Friday, Nov. 8
Numbers Chapter 5 Click here to read
Chapter 5 is easily divided into three sections, all of which are foreign to us. Their only connection is that each in its own way is about maintaining the purity or holiness of the community.
The first section about people excluded from the camp could be seen as a primitive attempt at infection control, as each of the people to be sent away are at a risk of contagion.
However, it will be centuries before people come up with modern ideas of how infection spreads. This could be ahead of its time, or it could be a reflection of more superstitious beliefs about separating people thought to be affected by evil.
The third and longest part of the chapter veers even further into what we would consider superstition, using a potion to determine if a woman suspected by her husband of adultery is really guilty.
You will sometimes see this text used in the contemporary debate about abortion to suggest that this was a divinely-ordered method of inducing an abortion in an unfaithful wife. This suggestion has little, if any, credibility.
First, there is nothing about the potion described to suggest it would induce an abortion or miscarriage.
Second, the stated purpose of the exercise is to determine if the woman has been unfaithful. If her husband had not been having sexual relations with her, a pregnancy would be proof of unfaithfulness. If he had been having sexual relations with her, a pregnancy would neither prove nor disprove adultery. It simply would not answer the question.
Another possibility is that it was intended to induce a confession from a guilty adulteress by creating a situation where she may believe discovery was unavoidable.
The second of the three sections, verses 5-10, repeat rules for restitution we have already seen, with new provisions for how restitution is to be offered if neither the wronged person or a near relative are available.
This has possible modern applications with its emphasis on restitution rather than punishment as the goal in judicial considerations.
Friday meditation
Proverbs 12:21-23
No harm overtakes the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.
Prayer focus
Pray for honesty, both in yourself and in those around you.
-Rev. Mark Fleming