What is the meaning of Numbers 5:12? Speak to the Israelites God’s opening words remind us that He addresses His covenant people as a whole, not merely private individuals. Moses is tasked to relay divine instruction to every household because purity in marriage affects the entire community (Numbers 5:2–3). • Exodus 19:3: “So Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob…’” The pattern is consistent: when God speaks, the nation must listen. • Deuteronomy 6:4–9 shows that God’s words are to be taught “diligently to your children,” underscoring the communal obligation. • 1 Corinthians 10:11 reminds believers today that “these things happened to them as examples,” so the principle of listening carefully still stands. and tell them The phrase highlights Moses’ responsibility to pass on God’s exact words without alteration. • Ezekiel 3:17: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman… give them warning from Me.” Faithful messengers do not soften the message. • James 1:22 urges us to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only,” showing that hearing implies immediate obedience. • Acts 20:27 shows Paul following the same pattern: “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” that if any man’s wife The stipulation is specific: the scenario involves a married woman. Marriage is a God-ordained covenant, established in Genesis 2:24: “a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” • Proverbs 18:22 describes the wife as a blessing, emphasizing how seriously Scripture views this bond. • Ephesians 5:25–32 portrays earthly marriage as a picture of Christ and the church, deepening the significance of fidelity. goes astray “To go astray” conveys deliberate departure from the rightful path. In Scripture, straying is never treated lightly. • Proverbs 7:25 warns, “Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.” • Hosea 4:12 uses marital infidelity as a metaphor for Israel’s spiritual wandering, linking private sin with national consequence. • Hebrews 13:4 calls believers to honor marriage, for “God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” and is unfaithful to him The final clause identifies the sin: unfaithfulness (adultery). In God’s law this violation threatens both personal relationships and communal holiness. • Exodus 20:14: “You shall not commit adultery,” placing faithfulness in the Ten Commandments. • Malachi 2:14–16 condemns betrayal of the “wife of your youth,” showing God’s heart against treachery. • Matthew 5:27–28 extends the principle to the heart level, declaring lust itself to be adultery before God. summary Numbers 5:12 introduces a procedure that safeguards marriage, protects the innocent, and restrains hidden sin. God commands Moses to speak clearly, the people to listen attentively, and husbands and wives to honor their covenant faithfully. The verse affirms that marital fidelity is essential to the health of God’s people, a principle unchanged from Sinai to the present day. |
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