The Message of Numbers

Journey to the promised land

Raymond Brown

Inter-Varsity Press

Inter-Varsity Press

Norton Street, Nottingham NG7 3HR, England

Email: ivp@ivpbooks.com

Website: www.ivpbooks.com

© Raymond Brown 2002

Raymond Brown has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hodder Headline Ltd. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790.

First published 2002

Reprinted 2004, 2007, 2008

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-85111-491-0

Inter-Varsity Press publishes Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission in the world.

Inter-Varsity Press is closely linked with the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, a student movement connecting Christian Unions in universities and colleges throughout Great Britain, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Website: www.uccf.org.uk

The Bible Speaks Today

Series editors: Alec Motyer (OT)

John Stott (NT)

Derek Tidball (Bible Themes)

Contents

General preface

Author’s preface

Chief abbreviations

Select bibliography

Introduction

Part 1. Getting ready (1:1–10:10)

1. God’s people prepare (1:1–2:34)

2. Community servants (3:1–4:49)

3. Keeping the camp clean (5:1–31)

4. Short-term voluntary service (6:1–21)

5. Inherited riches (6:22–27)

6. Giving and receiving the best (7:1–89)

7. Israel’s role models (8:1–26)

8. Three-dimensional grace (9:1–10:10)

Part 2. Setting out (10:11–12:16)

9. Sharing good things (10:11–36)

10. Leadership issues (11:1–35)

11. Disloyal colleagues (12:1–16)

Part 3. Drawing back (13:1–14:45)

12. Giants or grapes? (13:1–33)

13. Israel’s sleepless night (14:1–45)

Part 4. Marking time (15:1–25:18)

14. When God speaks again (15:1–41)

15. More leadership tensions (16:1–50)

16. Kept as a sign (17:1–18:32)

17. The perils of pollution (19:1–22)

18. Coping with crises (20:1–21:3)

19. Life for a look (21:4–9)

20. The march to Moab (21:10–35)

21. Seeing with the seer (22:1–24:25)

22. A tragic sequel (25:1–18)

Part 5. Pressing on (26:1–36:13)

23. Facing a different future (26:1–65)

24. Human rights and divine commands (27:1–11)

25. Leadership lifestyle (27:12–23)

26. Variations on a majestic theme (28:1–29:40)...