was responsible for the ropes and the curtain for the entrance to the yard. And they also looked after everything else that had a relationship with these things.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 3:14-20

2009-07-18T20:17:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:14-20

Census of the Levi’s tribe commanded
v14 In the Sinai desert, the LORD spoke to Moses. The LORD said,
v15 ‘Count Levi’s tribe by clans and families. Register every male who is a month old or older.’
v16 Moses obeyed the LORD. So Moses counted Levi’s tribe.
v17 Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. They had become the leaders of their own clans.
v18 Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei.
v19 Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
v20 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. They were Levi’s sons and grandsons. They had become the leaders of the clans of Levi’s tribe.
Comment:
Verses 14-39 God told Moses to count all the males in Levi’s tribe who were one month old or older. The men from Levi’s tribe would help the priests. So the members of that tribe belonged to God in a special way. He had accepted them to belong to him instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons (Numbers 3:11-13).
Again, Moses did what God asked him to do. Moses counted Levi’s tribe by clan. He told each clan where to camp.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations -Numbers 3:5-13

2009-06-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:5-13

The duties of Levi’s tribe - Aaron and his sons appointed as priests
v5 The LORD said to Moses,
v6 ‘Bring Levi’s tribe to Aaron the priest. They must help him.
v7-8 They must work for him and all the Israelites in God’s Tent. They will be responsible for everything in God’s Tent. They will take care of it. They will carry on these duties on behalf of the Israelites.
v9 Give Levi’s tribe to Aaron and his sons. So they will be the Israelites who belong completely to him.
v10 Appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests’ duties will die.’
v11-13 Also, the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have chosen Levi’s tribe from the other Israelites. Levi’s tribe will belong to me in a special way. I had decided that the Israelites’ first-born sons would belong to me. Also, I had decided that all their first-born male animals would belong to me. I made this decision when I let the Egyptians’ first-born sons die. But now I have decided that Levi’s tribe will belong to me, instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons. Levi’s tribe are mine. I am the LORD!’
Comment:
Verses 5-10 - Aaron and his sons were the priests. The rest of Levi’s tribe acted as their servants. These servants helped the priests to look after God’s Tent. They had two main duties. Whenever the Israelites travelled, Levi’s tribe had to take down God’s Tent. Then they had to carry the parts as they travelled. This was heavy work!
Also, they had to look after God’s Tent always. If any of the other Israelites came too near to God’s Tent, that person would die. Then God would not punish all the Israelites because one person had not obeyed him (see Numbers 1:53; 16:40; 25:8).
Verses 11-13 - Before they escaped into the desert, the Israelites were slaves in the country called Egypt. Moses had asked the king of Egypt to let the Israelites go free. But the king had refused. So God had allowed 10 bad things to happen to the Egyptians (Exodus chapters 7-11). For example, their main river had changed into blood. And many insects had eaten their crops. Finally, all the Egyptians’ first-born sons had died. But all the Israelites’ first-born sons had remained alive. When this happened, the king of Egypt let the Israelites go free.
The Israelites’ first-born male animals and also their first-born sons belonged to God. They had to redeem both their animals and their sons (Exodus 13:1-2; chapters 11 to 13; 22:29-30; 34:19-20). (To redeem means to buy back by means of a sacrifice or a payment).
But when God was giving the Law to Moses, the Israelites made an idol. They worshipped it. Only Levi’s tribe were loyal to God (Exodus chapter 32). So God wanted Levi’s tribe to serve him, instead of the other Israelites’ first-born sons. And so Levi’s tribe served God instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 3:1-4

2009-05-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:1-4

Aaron’s sons
v1 The LORD spoke to Moses on Sinai mountain. This is the family of Aaron and Moses at that time.
v2 Aaron had four sons. Nadab was the oldest son. The other sons were Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
v3 Aaron anointed them. And he ordained them (gave them authority to work as priests). They served God in God’s Tent.
v4 But Nadab and Abihu fell down and died in front of the LORD. This happened when they offered unholy fire (see note below) to the LORD in the Sinai desert. They had no children. So only Eleazar and Ithamar worked as priests while their father Aaron was alive.
Comment:
Verses 1-4 - Aaron was the High Priest (Leviticus chapter 8). All his sons were priests. But Nadab and Abihu did something that was very wrong. God punished them. He sent fire to burn them until they were dead. We know this because this story is in Leviticus 10:1-3, too.
However, it is not certain what ‘unholy fire’ means. Priests sometimes burned incense in God’s Tent. Nadab and Abihu were burning incense when they died. The fire was ‘unholy’ because God had not ordered them to offer it (Leviticus 10:1). So they were opposing God on purpose.
Nadab and Abihu had not obeyed God. They were his priests. They had neglected to serve him properly. They had not shown honor to God. This teaches us something very important. God loves us. He is our friend. But also he is the maker of everything that exists. He is holy completely. We must remember this. We must show honor to God always.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:32-34

2009-04-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 2:32-34

The arrangement of the camp
v32 Moses and his helpers had counted all the Israelite men who were able to fight. They had counted them in groups. The total number of soldiers was 603 550.
v33 But they did not register the men in Levi’s tribe. The LORD had ordered Moses not to do this.
v34 So the Israelites did everything that the LORD had told Moses to do. They arranged their camp in the way that the LORD wanted. Each tribe camped under its own flag. When they set out, each man walked with his own clan and his own family.
Comments:
Verses 1-34 God told Moses and Aaron how to arrange the Israelites’ camp. So each person knew the exact place where they must put their tent.
The tribes formed a square with God’s Tent in the middle. In the 13th century BC, the army of Egypt camped in a square. (BC is the period of time before Jesus was born.) The king’s tent was in the middle. In the Israelites’ camp, God’s Tent was in the middle, because God was Israel’s king.
Levi’s tribe camped in the space between the other tribes and God’s Tent. They looked after it. They did not allow the other Israelites to come too close to God’s Tent.
The tribes camped in four groups. There were three tribes in each group. The tribes of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan commanded one group each. Each group had its own flag. They would carry this flag in a battle. Also, each tribe had its own flag. There was a Jewish tradition that the tribes’ flags were the colours of the 12 jewels (precious stones) in the High Priest’s special clothes (Exodus 28:15-24). But there is nothing in the Bible about the colours of the flags.
It seems the tribes had to camp in order of importance. East was the most important position. It was on the same side as the entrance to God’s Tent. So the largest and most important group of tribes (Judah’s group) looked after it. Reuben’s group of tribes camped on the south side. Ephraim’s group camped on the west side. Lastly, Dan’s group camped on the north side.
Whenever the Israelites travelled, the tribes had to walk in this same order. Levi’s tribe carried the parts of God’s Tent. They walked between the other tribes. God’s Tent should have reminded them that God was with them always. When they camped, God was with them. When they travelled, God travelled with them.
God told Moses and Aaron to arrange the camp in a military way. Every time the Israelites set off, they marched as an army. They had to be ready to fight for the Promised Land.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:25-31

2009-04-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 2:25-31

The three tribes in Dan’s group; camp by their flag to the north of God’s Tent; with Asher’s tribe on one side and Naphtali’s tribe on the other side
v25 Dan’s tribe must camp by their flag to the north of God’s Tent. The tribes that walk with them must camp there, too. The leader of Dan’s tribe is Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son.
v26 There are 62 700 soldiers in his group.
v27 Asher’s tribe must camp on one side of Dan’s tribe. The leader of Asher’s tribe is Pagiel, Ocran’s son.
v28 There are 41 500 soldiers in his group.
v29 Naphtali’s tribe must camp on the other side of Dan’s tribe. The leader of Naphtali’s tribe is Ahira, Enan’s son.
v30 There are 53 400 soldiers in his group.
v31 All three groups in Dan’s camp total 157 600 soldiers. They must set out last with their flags.’
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:18-24

2009-03-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 2:18-24

The three tribes in Ephraim’s group; camp by their flag to the west of God’s Tent; with Manasseh’s tribe on one side and Benjamin’s tribe on the other side
v18 Ephraim’s tribe must camp by their flag to the west of God’s Tent. The tribes that walk with Ephraim’s tribe must camp there, too. The leader of Ephraim’s tribe is Elishama, Ammihud’s son.
v19 There are 40 500 soldiers in his group.
v20 Manasseh’s tribe must camp on one side of Ephraim’s tribe. The leader of Manasseh’s tribe is Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son.
v21 There are 32 200 soldiers in his group.
v22 Benjamin’s tribe must camp on the other side of Ephraim’s tribe. The leader of Benjamin’s tribe is Abidan, Gideoni’s son.
v23 There are 35 400 soldiers in his group.
v24 All three groups in Ephraim’s camp total 108 100 soldiers. They must set out third, behind Reuben’s camp.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:17

2009-03-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 2:17

The camp of Levi’s tribe and God’s tent
v17 Levi’s tribe must set out behind Reuben’s tribe. They must walk between the first two groups and the last two groups of tribes. They must walk in the same order as they camped. They must carry God’s Tent and their own flags.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:10-16

2009-03-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 2:10-16

The three tribes in Reuben’s group; camp by their flag to the south of God’s Tent; with Simeon’s tribe on one side and Gad’s tribe on the other side
v10 Reuben’s tribe must camp by their flag to the south of God’s Tent. The tribes that walk with Reuben’s tribe must camp there, too. The leader of Reuben’s tribe is Elizur, Shedeur’s son.
v11 There are 46 500 soldiers in his group.
v12 Simeon’s tribe must camp on one side of Reuben’s tribe. The leader of Simeon’s tribe is Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son.
v13 There are 59 300 soldiers in his group.
v14 Gad’s tribe must camp on the other side of Reuben’s tribe. The leader of Gad’s tribe is Eliasaph, Deuel’s son.
v15 There are 45 650 soldiers in his group.
v16 All three groups in Reuben’s camp total 151 450 soldiers. They must set out second, after the three groups in Judah’s camp.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:3-9

2009-03-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 2:3-9

The three tribes in Judah’s group; camp by their flag to the east of God’s Tent
v3 Judah’s tribe must camp by their flag to the east of God’s Tent. The tribes that walk with Judah’s tribe must camp there, too. The leader of Judah’s tribe is Nahshon, Amminadab’s son.
v4 There are 74 600 soldiers in his group.
v5 Issachar’s tribe must camp on one side of Judah’s tribe. Their leader is Nethanel, Zuar’s son.
v6 There are 54 400 soldiers in his group.
v7 Zebulun’s tribe must camp on the other side of Judah’s tribe. Their leader is Eliab, Helon’s son.
v8 There are 57 400 soldiers in his group.
v9 All three groups in Judah’s camp total 186 400 soldiers. They must set out first.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 2:1-2

2009-03-01T11:25:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

The arrange of the Israelites’ camp

Numbers 2:1-2

The position of the tribes of Israel in the camp
v1 The LORD gave instructions to Moses and Aaron
v2 about how to set up the Israelites’ camp. The LORD said:
‘Each man must camp under his tribe’s flag, and by his own family’s flag, too. God’s Tent will be in the middle of the tribes’ camps. But the tribes must not camp close to it.
Comment:
Verses 1-34 - God told Moses and Aaron how to arrange the Israelites’ camp. So each person knew the exact place where they must put their tent.
The tribes formed a square with God’s Tent in the middle. In the 13th century BC, the army of Egypt camped in a square. (BC is the period of time before Jesus was born.) The king’s tent was in the middle. In the Israelites’ camp, God’s Tent was in the middle, because God was Israel’s king.
Levi’s tribe camped in the space between the other tribes and God’s Tent. They looked after it. They did not allow the other Israelites to come too close to God’s Tent.
The tribes camped in four groups. There were three tribes in each group. The tribes of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan commanded one group each. Each group had its own flag. They would carry this flag in a battle. Also, each tribe had its own flag. There was a Jewish tradition that the tribes’ flags were the colors of the 12 jewels (precious stones) in the High Priest’s special clothes (Exodus 28:15-24). But there is nothing in the Bible about the colors of the flags.
It seems the tribes had to camp in order of importance. East was the most important position. It was on the same side as the entrance to God’s Tent. So the largest and most important group of tribes (Judah’s group) looked after it. Reuben’s group of tribes camped on the south side. Ephraim’s group camped on the west side. Lastly, Dan’s group camped on the north side.
Whenever the Israelites traveled, the tribes had to walk in this same order. Levi’s tribe carried the parts of God’s Tent. They walked between the other tribes. God’s Tent should have reminded them that God was with them always. When they camped, God was with them. When they traveled, God traveled with them.
God told Moses and Aaron to arrange the camp in a military way. Every time the Israelites set off, they marched as an army. They had to be ready to fight for the Promised Land.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 1:47-54

2009-02-22T13:54:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 1:47-54

God gives a special job to Levi’s tribe; they had to look after God’s Tent
v47 Moses did not count the families in Levi’s tribe when he registered the other tribes.
v48 The LORD had said to him,
v49 ‘Do not include Levi’s tribe in this census of the Israelites.
v50 Instead, Levi’s tribe must be responsible for God’s Tent. They must look after everything that is in it. They must take care of it. They must camp round it. And they must carry it whenever you move the Israelites’ camp.
v51 Whenever you leave a place, Levi’s tribe must take apart God’s Tent. When you arrive at a new place, Levi’s tribe must put God’s Tent together again. If anyone from another tribe comes near to God’s Tent, that person will die.
v52 All the other tribes must camp in their own groups, with their own flags.
v53 But Levi’s tribe must camp round God’s Tent. They must look after it. They must not let people go near to it. If people go near to it, I shall be very angry with the Israelites.’
v54 The Israelites did everything that God ordered Moses to do.
Comment:
Verses 47-54 - God did not want Levi’s tribe to be soldiers. They had a different job. It was a very important job. They had to look after God’s Tent.
Levi was Jacob’s third son (Genesis 29:34). Levi had three sons. Their names were Gershon, Kohath and Merari (Genesis 46:11). Moses and Aaron were Kohath’s descendants (Numbers 3:14-24). Aaron was the first High Priest. The High Priest had the most important duties in God’s Tent. Aaron’s sons were priests. They helped Aaron. Men from Levi’s tribe helped the priests to do their duties. The High Priest was their leader. They had to carry the parts of God’s Tent whenever the Israelites traveled. Men from Levi’s tribe had to put the parts together again when the Israelites stopped to camp.
Also, Levi’s tribe had to look after God’s Tent. It was the most important place in the camp. God is everywhere. But he was in God’s Tent in a special way. The priests worshipped God there. It was a very holy place. The Israelites had to respect it. If they came too near to it, they would die.
God is good completely. But every person has sinned. So, in order to come close to God, the Israelites had to offer sacrifices.
But it is different for us. Christians can be close to God. This is not because we do good things. It is because Jesus, God’s son, suffered the punishment for our sins on our behalf. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. So we do not need to offer sacrifices of animals. Jesus’ blood takes away all our sins and makes us clean inside our hearts. We must confess our sins to God, so that he will forgive us. We must believe that Jesus died on our behalf. And we must invite him into our lives. We can come and talk to God at any time. God invites us to come close to him! (Hebrews chapter 10).
Only Levi’s tribe served God in his holy Tent. They belonged to God in a special way. But, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, all Christians belong to God in a special way, like priests (1 Peter 2:5).
But the events in this book happened many centuries before Jesus came. So Levi’s tribe had to make sure that the Israelites respected God’s Tent.
The people did everything that God wanted (verse 54). They obeyed him completely. But they did not obey him afterwards. The rest of the book emphasizes this.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 1:20-46

2009-02-20T06:31:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 1:20-46

The census of Israel’s soldiers; the total number of men was 603 550
v20-v46 They counted the men from each tribe who were 20 years old or older. These men were able to fight in Israel’s army.
46 500 men from the tribe of Jacob’s oldest son, Reuben.
59 300 men from Simeon’s tribe.
45 650 men from Gad’s tribe.
74 600 men from Judah’s tribe.
54 400 men from Issachar’s tribe.
57 400 men from Zebulun’s tribe.
40 500 men from the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph’s son.
32 200 men from the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s son.
35 400 men from Benjamin’s tribe.
62 700 men from Dan’s tribe.
41 500 men from Asher’s tribe.
53 400 men from Naphtali’s tribe.
Moses, Aaron and the 12 leaders counted all these men. They registered each man’s name by his clan and family. The total number of men was 603 550.
Verses 20-46 - There were 603 550 strong, healthy men who were 20 years old or older. This number does not include women, girls, boys under 20 years old, old people or ill people. It does not include Levi’s tribe. Levi’s tribe were not soldiers. They had a different job to do. So Moses counted them later.
This means that there were between two and five million people in the camp. This was a very large group of people.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 1:5-19

2009-02-19T08:42:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 1:5-19

God chooses the helpers; men from among the people of Israel
v5 ‘These are the names of the men who must help you.
Elizur, Shedeur’s son, from Reuben’s tribe.
v6 Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son, from Simeon’s tribe.
v7 Nahshon, Amminadab’s son, from Judah’s tribe.
v8 Nethanel, Zuar’s son, from Issachar’s tribe.
v9 Eliab, Helon’s son, from Zebulun’s tribe.
v10 Elishama, Ammihud’s son, from the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph’s son.
Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son, from the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s son.
v11 Abidan, Gideoni’s son, from Benjamin’s tribe.
v12 Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son, from Dan’s tribe.
v13 Pagiel, Ocran’s son, from Asher’s tribe.
v14 Eliasaph, Deuel’s son, from Gad’s tribe.
v15 Ahira, Enan’s son, from Naphtali’s tribe.’
v16 God chose these men from among the people. They were the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes. They were Israel’s leaders.
v17 Moses, Aaron and these leaders
v18 asked the people to meet together that same day. They registered all the people by clans and families. They recorded the names of all the men who were 20 years old or older. They counted each one.
v19 They obeyed the LORD’s command to Moses. In this way, Moses counted the people when they were in the Sinai desert.
Comment:
Verses 4-9 This list reminds us that this is a book about history. These are the names of real people, with their fathers’ names and their tribes’ names.
The Israelites’ ancestors were Jacob’s sons (Genesis 35:23-26). Each of Jacob’s sons started a tribe. Each son’s name became the name of his descendants’ tribe.
In this list, two half tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, are there on behalf of Joseph’s tribe. Levi’s tribe had a special job to do. So Moses counted them separately (Numbers 3:14-39).
Names were very important to the Israelites. They chose names carefully. If you knew a person’s name, you knew something about their character.
Apart from the names of the tribes, there are 24 names in this list. Many of these names have one of the Hebrew names for God inside them. These Hebrew names are ‘El’ (God), ‘Shaddai’ (All-Powerful) and ‘Zur’ (Rock). For example, Elishama means ‘My God listens’. Zurishaddai means ‘The All-Powerful God is my Rock (security).’ Often, the Israelites said that God is like a rock. A rock can be a shelter for people. It can provide security. It can protect people. God does these things for his people.
6 of these names, like Abi (My Father) and Ahi (My Brother), also refer to God. God is like a father and a brother to us.
These names show us that God was very important to the Israelites. They were very aware of him.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Numbers 1:1-4

2009-02-17T09:30:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

The Israelites at the start of their journey

Numbers 1:1-4

God’s command to Moses to ’make a census of all the Israelites’ clans and families; the first census of Israel
v1 The LORD spoke to Moses. Moses was in God’s Tent. The Israelites were living in the Sinai desert. It was the first day of the second month during the second year after they had left the country called Egypt.
The LORD said,
v2 ’Make a census of all the Israelites’ clans and families. Register the name of every man
v3 who is 20 years old or more. Register every man who can fight in the army. You and Aaron will count them, group by group.
v4 Ask one man from each tribe to help you. These men must be the leaders of their clans.’
Comment:
Chapters 1-10: The Israelites at the start of their journey
The Israelites had camped near Sinai Mountain. They were preparing to travel to the Promised Land. Before they left, God told Moses to do four things.
1. Celebrate the Passover (Numbers 9:1-14).
2. Count the soldiers (Numbers chapter 1).
3. Tell each tribe where to camp round God’s Tent (Numbers chapter 2).
4. Give duties to the priests (Numbers chapters 3 and 4).
This part of the book describes these four things. But the accounts are not in the order that these things happened. The events in chapters 7:1 to 9:15 happened before the events in chapters 1 to 6. But all these events happened during a period of less than 50 days (Numbers 1:1; 10:11).
Verse 1 - ‘The LORD spoke to Moses.’ This is a very important sentence. It appears over 80 times in this book. God had chosen Moses to be the Israelites’ leader. God spoke to Moses. Then, Moses told the people what God had said. Also, Moses spoke to God on behalf of the people.
God’s Tent was a very special tent. God had told Moses how to build it (Exodus 25:8 to 27:21). The Israelites took it with them on their journey. In the desert, it was the place where they worshipped God. It showed them that God was always among them.
It had two rooms. A curtain separated these rooms. The bigger room was called ‘the Holy Place’. The smaller room was called ‘the Most Holy Place’. The Ark was inside this room. The Ark contained two pieces of stone. God had written his Law on these pieces of stone (Exodus 34:1). We shall learn more about God’s Tent in Numbers 9:15-23.
‘It was the first day of the second month during the second year after they had left the country called Egypt’ (verse 1). This verse tells us clearly when these events happened. It reminds us that we are reading about real people and real events. Many writers say that the people left Egypt during the first half of the 13th century BC. BC is the period of time before Jesus was born.
Verses 2-3 - God told Moses to count all the men who were able to fight. This was the purpose of the census. Also, it showed that every person mattered to God. Moses’ brother Aaron could help him count.
The Promised Land, which was the country called Canaan, was not empty. The people who lived there would fight the Israelites. So Israel needed a strong army.
Moses and Aaron had to count everyone group by group. Families were the smallest groups. There were several people in a family. A clan consisted of several families. A tribe consisted of several clans. The nation called Israel consisted of 12 tribes.
Verse 4 - The census was a very big responsibility. One leader from each tribe had to help Moses and Aaron. It is important for leaders to share responsibilities.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

The Old Testament Book of Numbers

2009-02-15T12:01:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

The Old Testament Book of Numbers

What does this book teach us about God?
This book teaches us some very important things about God.
1. God is with us always, if we are his people. He guides and protects us.
God guided the Israelites by means of a cloud (Numbers 9:15-23). They carried the Ark with them wherever they went. The Ark showed them that God was with them always. He protected them from their enemies (Numbers 10:33-36).
2. God wants us to trust him.
God had chosen Moses as the Israelites’ leader. But they opposed Moses many times. They complained about the food in the desert (Numbers 11:4-6). They refused to enter the Promised Land. They believed that the people there were stronger than them. They did not trust God to help them (Numbers chapters 13 and 14).
God loved them. But he had to discipline them (to teach or to control, sometimes by means of a punishment) (Numbers 14:26-35). God disciplines those people whom he loves (Hebrews 12:6).
3. There is only one real God. We must worship him only.
God never allowed the Israelites to worship false gods (Numbers chapter 25).
4. God always keeps his promises.
God had promised to give to the Israelites their own land. He rescued them from the Egyptians. He guided them through the desert. They arrived at the Promised Land. But they were afraid to enter it.
However, God did not take back his promise. Instead, he gave the Promised Land to their children.
5. God is holy.
God is different from people, whom he made. He is good completely. But all people are sinful. Sin is like dirt because it spoils our lives. Sin makes us dirty inside, in our hearts and minds. In other words, it ruins our thoughts, our attitudes and our behavior.
The Israelites washed themselves in special ways before they worshipped God. They made their bodies clean. They offered sacrifices. They believed that the blood from these sacrifices washed their sins away. So they felt clean inside their hearts. There were many special rules about how to worship God. All these rules showed that God is holy.
But we do not need to follow these special rules still. We do not need to kill animals as sacrifices. God has given us a new way to come to him. That way is by means of his son, that is, Jesus Christ. When people killed Jesus on a cross, he became the sacrifice for our sins. This sacrifice was for all people, for all time. Jesus’ blood washes our sins away. When we believe in Jesus, God forgives our sins. Jesus suffered the punishment for our sins.
Jesus is holy. When we believe in Jesus, God considers us holy, too. We can come to God at any time, in any place. God is our friend because of what Jesus did.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations

Go and teach all nations - Leviticus 27:30-34

2009-02-13T13:45:00.000-09:00

Go and teach all nations

Leviticus 27:30-34

Laws concerning tithes that come from the land
v30 One tenth (1/10th) of everything that comes from the land is holy. It may be grain or fruit. It belongs to the Lord.
v31 If a person buys back any of his gift to the Lord, he must pay the price and 1/5th (one fifth) more.
v32 Out of every ten animals, one animal is holy. It belongs to the Lord.
v33 A person must not change a good animal for a bad animal. A person must not change a bad animal for a good animal. If he does that, both animals are holy. They belong to the Lord. A person cannot buy them back.’
v34 These are the rules that the Lord gave to Moses on the mountain called Sinai. They are the rules for Israel’s people.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 1997-2006, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations