Lessons from Numbers and Deuteronomy
Our first day's reading has to do with the most interesting narrative of Balak's attempt to curse Israel through Balaam, and the futility of that attempt. It is well to note, tho it does not come into this narrative, that what Balaam could not do to earn his ill-gotten gain by prophesying, he did to a limited extent by inducing the children of Israel to sin. This was wrought through the ungodly women of the Midianites. We omit the remaining chapters of Numbers, and yet it would be well if our readers could take time to compare chapter 26 with chapter 1, and see the changes that took place between the numbering of the tribes at the beginning of the forty years' wandering and at the end. Some of these tribes, more faithful to God, prospered marvelously; some of them fell off in numbers. The remaining lessons of the week include Deuteronomy, chapters 1 to 7. Deuteronomy is named from Greek terms, meaning "the repetition of the law." It was Moses repeating the law again to the children of Israel, and recounting to them God's wonderful deliverances by the way. All the great moral principles there set forth are applicable to us, in our day and our time. It is well to note that Moses does not give always, or even often, the exact words of the laws which God had before given; it is not his object to do that. Those laws had been written, and he was calling the attention of the children of Israel to those laws, and sometimes giving additional reasons as to why they should keep them. This is true regarding the Sabbath as set forth in chapter 4. It is the duty of all men to keep the Sabbath as children of the great Creator of the heavens and the earth, of whom the Sabbath is a memorial. But—Israel was under even greater obligations to keep it, having been redeemed from the slavery of Egypt. Our reading for the last day of the week includes Job 28,—a wonderful panegyric on the wisdom of God, a wisdom which His children must learn by walking in the fear of Him.