Numbers 5
by Pastor David Groendyk

The first ten chapters of Numbers describe Israel’s preparation to go into battle and (hopefully) take the Promised Land. Chapters 1–4 focused on the numbering of the people and the roles of the leadership. Chapter 5 begins a new section about the purity and holiness of the people.

Verses 1–4 tell us that anyone who was unclean was put out of the camp. There were any number of reasons that a person might be unclean, including certain contagious skin diseases or having contact with a dead body. This sort of physical uncleanness represented spiritual uncleanness, and it teaches us a vital lesson. No one who is spiritually unclean may dwell with God and among his people. When sin comes into contact with God, he utterly consumes it. How then can any of us be rescued from our own uncleanness and being “put out of the camp” for all of eternity away from God’s presence? We must go to Christ. Ligon Duncan in a sermon a few years ago made the poignant connection that, whereas unclean Israelites were put of the camp due to the risk of defiling others, Christ actually moves toward unclean people and lepers. And when he moves toward them and touches them, rather than Christ becoming defiled, he cleanses the people (see Mark 5:24–34 or Luke 17:11–19). Our only hope of dwelling with God forever in his camp is trusting in the cleansing we receive from Christ. Do you trust in Christ alone to be cleansed from your sin?

Verses 5–10 teach that any time we sin against the Lord and against a fellow brother or sister, restitution must be made. When we sin against someone, we put ourselves in their debt. The only way for forgiveness and atonement to take place is if repayment is made. This gives us an even clearer picture of why our sin is so heinous and what Christ must do to save us. Christ himself takes on our sin and pays the price we owe to God for our years and years and years of crushing debt that we’ve racked up and pays it by suffering hell on the cross. Hebrews 13:12 describes this act as Jesus taking on our uncleanness and being “put out of the camp” on our behalf. He was treated like the unclean sinner in our place. Christ repays God for us. There is nothing that we do to make ourselves right before God, and even though we’ve heard it a million times, it’s hard for that lesson to sink in. All the good things we do for God do not contribute to our salvation one iota. As we sing in the great hymn Rock of Ages: “Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save and thou alone.” Have you understood that there is nothing you can do to earn salvation? How can you live out this principle of restitution in your life with people you’ve wronged?

Verses 11–31 give the people of Israel a test to discover certain hidden sin. While the specific rules of this test no longer apply to us for weeding out sin, the principle that it teaches us is that any and all hidden sin will be discovered. God is the ultimate judge before whom all hearts are totally open and who will bring to light everything hidden in darkness (1 Cor. 4:5). There’s no hiding from him. This should be a terribly sobering thought for any sinner, but rather than lead us to terror and despair and hopelessness it should drive us to Christ. The way out of punishment from God is not hiding our sin and making sure no one ever finds out, but to confess it and ask for mercy, not for our sakes but for the sake of Christ. Are you hiding sin from God and others? Be warned that it will be found it, if not in this life, then the next one. Confess it and seek mercy today. God promises Christ’s work is sufficient to cleanse you.