Chapter 5

Separate from the Defiled

1. THE DEMAND FOR PURIFICATION (Numbers 5:1-4 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: [3] Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. [4] And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.
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1. The Command to Separate (Numbers 5:2Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:
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1. Biblical separation is twofold
1. Separation from something
2. Separation unto God
2. Separation Chapters 5 and 6
1. Separation from (Numbers 5)
2. Separation unto (Numbers 6)
3. Note:  The word “defiled” occurs 8 times in this chapter alone.
2. The People from Which to Separate (Numbers 5:2Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:
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1. Lepers
2. Every one that hath an issue
3. Those defiled by the dead
4. Note:  We are dealing specifically with the viewpoint of those putting out the unclean in this chapter, but perhaps we should consider the opposite side of this separation for a moment.
1. The symptoms mentioned by God in verse 2 are often connected to or are typical of sin.
2. As such, sin is a disease only curable by the pure blood of the Son of God.  Man’s blood carries death.  If Jesus Christ were not God, then His blood would also have carried death, and hence could not provide life. (Acts 20:28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
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3. Sin can
1. Make us unclean
2. Cripple us
4. Sin separates you from the fellowship of God’s people (Psalm 1:5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
   See All...; 1 Corinthians 5:11But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
   See All...; 2 Thessalonians 3:6Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
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5. Sin separates you from the fellowship of God Himself (Isaiah 59:2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
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3. The Purpose of Separation (Numbers 5:3Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.
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1. Defilement of the camp
1. Separation from defilement is not done for the purpose of cruelty to the defiled.
2. Defilement spreads and as such will eventually defile the whole camp.
3. God evidently cared more for the purity of the camp than the individual feelings of the defiled.
4. This is very similar to the concept we know of as church discipline (Galatians 1:8-9 [8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
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5. Evil, defilement and uncleanness can be transferred (Numbers 19:22And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
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2. The presence of God
1. The congregation’s responsibility
1. Israel, as a nation, had a special relationship with God (Deuteronomy 4:7For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
   See All...; Deuteronomy 5:26For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
   See All...; Psalm 147:19-20 [19] He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. [20] He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
   See All...; Romans 9:4-5 [4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; [5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
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2. God would meet with Israel and their priests in a special way (Exodus 25:21-22 [21] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. [22] And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
   See All...; Exodus 29:42-44 [42] This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. [43] And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. [44] And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.
   See All...; Exodus 30:6And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
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3. God was to dwell among them (Exodus 25:8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
   See All...; Exodus 29:45-46 [45] And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. [46] And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
   See All...; Leviticus 26:11-12 [11] And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. [12] And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
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4. As such, there was a great danger of defiling God’s tabernacle among them (Leviticus 15:31Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.
   See All...; Numbers 19:11-13 [11] He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. [12] He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. [13] Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
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2. God’s hatred for sin
1. God cannot dwell with it (Psalm 5:4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
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2. God abhors sins and those who do them (Psalm 10:3For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
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3. God is wearied by sins (Isaiah 43:24Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
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4. Sin makes God angry (Jeremiah 25:7Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
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5. God cannot look upon iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
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2. THE RECOMPENSING OF THE TRESPASS (Numbers 5:5-10 [5] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [6] Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty; [7] Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed. [8] But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him. [9] And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his. [10] And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.
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1. The Offense Committed (Numbers 5:6Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;
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2. The Restitution (Numbers 5:7-10 [7] Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed. [8] But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him. [9] And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his. [10] And every man's hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.
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1. Confession of sin
2. Recompense the trespass and add the fifth part
1. To the kinsman if living
2. If there is no kinsman, let it be recompensed unto the Lord.
3. This is certainly an outward demonstration of repentance.
1. It includes confession.  This is done when a person agrees in their heart with God concerning their sin. Confession is the idea of admitting something that incriminates you.
2. Not only is there confession but there is also action.  The person does not stop at confessing their guilt but rather an attempt is made to make things right.  Our repentance toward God should not just yield confession but it should yield a change of heart toward the things of God and the way God would have us to live.
3. Zacchaeus was willing to do this and much more when he met the Saviour (Luke 19:8And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
   See All...).  Certainly a New Testament believer ought to be willing to do the same.
4. Offerings brought unto the priest are his.  Note:  A practical application can be found in the idea that offerings brought unto the priest are his.  We oftentimes bring things to the Lord and tell Him they are His and we follow that by giving all of our suggestions on how that gift or perhaps sin that we turned over to Him ought to be handled.  Remember that once you give it to our High Priest, it is His.
3. THE JEALOUSY OFFERING (Numbers 5:11-31 [11] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [12] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, [13] And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner; [14] And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled: [15] Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance. [16] And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD: [17] And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water: [18] And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse: [19] And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse: [20] But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband: [21] Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell; [22] And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen. [23] And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: [24] And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter. [25] Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar: [26] And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water. [27] And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people. [28] And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. [29] This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled; [30] Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law. [31] Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.
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1. Suspicion of Guilt (Numbers 5:11-14 [11] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [12] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, [13] And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner; [14] And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
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1. There was no evidence against the woman.
1. It is hid from the eyes of her husband.
2. There is no witness against her.
3. She was not taken in the manner.
2. The husband did not know for sure whether or not she was guilty.
3. If the spirit of jealousy would come upon him, then he would put her through the trial.
2. Her Presentation before the Priest (Numbers 5:15Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
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1. The man brings his wife before the priest.
2. The husband brings her offering for her.
3. Her Offering (Numbers 5:15Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
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1. The offering is a tenth part of an ephah of barley meal.
2. No oil is to be poured on it.
3. No frankincense is to be put on it.
4. It is an offering of jealousy.
5. It is an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
4. Her Presentation before the LORD (Numbers 5:16-18 [16] And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD: [17] And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water: [18] And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
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1. The woman is brought near and set before the Lord.
2. The priest would take holy water and put it in an earthen vessel.
3. The priest would then take some dust from off of the tabernacle floor and put it into the water.
4. The woman was completely open before the Lord.
1. Her head was uncovered.
2. The offering of memorial was in her hands.
5. The priest would have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse.
5. The Charging of the Oath (Numbers 5:19-22 [19] And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse: [20] But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband: [21] Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell; [22] And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
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1. The priest would charge her by an oath.
1. If no man have lain with thee be thou free.
2. If thou hast gone aside, the Lord make thee a curse.
2. The Lord would make her thigh to rot and her belly to swell.
3. The woman says amen, amen.
6. The Curses (Numbers 5:23-24 [23] And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: [24] And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.
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1. The priest writes the curses in a book.
2. He then blots them out with the water.
1. Perhaps this is done by dipping a sponge in the water and wiping the page and putting the sponge back into the water.
2. Perhaps the page itself was dipped into the water.
3. The woman will have to drink the water.
7. The Offering of the Jealousy Offering (Numbers 5:25-26 [25] Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar: [26] And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
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1. The priest takes the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand.
2. He waves it before the Lord.
3. He offers it upon the altar.
4. The priest then takes a handful of the offering and burns it upon the altar.
5. After this the woman will drink the water.
8. The Drinking of the Bitter Water (Numbers 5:26-28 [26] And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water. [27] And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people. [28] And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.
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1. The woman drinks the water.
2. This water contains
1. Dirt
2. The curses
3. If she is defiled
1. The water will become bitter.
1. A supernatural working of God did this.  In the end it was God who showed the innocence or the guilt of the woman.
2. Her belly shall swell.
3. Her thigh shall rot.
4. She will be a curse among her people.
4. If she is not defiled
1. She shall be free.
2. She shall conceive seed.
4. THOUGHTS ON THE JEALOUSY OFFERING
1. Unlike the woman in the story, we are definitely guilty – guilty of going aside to other gods, which are not the true God.
2. The water is used to reveal the innocence or guilt of the person as the word of God does now.
3. One day every man, woman, boy and girl will stand naked and open while the word of God pronounces us clean because we have put our faith in Christ or unclean because we rejected the sacrifice. (Hebrews 4:12-13 [12] For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [13] Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
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4. The punishment of the curse can only be taken in 1 of 2 ways:
1. Either Jesus Christ took it on Himself in your place
2. Or you will bear the punishment in outer darkness