Numbers 5-6; Psalm 33:13-22; Acts 26

Numbers 5
1-4 - Unclean Persons put outside camp, both male and female
5-10 - Confession and Restitution - Make full restitution plus 1/5
11-31 - Laws re an Unfaithful Wife (Laws that go very much against our [my] American sensibilities, and the equal rights we expect as women in our society -- that a husband can humiliate his wife in this way because he's jealous. Also, the word "curse" used is too reminiscent of witchcraft, somehow.)

• If a man suspects his wife has been unfaithful, he takes her to the priest with barley-flour offering
• The priests mixes holy water and dust from the floor of the tabernacle, messes up her hair, and puts the grain offering in her hands
• He makes her take an oath of her innocence
• He pronounces a curse. If she's lying, her uterus will drop, and her womb will discharge.
• The priest puts the curse in writing and washes the words off into the "water of bitterness" (the dirty water, I think).
• He makes her drink the water, takes the grain offering from her, elevates it and takes it to the altar.
• If she experiences bitter pain, and other consequences of the curse, then she shall become an "execration" (abomination) among her people.
  
• This can be done by a husband whenever he is "jealous" of his wife.
• "The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity."
  

Chapter 6
1-21 - The Nazirites

• Men or women
• No wine or strong drink - no vinegar or any part of a grape
• For the duration of the vow, no cutting of the hair
• No going near a corpse.
  
• If a close relative dies suddenly, they must go through a cleansing process: shave the head; offer 2 birds as sin and burnt offering, separate themselves again, and offer a lamb offering -- then start the vow over again.
• At end of consecration, a ceremony in the tabernacle involving a lamb, grain offering, oil, a ram, shaving of the head put on the altar.
• After that, the nazarites may drink wine.

22-27 - The Priestly Benediction - The LORD to Moses to Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites. Is this found elsewhere, too?

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Psalm 33:13-22
16 - "A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength."
18 - "Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love."

Acts 26 - Paul's Defense before Agrippa

• Per Paul, Agrippa familiar with "customs and controversies" of the Jews
• All the Jews know my history.
• Yet I stand here on trial for a promise made by God to our ancestors.
• "Why is it incredible...that God raises the dead?"
• Story of his conversion, his vision of Jesus
• Account of his preaching to Jews and Gentiles
• Festus interrupts: "Paul, much learning has made you mad!"
• Paul to Agrippa: "Do you believe the prophets? I know you do."
• Agrippa to Paul: "Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?"
• Agrippa and his entourage: "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment."
• Agrippa to Festus: "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor."