Synthetic Bible Studies by James Gray

• Title Page
• Pentateuch
  • Lesson 1: Genesis 1–11
  • Lesson 2: Genesis 12:1–28:15
  • Lesson 3: Genesis 28–50
  • Lesson 4: Exodus 1–19
  • Lesson 5: Exodus 20–40
  • Lesson 6: Leviticus
  • Lesson 7: Numbers 1–19
  • Lesson 8: Numbers 20–36
    • At Mount Hor
    • At Moab
    • The Story of Balaam
    • Minor Events
    • Six Cities of Refuge
    • The Types in Numbers
  • Lesson 9: Deuteronomy
• History
• Poetry
• Prophets
• Post Captivity Prophets
• Gospels, Acts
• Pauline Epistles
• General Epistles

always that God would give him his own way. Use your concordance here to see what the Holy Spirit says about Balaam and “Balaamism” in other places of the Bible.

Minor Events

If what follows in the book is classed as “minor events,” it does not mean that they are less important in themselves necessarily, but only that they take up less room comparatively.

It will be seen from Numbers 25, that what the Moabites could not accomplish against Israel by war or magical incantation, they came very near doing by more insidious means. What is the name of the idol mentioned in Numbers 25:3?

Baal was a general name for “Lord,” and Peon for a “mount” in Moab. Another name for this “Lord of the mount” was Chemosh, whose rites were accompanied by the grossest obscenity. These lessons cannot do much in the way of explaining such matters, but the Bible dictionary heretofore recommended will come in place here. Which seems to have been chief in the trespass in this case, the people of God or the heathen (Numbers 25:16-18)? And yet observe from the preceding verses that the one was punished as well as the other. Compare carefully Numbers 31:1-20. What warnings these lessons give about sin!

What, in a word, is the subject of Numbers 26? What qualification of an earlier supposition is found in Numbers 26:26? On what basis was the land to be divided (Numbers 26:53-54)? What word of God had been fulfilled prior to this numbering (Numbers 26:64-65)?

If one has a taste for figures, it will be seen that the people had multiplied greatly, notwithstanding the devastating judgments on them. It will be seen, too, that the more sinful tribes diminished, while the others increased, so that the division of the land on the basis of populousness was a direct reward to some and punishment to others. To him that hath shall be given, but in the grace and providence of God the one that hath is the one who obeys and pleases Him. While the land was divided by lot, what shows that the matter was still under the control of God (Proverbs 16:33)? How were the rights and privileges of the female sex to be regarded in the distribution (Numbers 27)?

Who is chosen to succeed Moses? What expression (Numbers 27:16) indicates God’s ability to discriminate among men in assigning them their tasks? How is Joshua differentiated from others (Numbers 27:18)? What shows his need nevertheless, of special direction from the word of the Lord (Numbers 27:21)?