Command the Raven

Numbers 7:17 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

Verses 12 to 17 give the detailed description of one tribe leader’s offering. Then, instead of saying that all the gifts of the other tribe leaders were exactly like this one and naming the leaders, the record goes on for SEVENTY verses repeating what has already been said, ELEVEN more times!

Why? These things “were written for our learning” [Romans 15 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
: 4].

Let us seek the answer.

Other commentators give Matthew Henry credit for giving the correct view.

He says that, both by appointing that each tribal leader was to have a separate day for his gift, and in giving the reports equal space, regardless of the contrast in the tribe’s strength and rank in the camp, God had a definite purpose.

It was “that equal honor might thereby be put on each several tribe…..Thus it was intimated that all the tribes of Israel had an equal share in the altar, and an equal share in the sacrifices that were offered upon it.

Though one tribe was posted more honorably in the camp than another, yet they and their services were all alike acceptable to God…..Rich and poor meet together before God…..He was letting us know that what is given is lent to the Lord, and He carefully records it, with every one’s name prefixed to his gift, because what is so given [as a labor of love, Heb. 6:10 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
] He will repay.

Christ took particular notice of what was cast into the treasury [Mark 12:41 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
].”

- The Amplified Bible: page 169.

Numbers 21:9 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

And Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole, and if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of bronze [attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze], he lived.

Jesus said that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, “that everyone who believes in Him – who cleaves to Him, trusts and relies on Him – may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live for ever! [John 3:14, 15 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
].

Obviously this implies that the look that caused the victim of a fiery serpent to be healed was something far more than a casual glance.

A “look” would save, but what kind of a look?

The Hebrew text here means “look attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze.”

Or, as Jesus said in the last verse of the chapter quoted above, “He who believes on – has faith in, clings to, relies on – the Son has [now possesses] eternal life.”

But whoever does not so believe in, cling to, and rely on the Son, “will never see…..life.”

THE LOOK THAT SAVES is not just a fleeting glance; it is a God-honoring, God-answered, fixed and absorbing gaze!
- The Amplified Bible: page 191

JOSHUA 10: 1
Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them.

This is the first time the word ‘king’ is found in Scripture in connection with Jerusalem, but it is used 86 times otherwise, with other cities, before this.

Once in the New Testament Melchizedek is called king of Salem, which was the ancient name of Jerusalem [Heb. 7:1-3 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Gen. 14:18 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Ps. 76:2 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
]

The word ‘Adonizedec’ means ‘Lord of righteousness’ which is the same meaning as ‘king of righteousness’, used of Melchizedek.

These were the official names of the kings of Jerusalem.

Here is the first time Jerusalem is mentioned in Scripture. It means ‘city of peace’, or ‘foundation of peace’.

It is one of the ironies of history that the city with such a name has seen so little peace and that for its possession rivers of blood have been shed.

It was originally also called ‘Jebus’ [Judg. 19:10-11 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 1 Chr. 4:5 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 2 Sam. 5:6-9 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
].
This was the old name of ‘Jerus’.
It is called ‘Jebusi’ [Judg. 18:16, 28 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
];
‘Ariel’ [Isa. 29 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
: 1];
The ‘city of righteousness’ [Isa. 1:26 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
];
And ‘holy city’ [Isa. 48:2 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 52:1; Neh. 11:1 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
].

David captured the city from the Jebusites and made it the capital of untied Israel [2 Sam. 5:6-9 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
]. It remained the capital until the division of the kingdom about 1,000 B.C.
Jerusalem then continued to be the capital of Judah until 616 B.C. when it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.

It became the capital of Israel again about 546 B.C. and remained so until the nation and city were destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

Jerusalem has undergone no less than 28 sieges from Joshua’s time to our day. 10 Sieges being from Joshua to Nebuchadnezzar [Judg. 1:8 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 2 Sam.5:6-10; 1 Ki. 14:25; 2 Ki. 18:13-19: 37; 2 Chr. 21:16-17 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 28:5-15; 36:1-2].

In the period between the close of the O.T. to 70 A.D. It was besieged 10 times.

Since then it has been besieged 8 times to 1917 A.D., 9 times if we consider the recent war between the Jews and Arabs.

Jerusalem has a future as the capital of Israel and of the Anti-Christ [Ezek. 37; Dan. 9:27-11 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
: 40-45; 2 Th. 2:3-4 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Rev. 11:1-11 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
], and as the eternal capital in the reign of Jesus Christ [Isa. 2 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Ezek. 48; Joel 3 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Amos 9:9-15 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Oba. 15-21 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Mic. 4 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; Zech. 14 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
].
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 248

Deuteronomy 9:3-4 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face : so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.

Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.

Not only did God tell Israel the truth concerning their enemies and how it would be impossible to overcome them without His help, but He assured them of His going before them like a consuming fire to devour these giant races [v3]. If they already believed concerning the power of their enemies, they should have believed as quickly that they could overcome them with God’s help.

[v 4]: This is the equivalent of saying: When the Lord enables you to get complete mastery of your enemies, do not take the credit to yourselves; you must recognize that you were powerless in yourselves, and that it was only through the help of God that you overcame them; furthermore, that it was not for any righteousness of your own that God gave you victory over your enemies, but rather, because of the wickedness of those nations and the promise of God to give their land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [v 5-6; Gen. 12:1-7 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 13:14-17; 15:18-21; 17:1-8, 19-21; 26:3-4; 28:3-4. 13-15].

This clearly illustrates the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith and that not of self [Ep. 2:8-9].

God makes it distinctly clear that they were not righteous in themselves, but that they were a stiff-necked and rebellious people. In the following passages Moses gave many instances of their rebellions to prove that it was not because of their goodness that God helped them [v 4-29].
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 208

Jeremiah 21:7, 9 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed; I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
Then said I, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. [Dake].

Jeremiah, like many other men who have been tested by suffering, failed God and laid blame on the Almighty for his insults and bodily suffering.

He had been scourged with 39 stripes and been in the stocks a night, mocked by the multitude.

Not being told this would happen when he was called by the Lord, he therefore accused Jehovah of deceiving him [v7].

The Hebrew word ‘pathah’ for deceived here could mean induced, or persuaded in a better sense than deceit. It is translated ‘persuaded’ in Pr. 25:15 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; and ‘allure’ in Hos. 2:15 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
.

It seemed to Jeremiah that he had made an utter failure and his labor was in vain, so he was crushed at spending his life for nothing.

He determined to quit speaking the word of the Lord; but it became as a fire shut up in his bones and he was weary of holding it back [v9].
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 764

Deuteronomy 22:5 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

Command – men and women shall not wear the garments of each other or anything that would violate the distinction of their sex.

The dress of the sexes in those days being more alike than in our day, there was more need for regulation. The law was perhaps made not only to preserve decency and the clear distinction between males and females, but also because pagans were in the habit of erasing such distinction in idolatrous worship.

Men wore the colored dress of women when they presented themselves before the ‘Star of Venus’, and women wore men’s armor when presenting themselves before the “Star of Mars’. Idols were frequently represented with the features on one sex and the dress of the other; and their worshippers endeavored to be like them.

Even today when idol worship is not involved it is an outrage on decency and nature for men and women to seek to erase the distinction of their own sex.

Imitating each other fosters softness and effeminacy in the man, and impudence, and boldness in the woman. It breeds levity and hypocrisy in both and opens the door to many evils which are an abomination to God and a disgrace to man.

The passage does not refer to clothing only, but to anything peculiar to each sex that clearly and unmistakingly distinguishes one from the other.

Where modern machinery requires women to change from skirts to slacks for their own safety, they can still meet their needs without turning strictly to man’s apparel.
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 221.

Genesis 49:3 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

10 DETAILS OF THE PAST:
1. Reuben the firstborn of Jacob [v3]
2. The beginning of his might and strength.
3. The excellency of his dignity and power.
4. Unstable as water [v4]
5. Defiled his father’s bed
6. Simeon and Levi cruel by nature [v 5]
7. Secretive in acts and words.
8. Quick to be angered [v 6-7].
9. Murderous to be angered
10. Self-willed and stubborn.

27 PROPHETIC DETAILS OF THE TRIBES:
1. Reuben will not excel [v4]
2. Simeon and Levi shall be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel [v 7]
3. Judah shall be the praise of his brethren [v8]
4. He will be victor over enemies [v 8. Cp. Josh. 14:11 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
; 15:1; Judg. 1:1-2 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
]
5. His brethren shall bow down to him.
6. He will be the young lion starting to kill prey. [v 9]
7. He will be bold and fierce as an old lion roused from sleep. [V 10]
8. The ruling power will be his [v 10]
9. The Messiah shall come from Judah
10. The Messiah shall gather all Israel to Himself.
11. Judah will be prosperous and have asses, vineyards, plenty of clothing, and other material blessings [v 11-12].
12. Zebulun shall have his inheritance on sea and in trade be a maritime power [v 13]. His inheritance did stretch from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean.
13. Issachar shall be like a strong ass that lies down with its load if it is wearied or overloaded [v 14-15]
14. He will be satisfied and passive toward others if he has only a measure of comfort. He will rather serve than rule if there is any degree of hardship.
15. Dan shall judge his people [v 16]
16. He shall be like a serpent in guile and cunning and overthrow those who oppose him [v 17].
17. The salvation of Israel will come from God, not from the lion-like Judah, the strong-ass traits of Issachar, or the cunning serpent-like skill of Dan. [v 18].
18. Gad shall finally overcome his enemies after being overcome [v 19].
19. Asher shall be blessed and prosperous in his inheritance [v 20].
20. Naphtali shall be like a fleet hind let loose and be eloquent of speech. [v 21]
21. Joseph shall be fruitful as a tree planted by the waters [v22].
22. He shall be hated by others and suffer at their hands [v 23].
23. He shall be helped by God who will also send the Shepherd and Stone of Israel. [v24-25].
24. He shall be blessed with material prosperity. [v25]
25. He shall have abundant offspring [v 25].
26. He shall be blessed and Israel shall be upon him forever [v 26].
27. Benjamin shall be a war-like and plundering tribe like the wolf [v 27].
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 50

Exodus 34:29 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

Hebrew ‘qaran’, to push; to shoot out horns; to send out rays; to shine out or dart forth as horns.

This seems to indicate that the glory of God in Moses’ face was like rays or darts of lightning shooting forth.

He had been in the presence of God so long in the mount that his own eyes did not recognize these shining rays from his face. Like one blinded by the sun who cannot see a candlelight, Moses was not aware that his skin shone. Cp. 2 Cor. 7:7-10 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)
.

The Vulgate reads: ‘he did not know that his face was horned’.

Because of this some painters have represented Moses with 2 horns. Others have promoted the idea by painting halos or luminous circles around the heads of saints supposed to have had special contact with God.

This not only prevails in part of the Christian world but also among Mohammedans, Hindoos, and Chinese, who evidently got the idea from stories of the many manifestations of the glory of God in O.T. days.

Various tales of God’s glory were no doubt passed on by word of mouth and added to, from one country and one generation to another; and many superstitious ideas came to be accepted as the truth.
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 106

The Lamentations of Jeremiah
How solitary and lonely sits the city [Jerusalem] that was full of people! How like a widow she has become! She who was great among nations and princess among the provinces has become a tributary – in bond service! – Amplified Bible

One may read the writings of the prophets only as valuable contributions to Old Testament history.

And he may become enriched by familiarity with their forecasts of events which have been startlingly fulfilled, thus proclaiming the divine inspiration of the books and the wisdom and power of the God Who prompted their writings.

But to stop there is by no means to grasp their full and outstanding purpose for today.

Through the prophets God is speaking definitely to every individual and nation on earth, right now DEMANDING THAT WE SEE OURSELVES AS HE SEES US, a world of nations and individuals tobogganing toward disaster; and He declares there is no alternative unless we repent and come to terms with Him.
- Amplified Bible: page 914

Isaiah 64:7 [show/hide]ERROR: You have exceeded your quota of 5000 requests per day. Please contact the developer of this application if you have questions. (If you're the developer and have questions about this error message, please contact Crossway.)

And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee, for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. – Dake.

Hebrew ‘chazaq’, to fasten upon; seize; be strong; courageous; obstinate; to bind; restrain; conquer; catch; cleave to; be constant; continue; force; lay hold on; maintain; play the man; wax mighty; prevail; retain; be urgent; wax strong.

All these meanings can be understood in connection with prayer.

If one would stir himself up this manner, refusing to be denied, and if he would appropriate every benefit of the promises and covenants of God which have been freely and abundantly given to men – all men, then such a person would experience answers to prayer for body, soul, and spirit, for both himself and others.
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 850