Numbers

March 16, 2015

Although the incident that elevated the Aaronic priest, Phinehas, seems brutal to modern eyes, it resulted in a special covenant that God made with the tribe of Levi. This seems to be what Malachi 2:4 and 2:8 refer to as the “covenant of Levi.” God turned the curse that Jacob spoke over Levi (Gen. 49:5-7) on his deathbed, into a blessing. True, Levi would still be “scattered” in Israel as Jacob prophesied, but God made the tribe His special possession. The covenant with Levi was one of “peace” and of an “everlasting priesthood.” Depending on one’s eschatology, some would say that this covenant was inherited by the Church. While others would say that God still has a future for Israel and the Levites in a Millennial Temple.

March 14, 2015

This is one of the more bizarre stories in the Bible. The Israelites were once again grumbling against God and Moses because of the lack of water and variety of food in the wilderness, so God punished them with poisonous snakes. God hates grumbling. Grumbling is the opposite of thankfulness. Grumbling itself is like a venom that infects everyone that hears it with a spirit of ingratitude. When the people repented and cried out for forgiveness, God instructed Moses to make an image of a bronze serpent and to put it up on a pole for people to look upon and repent of their sin for healing. Strange that the symbol of their suffering would be God’s provision for their forgiveness and healing. Yet, this is exactly what God did when He sent Jesus to die in our place. For on the cross we see the image of what our own sin deserved. Jesus became the symbol of our suffering. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

March 7, 2015

From the time the tabernacle was set up, the presence of God came to rest upon it, appearing as a cloud by day and fire by night. Whenever the cloud lifted, the Israelites broke camp and followed. When it rested, they rested. When it moved, they did likewise. In this way, God taught them to depend on Him for daily direction. God was raising up a people for Himself. The Israelites had left Egypt as grumbling slaves, but in the wilderness they grew into an obedient army of God’s servants. Their time in the desert was preparation. They could not enter the Promised Land until they learned obedience and grew in faith. When God leads us into wilderness experiences, do not question His will. Learn to follow. The desert places can serve to teach us dependence on God alone. The school of suffering is for our sanctification, making us more like Jesus when we learn to “remain encamped” or travel at the Lord’s command.

March 19, 2014

Reading through all the instructions concerning offerings and festivals in the Old Testament is pretty overwhelming. It seems impossible to keep up with them all. Yet, God was teaching His people to remember Him and what He had done for them. These holy-days/holidays were meant for remembrance, worship and to remind them of their identity as one people belonging to God. In Numbers 28, the following holiday/festivals are mentioned:
– Passover (Hebrew: פסח Pesach): Which commemorates the story of the Exodus, also called The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Begins on April 14th at sundown this year.
– Festival of Harvest (Hebrew: שבועות Shavuot): Also called The Festival of Weeks and The Festival of Pentecost. It commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah. This year it begins at sundown on June 3rd.
– Festival of Trumpets (Hebrew: ראש השנה Rosh Hashanah, literally “head of the year”): is the Jewish New Year. It is celebrated by the sounding of the shofar (trumpets). This year it begins at sundown on Sept 24th.
– Day of Atonement (Heb: יום כפור Yom Kippur): It is the holiest day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. This year it begins at sundown on Oct 3rd.
– Festival of Shelters (Heb. סוכות Sukkot): Also called The Feast of Booths and The Feast of Tabernacles. This year it begins at sundown on Oct. 8th.

March 16, 2014

Balaam was unable to curse Israel because they were under God’s blessing. So according to Numbers 31:16 he advised another way to harm them from within by tempting them to worship other gods. The Midianites and the Moabites were distant kin of the Jews. Yet, they had fallen into idolatry. It was their wicked and sexual Baal worship that turned many Jews aside and caused them to stumble. The word “Baal” means “Master, Lord, or Owner.” Here, the name “Baal of Peor” probably meant “Lord of Mt. Peor,” as pagan worship was often identified with a mountain. The Israelites could not be cursed or defeated in battle, but they could be tempted to break the first of the commandments and to put another master before the Lord their God.

March 14, 2014

This is one of the more bizarre stories in the Bible. The Israelites were once again grumbling against God and Moses because of the lack of water and variety of food in the wilderness, so God punished them with poisonous snakes. God hates grumbling. Grumbling is the opposite of thankfulness. Grumbling itself is like a venom that infects everyone that hears it with a spirit of ingratitude. When the people repented and cried out for forgiveness, God instructed Moses to make an image of a Bronze Serpent and to put it up on a pole for people to look upon and repent of their sin for healing. Strange that the symbol of their suffering would be God’s provision for their forgiveness and healing. Yet, this is exactly what God did when He sent Jesus to die in our place. For on the cross we see the image of what our own sin deserved. Jesus became the symbol of our suffering. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

March 9, 2014

Ten of the twelve spies that Moses sent into the Promised Land brought back a negative scouting report. Not negative in the sense that it wasn’t a land “flowing with milk and honey” as the Lord had promised. But negative in that they saw themselves and their God as too small to overcome the “giants” there. When we focus on life’s obstacles they appear as “giants,” overshadowing our view of God. We are overwhelmed by the size of the problem and we are tempted to turn back from God’s call as the Israelites did. Take care. Those who turn back miss God’s amazing adventure. They find themselves wandering the wilderness until they are ready to believe God. Or worse, they die in the desert, never knowing what God had in store. Is your God bigger than the obstacles that face you?

March 8, 2014

When Moses expressed doubt that God could keep them in meat for a month, God had a quick reply. I suppose Moses would have kept his doubts to himself, if God would have just offered to make a meat delivery without an announcement. But God wanted Moses to tell those grumbling Israelites that meat for a month was on the way. Having to stand up in front of those growling stomachs and promise that God would provide was overwhelming to Moses. It’s one thing to try and believe God’s Word and trust in His power for yourself. But when you have to stand up in front of a bunch of doubters and declare your faith… That connects your credibility to God’s! And God still does this. He still speaks through His Word and His “arm” is just as powerful as ever. The question is not whether God can do it. The question is who will so trust God that they will stand up and make the announcement!

March 7, 2014

The Israelites left Egypt as grumbling slaves, but in the wilderness they grew into an obedient army of God’s servants. Their time in the desert was preparation. They could not enter the Promised Land until they learned obedience and grew in faith. When God leads us into wilderness experiences, do not question His will. Learn to follow. The desert places can serve to teach us dependence on God alone. The school of suffering is for our sanctification, making us more like Jesus when we learn to “camp or travel at the Lord’s command.”