Christ in the Book of Numbers

Paul gives us some insight into the exegetical thinking of his day in chapter 10 of his first letter to the Corinthian church. The apostolic belief when reading through an Old Testament book like Numbers was that Christ was ever-present with his people, nourishing, safeguarding, upholding, and as necessary, judging them throughout their sojourning.

And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." - Numbers 20:6b-8

Paul later says that as Israel wandered through the wilderness, they "all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. - Numbers 21:4-9

Paul again tells us that in their sin against the LORD, the people of Israel were actually testing Christ - "We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer" (1 Corinthians 10:9-10, see also John 3:14, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.")

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.” And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. - Numbers 25:1-9

In relation to this particular instance in Israel's history, Paul says, "We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day" (1 Corinthians 10:8). Paul interpreted the idolatry recorded in Numbers 25 not simply as a transgression of God's commands, but more significantly, as an act of marital infidelity with the covenant Lord - namely, Christ the bridegroom. These events are tied back into the Lord's Supper and our dining with Christ at his table in the future wedding feast as the blessed Church.

Paul says all that was recorded in the book of Numbers, concerning the interactions between Israel and Christ, were "written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). Let us not desire evil as they did, but flee from idolatry, that we might partake of this meal spread before us at the Lord's table.

SDG