Friday

22-February

Numbers 1-3; Proverbs 23; Mark 15

Numbers 1:  Who was to be included in the census of the Israelites and who ordered it? What was the total number of men counted?  Who was not included?

Numbers 2: How were the people divided?

Numbers 3:  What were the responsibilities of the men from the tribe of Levi and how many were there in total?

Proverbs 23: What characteristics of a child will cause a parent to rejoice – 23:15,16?

Mark 15: What other people were mentioned in this chapter that had some involvement in coming to Jesus’ assistance?

Journal Prompt: What reasons are given why we should not envy sinners – 23:17-19? What are some ways that people are sometimes guilty of envying sinners?

Answers:

Number 1: The Lord ordered Moses to take a census of all the males 20 years and older for military purposes – these were men who could go to war.  The total number of men counted was 603,550.  The Levites were not included in the census – they were to be responsible for the Tabernacle and for all the duties associated with it.

Numbers 3:  The Levites were responsible for everything to do with the Tabernacle: Aaron and his sons were the priests.  Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.  The Gershonites were in charge of guarding the different parts of the Tabernacle.  Aaron and his sons would guard the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle.  The other duties of these clans will be outlined in the next chapter.  There were a total of 22,273 Levites listed.  (It’s interesting that the Lord told Moses to ‘list’ the Levites as opposed to ‘take a census’.)

Numbers 2: The men were organized according to the tribes – the descendants of Jacob (Israel)’s sons.

Proverbs 23: What characteristics of a child will cause a parent to rejoice – 23:15,16?

Mark 15: Simon of Cyrene (father of Alexander and Rufus) helped Jesus carry the cross, and Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, took his body, prepared it for burial and laid it in a tomb then rolled a stone over the entrance.