Bible Commentaries
Numbers 15

Verses 1-41

Chapter 15

Now, in chapter fifteen,

The LORD spoke unto Moses saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and When you come into the land ( Numbers 15:1-2 ),

Now this is interesting, right after their failure to enter in. They had just come-it was a point of failure. Kadesh Barnea was a tragedy. They were at the border of entering in and now they're turned away and they're to be shut out for forty years; a year for every day that the spies were in the land, until that whole generation be passed. All of those that were twenty years or older who came out of Egypt, their carcasses are to be buried in the wilderness. And for forty years they're gonna tromp through that wilderness until they've all died. And then the children of whom they were complaining saying, "You know that God has brought us here to wipe out our children". The children will go in and possess the land that their parents failed to do.

Now, they have just failed. They've just been turned away and the next thing God says, "Now when you come into the land" and he gives them orders for the sacrifices that they are to make when they come into the land. The various offerings; the meal offering, the drink offering, the burnt offering and the peace offering and the sin offerings and all. And God gives them the command of these various sacrifices that they are to make when you come into the land.

I think that that's neat of God. He's just said, "All right. You're not going to make it. Your children will and when they come into the land this is what they're to do." He's more or less just confirming the fact that he's gonna keep His word and bring them in. Now He's giving orders; "When you come into the land this is what you're supposed to do, these are the offerings that you are to make."

When you come into the land whether I bring you ( Numbers 15:18 ),

Again in verse eighteen,

and the various sacrifices even for those sins of ignorance ( Numbers 15:24 ).

And it is interesting that it points out in the latter portion of verse twenty-four and so forth the types of offerings that were to be offered for the sins of ignorance, even the sins of ignorance need attending to. You remember Jesus prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do", ( Luke 23:24 ) sins of ignorance but yet they need forgiveness. How many times we've sinned and didn't even know it? Sins of ignorance. I didn't know what I was doing; it wasn't a deliberate, willful thing, it was just ignorance and yet it needs forgiveness.

So verse thirty-two,

When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who was gathering sticks on the sabbath day ( Numbers 15:32 ).

As a violation of the law they didn't know what to do. They put him in jail to get the mind of the Lord and the Lord said, "stone him". And so the man was put to death.

And then the LORD commanded Moses, telling the people of Israel that they were to sew blue ribbon around the borders of their coats: And that blue ribbon around the borders of their coats was to be on the fringes, as a reminder to keep the commandments of the LORD; that you do not seek after your own heart or your own eye, after which you used to go a whoring: But you'll remember to do the commandments of the LORD ( Numbers 15:37-40 ).

I think that's neat; a blue ribbon around the fringe of your coat. Every time you see it you're reminded hey, don't follow my own lust or my own wish, my own heart; follow and keep the commandments of the Lord. And so, the blue ribbon is sort of a traditional thing. In some of their festive days they have coats still with a blue ribbon and skirts with a blue ribbon around the bottom. And if you see them you know now what they stand for. They're reminders to the people not to follow after your own heart but to keep the commandments of the Lord. Chapter 15

Now, in chapter fifteen,

The LORD spoke unto Moses saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and When you come into the land ( Numbers 15:1-2 ),

Now this is interesting, right after their failure to enter in. They had just come-it was a point of failure. Kadesh Barnea was a tragedy. They were at the border of entering in and now they're turned away and they're to be shut out for forty years; a year for every day that the spies were in the land, until that whole generation be passed. All of those that were twenty years or older who came out of Egypt, their carcasses are to be buried in the wilderness. And for forty years they're gonna tromp through that wilderness until they've all died. And then the children of whom they were complaining saying, "You know that God has brought us here to wipe out our children". The children will go in and possess the land that their parents failed to do.

Now, they have just failed. They've just been turned away and the next thing God says, "Now when you come into the land" and he gives them orders for the sacrifices that they are to make when they come into the land. The various offerings; the meal offering, the drink offering, the burnt offering and the peace offering and the sin offerings and all. And God gives them the command of these various sacrifices that they are to make when you come into the land.

I think that that's neat of God. He's just said, "All right. You're not going to make it. Your children will and when they come into the land this is what they're to do." He's more or less just confirming the fact that he's gonna keep His word and bring them in. Now He's giving orders; "When you come into the land this is what you're supposed to do, these are the offerings that you are to make."

When you come into the land whether I bring you ( Numbers 15:18 ),

Again in verse eighteen,

and the various sacrifices even for those sins of ignorance ( Numbers 15:24 ).

And it is interesting that it points out in the latter portion of verse twenty-four and so forth the types of offerings that were to be offered for the sins of ignorance, even the sins of ignorance need attending to. You remember Jesus prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do", ( Luke 23:24 ) sins of ignorance but yet they need forgiveness. How many times we've sinned and didn't even know it? Sins of ignorance. I didn't know what I was doing; it wasn't a deliberate, willful thing, it was just ignorance and yet it needs forgiveness.

So verse thirty-two,

When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who was gathering sticks on the sabbath day ( Numbers 15:32 ).

As a violation of the law they didn't know what to do. They put him in jail to get the mind of the Lord and the Lord said, "stone him". And so the man was put to death.

And then the LORD commanded Moses, telling the people of Israel that they were to sew blue ribbon around the borders of their coats: And that blue ribbon around the borders of their coats was to be on the fringes, as a reminder to keep the commandments of the LORD; that you do not seek after your own heart or your own eye, after which you used to go a whoring: But you'll remember to do the commandments of the LORD ( Numbers 15:37-40 ).

I think that's neat; a blue ribbon around the fringe of your coat. Every time you see it you're reminded hey, don't follow my own lust or my own wish, my own heart; follow and keep the commandments of the Lord. And so, the blue ribbon is sort of a traditional thing. In some of their festive days they have coats still with a blue ribbon and skirts with a blue ribbon around the bottom. And if you see them you know now what they stand for. They're reminders to the people not to follow after your own heart but to keep the commandments of the Lord.

"