J. W. McGarvey's Class Notes on Sacred History I [Numbers].

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J. W. McGarvey
Class Notes on Sacred History, Volume I (1893)

Part First. The First Census and the Order of the Camp and March. Num. 1:1-10:10.
Part Second. The Wanderings from Mount Sinai to the Plains of Moab. Num. 10:11-22:1.
Part Third. Events While the Camp Was in the Plains of Moab. Num. 22:2-36:13.
Review.

NUMBERS.

PART FIRST.

THE FIRST CENSUS AND THE ORDER OF THE CAMP
AND MARCH.

i. 1-x. 10.

§ I. THE FIRST CENSUS. i. 1-46.

Where and when was this census taken? i. 1.
Age and sex of those numbered? 2, 3.
The whole number? 46.
How could it be done in one day? 17, 18, cf. Ex. xviii. 13-27.
The number of the largest and smallest tribes? 27, 35.
Which the smallest whole tribe? 37.

§ II. THE PLAN OF THE ENCAMPMENT. i. 47-ii. 34.

What of the Levites? i. 47-54.
What tribes constituted the eastern camp? ii. 1-9.
What tribes the southern camp? 10-16.
What tribes the western camp? 18-24.
What, the northern? 25-31.
How was kinship regarded in this arrangement?
Where were the Levites and the Tent of Meeting? 17. [77]

§ III. THE LEVITES AND THEIR SERVICE. iii. 1-iv. 49.

Give the names of Aaron's sons. iii. 1-4.
What service assigned the Levites? 5-10.
What exchange involved in this? 11-13.
How were the Levites to be numbered? 14-20.
The number of Gershonites? their camp? and their burden? 21-26.
Those of the Kohathites? 27-32.
Those of the Merarites? 33-39.
How does the aggregate in iii. 39, compare with the preceding figures?
What of the surplus three hundred? [Ans. Probably firstborns, not subject to exchange, and therefore not counted in this aggregate.]
How many firstborns of all the tribes? 40-43.
Order concerning the surplus firstborns? 44-51.
What new numbering of each division? iv. 2, 3, 22, 23, 29, 30.
Which the most numerous under this count? iv. 36, 40, 44.

§ IV. A GROUP OF STATUTES, CEREMONIAL AND CIVIL. v. 1-v. 27.

Repeat the priestly benediction. vi. 22-26.

§ V. OFFERING MADE BY THE PRINCES. vii. 1-89.

1. An Offering of Wagons and Oxen. vii. 1-9.

Why this section delayed? 1, cf. Ex. xl. 17.
What articles could the Merarites transport on wagons?
What kind of wagons?

2. Offerings for the Dedication of the Altar. 10-83.

How did the order of giving correspond with the order of the encampment? Cf. ii. 1-34.

3. The Aggregate of Gifts. 84-88. [78]

When did the twelve days begin? 88, 10, 11.

4. How Moses Now Hears the Lord. 89.

§ VI. THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES. viii. 1-26.

What the process? 7, 9-12.
What the water of extirpation? 7, cf. xix. 1-22.
In what sense "a wave offering"? 10, 11, cf. Lev. vii. 28-34.
How could all Israel lay hands on the Levites? 9, 10.
How did the Levites lay hands on the bullocks? 12.
At what age were they to serve in the Tent of Meeting? 23-26.
What difference from the service at a later age? Cf. iv. 3, 23, 39.

§ VII. THE PASSOVER, THE PILLAR OF CLOUD, AND THE
SILVER TRUMPETS. ix. 1-x. 10.

1. The Second Passover Kept. ix. 1-14.

How long after setting up the Tent of Meeting. 1-3, cf. Ex. xl. 17.
Whence the requisite number of lambs?
Whence the unleavened bread?
Why did uncleanness prevent eating? 6.
Could the stranger eat if uncircumcised? 14, cf. Ex. xii. 48.
Meaning of "cut off from his people"? 13.

2. The Guidance of the Pillar of Cloud. 15-23.

How was the movement of the cloud the command of Jehovah? 23.
To what with us does the cloud correspond?

3. Two Silver Trumpets and Their Uses. x. 1-10.

Could they be heard through the whole camp?
How often blown over sacrifices? 10.
How many notes could they sound?
Was any other music appointed in the law? [79]

PART SECOND.

THE WANDERINGS FROM MOUNT SINAI TO THE
PLAINS OF MOAB.

x. 11-xxii. 1.

§ I. THE MARCH FROM SINAI TO KADESH. x. 11-xii. 16.

1. The Removal from Sinai. x. 11-28.

How long the stay at Sinai? 11, cf. Ex. xix. 1.
What "the wilderness of Paran"? 12, cf. 33.
Why Gershon and Merari next to the "camp of the children of Judah," and Kohath after that of Reuben? 17, 21.

2. Hobab Invited To Go with Israel. 29-32.

Why need him "instead of eyes"? 31.
Why the promise?
Did he go at last? Cf. Judg. i. 16.
Why not invite Jethro also? See Ex. xviii. 1.

3. The First Journey. 33-36.

How three day's journey at once?
In what sense did the ark "go before them"? 33, cf. 21; xiv. 44; xxxi. 6.
Meaning of the watch-word of Moses? 35, 36.

4. Murmuring and Fire at Taberah. xi. 1-3.

What kind of burning?

5. The People Murmur again, and Moses Cries for Help. 4-15.

Who the "mixed multitude"? 4, cf. Ex. xii. 38.
Why this [80] distress and weeping? 4-6.
Why was Moses so disheartened? 11, 15.

6. God Promises Aid for Moses and Flesh for the People. 16-23.

What spirit meant? 17, cf. 25.
Why not eat the flocks and herds? 22.
The fish of what sea? See the map.

7. The Seventy Elders Qualified. 24-30.

Meaning of "came down in the cloud"? 25.
Meaning of "did so no more"? and why not? 25.
Why Eldad and Medad remain in camp? 26-28.

8. Quails Are Brought, and a Plague Follows. 31-35.

Why on only two sides of the camp? 31.
How much a homer? 32. [Ans. Five and a half bushels].
What could be done with so many? 32, cf. 20.
Did the eating increase the plague? 33.
Why the name of the camp? 34.

9. The Sedition of Miriam and Aaron. xii. 1-16.

Who were the Cushites? and where did they dwell? 1, cf. Gen. x. 6-12; ii. 13.
What had become of Zipporah?
Why the remark about the meekness of Moses? 3.
Who wrote it?
Meaning of "faithful in all mine house"? 7, cf. Heb. iii. 1-6.
Why not smite Aaron also?
Why put her out of the camp? 15, cf. Lev. xiii. 45, 46.
Where did this occur? 16.
Extent of the wilderness of Paran? 16, cf. x. 12, 33; xiii. 26. [81]

§ II. THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE SPIES. xiii. 1-xiv. 45.

1. They Are Selected and Sent. xiii. 1-20.

Why one from each tribe?
What "the south"? and "the mountains"? 17.
In what month were they sent? 20.
Who first suggested it? See Deut. i. 22.

2. Their Route and Their Report. 21-33.

Where was Hamath? 21.
Who the sons of Anak? 22, 32, 33.
Why bear the cluster on a staff? 23.
What of the valley of Eshcol now? See Lands of the Bible, 251, 490.
Where was the camp when they returned? 26.
What is meant by the land eating up its inhabitants? 32, 33.
What was false in the report?

3. The People Rebel. xiv. 1-10.

Why the weeping?
Why was Joshua silent at first? 6, cf. xiii. 30.
Why did the glory appear in the tent? 10.

4. God Proposes To Destroy the People, but Grants the
Prayer of Moses. 11-25.

Why was it unbelief to believe the spies? 11.
Why the proposal to Moses?
Whence the words of Moses in 18. See Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7.
Why pardon and yet punish them? 20, 23.
In what direction were they now to turn? 25.

5. The Sentences on That Generation. 26-39.

From what time were the forty years to be counted? 33, 34, cf. Josh. v. 5, 6.
When occurred the death of the ten spies? 36, 37. [82]

6. Repentance too Late. 40-45.

Why was this a transgression? 41.
Did the Levites go? 44.
Were they included in the sentence?

§ III. A GROUP OF RITUAL STATUTES. xv. 1-41.

Why written here?

§ IV. THE REBELLION OF KORAH. xvi. 1-xvii. 15.

1. The Conspiracy Inaugurated. xvi. 1-3.

What their complaint and their purpose? 3, cf. 9-11.

2. Moses Proposes an Appeal to God. 4-11.

Why address them as "sons of Levi"? 7, 9, cf. 1, 2.

3. Dathan and Abiram Denounce Moses, and the Others
Assemble at the Tent. 12-19.

Plausibility of their complaint? 13, 14.
How get so many censers in a day? 17.
On which side was the mass of the people? 19.

4. The Lord's Decision. 20-35.

Why say "shall one man sin," etc.? 22.
What congregation addressed in 24.
What elders followed? 25.
Where were the tents? 27, cf. 1, 2.
Meaning of "the men that appertained unto Korah"? 32, cf. xxvi. 11.

5. The Censers Are Made a Memorial. 36-40.

Why were they "holy"? 38.
How did the plates serve as a memorial? 40.

6. The People Murmur and Are Saved by Aaron. 41-50.

Why censure Moses and Aaron? 41.
Significance of "the [83] glory"? 42.
Significance of Aaron's act? 48.
The whole number who perished? 49, 35.
Of what is this a sample? Cf. 35.

7. Aaron's Priesthood Still Further Confirmed. xvii. 1-13.

Was there a chance in this for fraud? 8.
What the immediate effect of all? 12, 13.
Was there ever another attempt to usurp the priesthood?

§ V. LAW FOR THE SUPPORT OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES. xviii. 1-32.

Propriety of reserving this law till this time? Cf. § IV.

§ VI. THE LAW OF UNCLEANNESS FROM A DEAD BODY. xix. 1-22.

How many were made unclean by the deaths of § IV?
Appropriates of the time of enacting this law?

§ VII. EVENTS AT KADESH AND MOUNT HOR. xx. 1-xxi. 3.

1. Death of Miriam, and the Sin of Moses and Aaron. xx. 1-13.

First month of what year? 1, cf. 28; xxxiii. 38.
How long since the first arrival at Kadesh? Cf. 11; xiii. 20.
What events are recorded in this period?
How many encampments in this period? See xxxiii. 18-36.
How then was most of the time spent?
In what regions were these wanderings?
Why no lack of water on the first visit to Kadesh?
What was the sin of Moses and Aaron? xx. 9-12; Ps. cvi. 32, 33.
Where was the rod now kept? 9. [84]

2. Passage Through Edom Sought and Refused. 14-21.

How did Edom know of Israel's "travail"?
Where was Kadesh? 16, cf. 26.
Describe Edom. Lands of the Bible, 495.
Why did Moses wish to pass through? 17.
Why the refusal after assurances given?
Which way did Israel now turn? 21.

3. Death of Aaron at Mount Hor. 22-29.

Describe mount Hor. Lands of the Bible, 495.
What was the age of Aaron? xxxiii. 39.
Why the mourning fixed at thirty days?

4. Israel Attacked by the King of Arad. xxi. 1-3.

When this attack? 1, cf. xiv. 45; Deut. i. 44.
Why the account here repeated? See 2, 3.
When was the vow executed? Judg. i. 17.
When, then, and by whom, was verse 3 written?

§ VIII. THE JOURNEY FROM MOUNT HOR TO THE PLAINS
OF MOAB. xxi. 4-xxii. 1.

1. The Plague of Fiery Serpents. xxi. 4-9.

What arm of the Red Sea? 4.
Why discouraged because of the way? 4, cf. Lands of the Bible, 495.
Was it the hot or the cool season? Cf. xxxiii. 38.

2. The Journey to Oboth and thence to Arnon. 10-15.

Where was Ijeabarim? 11.
Where was Oboth?
Had they now passed Edom?
Describe the river Arnon. Lands of the [85] Bible, 40, 42.
What "the book of the wars of the Lord"? 14.
Point in the quotation from it? Cf. 13.

3. Journey from the Arnon to Pisgah. 16-20.

How was the water at Beer given? 16, 18.
Why the song? 17, 18.
"Which looketh down" upon what "desert"? 20.

4. Sihon Defeated and His Country Occupied? 21-25.

When the message sent? 21, cf. 13.
Why need to pass through?
Extent of Sihon's dominion? 24.
Where was the territory of Ammon? 24.

5. The Career of Sihon. 26-31.

How long had he held the northern part of Moab? 26.
Who composed this poem? and when? 27, 30.

6. Bashan Conquered, and the Camp Pitched in the Plains of
Moab. xxi. 32-xxii. 1.

Why this conquest? 33.
Where was Bashan?
Who were the Amorites? 34, cf. Gen. xv. 16; Deut. xx. 17, et al.
Describe the Plains of Moab. xxiii. 1, cf. xxxi. 12: Lands of the Bible, 345, 346.
In what sense "beyond the Jordan" and "at Jericho"? xxii. 1. [86]

PART THIRD.

EVENTS WHILE THE CAMP WAS IN THE PLAINS
OF MOAB.

xxii. 2-xxxvi. 13.

§ I. BALAAM'S ATTEMPTS TO CURSE ISRAEL. xxii. 2-xxv. 18.

1. Balak Sends for Balaam. xxii. 2-14.

Why "unto the elders of Midian"? 4, cf. 7.
Where was Israel when the messengers were sent? 5.
What was Balak's conception of Balaam's power? 6.
By what river did Balaam live? 5, cf. xxiii. 7.

2. He Sends again and Succeeds. 15-21.

Why say he was not able to go beyond the word of God? 18.
Why now permit him to go? 20.

3. Balaam Is Rebuked and Warned. 22-38.

Why angry with him after telling him to go? 22.
Why the warning? 35.
Why the changes of place by the angel?
Why cause the ass to speak? II. Pet. ii. 16.
Why was he not frightened when the ass spoke? 27, 28.
Whence the writer's information?
Where were Balak's messengers? 22.

4. Balaam's First Attempt. xxii. 39-xxiii. 12.

Why Balak's sacrifices? xxii. 40.
Where must the high places of Baal have been? xxii. 41, cf. 1; xxiii. 13.
Why the sacrifices? and their number? xxiii. 1, 2.
Why the "peradventure"? 3. [87]
Why go to "a bare height"? 3.
What blessing pronounced? 10.
How was Israel to dwell alone, and not be numbered with the nations? 9.
Connection of the closing sentiment? 10.

5. A Change of Place and Another Attempt. 13-26.

Why the change of place? 13, cf. 9, 10.
Why speak of God as not lying or repenting? 19.
In what sense iniquity or perverseness not seen in Israel? 21.
Were these Israelites the sinners of the wanderings?
Why say, "no enchantment or divination with Israel"? 23.
What prediction in this speech?
Why say, "Neither curse," nor "bless"? 25.

6. Another Place, and a Third Attempt. xxiii. 27-xxiv. 13.

Why not go as before? xxiv. 1.
Meaning of, "meet with enchantments"?
What prediction this time? 8, 9.
Why angry with Balaam? 10.
Why was Balaam so faithful? 13, cf. xxii. 35.
Had he been a prophet before this, or only an enchanter? xxiv. 2; xxii. 8.

7. Other Predictions. xxiv. 14-25.

Who the star and what the sceptre? 17-19; cf. 14; II. Sam. viii. 2, 14.
Is there any allusion in this to Christ?
Why Amalek called "first of the nations"? 20, cf. Ex. xvii. 8-16.
Who the Kenite? and what his dwelling place? 21, cf. Gen. xv. 19.
Who was Asshur? and what captivity meant? 22.
What ships from the coast of Kittim? 24.
How did they afflict Asshur and Eber?
How did he "come to destruction"?
How did the king and the prophet part? 25. [88]

8. Israel Ensnared and Many Slain. xxv. 1-5.

By whose advice was this done? 1, 2, cf. xxxi. 15, 16.
Why did the husbands and fathers consent?
Who the judges, and their men? 5, cf. Ex. xviii. 25, 26.

9. The Zeal of Phinehas, and Its Reward. 6-15.

Why was Zimri so defiant? 6, 14, 15.
What prompted Phinehas? 7, 8.
Why was his deed commended? 13.
Can it now be right to imitate him?
How reconcile 9 with I. Cor. x. 8?

10. The Midianites To Be Punished. 16-18.

Why they rather than Moab? Cf. 15, 1.

§ II. THE SECOND CENSUS. xxvi. 1-65.

The age of those numbered and the place? 2, 3.
The whole number? 51, cf. i. 46.
Remarkable changes? 14, cf. i. 23; xxvi. 34, cf. i. 35.
Which tribe now the largest? 22, cf. 27.
Who left of the first census? 64, 65.
How had the Levites fared? 62, cf. iii. 39.

§ III. MORE LAWS GIVEN, AND A SUCCESSOR TO MOSES
APPOINTED. xxvi. 1-xxx. 16.

1. The Law of Inheritance. xxvii. 1-11.

What led to the enactment of this law? 1-4.
Why say, "died in his sins"?

2. Moses Soon To Die, and Joshua To Succeed Him. 12-23.

What the mountain of Abarim? 12.
A new title for God. 16.
Meaning of "go out" and "come in"? 17.
Why lay the hand upon him? 18, cf. 20.
His relation to Eleazar? 21. [89]

3. A Law Concerning Stated Burnt Offerings. xxviii. 1-xxix. 40.

4. A Law Concerning the Vows of Women. xxx. 1-16.

§ IV. THE PUNISHMENT OF THE MIDIANITES. xxxi. 1-54.

1. The Army and Their Victory. xxxi. 1-12.

Whose vengeance to be executed? 3.
What vessels of the sanctuary? 6, cf. x. 9.
Why was Balaam among the slain? 8.
In what sense did they slay "every male"? 7, cf. 17.

2. Disposal of the Women and Children. 13-18.

Why the slaughter? 17.
What use made of the female children? 18.
Was this a piece of cruelty on the part of Israel?
Was it on the part of God?

3. The Purification of the Warriors and the Prey. 19-24.

What law required this? 21, cf. xix. 2-11.

4. The Quantity and Distribution of the Prey? 25-47.

How account for the number of animals? 32-34.
Why the even thousands?

5. An Oblation Made by the Officers. 48-54.

Why no life lost? 49, cf. 50.
How account for the quantity of golden ornaments? 50, cf. 52.
How did they serve as a memorial? 54.

§ V. HOMES ASSIGNED TO TWO AND A HALF TRIBES. xxxii. 1-42.

Why did Moses suspect their motive? 7, 8.
What right to [90] grant them the land?
Why charge Eleazar and Joshua concerning them? 28.
Why did half tribe of Manasseh come into the arrangement? 33.

§ VI. A LIST OF ALL THE ENCAMPMENTS. xxxiii. 1-49.

The number from Rameses to mount Sinai? xxxiii. 1-15.
From mount Sinai to Kadesh the second time? 16-36.
From Kadesh to the Plains of Moab? 37-49.
Time occupied in the last division?
The whole distance on direct lines?

§ VII. ORDERS CONCERNING THE PROMISED LAND. xxxiii. 50-xxxvi. 13.

1. General Order. xxxiii. 50-56.

How drive them out? 52.
What the "figured stones" and "high places"? 52.
Rule of distribution of lands? 54.
How "pricks in your eyes," and "thorns in your sides"? 55.

2. The Boundaries of the Land. xxxiv. 1-15.

What the southern line? 3-5.
Why say, the "Salt Sea"? 3.
What the "brook of Egypt"? 5.
Known points in the northern line? 7.
What mount Hor? 7.
What "the entering in of Hamath"? 8.
What known points in the eastern line? 10-12.
After "beyond the Jordan," why add, "eastward, toward the sunrising"? 15.

3. The Men To Divide the Land Are Appointed. 16-19.

Why appointed in advance?

4. The Inheritance To Be Assigned the Levites. xxxv. 1-8.

How the two measurements to be understood? 4, 5. [91]

5. The Law Concerning Cities of Refuge. 9-34.

6. An Addition to the Law of Inheritance. xxxvi. 1-13.

The occasion of this enactment? 1-4.
Why would the inheritance thus pass to another tribe? 3.
Whom did the five women marry? 12.
Where were these last commands and laws given? 13.

REVIEW.

How many times were the Israelites numbered? when? and where?
What the whole number at each count?
Which the largest tribe each time, and which the smallest?
State the plan of their encampment.
What the divisions of the Levites? their number? their encampment? and their duties in the wilderness?
At what two different ages were they to enter service? and what two services? iv. 2, 3, 22, 23; viii. 23-26.
How did Israel find lambs for the passover in the wilderness?
What instruments of music were provided? and how were they used?
When did the camp leave mount Sinai, and what the incidents on the way to Kadesh?
What is said of Hobab?
Whence, and for what purpose were the spies sent into Canaan?
How did the people act in reference to their report? and what was the result?
What proposal was made to Moses? and how did he act in regard to it? [92]
What the interval between the departure from Kadesh and the return to it?
What events in this interval are recorded?
What the purpose, and what the results, of the rebellion of Korah?
What miracles were wrought in Aaron's favor?
To what extent was the question settled for the future?
Give the account of the death of Miriam, and that of Aaron,
What the sin of Moses and Aaron?
What the route from Kadesh to Canaan? and why?
What sin and punishment of the people on this journey?
What two enemies did Israel encounter? and what the results?
Describe the camping place on the plains of Moab.
Name the principal events during this encampment.
Was Balaam a prophet?
Why did he utter true prophecies.
What the purpose of his sacrifices?
How much of the future did his prophecies include?
When the Midianites were slain, what was done with the women and children? and why?
What led to two and a half tribes being settled east of the Jordan?
How many encampments were there in the forty years?
How then was most of the time spent?
What was to be done with the Canaanites and their possessions?
Give the boundaries of the Promised Land.
What was to be the inheritance of the Levite?
In what connections were the laws found in Numbers enacted?
What number of years is covered by the book? Cf. Ex. xix. 1.
How much of the journeying of Israel is included? [93]

[CNSH1 77-93]

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J. W. McGarvey
Class Notes on Sacred History, Volume I (1893)

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