John 1:27-2:11, God wants to transform our lives

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John 1:29-34 (NIV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."


32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."


• Why is Jesus called the lamb of God? Refers to the Passover lamb. "Of God" means that God provides the sacrifice. Both are OT references, one to Abraham and Isaac and the other to the Exodus
• Gen 22:7-8 (NIV) Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"


"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.


"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"


8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.
• Ex 12:3 (NIV) Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
• Why does John say "sin" and not "sins?"
• Phrase that can be used to reflect the totality of sin in the world
• Could also refer to the original sin which was Adam & Eve's rebellion
• Apparently, John did not know the identity of his cousin
• God did give him a sign to identify the Lamb of God
• Only gospel which doesn't record the event but rather the result
• Here as in other places in this Gospel, John refers to Jesus as the Son of God
• Clearly indicates his deity
• The term "Messiah" would not in any way convey deity


John 1:35-42 (NIV) The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"


37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"


They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"


39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."


So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.


40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.


Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).


• What is John's mission? To point people to Jesus
• How do at least two of John's disciples respond? They start following Jesus
• There is a dual-intention in John's gospel. On the surface the question asks one thing but at the same time it asks a much more deeper question. I like the idea that God does not ask questions to gain information, but to cause us to think or respond to the question. What does the question "what do you want" ask at a deeper level?
• You were following John, why are you now following me?
• What you are looking for by following me?
• Do you really want to follow me?
• They call Jesus "Rabbi" which indicates what?
• They consider him a teacher they could learn from
• The phrase "come and see" describes the first step. Understand, Jesus wasn't just showing them where he lived, but rather to spend time with him. Spending time with Jesus is the first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus
• We also learned something of these first two, who are they?
• One is Andrew, identified as Simon Peter's brother
• The other is not identified. Some of speculated that hints at the author, John, but there is no evidence
• Andrew invites Peter. Inviting others to Jesus is a natural result of spending time with Jesus
• APPLICATION: Getting to know Jesus is the essence of discipleship


John 1:43-51 (NIV) The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."


44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."


46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.


"Come and see," said Philip.


47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."


48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.


Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."


49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."


50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."  51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."


• Now Philip enters the picture. The "follow me" invitation is not a call to drop everything, but rather an invitation to learn. This point is very early in Jesus' ministry, long before his public start
• Philip appears to be acquaintance or friends with Andrew and Peter. Andrew finds Peter; Philip finds Nathanael
• This is how the gospel spreads, friends finding other friends
• The best thing anyone can do for another is to introduce them to Jesus
• Philip repeats Jesus earlier invitation to Andrew, "come and see"
• How does Jesus know Nathanael?
• He had seen him under a fig tree
• Shows what God-like attribute? Omnipresence
• He calls him a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit or falsehood
• The term Israel is God's new name for Jacob
• Jacob's name meant deceit
• Nathanael's reaction seems extreme and over the top, why wouldn't he think Jesus a Prophet?
• Possible that they were already discussing Jesus' claim to deity
• Miracle is something only God could do, although God could have revealed it to the prophet, as was the case with Elisha
• Jesus promises him even great things
• He alludes to Jacob's dream at Bethel, where Jacob saw angels ascending and descending to heaven
• This dream preceded years of change that God would bring about in Jacob's life
• APPLICATION: God is in the business of change. Are you changing, becoming a different person or just treading water? If you are treading water, you will have a miserable life


John 2:1-11 (NIV) On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."


4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come."


5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."


6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.


7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.


8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."


They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."


11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.


• Constable, 2012 writes "John's account of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry highlights the fact that Jesus replaced what was old with something new (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). New wine replaced old water. Later a clean temple replaced a dirty one, a new birth replaced an old birth, living (flowing) water replaced well water, and new worship replaced old worship. The larger underlying theme continues to be the revelation of Jesus' identity."
• Constable, 2012 writes
• John's specific reference to days in chapter 1 and here is unusual for him
• On the first day, John the Baptist gave his veiled witness to Jesus (1:19-28)
• The second day he gave his open witness to Jesus (1:29-34)
• The third day John's two disciples followed Jesus (1:35-42)
• The fourth day Philip and Nathanael met Jesus (1:43-51).
• On the third day after that, the seventh day, Jesus did His miracle at Cana
• Customarily, the wedding of a maiden took place on a Wednesday, and that of a widow on Thursday (Edersheim).  The Jews regarded periods of seven days as reflecting God's creative activity. Perhaps John wanted his readers to associate this beginning of Jesus' ministry with the beginning of the cosmos (Gen. 1) that also happened in seven days. If so, this would be another witness to Jesus' deity"
• Who is getting married and how might you infer your answer?
• Jesus is invited so he either knows the couple or he is family
• Why doesn't Jesus decline the event?
• Shows Jesus is not a recluse
• God takes joy and participates in events of joy
• Mary's involvement suggests that it is one of her children getting married
• Since no mention of Joseph during Jesus' ministry days, we can assume Joseph was already passed away
• Mary would have naturally leaned on the oldest
• To run out of wine would have been a social disgrace that probably would have haunted the family for years
• Jesus response to Mary has to be understood culturally
• "Woman" as opposed to "mother" was acceptable and only shows his new relationship as he enters his public ministry
• "Why do you involve me?" was a gentle rebuke to suggest that this was not his mission or ministry. But his involvement does show his compassions
• Apparently, his mother's response shows that she interpreted his answer differently than we might read it
• What do we know of these pots?
• Stone, used for ceremonially cleansing. Clay absorbed water and bacteria
• You did not drink out of them
• 20-30 gallons or total 120-180 gallons
• How does the head waiter respond?
• Normally, hosts holds the cheap wine until people are inebriated (proves the wine was not just grape juice)
• God makes a wonderful wine, in which people could get inebriated (APPLICATION: people often abuse God's good gifts and use them in a manner that God did not intend)
• What is the significance?
• It shows Jesus with the power of creation, and even the appearance of age
• It shows that transformative power of Jesus -- he can change water into blood or water into wine
• 2 Cor 5:17 (THE MESSAGE) Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!
• APPLICATION: God wants to change us. God wants to recreate us. But we must spend time with Him regularly if we are serious about change. We need a regular quiet time


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Jn 1:1-27, A unique message with a warning

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• Use 1:36 mark

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

. . .

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

• Logos is the Greek word for "word" used here. While used by Plato, it also corresponds to the Aramaic word "memra," a technical term used by rabbis, centuries before and after Christ when speaking of God's expression of himself
• How does John describe the word?
• Word existed from the beginning
• Word was with God
• Word was God
• Word was with God from the beginning (note the word is expressed in a pronoun "he")

• Word is both God and separate from God (two aspects of the trinity). Word is eternal in existence

• Other facets of the word?
• Through "him" or "word" or "logos" all things were made
• The word is the creator -- "nothing was made that has been made"
• A little play on words since everything ultimately was made out of nothing

• Additionally?
• In "him" was life -- the word is the source of life for all mankind
• Note John 6:33 "I am the resurrection and the life"
• He, the word, is the light of men
• John 8:12 "I am the light of the world"

• What is the darkness?
• The darkness is the world which chooses to be ignorant of God's existence and rules
• Word for comprehend is katalambano, meaning, to take, sieze, or possess. In other words, the world refuses to accept the word

• If we substitute X for Logos, we would have:
• X == God; X<> God; X == creator; X == infinity; X == life; X == light; X== Flesh or Jesus
• The word became flesh and skenoo (meaning to tent or encamp or tabernacle) among us
• In the past, God's presence (shekinah glory) encamp in a tent, later a temple
• When Jesus came, God live among the people in Jesus, later in our hearts through the HS

• APPLICATION: This is the message. Can we communicate it? The word was God, was with God, and became flesh. It is unique in all of human history because of the signs and wonders which validated it

John 1:6-9 (NIV) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

• Before Jesus comes, God sends a man to testify to the light, why?
• Unique time in history
• God sends a special announcement

• What was John's purpose?
• To prepare people's heart
• To help people to believe
• To tell them that the true light was coming into the world
• (I wonder if it was also to warn people)

• APPLICATION: God sends warnings all the time. Are we listening to his warnings in our own life?

John 1:10-13 (NIV) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

• So God himself was in the world and how does the world respond?
• It does not recognize its creator
• Isn't that still true today? We still don't recognize God as the creator of the world

• He came to his own -- who were his own?
• The people of God, Jews, believers in God
• His own did not receive him. Even those who should have known him better than anyone else did not recognize the times

• What is the promise to those who did believe?
• The right to become children of God

• How does one not become a child of God?
• Natural descent -- you cannot be born a Christian or born in a Christian nation and be a Christian
• Human decision -- you can't just choose to be a Christian, which is different from believing
• A husband's will -- someone like a husband or parent can't choose for you to be a Christian

• There is only one way to be a Christian, what is it?
• To believe and receive him
• To be born of God

• APPLICATION: A lot of people call themselves Christians in America, but the only ones who are truly Christians are those who have believed and received. God warns people that there is only one true way to salvation

John 1:15-28 (NIV) John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"

He said, "I am not."

"Are you the Prophet?"

He answered, "No."

22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"

24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

• John says that he is not Elijah, but what does Jesus says?
• Jesus did not say he was Elijah but is Elijah in his spirit

• The prophet is something that Moses promised God would send in the future
• Some believe that Elijah and the Prophet are the two witnesses who are killed during the tirbulation

• John calls himself the "voice of one calling in the wilderness?"
• APPLICATION: Do you feel like the voice of one calling in the wilderness? Do you shrink back at the mention of Jesus' name? You have life and light by the very fact that God dwells in you, and there are people out there without life and light. Yeah, their lives look like they don't need God, but the reality is that most people are really looking for meaning. What are we doing to share with them? At a minimum, can you pray for your non-Christian friends?

Num 32-36, Can we wait on God or must we rush headlong into life?

Review applications from the previous chapters of Numbers:

Num 1-6	God is a God of order, not chaos Planning is an important attribute for the believer
Num 7-10	Life is not equal or fair Wisdom comes through the doing of the Word
Num 11-12	When you dabble with sin, you will get burned Who you hang with (rabble) will affect you spiritually
Num 13-14	God does answer prayer, but we cannot demand the response God's Word trumps the world's opinions and views Certain decisions are irrevocable!
Num 15-16	Be very careful when you challenge spiritual leadership A wise man heeds rebuke Not every bad thing is from God, but God can use it for good
Num 17-21	Do we give God our best or our leftovers? Do we have faith that God cares for us? Do we fight with God when we don't like his direction for our life?
Num 22-25	We are to seek God in our decisions through prayer Sexual immorality destroys families and countries
Num 26-27	Where you hang out seriously affects your fruitfulness Humility is a powerful trait that protects us from corruption
Num 28-31	Just before a major undertaking, God reminds the people of how to maintain a relationship with Him Husband's role is as an advocate and protector of his wife, not a ruler Dealing with sin in half measures is ineffective



Num 32:1-24 (NIV) The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3 "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon —  4 the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel — are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."


6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the Lord has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob —  12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' 13 The Lord's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.

14 "And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."


16 Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."


20 Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this — if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle, 21 and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him —  22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.


23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."


• Why do the Reubenites and Gadites (and I believe that half of tribe of Manasseh) make their suggestion to Moses?
• First thing they saw, they jump on it
• Possibly it was better (it was good land for pasture -- to this day it is used by Bedouin shepherds)
• APPLICATION:
• Spiritually, these tribes chose to live on the outside of the promised land rather than in the promised land
• Spiritually, they were separated  by a river from fellowship with their brothers
• Spiritually, they are a little like Lot who looked east and saw a better place than the promised land (to his ruin). They chose to walk by sight rather than faith
• Why does Moses assume the worst in their request?
• He does not want to repeat the sin of Kadesh
• They really bring up the suggestion poorly (the request could have been phrased differently)
• He recognizes man's sinful nature
• Even after their response to his objections, Moses has one last admonition, what is it?
• Your sin find you out
• APPLICATION: in the end, sin usually comes to the surface in embarrassing fashion


Num 33:1-2 (NIV) Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the Lord's command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages: . . .


• NOTE: Forty two locations are mentioned and apparently four, interestingly enough, are not mentioned (Constable, 2010)
• The locations are most likely synonymous with significant events that served as a reminder to Israel
• Since a number of the moves occur in the first two or last two years, it would appear that the bulk of the forty years were spent with little movement, quite possibly a year or two at a single place before moving again
• What do you think were some of the main lessons people learned during all  the moving around?
• Probably lessons of contentment and lessons of complacency
• Too much movement is wearing and too little movement is boring, yet often life is exactly that
• God knew what he was doing and he was preparing a people for a future work
• Sometimes, we don't realize that the chaos in our lives is something God can use to teach us new things
• While God is not always the cause, we do know that he is always working to bring good out of a situation, whatever the reason for the event (Rom 11:28)


Nu 35:16-25 (NIV)“ ‘If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 17 Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies 21 or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
22 “ ‘But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally 23 or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, 24 the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.


• So what are the basic rules here?
• If you have a weapon or you have intention, you are guilty of murder
• If the act unintentional, then you are not guilty
• In any case, you must make it to a city of refuge for a trial
• And if you are found not guilty, you must stay in the city of refuge until the high priest dies
• So, there is a cost even when you are not at fault. And that makes sense, since to some degree, carelessness cost someone their life
• Nowadays, we would call that manslaughter. But manslaughter does not cost when it is purely accidental and no negligence is shown
• In Jewish society, this differentiation would not matter -- most accidents can be prevented by careful attention
• APPLICATION: I wonder if people were more careful with their actions when they realized the penalty for even mistakes. And maybe we would be better off if we owned our mistakes rather than blamed them on other things -- I suppose we used to call this, responsibility.

Num 28-31, The necessity of a relationship and seriousness in walking with God

Num 28:3, 9, 11, 16, 26, 29:1, 7, 12 (NIV) Say to them: 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the Lord: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day.

. . .

9 "'On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil.

. . .

11 "'On the first of every month, present to the Lord a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.

. . .

16 "'On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord's Passover is to be held.

. . .
26 "'On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

. . .
29:1 "'On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.

. . .
7 "'On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work.

. . .
12 "'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days.

• As the people prepare to enter the land, why does God remind them of their obligations to him?
• It is easy to forget God when life seems to be coming together
• It is easy to forget the importance of the relationship

• God reiterates the sacrificial and feast requirements. How is the list organized?
• By frequency and date
• The first requirements are daily, then weekly, then monthly, and then each of the seven main feasts that occur once per year in the order of their appearance
• The unleavened bread feast is not shown above but is recorded in verses 17-25
• Later on, the Jews will add two more festivals, the day of Purim (added during the time of Esther) and Hanukah (added during the period of the Maccabees)
• The seven feasts have eschatological significance with Jesus death and Pentecost fulfilling the first four. The final three feasts all occur in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar (October / November of ours)

• Still, the real importance of the list was the protection of the people so that they could maintain a relationship with God

• In the New Covenant, Jesus satisfies all of these sacrificial demands. But the importance of relationship is still key. The children of the Exodus are not about to enter the land, and their success in life will depend upon them seeking God

• So too, our success in life (as witnesses for Christ) is dependent upon our relationship with God. If we seek Him regularly, He will use us for His name's sake and glory. If we ignore him, we lose our salt and are best thrown onto the garbage pile of life.

Num 30:1-5 (NIV) Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: "This is what the Lord commands: 2 When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

3 "When a young woman still living in her father's house makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her. . . .

• How do these verse strike you, especially in modern society?

• There is one verse for a man concerning a vow or oath, and then 13 verses follow for a woman concerning a vow or oath. What are the consequences of a rash vow for a man and for a woman?
• The man is given freedom to take a vow or oath without any second guessing or review
• Except for the case of a widow or divorced woman (vs. 9), the woman's vow or oath can be nullified by various persons depending upon her situation (Father or husband)

• So is that unfair?
• Actually it would seem that the woman is given a better deal. She is protected from a rash vow or oath. Also, the husband bears the guilt if he waits too long before nullify a vow or oath of his wife
• On the other hand, the man must be very careful with his words because he has no one to protect him from rashness. Nor does he have an advocate to release him from his words

• One principle that comes out of this section is the role of a Husband as the protector an advocate of his wife (I did not say ruler)
• He protects her from rashness and he bears her guilt of rash statements that he is slow to nullify
• The husband's wife is not a servant to be abused. She is a precious gem to be protected and loved. The husband is to be interested in all aspects of her life and he is to seek to present her to God in the radiant beauty that God designed her to be.

Num 31:1-6, 13-15 (NIV ) The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people."

3 So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the Lord's vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

. . .

13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army — the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds — who returned from the battle.

15 "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. 16 "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

• What do we know of the Midianites?
• They are a nomadic tribe occupying the Arabian desert and the area south of Israel
• They participated with Moab in seducing Israel to worship Baal, and to engage in sexual immorality
• Additionally, Balaam is a Midianite, and he does not escape God's judgment for his participation in the plan to seduce Israel
• Surprisingly, Moab is not judged here and will continue for many centuries, which also says that Moab's fear of Israel was unjustified
• The Midianites are not large and it takes only 12,000 men to destroy the 5 clans. Balaam is killed in this battle. 

• Why does God require the women and boys to be killed, it seems unfair to kill the women and boys?
• I think our definition of fairness is a misunderstanding of holiness. No one can stand before God without faith, we are all undeserving. If he is merciful to some, who are we to judge the creator? He has the right to do as he pleases with his creation
• But God also understands what we do not, and that is, half-measures toward sin inevitably fail. We need to be serious with sin in our life and not play at the edges, because in the end, we will be burned
• At this point, Israel does not understand the danger of half measures and  spares the women and children