Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching Numbers
Overview
The book of Numbers is the story of the people of Israel in the wilderness as they departed from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the promised land of Canaan. It contains a variety of materials relating to this transition from the old generation of Israel to the new, including stories and laws, census lists, instructions for worship, reports of military battles, and accounts of legal disputes. Numbers chronicles a community faced with many competing interests, groups, and issues, endeavoring to define itself and its mission in the world. Dennis Olson offers readers a comprehensive interpretation of this often overlooked book. He provides a thoroughly contemporary reading of Numbers that enlightens the modern church as it navigates the contemporary wilderness of pluralism, competing voices, and shifting foundations in the journey toward the twenty-first century.
- Detailed introduction
- Bibliography
Top Highlights
“The book wrestles with the transition from the old generation to the new generation. How is faith transferred from one generation to another? How does the story of the past become fresh and alive for a new generation?” (Page 7)
“The serpent is a potent symbol of both life and death. The high priest Aaron had ‘stood between the dead and the living’ and stopped the plague in Num. 16:48. Similarly, the pole with the bronze serpent stood between the dead who were not willing to look to God’s chosen instrument of healing and the living who were willing and were healed (21:9). The story stands at a strategic place in the book of Numbers between death and life, between the end of the old wilderness generation whose last remnants will die in the apostasy of Numbers 25 and the beginning of a new generation of hope whose numbers will be counted in the second census of Numbers 26 as they stand on the edge of the promised land, ready to enter Canaan (26:63–65).” (Page 137)
“The question is not who is taller or who has larger fortifications or who has more weapons. Ultimately, all such reliance on human power and estimates is irrelevant. The issue is trusting in the power of Israel’s God. God is with the Israelites in the midst of their camp; God can be trusted to make good on God’s promise to bring the Israelites into the land. God’s promise and presence alone are more than adequate basis for their confidence. But the response of the Israelites to Caleb and Joshua is unanimous in its negative verdict: ‘the whole congregation threatened to stone them’ (14:10).” (Page 80)
The Interpretation series from Westminster John Knox Press is clearly established as a rich source for teaching and preaching. They have tapped the talents of a varied and esteemed group of contributors, resulting in what is clearly the essential comprehensive commentary series on the Bible.
—W. Eugene March, A.B. Rhodes Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
The Interpretation series is an invaluable resource for any leader or scholar interested in interpreting the biblical text to the broader church. Its works are essential for pastors, educators, and church libraries.
—Brian K. Blount, President and Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary
- Title: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching Numbers
- Author: Dennis T. Olson
- Publisher: John Knox Press
- Publication Date: 1996
- Pages: 196
