Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• The curtains 26:1-14
  The extent to which these curtains were visible from inside the tabernacle is not clear in the text and has been the subject of debate by commentators. They were of four colors that some writers have interpreted as having sym...
• 2. The meal offering ch. 2
  The meal (grain, cereal) offering was also an offering of worship. It evidently symbolized the sacrifice and commitment of one's person and works to God as well as the worshipper's willingness to keep the law (cf. Rom. 12:1-2...
• 4. The sin offering 4:1-5:13
  Keil and Delitzsch pointed out that ancient Near Easterners offered certain offerings before God incorporated these into the Mosaic Law. Moses previously mentioned burnt offerings in Genesis 12:7; 13:4, 18; 22; 26:25; 33:20; ...
• 2. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread 23:4-8
  Verse 4 introduces the seven annual festivals.In one sense the Passover (Heb. Pesah, v. 5) was the most important feast (cf. Exod. 12:1-28). It commemorated God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery by a powerful supe...
• Message8
  To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
• Outline
  I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
• The two silver trumpets 10:1-10
  God ordered that priests should announce His movement of the people by blowing two silver trumpets because the Israelites would not watch the cloud continuously. The blasts from the trumpets would reach the farthest tents in ...
• Commands regarding offerings chs. 28--29
  Another step in preparing to enter Canaan involved setting forth in an organized fashion all the sacrifices that God required the priests to offer for the whole nation during a year. These offerings maintained fellowship with...
• Commands regarding vows ch. 30
  The last chapter of Leviticus (ch. 27) contains instructions regarding how the Israelites were to handle vows under the Mosaic Law. In contrast this chapter deals with when and under what circumstances they could annul vows a...
• The celebration of Passover, Firstfruits, and Tabernacles 16:1-17
  The point of connection of this section with what precedes is the sacrificial meals. Moses repeated here the instructions regarding those important feasts that included sacrificial meals that the people would eat at the taber...
• David's concern for his own safety 20:1-11
  David was wondering if he had done something wrong that had provoked Saul's hatred (v. 1). Walking with God is sometimes confusing. We need to learn, as David did, that when we try to follow God faithfully some people will op...
• The erection of the altar 3:1-6
  The text does not record exactly when the exiles arrived in Jerusalem, but it was probably sometime in 537 B.C. since Cyrus issued his decree in 538 B.C. The "seventh month"(v. 1) of the Jew's sacred calendar was Tishri (late...
• 1. A call to the celebration 81:1-5
  81:1-2 Asaph summoned the Israelites to sing joyfully to God their strength with musical accompaniment.81:3-5 He called on them to participate in a festival. The Israelites blew trumpets and offered sacrifices at the beginnin...
• Regulations for the feasts 45:18-25
  45:18-20 On the first new year's day of each year the people should offer a young bull without blemish to cleanse the accumulated sinful defilement of the sanctuary. The priest in charge was to apply some of the blood of a si...
• Worship on the sabbath and new moon days 46:1-8
  46:1 The Lord specified that the gate in the inner east gate complex should be open only on sabbath days and on the new moon days (i.e., the first of each month). All other days it was to remain closed. An exception to this r...
• Worship during the annual feasts 46:9-15
  46:9 When the people living in the Promised Land came to worship on the appointed feasts (Passover and Tabernacles, cf. 45:21-25), they were to enter the outer court by either the north or south outer gate complexes. There wa...
• B. A call to mourn 1:5-13
  Joel called on four different entities to mourn the results of the locust invasion: drunkards (vv. 5-7), the land (vv. 8-10), farmers (vv. 11-12), and priests (v. 13). In each section there is a call to mourn followed by reas...
• The Sabbath and legal observance 12:1-8 (cf. Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)
  The immediate connection between this section and what precedes is twofold. The first is the theme of rising opposition (11:2-13:53), and the second is the heavy yoke of Pharisaic tradition that made the Israelites weary and ...
• The example of Paul 2:17-18
  2:17 The prospect that Paul might receive a death sentence soon arose again in his thinking. He described his present life as the pouring out of a drink offering in Israel's worship (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6; Num. 15:1-10; Num. 28:4-7)...
• C. Paul's role in the last days 4:6-8
  Paul revealed that he was about to die to impress on Timothy further the importance of remaining faithful to the Lord.4:6 Paul believed that he would die very soon. He used two euphemistic expressions to describe his death. F...