The Levites did not receive their own portion of the Land. They were God's priests and lay servants and Israel was commanded to provide for its priesthood. The command still stands in the Catholic Church today.

The prescription forbade Levites from owning farmland -- the major source of wealth in ancient Israel. The forty-eight cities set aside for them provide them with permanent residence and pasturage for their flock. To those who trust in his Name, God always provides what is necessary. In particular, God provided cities of refuge for those who have accidentally caused the death of a man. God knew the people's lust for blood and the imperative they lived under to avenge the death of their own, even when it was caused accidentally. 

The Lord could have forced the Israelites to change their ways. He could have instituted laws against this type of egregious behavior but he knew that virtue alone compels men to obey a just law, and in regards to vengeance, honor, and blood, many a man, then and now, is still lacking the necessary restraint and humility to refrain from vengeance.

Thus, the Lord provided temporary relief, cities of refuge that an avenger could not enter. These cities became an exile at home -- another stark reminder that the Promised Land was still mostly an unfulfilled promise until the coming of the Messiah who would open the Gates of Heaven and invite us into his eternal dwelling, the everlasting Promised Land.

Oftentimes, we ask God for help. He provides it and shows us the way, but at the first fork in the road, we drop God's plan and go our merry way.No sooner had Israel reached the outskirts of the promised land that two tribes Gad and Reuben ask Moses to settle in the Transjordan -- which was not part of God's initial plan. Moses initially refuses but a compromise is found and the two tribes take possession of this area.

Four hundred years earlier, Jacob Israel went down to Egypt to meet his son and stayed there. The Israelites had a good life in Goshen but God remained silent through four centuries. Gad and Reuben relied on their eyes to decide what was best for them and they will be two of the first tribes to disappear a mere five hundred years later.

The rest of the tribes listen to Moses as he divides for them Canaan and specifies the boundary of the Promised Land. It is God who gives us our lot in life and it is God who prepares our lot in Heaven.

Be careful not to increase the former at the expense of the latter.

The census is complete. War is coming and God prepares Israel through the holy celebration of the seventh month. War, like the rest of the calamities that plague the human race cannot be solved without the liturgy.

The first day of the seventh month -- it bears repeating -- is the entryway into the holiest part of the Jewish year and the tenth day is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Israel is about to enter the Promised Land and it begins with atonement, reminiscent of their departure from Egypt which began with Passover. Thus their sojourn in the wilderness is contained within a liturgical arc reminding us that our lives, our own passage through the wilderness begins with baptism and ends with the last rite.

It does not mean that liturgy is at the service of daily life; rather what it means is that daily life is liturgical or at least it should be.

Moses's life, as a servant of God, started with the plagues of Egypt and ended with the war against Midian. The incident at Baal Peor had left many Israelites dead but the Midianites were unharmed. So often, God begins by cleansing his house, the Church, before dealing with those who were the cause of the downfall. In this case, a war is declared against Midian in which Balaam, the one who spoke four blessings on Israel, died. So did Balak the King of Median.

Therefore, even if the events of our time may dismay and discourage us, we would do well to remember that Jesus Christ is Lord of history... always and at all times. All the events of our time will serve to his greater glory, whether we are willing participants or not.

Why do governments count their people? Taxes. Why did God count Israel by ordering a census? As a preparation for the war to come.

Despite the Baal Peor's incident, God did not consign the second generation for another forty years in the wilderness. He could have done that for the sin of the children in worshiping Baal is identical to the sin of their parent with the golden calf.

Instead, God orders a census, and the census is never a good sign for counting is usually reserved for animals not the children of a king. So when the Lord orders a census it is seldom a blessing.

The Israelites must have been distraught by the census and their spirit must have hit a new low when they heard of the succession of Moses by Joshua. Indeed, Moses would not cross with them into the Promised Land; Joshua would lead them there.

The striking difference between this generation and the previous one is in their readiness to cross and face whatever may come. In this, they show themselves more obedient, less rebellious than their parents, and stave off God's wrath.

Chapter 25 ends with the calendar of public sacrifice. God is constantly reminding Israel -- and reminding us -- that the best thing we could possibly do is to worship Him, the one true God who does not need our worship. Indeed, we need to worship God so that we may be constantly reminded of who we are.

If you cannot beat the people of God with prophecies and spiritual warfare, you can always count on a splendid party to flaunt the laws of God and open the gates of Hell with a smile, a song, and a kiss.

Balak was intent on Israel's destruction. After the fourth attempt of Balaam to curse Israel had failed, Balak knew he would not be able to vanquish his enemy in this manner. So often, we think that all we need is God's protection and all else will be fine. God does grant us his protection but he does not protect us from ourselves. Coupled with a life of prayer, is constant vigilance and a willingness to grow in the virtues, a desire to tame the defects of our fallen nature and bring every fiber of our being into subjection to God's law.

The Israelites fell headlong in Balak's trap. He offered them a party with much rejoicing and celebration centered on Baal, the God the Moabites worshiped, and Israel obliged. After all, we ought to keep neighborly relations with the people around us.

Perhaps, but not at the expense of the truth, and certainly not at the expense of God's commandments. Balak got what he wanted: God's retribution was swift and painful, and plain to the eye to see. Israel understood and repented. We, on the other hand, having lost any sense of the fear of God, often do not understand the events of our lives in the light of God, and, as a result, fail to repent.

What would you do if God gave you the gift of Prophecy? Sit at home and keep it for yourself, use it to curse others, or sell it to the higher bidder?

Such were the choices that Balaam, a man gifted with the gift of prophecy. Balaam was not an Israelite, which shows that the Spirit goes where it wishes. Very little is known of him until he is summoned by Balak the Moabite king who asks Balaam to curse Israel for he knows that curse spoken by Balaam as the oracle of the Lord will stand.

In so doing, Balak commits a grave mistake that we are tempted to commit every day: to make God do our bidding. In other words, to act like a magician conjuring powerful spirits at his commands, spirits who will fulfill his wish and act as an extension of his own will.

Balaam may have known better but the lure of gold was too strong and besides Israel were not his people. He complies and instead of curses, he blesses Israel -- twice, which goes to show that God's will is done by the good and the wicked.

What of God? Should he not have warned Balaam of his error? Actually, God did, in the most wondrous way: he opens the mouth of Balaam's donkey and she speaks words of wisdom, reminiscent of the words St. John the Baptist will speak to the Pharisees of his time: "do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham." (Matt. 3:9). The choice of a donkey and stones is not coincidental: the donkey is stubborn and stiff-necked like the pride of man, and the stone is hard, hard as a human heart.

To be angry with God is one thing. To rebel is another. The first calls God's compassion, the other his wrath. We all face hardships, some internal, some external. Some of us carry the burden of a long-term illness, others have lost their job, a loved one, or were forced to leave their home, their country. Still, others are caught by a habitual sin of one form or another, and some of us watch, with great anxiety, loved ones leave the faith and leave the Church.

All of these hardships, all these challenges are hard to bear, but a moment of reflection may help us see that, provided we are sincerely seeking the Lord, obeying his law and the laws of the Church, and calling upon him in days of trouble, then these hardships are not for our destruction but our growth in holiness, and in the final analysis, that is all that matters. Yet, we, like the children of Israel, are wandering in one wilderness or another.

At least it may feel like we are, and we are confronted with a choice when these hardships come knocking at our door: to go to God in complete confidence in his strength and will or rely on our own and fail. To obey his mysterious decree or to rebel. Life is found in obedience and death in rebellion. Yet, God, in His infinite mercy does not abandon us when we fail, when we fall, when we stray; he sends a serpent of bronze, lifted up so we can see him and by merely looking at him, the Israelites were preserved from the poison of the serpents. God is merciful, when we stray, to teach us obedience, not to give us what we want. The choice is ours.

This passage, taken from Exodus 19:13, illustrates the fundamental contradiction man finds himself in: he, the unclean creature since the fall of Adam, is called to live before the Lord who is all Holy.

In this study we focus on the offering of the red heifer -- a red cow -- who was to be sacrificed as a whole burnt offering but not on the altar of sacrifice inside the tabernacle, rather she was to be sacrificed outside the camp, much like what would happen to Christ in his passion when he was offered as a whole burnt offering on Golgotha, outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Chapter 19 has 22 verses and the word "unclean" appears 17 times, the word "clean" 5, and the verb "cleanse" 5 times. In total 27 words referring to bodily cleanliness/uncleanliness, none of which can forgive sins nor bring peace of mind. Further, the purification by sprinkling is a prelude to the baptism of remission of sins instituted by Christ. Seen from the Cross, the red heifer ceremonial is a preparation of minds and heart to the necessity of Christ, his coming, His death, and resurrection.

Is it then surprising that chapter 20 records the death of Miriam and Aaron in the midst of military and spiritual turmoil? Their death is recorded but not their resurrection and so these two chapters taken together highlight in stark terms the difference between the old and the new covenant: the lack of an empty tomb in the former and the glory of the resurrection in the latter.

In Hebrew, rod means also tribe. Aaron's rod that budded signaled to Israel that life springs from the consecrated priesthood.

The request for a proof may very well be the poster child of our fallen human nature. Ever since original sin broke the initial harmony and concupiscence disfigured humanity, proof became the natural means by which we gain trust, or believe. 

But requesting proof from God is, generally speaking, a bad idea. Not only we run the risk of putting God to the test, but we choke the faculty of faith in us. Faith operates as an inter-personal dialog, an exchange by which we are loved and we learn to love. Faith is built upon the Cross, the ultimate proof of Love. Still, our nature thirsts for reassurance, for consolation, or a sign, and God in his Mercy understands our need and hears us when we ask.

In these chapters, Israel is going through trying times; a crisis of confidence in its institution and leaders. God then intervenes and provides Israel with a clear sign, but what a sign that was. Aaron's rod -- a piece of deadwood -- buds. Life from the dead is an unmistakable sign of the Divine for no one else but God is the Lord of life and death and can cause the latter to produce the former. 

God reinforces the Levitical priesthood and clarifies their role and jurisdiction. Often then, God will turn the weakness a crisis leaves behind into renewed strength for the entire community.

What would you do if you were condemned to live in the wilderness all your life until you die? Whatever you do, do not rebel; unless of course, you wish to end-up like Korah and his followers.

Korah was a Kohathite, that is a son of Kohath, son of Levi. He and his followers, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, boldly declared before Moses and Aaron that "all the congregation is holy." 

Often enough, those who challenge the authority of Rome tend to do it in the name of the greater good. They set themselves above the hierarchy and boldly declare that they and not Rome are in the right: women priests, married priests, democratically elected bishops, gay marriage; the list goes on. 

How did God respond to Korah's challenge? In a predictable way: the curses of the covenant were triggered and the outcome was as devastating as it was predictable. 

Our Lord warned us: there will always be wheat and chaff in the Kingdom of God -- until the end of time. The end of the wheat and the chaff is very predictable. What is not is on which side will you end-up? 

As we study Korah's rebellion, we learn from that experience what we must do and not do before the Lord.

What happens when you trust your own eyes more than God? You end-up wandering in the desert eyes wide open.

These chapters relate the dramatic events that led to the forty years stay of Israel in the desert: God, through Moses, told the Israelites to cross the Jordan and take the land beyond as theirs. They send twelve scouts and ten come back with fables, with Caleb holding firm to the minority report. In the eyes of God, majority rule does not trump the truth and he gives Israel what they wanted: the safety of the wilderness where Caleb's generation will live and die.

God's word is not to be taken lightly and our actions should reflect our belief. "If God is with us, who can be against?" Saint Paul will ask the Romans in his letter (Romans 8:31). Then as now, the odds seem too big, the world stacked against us, the path ahead filled with dangers and traps. 

If we believe, we should set foot in the Jordan and the Lord of the Universe will bear us over its surface to the Promised Land.

Spiritual bounty often leads to strife; Our fallen nature tends to evil and resents the good that requires it to change, mature, and grow. It is not surprising therefore to see the Passover followed by petty complaints and jealousy.

The first complaint is about misfortunes, but the complaint is not one of trust but distrust. God's anger flares and consumes the outlying parts of the camp. Then, the people cried to Moses who interceded on their behalf and the fire stopped. So often do we go to God with a list of complaints or requests, treating him like a solution-maker or a Santa Klaus, and when he does not answer our petitions according to our expectations, we become confused and look around for someone to help us.

Thankfully, God does not leave us alone, for even when we are seeking him the wrong way, he responds by sending an intercessor our way, someone who can help and guide us: a saint, a priest, a religious, pious, and wise friends. He does not leave us alone.

Even when we fall into jealousy as Miriam did when she thought to elevate herself and become equal to Moses. God showed her wretchedness through leprosy and taught her a lesson of trust and humility by allowing Moses to intercede on her behalf. So it is in our case, God sends us a sickness that affects our bodies to save us from the danger of self-love and the illusion of strength and control we like to bask in. But he does not leave us alone, sending us an intercessor to guide us back home.

The Passover is the constant reminder for Israel of God's overwhelming presence. In the Passover, Israel remembers how the first-born died and how they were rescued from Egypt. At the heart of this remembrance is a basic truth: God is omnipotent, omniscient and man is liable to die. 

But this second Passover was lived around the Tabernacle, the dwelling-place of God, and the liturgical worship of Israel becomes for the children of Jacob a school of love; God teaches them how to behave in his presence for the sole purpose to draw them near. They, on the other hand, want a strong master, a master, a conqueror, a warrior who would offer them peace, prosperity and ultimately, satisfy their lust for power. 

We are no different. God, in His loving embrace, gives us his Son in the Eucharist and we, we would rather watch football.

By studying the way this second Passover was lived, we can reflect on our own behavior at Mass and especially during the great season of Lent and Easter. Do we live our lives mindful of God's presence? And if so, how is our life different?

How should a community respond to God's dwelling in their midst? By bearing gifts worthy of a king. 

Chapters 7 and 8 of the Book of Numbers focus on the gifts the chieftains of tribes brought forward once Moses finished consecrating the Tabernacle. These gifts express (a) their gratitude for the graces the Lord brought them and (b) the recognition that the Lord is the King of Israel.

In response, God instructs Moses to light the Menorah; a sign that Israel is the light of the world for the Lord dwells in its midst. This is then followed by instruction on the duties of the Levites who are the assistants to the priests, and their consecration.

God has then established the camp and gave it a soul; the dwelling of the Shekinah in its midst, the source of all truth that Moses, the prophet par excellence can consult and receive infallible answers. In like manner, Jesus established the Catholic -- that is universal -- Church on Peter, and gave her the Holy Spirit, the Shekinah, to dwell within her and to guide her in all things and the Pope and the bishop united to him receive infallible guidance in matters of faith and morality.

Would you like to be the bearer of a radio-active vault? Touch it you die; don't carry it and you're gone. Such is the fate of the sons of Kohath, Gershon, and Merar.

The Tabernacle represents Sion. Symbolically, it is the Mountain of the Lord; his dwelling amongst men. Practically, it is the abode of the Shekinah, the holy presence. The sons of Kohath, Gershon, and Merar -- all Levites, were chosen by God for the dismantling, transportation, and rebuilding of the Tabernacle, even though these activities could be lethal.

Even danger comes knocking at your door, remember the Lord is nearby and your faith in him is all the safety you need. So it was with these Levites.

Now that the ability to move the tabernacle has been secured, the Lord turns his attention (so to speak) to the Israelite camp where He dwells, and chapters 5 and 6 are spent on the purification of the camp. By these means, God is impressing upon Israel that holiness does not abide sin. 

These chapters unequivocally show he is not only interested in our salvation individually, but he is also very interested in the organization and care of the Israelite camp; a prefiguration of the Church.

The Book of Numbers has less to do with numbers and a lot more with what happened while the Israelites lived in the wilderness. As strange as it may seem, 38 years are, for the most part, missing.

The book of Numbers follows in the heels of Exodus. Its first ten chapters focus on the first nineteen days of the forty years in the wilderness, and its last fifteen chapters cover the last five months of the last year. 

And yet, the Book of Numbers is a forty-year trek from Mount Sinai to the borders of Canaan, and this forty-year journey comprises forty stations grouped under three stages:

1. Preparation for the journey
2. Kadesh, where the bulk of the forty years was spent
3. Preparing for the conquest and settlement of the promised land

Temporally, the book embraces two generations, each connected with a census: the generation of the exodus doomed to die in the wilderness which will be extinguished by a plague at Baal-Peor and the next generation destined to enter the Promised Land.

This study will walk you through the Book of Numbers as if you were living in the camp with the Israelites. We will reflect on the actions of God and men, and discern their meaning in the light of Jesus Christ and the tradition of the Catholic Church. In many ways, we, too, are in the wilderness; a wilderness of a different kind, but we are wanderers seeking to live by God's word and abiding by his law. This study of the Book of Numbers will help you better understand what God expects of us, individually, and as a nation.