Numbers 5

CHAPTER 5

The Purity of the Camp (5:1–4)

1–4 The laws given in this chapter and the next deal with the cleanness and purity of the whole community of Israelites. The need for such cleanness was made clear when the Israelites first camped at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:10,14–15). Cleanness and purity, both inward and outward, were necessary if God was to dwell in their midst; if God were to cease dwelling in their midst, the Israelites would lose their greatest blessing and their greatest distinctiveness. Without God in their midst, they could not survive as a nation.

The first group of laws concerns ceremonial uncleanness. Three causes of uncleanness are mentioned in verse 2: infectious skin disease (Leviticus 13:1–46), a bodily discharge (Leviticus 15:1–33), and contact with a dead body (Numbers 19:11–22). These three causes not only produced ceremonial uncleanness but also had the potential for producing disease in the community. For the good of the community as a whole, the unclean individual had to be expelled from the camp. It may seem harsh to us today to expel a diseased person in this way, but the welfare of the community had to take precedence over the welfare of the individual.¹⁷ This was especially true in spiritual terms: if a person’s uncleanness or sin were to cause God to withdraw His presence from Israel, theentire community would face disaster; such a person had to be expelled.¹⁸

People ask: Where is God’s compassion for the unclean, for the sinner? The answer is that God has provided a means of removing uncleanness and guilt: in the Old Testament He provided cleansing and ATONEMENT through animal sacrifices; in the New Testament He has provided cleansing and atonement through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:11-14; 13:11-12)

Once again, we must understand that these seemingly harsh laws were actually manifestations of God’s mercy: He desired to dwell among His people, and these laws made it possible for Him to do so. For further discussion on the subject of cleanness and holiness, see comments on Leviticus 11:1,44–45; 15:1.

Restitution for Wrongs (5:5–10)

5–10 The second group of laws deals not with external uncleanness but rather with the moral uncleanness that comes to a person when he or she wrongs someone else. Such wrongful behavior between members of a community undermines the harmony and unity of the community; it, in effect, makes the whole community “unclean.” Such wrongdoing could not be tolerated among people with whom God had chosen to dwell. And just as important as the wrongdoing were the wrong attitudes that went with it—anger, greed, jealousy, selfishness; these attitudes were as harmful to the community as the actual behavior itself.

Several points should be noted. First, a sin against another person is also a sin against God; all sin ultimately is against God. In verse 6, the Lord says that when someone wrongs another and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty. He must confess his sin (see Leviticus 5:5–6 and comment). Then he must make full restitution and add one fifth to it. Then he must offer a ram for atonement (verse 8). The procedure described here is the same as that for the guilt offering (see Leviticus 6:1–7 and comment). Here, however, one feature is added: if the person wronged was no longer alive and had no close relatives, then the restitution plus one fifth belonged to the Lord, and was to be given to the priest (verse 8).

Jesus taught that as long as unresolved wrongs and wrong attitudes remained between people, their offerings would not be acceptable to God. He said: “. . . leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24).

The Test for an Unfaithful Wife (5:11–31)

11–15 In the previous section, the Lord gave laws dealing with wrongdoing that could be proven; in this section the Lord deals with wrongdoing that is not admitted but is hidden. Even private, hidden sins defile a whole community, because they are not hidden from God; unless such sins are exposed, confessed, and atoned for, the community risks losing God’s blessing and God’s presence. Thus a means is provided here for exposing the guilty person; the particular example given concerns an unfaithful wife.

Often a husband’s feeling of jealousy is the only indication that his wife may be acting unfaithfully (verse 14). In male–dominated cultures a wife, even though innocent, is at the mercy of her husband. However, in Israel this law gave the wife protection from a jealous husband. The husband couldn’t take matters into his own hands; he had to bring his wife to the priest¹⁹ (verse 15), who would then bring her before the LORD (verse 16). It would be the Lord who judged: if the wife was truly guilty, she would be punished; if she was innocent, her honor would be restored. Thus a husband would think twice before bringing a frivolous charge against his wife; if she was judged innocent, he would be shown to be either a fool or a villain.

The law described in this section may seem harsh to our modern ears, but it was in fact merciful. After all, the wife in question was suspected of committing adultery, a very serious crime in God’s sight (see Exodus 20:14 and comment); if there had been witnesses to her unfaithfulness, she would have received the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10).

16–31 How was the Lord going to reveal His judgment concerning the guilt or innocence of the suspected wife? The answer: by having her drink some holy water (verse 17). If she was guilty, the Lord would cause her thigh to waste away and her abdomen to swell (verse 21)—a figurative way of saying that she would be unable to have children or, if already pregnant, that she would miscarry. If she was innocent, she would be able to have children (verse 28). Bearing children was by far a woman’s greatest role in ancient times; so, for the guilty woman, being unable to bear children was a grievous punishment indeed.

How did the water work? It was called the bitter water that brings a curse (verse 18). The water wasn’t magical; it wasn’t necessarily even bitter in taste. The adding of dust from the tabernacle floor (verse 17) symbolically made the water holy, but it was still only natural water and natural dust. Yet it was set apart for God’s special use; God can use any means He chooses to demonstrate His judgments. In this case, if the woman was guilty, He used this natural, physical water to bring about a physical change in her body—the “bitter curse” of barrenness.²⁰

Whenever there is uncertainty about some wrongdoing and there are no eyewitnesses, we must let God be the judge. He knows all things, and He judges with perfect fairness.