Chapter 8

The Law and Entering into the Promised Land

Exodus 32-40, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

The Golden Calf

• As Moses is on the mountain with God, the people fall into sin.–They give golden earrings to Aaron and

he makes a golden calf.•Why a calf?–It represented Apis, the bull-deity

and a god of fertility worshipped by the Egyptians.

Moses Returns

• Moses received the tablets of the Law from God Himself• God told Moses what the people were doing and He disowned

them. He offered to kill them and raise up a new people for Moses to lead (effectively making Moses a “New Abraham”)– How did Moses respond?• He pleads with God to spare Israel.

• When Moses sees for himself what the people of Israel are doing how does he react?– He threw the tablets of the Law on the ground and they

smashed into pieces.• This symbolizes Israel breaking the covenant with

God.

Moses Returns

• Exodus 32:25-29– Moses realizes the people are not on the Lord’s

side– The sons of Levi (Levites) show their loyalty• Moses orders them to kill the idolaters–Moses rewards the Levites by making them

priests

After the Fall

• Israel lost some of its unique, personal relationship with God– For one, only the Levites assumed the priesthood

• Remember in the last chapter when it was said that all the people of Israel were to be priests? That changed.

– The law was given to maintain order and teach humility and holiness

• Moses goes back up Mt. Sinai bringing with him new tablets to write the commandments on and thus renews the covenant– When he comes down his face is radiant and needs to be

covered with a veil

End of the Book of Exodus

• The remainder of the Book of Exodus deals with building the Tabernacle and with other concerns (such as priestly garments)

• At the very end, God fills the tabernacle and orders the peoples’ travels (Ex. 40:34-38).

Book of Leviticus

• Leviticus meaning:– From Latin: “having to do with the Levites”

• Why?

• Leviticus is a sort of “Manual for Priests”– It is primarily concerned with atonement, ritual purity, and holiness.

• Atonement is causing a sin to be forgiven• Ritual Purity is meant to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a

worship of God– This is done because in Leviticus it says that God separates himself from things that are

“unclean”

• Holiness is dependent on the first two in order to dedicate oneself to God

• Many laws are listed and they are meant to be taken seriously– See Lv 10: 1-3

Book of Leviticus: Kosher Laws

• Other laws included in Leviticus include Kosher laws– Kosher is a Hebrew word meaning “fit [for

consumption]– An example of which animals are considered ritually

pure are:• Land mammals with a “cloven hoof” and who “chews the

cud”• Fish with scales and fins• Certain birds (based on tradition, not on physical criteria)

Book of Leviticus: Various Laws

• Other laws included are:– A prohibition against worshipping Moloch: Lv 20: 1-

8– A prohibition to curse one’s parents (punishable by

death)– Blasphemy is punishable by death

• Leviticus ends by telling the people the rewards they will receive for obedience and the punishments they will suffer for disobedience to these laws. (Leviticus 26)

Book of Numbers

• This book is essentially a recounting of Israel’s failure to live up to the Law and to trust in God.– In Hebrew the title of Numbers means “in the wilderness”, which is

a more accurate title• This is because throughout the entire book of Numbers, Israel is

wandering for 40 years in the desert

• Why did it take 40 years when the journey normally took 11 days?– The people failed to trust in God.– Throughout the journey they continually “murmur” (complain)

about their hardships and about Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership abilities. • Because of their murmuring, many are destroyed by God throughout the

course of the journey.

Nazarite Vow

• Numbers 6: 1-21 describes the conditions of the Nazarite Vow.– This was an optional vow taken to commit oneself

to the LORD• It included commitments such as not drinking alcohol;

not cutting one’s hair; and not going near corpses or graves– We will hear about this again, especially concerning whom?

» Samson!» Other famous narizites: Absolom, Samuel, Paul, and John

the Baptist

The Spies

• When they neared the Promised Land, Moses sent spies out to scope it out and report their findings.– While in the Promised Land they bring back a cluster of

grapes so big it had to be carried placed on a pole and carried by two people (Nm 13:23)

– When they return the spies give their report: Nm 13: 25-33• Upon hearing this, the people believed 10/12 spies and said

“would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”• Only Caleb and Joshua believed that Israel could conquer the

land. They had faith in God.– How did the people respond to Joshua and Caleb?

Doomed to Death

• The people responded by attempting to stone Joshua and Caleb to death. – As punishment for the people’s faithlessness, God

decides to let them die in the wilderness: Nm 14:28-31– Of this generation of people, only Caleb and Joshua

would live to enter the Promised Land

• Significance of the number 40 – it represented the period of time it took a new generation to arise