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MARCH 2
pointing up.As long as the water dripped off at the wrist,the person could proceed to the next step.
He then had water poured over both hands with the fingers pointing down.Then each hand was
to be rubbed with the fist of the other hand.This was according to the “tradition of the elders”—a
body of extrabiblical laws and interpretations of Scripture that had in actuality supplanted
Scripture as the highest religious authority in Judaism.
The Pharisees and scribes went to the disciples’ Master for an explanation of the disciples’
allegedly disgraceful conduct.In reality,they were accusing Jesus of teaching His disciples to disobey
the tradition of the elders (v. 5). Jesus’reply was to quote Isaiah 29:13, whose prophecy perfectly fit
the actions of the Pharisees. Not only were their hearts far from God but they were “hypocrites,”or
spiritual phonies (v. 6). They followed the traditions of men because such teaching required only
mechanical and thoughtless conformity without a pure heart.And in doing so,they had abandoned
all the commandments contained in God’s Word and substituted a humanly designed standard for
God’s standard (v. 8).

son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab the son of
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MARCH 2 Helon; from the sons of Joseph: from
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Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from
Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
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Numbers 1:1–2:34 12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
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13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran; from
Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the 15
1 Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; from Naph-
tali, Ahira the son of Enan.” These were cho-
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meeting, on the first day of the second month, sen from the congregation, leaders of their
in the second year after they had come out of fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.
the land of Egypt, saying: “Take a census of
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17 Then Moses and Aaron took these men
all the congregation of the children of Israel, who had been mentioned by name, and they
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by their families, by their fathers’ houses, assembled all the congregation together on the
according to the number of names, every first day of the second month; and they recited
male individually, from twenty years old and
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above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. their ancestry by families, by their fathers’
houses, according to the number of names,
You and Aaron shall number them by their from twenty years old and above, each one
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armies. And with you there shall be a man individually. As the LORD commanded Moses,
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from every tribe, each one the head of his so he numbered them in the Wilderness of
father’s house.
5 “These are the names of the men who shall Sinai.
20 Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s old-
stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son est son, their genealogies by their families, by
of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of their fathers’ house, according to the number
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Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon the son
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of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel the of names, every male individually, from twen-
ty years old and above, all who were able to go
to war: those who were numbered of the
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tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five
hundred.
From the children of Simeon, their
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1:2 a census. In Exodus 30:11–16, the Lord genealogies by their families, by their fathers’
had commanded that a census of the males in house, of those who were numbered, accord-
Israel over 20 (excluding the Levites) be taken ing to the number of names, every male indi-
for the purpose of determining the ransom vidually, from twenty years old and above, all
money for the service of the tabernacle. The who were able to go to war: those who were
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result of that census is recorded in Exodus numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-
38:25–28. The total number, 603,550 (Ex. nine thousand three hundred.
38:26), equals the number in 1:46.
24 From the children of Gad, their genealo-
gies by their families, by their fathers’ house,
1:3 go to war. The purpose of this census was
to form a roster of fighting men. The Book of according to the number of names, from twen-
Numbers looks ahead to the invasion of the ty years old and above, all who were able to go
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land promised to Abraham (see Gen. 12:1–3). to war: those who were numbered of the
tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hun-
dred and fifty.
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