Nu. 5: A Pure Camp is a Happy Camp

Numbers 5:1-4 is kind of a refresher on Lev. 13-15, where people suffering from infectious skin diseases and discharges are to be quarantined, out side the camp. Practically, it makes sense to quell the spread of disease in less than medically sound times. But, from a humanitarian sense, disturbing by our standards today. Interesting that verse 3, says that they will not defile the camp “where God dwells among them.” They had to be apart from God? Or God had to be apart from them?

5:5-10 reminds me about the importance of restitution for wrongs as previously described early in Leviticus. Not only was payback a necessity, but one fifth had to be tacked on top of that and paid to the plaintiff. Its kind of a seemingly random review of two random statutes. Uncleanness? Restitution? What’s the point? Why these two? We just got done hearing about the responsibilities of the Levites…forgive me if I don’t see the context at this point in my reading.

Then we have the required ceremony for what happens if an Israelite suspects that his wife is cheating on him. If he even merely suspects that she is (whether she is impure or not), he has to take her before the priests. What a horrible point to come to in a marriage, when a person cannot trust the word of his wife. He also needs to bring a grain offering of barley flour “on her behalf.” So…guilt offering.

The priest makes a nasty drink out of holy water and dust from the sanctuary floor, and the woman has to drink it. He tells her what will happen if she has defiled herself, and she has to understand it. Basically, her thigh will waste away and her abdomen will swell. She will be unable to have kids. Plus her family will curse her, and people will curse her…she’ll basically be cursed. But if she hasn’t defiled herself, she will be cleared of the guilt, and will be able to have children. Mystical. So a new law is established about jealousy. I find it rather strange that it’s the woman who bears the burden of proving herself innocent. The husband can be jealous all he wants, and his own adultery bears no mention. I’m sure he’s not simply allowed to sleep around as he wishes, but the consequences for dudes aren’t anywhere to be found.