In Numbers 25 the Israelites end up being cursed by the Moabites, but not because Balaam offered a curse. The Israelites managed to bring the curse upon themselves, by intermingling with the Moabites sexually and in worshiping their pagan gods. God sent a plague on the Israelites, while Moses called on any who were faithful to God to put to death those who were sinning with the Moabites. Eleazar ended matters by killing an Israelite man who was with a Midianite woman. When the carnage had been counted 24,000 Israelites had died. What a severe lesson! The people of Israel would soon repeat this sin of intermingling with the people of the Promised Land, but God was determined to have His people remain holy. As Jesus’ followers, we are called to be in the world, but not of it. The challenge to do so can be great, because the more we spend time among those who fail to follow the Lord, the greater the opportunities to be influenced in that direction ourselves.
Numbers 26 records a second “numbering” of Israel. God called Moses and Eleazar to count the fighting men aged twenty and older as had been done at the beginning of the Exodus. The people were getting ready to move into the Promised Land, and God was preparing them for this important transition. Once in the land, and having overcome their enemies, the tribes would be given allotments according to the numbers of their groups.
In Numbers 27 Zolophehad brought a complaint to Moses about her clan missing out on an inheritance, because no sons were born to her father. After consulting with God, it was determined she and her sisters would receive an inheritance. In the remainder of the chapter God directs Moses to select Joshua as his replacement. At first, God told Moses it was His time to die, but Moses asked God to appoint someone to replace Him so the people wouldn’t be like sheep without a shepherd. God granted Moses’ wish and had Moses appoint Moses before the people, which Moses did.
In John 11 we read the record of Lazarus’ death. Jesus knew about Lazarus’ illness, because his sisters sent word to Jesus about it, but Jesus didn’t go and heal him right away. He let Lazarus die, then came four days later. Lazarus’ sisters Martha and Mary each went out to Jesus and confronted Him in their own ways. Jesus told Martha her brother would rise from the dead. Martha agreed, but thought Jesus meant the resurrection on the last day. Jesus countered by saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he died, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in m shall never die.” Those statements have comforted many believers throughout history, because we realize when we face death it is only a temporary set back. Ultimately, Jesus talks with Martha, weeps with Mary, and then raises Lazarus from the dead. We would think this would convince the Pharisees that Jesus was the Messiah. Instead, it convinced them to plot Jesus’ death! They reasoned anyone with Jesus’ power would ultimately draw the Romans’ attention and Israel would be crushed, so better to have one die than the entire nation sacrificed. This statement was prophetic: Jesus would die not only for Israel, but for the entire world.