Pulp Non-Fiction

Numbers 15: 1-21

While these 21 verses are pretty boring in isolation- I'm puzzled by them within their context (ok, they're still kinda boring, but bear with me). God has just clearly expressed his displeasure with the Israelites in chapter 14 and made it fairly clear that they wouldn't be entering the promised land. But here, just a few verses later he lays out laws for them to follow when they enter the promised land. Huh?

He details what to include in grain offerings, burnt offerings, drink offerings, and food offerings. He specifies that this applies to both natives and foreigners, and that these offerings apply to food eaten in the new land. But if they can't enter... then who and what is this for? I've come up with three possible motivations but I'm not really happy with any of them.

First- has God changed His mind? He was angry- He vented to Moses- and now He's rethought the harshness of the punishment? Maybe He accepted that these imperfect humans that He's created will consistently let Him down and He'll help us along by cutting us some slack. He expressed His displeasure, but here's some grace to go with it.

I guess we'll see how this one plays out- somehow, I don't think they get to enter.

Second- is Moses going Tarantino on us and telling us the narrative out of chronological order? Did God go through this list before the doubt discharge- but once again for a reason we'll discover later on only getting around to telling us these laws here? Is Bruce Willis going to turn up in chapter 16 as a character who died back in Exodus? Once again, doubtful- but I guess we'll see. Zed's dead, baby.

Third, and this is where I'm leaning at the moment- are these laws told WAY in advance. So in 40 years when you(if you're a kid now) or your children finally get to enter the promised land- these are the laws to follow. You've got lots of time to learn them and to incorporate them into your oral traditions.

This still seems odd, but of the three it's the one that seems the most consistent. Perhaps God is not only stressing with generations to come what their relationship with Him will be like but stressing to the Israelite Idiots how much they've missed out on by doubting Him. Remember when we had this type of relationship? Now I'll have it with your children- and you can hear about how it's going to be.

Perhaps the key is what is lost when we don't trust.