We have partly looked at 10, but now will follow other uses of it, which, first, show the character we have already seen, but in other connections.
Num. 14:22. Israel tempted God 10 times.
Num. 14:36-38. Ten spies died by plague.
Gen. 14:20. Abram gave tithes to the priest of the Most High God, Melchizedek.
Gen. 28:22. Jacob pledged tithes to God.
Judg. 6:27. Gideon took 10 men to destroy Baal's altar, as Jehovah said.
1 Sam. 25:38. After 10 days, God smote Nabal.
1 Kings 6:23. The cherubim in the most holy are 10 cubits high.
1 Kings 7:10. The largest stones of the temple, 10 cubits.
1 Kings 7:23. The sea was 10 cubits across.
1 Kings 7:24. The knops were arranged 10 in a cubit.
1 Kings 7:27,38. Ten lavers and bases to them.
2 Kings 5:5. Naaman took 10 talents of silver and 10 changes of raiment for God's prophet. (It is not clear if this 10 be an energetic 5 to the prophet, or a 10 towards the prophet's God.)
2 Chron. 4:7,8. Ten candlesticks and 10 tables in the Temple.
2 Kings 20:9. A sign from Jehovah, the shadow to go forward or backward 10 degrees.
Psa. 33:2. "Praise Jehovah" with "an instrument of ten strings." Num. 18:26. The priests to have a 10th of the Levites' tithe.
In the Old Testament, 10 times fire came forth from God: Gen. 19:24; Lev. 9:24; 10:2; Num. 11:1;16:35; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10,12; 1 Chron. 21:26; 2 Chron. 7:1.
The people shouted in joy with God in the Old Testament 10 times: Lev. 9:24; Josh. 6:20; 1 Sam. 4:5; 1 Sam. 10:24;17:20,52; 2 Sam. 6:15 (also given in 1 Chron. 15:28); 2 Chron. 13:15;15:14; Ezra 3:11. These are:
when the fire of God burnt up the sacrifice; when the walls of Jericho fell; when the ark was brought into the camp; when Saul was chosen king;
when Israel wanted to fight the Philistines;
when pursuing them after Goliath's death;
when the ark was brought up from Obed-edom's house;
when God smote Jeroboam before Abijah;
when Asa and all the people sware to Jehovah at Oded's prophesying;
when the new temple was built.
(Three evil shoutings also are mentioned and in Job 38:7 a shouting not from earth).
Also 10 people say "I have sinned" in the Old Testament (beside Judas, Matt. 27:4, in the New):
1. Pharaoh (Ex. 9:27;10:16)
2. Balaam (Num. 22:34
3. Achan (Josh. 7:20)
4. Saul (1 Sam. 15:24,30;26:21)
5. David (2 Sam. 12:13;24:10,17; 1 Chron. 21:8,17; Psa. 41:4; Psa. 51:4)
6. Shimei (2 Sam. 19:20)
7. Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:14) "offended" is lit. sinned
8. Job (Job 7:20)
9. Micah (Mic. 7:9)
10. Nehemiah (Neh. 1:6)
It may be added on this point, that besides the above personal confessions, "we have sinned" is said (for themselves and others, the nation) by four persons: the Psalmist (Psa. 106:6); Isaiah (Isa. 42:24 and 64:5); Jeremiah (Jer. 3:25; 8:14; 14:7,20 and in Lam. 5:16); Daniel (Dan. 9:11,15,5-8). While the people Israel say "we have sinned" on five occasions; viz., Deut. 1:14, Num. 14:40; Judg. 10:10,15; 1 Sam. 7:6;12:10; Num. 21:7 and see Num. 12:11.
There are also 10 righteous curses in Scripture:
1. on the serpent (Gen. 3:14)
2. on the ground (Gen. 3:17)
3. on Cain (Gen. 4:11)
4. on Canaan (Gen. 9:25)
5. on Jericho (Josh. 6:17)
6. on Achan (Josh. 6:18; 7:12-13)
7. on Hiel the Bethelite (Josh. 6:26, 1 Kings 16:34)
8. on the Gibeonites (Josh. 9:23)
9. Jotham's curse on the Shechemites (Judg. 9:57)
10. on the fig tree (Mark 11:21)
There are 10 parables of the kingdom in Matt. 13, 22 and 25.
1 Cor. 6:9-10 gives us 10 characters which shall not inherit the kingdom of God; while Rom. 8:38-39 gives a 10-fold assurance of security to those who are in Christ. By a 10-fold detail, separation from the love of God is declared impossible.
It is said in Deut. 23:3: "an Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of Jehovah; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of Jehovah forever." A comparison with Neh. 13:1 will show that when an Ammonite or Moabite was prohibited from entering into the congregation to their 10th generation, the intention was to fully cut those nations off forever.
Our Lord says of Himself, "I am," 10 times:
"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35, 41)
"I am the living bread" (John 6:51)
"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12)
"I am one that bear witness of myself' (John 8:18)
"I am the door of the sheep... I am the door" (John 10:7,9)
"I am the good shepherd... I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11,14)
"I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25)
"I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6)
"I am the true vine. . .I am the vine" (John 15:1,5)
Ten times the Tabernacle is spoken of as the place of God's "witness" or "testimony," (these 2 words being the same word in the Hebrew). But of these 10 times, 5 are literally "tabernacle of testimony," and the other 5 are "tent of testimony." The former 5 are in Ex. 38:21; Num. 1:50, 53 (twice); 10:11. The latter are in Num. 9:15;17:7, 8, 10; 18:2 and 2 Chron. 24:6.
The laver of the Tabernacle is mentioned 10 times, but its "foot" (or base) only 8 times. Also the "pins" (or tent pegs) are named 10 times.
The Day of Atonement was the 10th day of the seventh month.
In 1 Kings 14:3, Jeroboam's wife took 10 loaves &c., to the prophet Ahijah.
In the foregoing quotations and in many others, a greater or less connection will be found with the thought of responsibility before God. Thus, the tent pegs of the Tabernacle are spoken of 10 times; but these are the means of steadiness and security to the structure, by means of the cords attached to them and it. And it is important to notice that according to the character of a truth or feature, so often is it named. This will be seen more fully further on.