We have been examining The Book of Numbers Chapter 5; specifically in relation to the passage of scripture that gives Israel a test for a wife who is accused of being unfaithful by a jealous husband.
The last three lessons went over the specifics of this test; so be sure to review them if you missed them. You can find them here if you need to review: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/test-for-adultery-and-the-golden-calf-story-come-as-a-child-lesson-259. https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/test-for-a-wife-accused-of-adultery-come-as-a-child-lesson-258/ https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/god-is-setting-up-a-test-in-the-wilderness-come-as-a-child-lesson-257/
Today we will discuss some more of the many ways that this message from the Book of Numbers (Chapter five), plays right into the symbolism of some of the other passages of scripture, both of the New Testament and the Old Testament.
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE WRITING IN A SCROLL
In relation to scriptures; a lot of people will immediately and erroneously dismiss the Old Testament and the law saying that Jesus has come and that changed everything. They will quickly note that the old does not apply anymore.
That is only partially true.
Jesus HAS come – hallelujah!!!! He DID change EVERYTHING!!!! Again; I will say Hallelujah! He does make everything new!!!!
I’m so very grateful.
However; the old covenant was only expanded and fulfilled. It was not changed. Those same Old Testament laws still apply to us today – only now we have more mercy and forgiveness and the sacrifice of Jesus has been accepted to cover our sins when we slip up and break a commandment. The change was that we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices. Christ came once for all as a living sacrifice that would bring salvation to all.
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE
Yet; a sin is still a sin.
Adultery is still forbidden by God.
The laws of God have NOT changed one tiny little bit; but our condition in relation to being a slave to those laws has been much improved by the covering of Christ and the giving of God’s Holy Spirit and all that this provides for us.
This nourishment to our spirits and this strengthening of our souls will greatly help us to keep traveling the road toward God’s Kingdom as Over-comers and Christ-followers with forgiven sins; once we repent and turn and keep our eyes forever on the Rock of Our Salvation; Jesus Christ.
Thinking of this; today let’s look at another part of the Old Testament; that was further along in the timeline of God’s people than where we are currently studying in The Book of Numbers. Hold your finger in our passage because we will return after we take this little side-trip for a better understanding of Numbers, Chapter Five and the Test for An Unfaithful Wife.
VISITING WITH ZECHARIAH
Let’s consider Numbers; Chapter 5 against a passage found in Zechariah; Chapter 5. I think we will discover much of the same underlying message in both places.
(Zechariah 5: 5-11 (NIV))
I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.” And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The LORD Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones. Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.” I asked, “What is it?” He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.” Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it. Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”
Have you ever read such a strange passage of scripture?
I’ve looked at this particular passage for years and years and never quite understood it. That is; until the day I came across Numbers, Chapter 5 and the test for an unfaithful wife.
These scripture passages, once studied together, made many more parts of the bible become clearer and less confusing.
UNDERSTANDING THE FLYING SCROLL
Can you see how much the “flying scroll” described in Zechariah’s vision is like the scroll we read about in Numbers Chapter five, when the priest overseeing the test for a woman accused of adultery writes her name and accusations down on a parchment scroll?
At first it is a bit confusing that the scroll which Zechariah describes is said to be flying.
Finally, I perceived this to mean that this scroll was something that was being sent to earth from heaven; something that pertained to the future, something that will arrive swift and fast and something that would bring divine judgment.
Perhaps it was like the scroll God speaks of to Daniel in Daniel 12:4 which reads: “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
Or maybe it is like the scroll spoken of by Jeremiah that we read about in Jeremiah 36:2 which reads: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day.”
It is obvious that scrolls, books and written words are important to God.
What does all of this “scroll” language mean?
A SCROLL IS A DECREE FROM AN AUTHORITY
This is what happened to the woman in the test of the jealous husband that we read about in the book of Numbers, chapter five. From the words on the scroll judgment was decided by God.
The whole future of the woman was at stake. Whether she was guilty or innocent fell into the hands of God through the administration of the ritual help of the priest. Her husband was subjected too; as he agreed to abide by whatever outcome was discovered from the state of the woman; regardless of his own thoughts or desires.
Was this woman guilty or innocent?
Only God really knew. and only God would decide and bring judgment unto the household of the husband.
A parchment scroll was taken up and the woman’s name and her accusations were written down in ink upon it.
THE SCROLL WAS FLYING
Now we hear Zechariah describing a “flying” scroll.
Obviously, this too is a scroll that brings divine judgment.
Perhaps the accusations are against a woman claiming to be the church; but is she real?
What accusations are against her?
They are written down in the huge page of the scroll.
THE SCROLL IS MEASURED OUT
In today’s measurements the scroll spoken of here would roll out to be 30 feet by 15 feet.
Interesting; that is the exact same measurements of the porch outside the Sanctuary of Solomon’s Temple.
This porch was where the law was read and proclaimed to the people. In those days many of the common people could not read, and this was the way they would learn God’s law. There was no escaping its message which was cried out from the porch of the Temple to everyone passing by.
The common people didn’t even have to enter the Sanctuary to hear the message of the scrolls that proclaimed how God wanted them to live out their lives.
They could hear it as they passed by the way on the way to whatever they were doing and wherever they were going in that moment of their daily lives. The law was so important that every care was taken to be sure all men were able to hear it and to know it.
Is the church doing that today?
A SCROLL FOR THE FUTURE
We have said that Zachariah’s scroll appeared to be one for a FUTURE time of judgment.
The scroll was very long and had lots of room for the recording of all of the sins of all people to be written down in ink. It was 10 cubits wide; making it’s width a cubit in width for each commandment of the law.
FINAL AND NOT REVERSIBLE
The very fact that the words were written down implied that the contents of the scroll was beyond all escape or repeal. In other words; the ruling on the scroll was final; it could not be reversed once opened up and read.
To know that the contents measured 30 feet by 15 feet in our modern day measurements; one had to unroll the scroll. As it was unrolled it was measured out. Whoever unrolled it would see the writing and know the sins of the people were recorded there. Their names and their sins would be recorded right there in the scroll.
Now I am reminded of yet another passage in Zechariah that speaks of one measuring: Zechariah 2:1 speaks of this: “Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.” It would appear from the whole passage that the man is measuring the temple of God. Remember how we have been told that we are all living stones in the Temple of God? We are probably part of the ones being measured here. This will be interesting to consider when we finally get around to studying the whole book of Zechariah. It will take us awhile to get from Numbers to Zechariah; but they have lots of similarities.
There is also an angel who is shown measuring in the book of Revelation. Are they all measuring the same things? Are they measuring what is true over what is false?
Here also; I am reminded of the decree of the King in the story of Esther. He could not reverse the horrible punishment for the Jews that Haman had persuaded him to make; so he declared that they would be allowed to come to their own defense on Purim. They had to fight to save their own nation; but God was with them and they were victorious. We begin to get the feeling that there is hope in these measuring out scenes; hope that the real will triumph over the false; or that God’s ways will prevail victorious over any false actions of any false religions.
A SCROLL IS OFTEN CALLED A BOOK
It is worth noting here that a “scroll” in ancient days was the same as we would call a “book” today.
This scroll for the future could possibly be describing the scroll we read about in Revelation 5:1-2; I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”
Zechariah’s vision of this flying scroll tells me that a time is coming when a scroll which contains all the sins of mankind (unless they have been previously blotted out) will be brought before those of the earth. This is a time of judgement. Only One who is worthy will be allowed to open the scroll by breaking the seals and only that One will be allowed to read its judgments to all of the Kingdoms of the earth.
When we speak of The Book of Life, which is mentioned in the scriptures too; a picture of a scroll also comes to mind. In ancient times “books” were called “scrolls” and “scrolls” were called “books.” Books and scrolls are mentioned many, many times throughout the scriptures.
WORDS AND NAMES CAN BE BLOTTED OUT OF SCROLLS
One of the first passages that mentions “books” is found in Exodus 17:14. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amelek from under the heaven.”
Remember when we studied Amelek?
He was the grandson of Essau.
We will talk more about Amelek and this scroll later; but for now just notice that things can be “blotted out” of scrolls. The ink could be blotted with water until it was washed away or gone and no record was left on the scroll.
Have you ever thought of your “washing” in the cleansing process of Baptism as being the blotting out of past sins?
A RECORD OF SIN IS A CURSE
We first learn of this fact in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sin and are cast out of the Garden. Adam was cursed to receive his nourishment from the dust of the earth (the ground) and Eve was cursed to receive pain in childbirth.
But what words were written inside this scroll that Zechariah was seeing in his vision?
The scriptures say: “ And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.”
It seems that a curse was written inside this scroll in Zechariah’s vision. It was a curse of accusations. This was a curse that the whole earth would come to know about because it had been written down and it would proclaim on one side that a thief would be banished and on the other side that all falsehoods would be banished.
How many times have we read about Satan being a thief that comes to kill, steal and destroy?
Is this judgement against Satan and his demons from God? It could be judgement against ANYONE who comes with the same motives and intentions mentioned.
It is a lot like the judgement we mentioned earlier of Amelek; where God decides to wipe his name from the earth; as if he had never existed.
Could this happen in the end times when God puts Satan in chains and brings peace to earth for the first time?
Will the people be judged by the words of the scroll too?
THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE SCROLL
Note that the scroll was two-sided.
It had writing on both sides.
They wrote on both sides of the scroll in ancient times and they sealed off each section as they wrote with wax and stamped a seal on the outside so that anyone taking up the scroll would realize who had done the writing.
Any accusations on the scroll had to bear the authority of one worthy of making such an accusation.
THE SEAL AND THE STAMP WERE NOT REVERSIBLE
The writing could only be blotted out and/or changed right up to the moment that the scroll was sealed and stamped with the royal signet ring. We often consider this as we go through Elul, the Days of Awe and then come to the Day of Atonement. Most of us are reminded loud and clear when we hear the trumpet’s sound on the day we call The Feast of Trumpets. We know to get ready. It is time to consider asking for forgiveness and pleading with God for mercy. It is time to show that we desire to turn from our sinful ways and follow him. On the Day of Atonement it is said that the books are “sealed” for that year.
In the days of Esther and The King, after that sealing of the royal signet ring – there was no changing the scroll.
It was law.
What was written; was written – forever.
The law was beyond all escape or repeal.
TO BREAK THE SEAL MADE THE MESSAGE ON THE SCROLL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
To read each new section of the decrees on the scroll; one had to break the seal.
Once opened and unsealed; the scroll could no longer be sealed back up; but it would be public knowledge from that moment on. If the words written for one commandment were read; then those who had sinned in such a way were doomed; unless they had been given mercy in the interim between the original writing and the final reading after the seal was broken. God could have answered their prayers when they repented and turned from their sins. God COULD have chosen to blot out the writing that proclaimed them guilty. They have until the time of the breaking of the seal to pray for such a gift.
Kings used this way of recording the important things about their kingdoms.
They used scrolls to issue laws and decrees throughout the ruling of their kingdom.
A day would come when the seals of a scroll would be broken and the law would be cried out to the people of the land and the people would be expected to conform or suffer the consequences.
It would be very easy at this point to get caught up in the subject of The Seven Seals of Revelation and whether or not they have already been broken. It is a very worthy subject and we will tackle it in its entirety on another day; but notice that it is VERY possible that it ties in with this little passage from Numbers that speaks about the test for the jealous husband too. So much can be found on this subject and it is ALL eye-opening.
Let’s just remember for now that in ancient times of Kings one always knew that the law was authentic by the seal on the wax of the scroll.
If it belonged to the King; it would have an authentic seal that belonged ONLY to the King.
If a false scroll was produced that belonged to someone else; it was noted that it was not authentic and the writing on the scroll could not be enforced.
ONLY THE KING’S LOYAL SERVANT COULD READ THE KING’S SCROLL
Only those designated by the King had the right to open and break the seal and read the scroll out to the people.
Such an honorable and responsible task was only given to the MOST loyal of servants.
Again; I can’t read this without thinking of that scripture recorded in Revelation 5:1-2 which reads: I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”
And was anyone found worthy?
The answer is found in Revelation Chapter 5 – the whole chapter which is very short; but extremely amazing and revealing.
It is interesting that both Numbers Chapter 5, Zachariah Chapter 5 and the last book of Revelation, Chapter 5 all speak of a scroll.
In this often mentioned scroll that many of God’s servants became aware of; rests the whole future of the Church of God.
Do we have a jealous husband?
Is he giving us a test?
Can we drink the bitter water and prevail?
The scroll described so many times by so many prophets is still out there even now; but have the seals been opened yet?
The loyal servant has definitely spoken. We DO have the gospel of Christ and all of the authority of the scroll is wrapped up in His authority.
But what about the FINAL scroll?
The loyal servant has not been handed the FINAL scroll yet; and the FINAL decrees have not been read to the people yet.
We still have yet a little time; before the end of the story.
THE END OF THE STORY – OR A NEW BEGINNING?
And of course we need to ask the obvious question; is an end now always a new beginning?
This is the further mystery behind the sacred words of the scroll.
Here is the end of the story found in Revelation Chapter 5:1-14: Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! “ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
If you read the story of Korah’s rebellion last week; you will understand here that in the end of time – the whole situation with the ancient people in the wilderness is reversed.
Instead of rebelling against the One that God has proclaimed is worthy; they will sing a whole new song, a song of praise and honor and glory to God and to The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
For those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; eternity will begin.
SCROLLS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO GOD
We will discuss more of Zechariah’s vision next week.
There is a woman in a basket that we can also begin to relate back to what we have learned from the Book of Numbers; Chapter 5.
Today I have shown you the most miraculous part of this story. It is that you will be allowed to come into the very Presence of The One Who Sits On The Throne and The Lamb Who Was Slain. It can only happen if your sins have been blotted out of one scroll, and your name has been recorded in The Book of Life.
If you don’t get anything else from these lessons; remember this.
One day the clouds will be rolled back like a scroll, and the seals will all be broken because we have seen the power and the might of The Lion of Judah and The Lamb Who Was Slain. He will read to us the merciful and forgiving judgments of God. Those who belong to Christ who have overcome the world and held on to God’s ways will be invited to a marriage banquet. It will be a glorious marriage that will last throughout eternity.
Christ and His church will be One forevermore.
Hallelujah and Amen!