Numbers 27 – The question arises
what to do with the portion of property belonging to a family if no son is
left, but there are daughters. Moses
consults the Lord and He tells Moses their cause is just. Daughters
should be able to inherit if there are no sons. If there are no daughters, the land should go
to the man’s brothers or to his father’s brothers or the nearest relative in
the clan.
The
Lord sends Moses up into the Abarim Mountains (east of the Jordan) to view the
land the Lord is giving to the people before he dies. Moses will not be permitted to enter “because in the rebellion of
the community in the desert of Zin, both he and Aaron rebelled against my order
to manifest my sanctity to them by means of the water” (27:14). Moses says,
“May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, set over the community a
man who shall act as their leader in all things, to guide them in all their actions; that the Lord’s community may not be
like sheep without a shepherd” (27:16-17). Joshua shall be that man for
now. Moses “commissions” him by laying
his hand on him: “Invest him with some of your own dignity, that the whole
Israelite community may obey him” (27:20).
Numbers 28 - The Lord again
outlines for the people the various offerings that they must present to the
Lord:
· The Daily (Tamid) Holocaust--a young unblemished
yearling lamb each morning and each evening, each with a cereal offering and a
libation of wine.
· On the Sabbath--an additional lamb offered each morning and
evening (I think)
· The New Moon Feast--first of each month, two bullocks, one
ram and seven unblemished yearling lambs with cereal and libations to go
along. In addition, one goat shall be
offered as a sin offering. These all are
in addition to the daily offerings. Schocken editors point out that this is a new feast, not in Leviticus 23.
· At Passover--for seven days eat unleavened bread. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and
do no work. Offer a holocaust of two
bullocks, one ram and seven yearling lams together with cereal offerings and
libations. And offer one goat as a sin
offering. On the seventh day also you
shall hold a sacred assembly and do no work..
· At Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Passover)--the day of first
fruits (or feast of weeks), offer two bullocks, one ram and seven yearling
lambs, etc., and one goat as a sin offering as before.
Origen (185-254 AD)
De Principiis (First
Principles)
Book One
1 – On God – He says that some say
“God is a body, because in the writings of Moses they find it said, the ‘our
God is a consuming fire;’ and in the Gospel according to John, that ‘God is a
Spirit, and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.’ Fire and spirit, according to them, are to
be regarded as nothing else than a body.”
But
he wonders what such people would say about the words from John that say “’God
is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.’ Truly He is that light which
illuminates the whole understanding of those who are capable or receiving
truth, as is said in the thirty-sixth Psalm, ‘In Thy light we shall see light.’
For what other light of God can be
named, ‘in which anyone sees light,’ save an influence of God, by which a man,
being enlightened, either thoroughly sees the truth of all things, or comes to
know God Himself, which is called the truth? Such is the meaning of the
expression, ‘In Thy light we shall see light;’ i.e., in Thy word and wisdom
which is Thy Son, in Himself we shall see Thee the Father.” Just because He is called “light” doesn’t
mean that He is like the sun. One cannot
obtain knowledge or understanding of the truth from any kind of corporeal
source of light.
2 – If it is true that God
“cannot be understood to be a body in the sense that light is, similar
reasoning will hold true of the expression ‘a consuming fire.’” But while God
cannot be understood as a reality which consumes material substances, God does
“consume evil thoughts, wicked actions, and sinful desires, when they find
their way into the minds of believers; and that, inhabiting along with His Son
those souls which are rendered capable of receiving His word and wisdom . .
. He makes them, after all their vices
and passions have been consumed, a holy temple, worthy of Himself.”
Similarly
the Scriptures do not use the term “Spirit” in any corporeal way. I take it here he
means that Spirit is not to be conceived of as something “ghost-like.” It is
just the opposite.
“The
apostle . . says, ‘Even unto this day,
when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.: nevertheless, when it [their
heart] shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
liberty.’ [citing 2 Cor. 3:15] For so long as anyone is not converted to a
spiritual understanding, Scripture
itself is said or thought to be covered.”
“But
if we turn to the Lord, where also is the word of God, and where the Holy
Spirit reveals spiritual knowledge, then the veil is taken away, and with
unveiled face we shall behold the glory of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures.”
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