122 Unclean and Unclean (Num 5)

Just realised last night I wrote about Leviticus 4.
I didn't really, but I titled it Leviticus 4.
It was about Numbers 4, honest.
I hate that.
I check and recheck all my spelling and punctuation.
I'm careful with the words I try and use.
And I get the title wrong.
Twice.
The main title.
And then the sub title.
Grrrr.
I only noticed because I did it again tonight.
It didn't look right and I couldn't work it out.
Happily tapping away.
Girl talk in the background.
Then the girl talk got too girly.
So on with the headphones and Kate Bush, Hounds of Love.
Much more manly I think.
It irked me somewhat until it clicked.
I'm in Numbers Derhead.
Deep sigh.

Numbers 5
The surprising thing here is the first couple of verses.

v2-3 "Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead.
You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell."

v4 "And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp...."

How many were there?
Was it a lot of people?
Was it 6?
Was it 2348?
I talked about this when the laws came up in Leviticus. It's a common sense rule.
Sick people.
Contagious sick people in a confined crowded space.
Not a good mix.
At all.

The other rules imply occasions of sin yet to come.
Break faith with the Lord.
Wives going astray.
Jealous husbands.
But do you think given the fact that the leperousy people were sent out of the camp straight away that people who were tempted to do something a bit wrong didn't think twice about doing the wrong thing when they were about to?
I don't think it's a mistake the lepery bit comes first in the chapter.
Nor the fact that it seems a bit odd compared to the rest of the chapter.
Physically unclean.
Then spiritually unclean.
Unclean through no fault - consequences carried out.
Unclean through fault - consequences implied and no doubt they will be enforced.
Definitely food for thought.

Re-reading through I'm struck by the part in verse 2, "through contact with the dead."
It made me giggle a bit and I'm not entirely sure why.
It sort of reads like they might have talked to the dead.
I know it doesn't mean that.
But it got my head going to funny weird places it doesn't usually go.

Also it annoys me that tonight my ' are coming out ;.
I much prefer my ' to remain ' and not ;.
Stupid fingers strike again.