In earlier chapters of the book of Numbers, we learned about God’s presence among the 2 to 2.5 million Israelites in their camp.
His presence was holy, and it was so important for the people to understand this holiness, that rules were established concerning who could and could not be in the camp. These rules were based on both physical appearance and behavior.
One issue for exclusion from the Israelite camp was any skin disorder. Conditions like eczema, severe acne, and leprosy would have kept individuals from being within the camp.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the Israelites to put out of the camp everyone who has a defiling skin disease or a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with a corpse;
You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp; they must not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”
The Israelites did so, putting them outside the camp; as the Lord had spoken to Moses, so the Israelites did (Numbers 5:1-4).
These directives, like the other 150 instances of the Lord speaking to Moses in Numbers, were direct commands from God. They weren’t decided upon by public health officials or a committee.
Their primary purpose was to emphasize God’s holiness. Since God was present among the people, it was essential for them to be holy, extending even to those with minor or major skin disorders.
Harming Others in the Community
Skin disorders are often obvious and easily detectable. However, this isn’t true for dishonesty in business dealings.
The second requirement for holiness involves individuals confessing their wrongdoing in dealings with others and making full restitution plus an additional one-fifth.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Israelites: When a man or a woman wrongs another, breaking faith with the Lord, that person incurs guilt
And shall confess the sin that has been committed. The person shall make full restitution for the wrong, adding one-fifth to it and giving it to the one who was wronged” (Numbers 5:5-7).
What strikes me about this command is that God considers dishonest dealings with other people as breaking faith with Him.
In gangster movies, a hitman might tell his victim, “Hey pal, this isn’t personal, it’s just business.”
However, when it comes to any improper dealings with other people, God declares, “No, it’s not just business; it is personal to Me.” This is precisely why God requires confession and restitution.
A Jealous Husband and His Wife
The remainder of Chapter 5 details the way a priest determines if a wife has been unfaithful to her husband.
There was an intricate procedure for a wife to undergo, involving drinking a mixture of water and dust from the tabernacle, and taking an oath that she had not been unfaithful to her husband.
The penalty for being found unfaithful through this ritual was barrenness. In that era, becoming barren was perhaps the worst possible fate for a woman.
The Book of Numbers provides a summary of this experience at the end of the chapter.
“This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,
Or when a spirit of jealousy comes on a man and he is jealous of his wife, then he shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall apply this entire law to her.
The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity” (Leviticus 5:29-31).
In his handbook on the book of Numbers, Victor Hamilton explains that this procedure was fair to both the husband and the wife, especially during a time when women had little status.
The husband was required to appear before the priest, formally making his accusation and risking his standing if his wife proved faithful.
Conversely, if the wife was unfaithful, she had to endure the ordeal of drinking the mixture of water and dirt and taking an oath.
While this might seem strange to a modern reader, it was God’s method of ensuring mutual faithfulness between husbands and wives.
Reflections
This chapter, along with other portions of the Old Testament, may seem strange and possibly extreme to modern readers. However, what we can distill from these passages is that God has provided humanity with a framework for living in relationship with Him and with one another.
The optimal way to be in God’s presence is to be holy, just as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45). The best way to serve one another is to love each other as we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39).
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 