The closing chapters of Numbers deal with the cities of refuge,—type of the refuge to be found in Christ Jesus,—the law concerning murder, and concerning heiresses.
The remainder of the week's reading includes the first fourteen chapters of Deuteronomy, the last of the five books of Moses. The word "Deuteronomy" means "the repetition of the law," rehearsed and emphasized by Moses just before his death, as Israel was about to enter the promised land. The whole book abounds in practical religious instruction. It has been one of the targets of the higher critics; but as against all their criticism, it is sufficient to bring the Master's reverence for the book. In His threefold temptation Jesus met the devil successfully each time by a quotation from the book of Deuteronomy; and He quoted it without question. See Matt. 4:1-10.
Chapters 1 to 3 inclusive are a rehearsing of God's dealings with Israel after they left Horeb. What might have been but "eleven days' journey" into the promised land, took Israel, because of unbelief, thirty-eight years, forty, from Egypt. Especially keep in mind as we read this book the words of the apostle concerning the people of God during this time: "Now these things happened unto them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor. 10:11, 12.
Note the "take heeds" thruout the book. The very thing which God warned against was the sin into which Israel fell. They did not heed the warning. A "take heed" for this time is found in Luke 21:34.
Note the greatness of God's deliverance from Egypt as told in chapter 4. A greater deliverance is coming by and by. That deliverance from Egypt was redemption. It takes the same power to redeem as to create; therefore the Sabbath became to redeemed Israel not alone a memorial of creation (Ex. 20:8-11), but a sign of redemption. Deut. 5:15.
The giving of God's law on tables of stone is clearly told and told again; but it is even more emphasized that that law must be in the heart, and the service of love is the only true service. Note the instruction to parents. What a different world it would be if all these instructions were heeded.
Psalm 72 closes the second division of the book of the Psalms, with the words, "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." The first book, or division (see A.R.V.), closing with Psalm 41, is made up wholly of David's psalms. The second book—Psalms 42 to 72—is mostly psalms of David, with a few others from Asaph and the sons of Korah. Others of David are found in the two last books or divisions of the psalms, but many of them are from different sources; Asaph is the author of quite a large number. Psalm 72 is clearly prophetic of Christ thru Solomon. Compare Ps. 75:8 with Rev. 14:10. God's just wrath is still mixed with mercy.
Soul and Spirit.—The original words in the Hebrew and Greek from which "soul" and "spirit" are translated occur about 1,700 times in the aggregate. But never once are they called immortal. Immortality is never attributed to either in this life. Sometimes soul means the entire person; sometimes, the animal life; sometimes the affections, emotions. Spirit sometimes refers to a complete thinking being, as God, Christ, and the angels; sometimes to the life. The context readily determines the sense in which it is used.