CHAPTER 5
God, whose name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14), has some pretty strong laws against adultery. If a man becomes jealous of his wife (as God is jealous when we go astray), he should take her before the priest and make an offering.
The priest is to take an “earthen vessel” and fill it with a mixture of holy water and dirt from the tabernacle floor. The woman must drink the bitter water. If she is innocent, then she is free. If she is guilty of cheating on her husband, then she will be cursed by God causing “thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell. And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen” (Numbers 5:21-22).
This is a brutal punishment that leads to major pain, suffering, and death.
The message that I get from this is a picture of our relationship with Christ. Christians are the “bride of Christ” so we are represented by the woman in this passage. Christ, or God, is jealous of our love. This is why the first commandment is to have no other gods.
When we defile the relationship we have with Christ, God’s jealous nature arises and we earn this curse. However, the blood of Jesus Christ washes us of our sins. We SHOULD have our bellies rot when we choose to worship Facebook or sports over God, but Christ saved us from such a punishment. Hallelujah!
CHAPTER 6
Samson and John the Baptist are the most famous Nazarites in the Bible, though Samuel was one as well. The vow of a Nazarite consists of not drinking wine or strong drink, not eating grapes of any kind, not cutting his hair, and not touching a dead body. If any of these rules were violated, they were to shave their heads. This was not a lifelong vow, and when the period was over, they were to offer a lamb, ewe, and ram as a burnt offering, as well as shave and burn their hair.
I believe that there is a strong hint that the “forbidden fruit” was not an apple, but a grape. Numbers 6:4 says “vine tree,” not just vine. Thus, grapes grow on a type of tree. Grape juice or wine is also a type of blood (Christ turns water into wine in John 2, and wine becomes a type of his blood at the last supper). Blood is the life of the flesh (Gen. 9:3), and is full of sin. I believe what Dr. Peter Ruckman says about blood; that Adam and Eve were created with a water system that turned to blood when they ate the fruit and sinned for the first time (this would mirror Christ’s first miracle). Thus, it makes sense that the forbidden fruit in Eden is the same fruit that is forbidden to a Nazarite; grapes.
In verses 24-26, we see a picture of the trinity together for the first time.
24: “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:” this is God the Father who blesses us.
25: “The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:” the part of God whose face we can physically see is Jesus Christ. It is by His grace we are saved.
26: “The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” The Holy Spirit gives us peace, and peace is one of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-25).
The “trinity” is not mentioned explicitly in the Bible, though all three parts are referred to throughout. This passages shows us that all three parts are “The LORD,” thus, they are co-equal. All three parts are God, and God is not just one part; just as human beings are body (Christ), soul (Father), and spirit (Holy Spirit). We are clearly more than a mound of flesh and bone, but would not be fully human without a body. We leave this body when we die, but are given a new one in Heaven (1 Cor. 15:35-54).
My physical body breaks down more and more. Each day becomes more painful than the last. I cannot wait to receive my perfect body in Heaven; one that never rots or gets sore. I believe we are less than a decade from the Rapture and the beginning of the tribulation period.
If you are unsaved and reading this, I suggest talking with a Christian you trust or contact me. You need the truth!
Simmons' Opinions 