Numbers 5

In this chapter we have three issues to deal with. 1. Removing someone who is unclean, 2. Confessing and paying for sins,  and 3. Jealousy and unfaithfulness.

            As we look at the first part of the chapter what is considered unclean may seem somewhat ridiculous by today's standards.  We have a different understanding today of these things then they did.  The fact is they have a responsibility to remain pure and holy before the Lord.  Whether it should be considered unclean or not is not for debate God called it unclean and for that reason it was unclean.  Thus they had a responsibility to guard themselves or suffer the consequences.

            The next section talks about doing something wrong to someone else.  Notice the unfaithfulness is against the LORD not the individual.  The consequence is that the one who did the wrong must confess the sin then pay for the wrong plus 1/5 and give it to the individual.  If the person wronged cannot be paid the money goes to the priests.

            I found the last section interesting.  Some of you will point out that one of the interesting things is that we are only dealing with the female being unfaithful.  I think that the greater issue here is the jealously of the man.  Men have big egos, even then, and they can easily become jealous even though nothing had been done.  The warning for men is that they need to be sure of what they are jealous about.  I know when I was in Basic Training and was simply dating De’Dee she sent me letters talking of Luey the Lop.  Well I did not know who Luey was and why he was with my girl.  The bottom line I was being accusative without fact.  I was guilty of jealousy.

            What we see is that if a man is jealous he is to bring a guilt offering along with his wife.  The wife would drink what was called bitter water.  If she was guilty of having an affair she would no longer be able to have children and it would be noticeable to those around.  If she was not guilty nothing would happen when she drank it.

Application

            The first thing we must realize is that sin is not sin because man says it is. It is sin because God says.  For this reason those things that are not covered in scripture but God has said to us personally to leave alone we must leave alone.  God may have told you to not watch certain shows or not to watch TV at all.  Or certain magazines.  There may not be anything wrong with the TV or show spiritually but they are unclean to you because God said leave it alone.  He may not have told another person the same thing but still it is unclean unless God makes it clean.

            We often confess our sins to God but do we do anything to correct what we did wrong to another person.  The wrong we do is a sin against God but we have an obligation to correct what we have done wrong.  To go to the person and seek to correct the wrong done.

            Men I believe the final part of this chapter is more a statement to us then it is about what the wife has done.  We have a responsibility to control our jealousy.  To not become jealous and to be sure of what we are accusing our wives of.  I have seen more marriages destroyed because of a man’s jealousy then anything the wife has done wrong.  It is jealousy that breeds domestic violence.  Guard your heart and love your wife and you won’t have to worry about the jealousy.