Archive for the ‘Numbers-BibleTrekToday’ Category

Scripture reading for February 12th: Numbers 5-8

Everybody wants to be blessed!  The Amplified Bible’s expanded meaning of “to be blessed” is ” happy, to be envied, ” .  Blessed people have good things coming their way.  They enjoy an abundance and their lives are filled with joy and peace.  This peace is beyond circumstances and permeates the soul and heart.  In our reading for today, we find the Aaronic blessing that God instructed Aaron to speak over His people so that God could put His Name on them and bless them.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”  “So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”  (Numbers 6:24-27)

One of the blessings mentioned here is being kept safe by the Lord.  God is a refuge for His people and an ever-present help in time of trouble.  (Psalm 46:1)  The Lord is all-powerful and has the ability to stop any attack on His people.  He promises protection to all who are set apart for Him.

A sign of God’s blessing is His smiling face!  Isn’t it great to know that God can smile and is happy with you!  One way that we can make God smile is to walk in faith.  Faith is a prerequisite for pleasing God. (Hebrews 11:6)  When our Father is happy with us His children, we know His grace will flow to us.  Grace is His unmerited favor sending more than we deserve our way.

It is interesting that this blessing comes right after the description of the Nazirite vow that could be taken by one who voluntarily wanted to consecrate himself to the Lord for a set period of time.  This Nazirite vow speaks of Jesus Christ, who as known as a Nazarene, for his original home town of Nazareth.  Jesus voluntarily set Himself apart to fully obey God, His Father.  Jesus offered Himself fully as a sin offering for all of us.  Because of His faithfulness, and by faith in Him we can enjoy better than the Aaronic blessing!  We have open access to God’s throne by Jesus’ blood.  We can come before Him and know His smile of pleasure and His joy is in us.  His gracious gift of eternal life is ours forever!  We will see His face one day!

Scripture reading for February 11th: Numbers 1-4

The book of Numbers starts with instructions for counting each of the Israelite men 20 years of age and older.  Every one was to be counted in a census by name and one of the purposes was finding those who might serve in the army.  God’s people were an army that was being prepared for battle.  They were organized by divisions under the leaders of the twelve tribes.  Each tribe had a leader that God assigned to help with this task of counting.  (Numbers 1:1-5)  One by one each person was listed and counted as the Lord directed! In that day, only the men were to fight and they needed to be 20 years old to be in God’s army.

We also note that each of the divisions or tribes was assigned a particular place to camp around the Tent of Meeting, which was God’s dwelling in the center of His people .  Three tribes were assigned to each of the four directions around the camp.  They were to assemble around the banner of their tribe.  An army has order and must be around their commander!  Armies also march and assemble around banners that an assigned person carried.

One tribe was assigned to lead the procession when they moved out–the tribe of Judah!  It is interesting to note the Jesus Christ was the “Lion of the tribe of Judah!” (Genesis 49:9) (Revelation 5:5) Judah, Issachar and Zebulun camped on the east of the Tent of Meeting.  It is also interesting to note that the “Eastern” gate is the gate were Messiah will enter the holy city on His return.  One of the names of God in the Old Testament was “Jehovah Nissi”, The Lord our Banner!  He actually led Judah because when the cloud of Glory would move, then the Israelites would move and follow.  A good thought here is our necessity to wait on God and follow Him in His prescribed order!

In all there were 603,550 Israelite men 20 years old and older, not counting the Levites!  There were 22,000 Levite males  a month old or older.  Levites who were between 30 and 50 years of age were to serve in the work of caring for the holy things.  Each one was assigned a job and told what to carry and do.  8,580 were in that group and willingly did the work.  God truly knows about and cares for each of His people.

Greetings! Today is another day of rest and reflection about what God has been saying to us.  Have you enjoyed Numbers?  What have you learned about Jesus Christ through this book?  Do you sense God speaking to you about Christ as you read the stories about Moses and the people of God as they learn to walk with God in their midst?

A story I did not write on comes to mind today.  It’s the story of Balaam.  Balaam was a prophet for hire who was hired by Balak, King of the Moabites.  Balak was afraid of the Israelites and had heard the reports of how they had completely destroyed Sihon and Og, two other kings that opposed them.  God had given them this victory and led them in this conquest.  Balak was trying to get advantage the only way he knew how.  He sent a delegation to hire Balaam to come and curse the Israelites.  Balaam, to his credit, sought God as to what he should do.  God told him not to go and not to curse Israel. (Numbers 22:12)

A short time later, Balak sent more distinguished men and more money to try and entice Balaam to come and curse the Israelites.  Balaam was tempted, but he sought God again on this matter.  Money and men have a way of clouding God’s instructions.  God told him to go, but do only what He instructed him.  This led to the incident where Balaam’s donkey talked to him and warned him about the Angel of the Lord who was waiting on the way to kill him!  God’s mercy and justice are evident here in this tension.

Balaam goes to curse the Israelites and as he stands to act, a spirit of prophesy comes on him.  Each time, he blesses God’s people instead.  These blessings speak of Jesus Christ and God’s desire to bless his people.  Numbers 23:6-10 records the first blessing and verses 18-24 the second blessing.  God has blessed his people, who can curse them?  When God speaks a promise, no one can change it by sorcery!  (Numbers 23:20,23)

The final prophesy of Balaam is recorded in Numbers 25: 14-24.  In this prophesy, Balaam warns Balak of what the Israelites would do to his people in the days to come.  He sees a vision of the Almighty.  This vision is of a star coming out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel.  It was not now and not near, but would surely come.  He would crush the head of Moab and conquer Edom.  This ruler is Jesus Christ, the star out of Jacob and the one who holds the ruler’s septer!  Jesus would crush the head of the serpent as prophesied in Genesis 3:15!

The tradgedy of Balaam is what he did later.  He evidently figured out a way to help out Balak.  He told them to send in the women and seduce the Israelites and get them into idolatry.  That would bring a curse from God on the Israelites as a consequence of their own sins. (Numbers 31:15-16)  Balaam was a false prophet who met a tragic end! (Numbers 31:8) We must be on our guard!  Our enemy Satan is always trying to seduce us! (Revelation 2:14-16)

Scripture reading for February 20: Numbers 34-36

The God we serve knows everything!  When He speaks, He speaks truth that we can take at face value.  God told Moses in today’s reading about the boundaries of the land He was giving them and how to divide it when they took possession of it.  (Numbers 34:2) They had yet to own any of it.  These instructions were words to inspire faith in God’s people.  They were to cast lots for their portion in the land.  (Numbers 34:13) God decided by lot who would get what.  “The lot is cast into the lap, but it’s every decision is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33)

As the Israelites entered the land and took possession of it, God had Moses appoint a leader from each tribe to oversee the assignment of the inheritance.  The only name that stands out in this list is Caleb.  He and Joshua are the only ones left from the generation 20 years old and older who had not perished in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. These two are examples of  the veracity of God’s promises.  “God is not a man that he should lie.” (Numbers 23:19) God alone knows the end from the beginning and He speaks to His people to build their faith.  This faith will inspire them to act on God’s Word and take what belongs to them.

In these last chapters of Numbers, we find provision for cities of refuge.  God knew that his people would need mercy.  Emotions get out of control and things happen.  Revenge instincts are strong and sometimes violence  that causes death erupts.  The cities of refuge were scattered throughout the land and provided a place where someone who had killed another could flee from the avenger of blood.  (Numbers 35:6)  These cities were Levite cities.  The Levites had no inheritance but were given cities and pastureland throughout the promised land to use and to minister to the people.  Six of these forty eight towns were cities of refuge. They were to mediate these serious situations when someone came for refuge.

What lessons can we get from these final chapters of Numbers?  First, our God does know everything and has good plans for us. (Jeremiah 29:11)  He wants us to know those plans and walk by faith and claim our inheritance!  He has provided a refuge for any who sin.  We can flee to Jesus Christ, our rock and redeemer and find grace and help in time of need!  (Hebrews 4:14-16)  He mediates all our sins and provides refuge and mercy to those who repent!  Take time today to ponder some of these promises and by faith possess those that you need today!  Our God is on your side!

“What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32

Scripture Reading for February 19: Numbers 31-33

As our last two adopted children were growing up, I had them write scriptures as a discipline for doing wrong.  This helped them in several ways.  They needed to learn to write English and it helped with that.  They needed to learn the Word of God and build their faith.  It helped with that.  After writing the verse, they needed to explain what it meant to them. Some of the things they did were normal childish things, but some were willful. They obeyed to a point, but always looked for a way to get around true obedience by twisting our instructions or taking it out of context.   One of the scriptures that we used was this simple warning found in Numbers 32:23: “you can be sure your sin will find you out.” They wrote this verse dozens of times!

In our reading today, the context for this verse was a warning given by Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.  These tribes petitioned Moses to be able to stay on the east side of the Jordan River and not enter the promised land with the rest of the tribes.  They were lured by the lush pastures and the potential to make money with their large flocks and herds of sheep and cattle.  They were going to have a great life without their rightful inheritance promised by God.  They were satisfied with what they could see–why take a chance on what they might get?  They promised to fight and help their brothers take their inheritance, however.  So Moses warned them against failing to fulfill their promise to fight. It would be a sin that would find them out!

We have lots of people today like these tribes of Israel.  They experience the blessings of God’s deliverance from sin and see the miraculous daily supply of God.  They agree that a full inheritance is fine for others, but they are satisfied with what they can have right now.  They want the easy life and are not sure that what God promises is worth the chance or the effort.  They choose to go part way with God’s people, but want what they can see themselves, not what is promised!

The end of these tribes proves God’s Word is true again!  (1 Chronicles 5:24-26)  They were later unfaithful to God and prostituted themselves to other gods.  God gave them over to their enemies and they went into captivity!  They were faithful for a time, but in the end going just part way was not enough!  They sinned against God and their sin found them out!  God tried to warn them.  In his love, he tried to help.  But we often don’t learn from the warnings and have to be ‘found out”!  Don’t let this happen to you!  Take time today to be honest with God!

Scripture reading for February 18: Numbers 26-30

I sometimes teased my daughters that I strongly considered the biblical name “Hoglah” for naming them!  My wife and I raised lots of hogs in our early years so this would fit our past life!  Somehow, they never have thought that was funny!  But in today’s reading, Hoglah is a daughter to be proud of!  She is a pioneer in the “women’s rights” movement, way ahead of her time!

In Numbers 27 we have a record of five daughters of a man by the name of Zelophehad.  This man had died during the march through the desert.  His daughters went before the Tent of Meeting and petitioned Moses for an unusual request.  They wanted to be allowed to inherit the property of their father.  One of their talking points was that their Dad had not been a part of Korah’s rebellion.  He had simply died as a result of his own sins. (Numbers 27:2-3) Up to that time, no ruling had been made and it was tradition that the sons got the inheritance.  These godly daughters felt that was unfair!  They wanted equal rights to an inheritance in the promised land!  (Numbers 27:4-5)  God agreed!

This is a breakthrough for women’s rights and spiritual equality that God has established!  Roles for men and women are defined by God and we must accept those roles.  But some things are open for negotiation.  These women teach us some important lessons.  We must all appeal to the Lord and to His established leadership when we need answers.  We should abide by the decision of leadership.  Some problems in the community of believers must be worked out through prayer and interaction.  God will help us.

Their story continues at the end of Numbers, where another question arises concerning their inheritance of property.  What if they marry outside of their family?  Will that land transfer out of the tribe?  God’s answer was that they must marry within the clan to keep the property!  These godly women responded in obedience and faith and married their cousins. They kept their property and inheritance!  Oh, for daughters like Hoglah!   (Numbers 36:1-12)

Scripture Reading for February 18: Numbers 21-15

I hate snakes!  When I was little, Mom often asked me to take lunch and a drink to my Dad who was working out in the field.  This particular day in late June, he was cultivating corn about a half-mile from the house.  I was walking along the path, minding my own business, when I almost stepped on a large bull snake!  In my fear, I threw the water jar and Dad’s lunch at the snake and took off running for the house.  Mom consoled me and then sent me back to retrieve the bottle and lunch.  I complained and grumbled. Thankfully, the snake was long gone!

In our reading today, the Israelites were doing what they did best–grumbling!  As they grumbled against Moses and God, God sent poisonous snakes which bit the complainers and caused death.   (Numbers 21:5) The Israelites then asked Moses to pray for them and confessed their sin. (Numbers 21:7)  God answered Moses as he prayed with some strange instructions. He was to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole in the camp.  Anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze snake on the pole and he would be healed!  (Numbers 21:8-9)

What can we learn from this ancient story?  The first lesson is that sin causes death!  God has repeated this over and over but His people seem to forget!  Another lesson is that grumbling against leadership isn’t pleasing to God.  When we do, we are actually grumbling against God.  A third lesson is that when sin’s consequences come, we run to our leaders for help and prayer–and God does answer.  We then must have faith to do what God asks in order to be saved or healed!  True faith is obedience to God’s revealed truth.

This story is actually a picture of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus used this story right before the most famous verse in all of Scripture.  The snake that was lifted on the pole is a picture of Jesus Christ crucified.  He was made sin, who knew no sin, that we might be healed from the serpent’s poisonous bite.  If we will look with faith to His finished work on the cross, we will be saved and healed!  God loves His people and wants to save them from the poison of sin’s bite and the consequence of sin–death! (John 3:14-18)  If we refuse the remedy provided by God, then we will die and perish because of our refusal!  This ancient snake-bite remedy turns out to be the current remedy for all mankind!  I am sure grateful that I have looked at Jesus Christ with faith and received the healing from my own sin of grumbling, complaining and rebellion! Have you done the same? (Romans 10:9-10)

Scripture Reading for February 16: Numbers 17-20

Our reading today follows the awful deaths of Korah and his family.  The earth actually opened up and swallowed them all and they went down to Sheol crying out. (Numbers 16:31-34) They rebelled against the leadership of Moses and, in doing so, against God.  It’s so easy for people to criticize leadership.  Each person seems to be able to see a different or better way to do things.  Each leader has his own faults as well– none are perfect!  But we learn from this record that God Himself chooses leaders and places them in authority.  When we rebel or criticize leadership, we are rebelling and criticizing God!  He is not pleased with grumbling and rebellion!

In Numbers 17, we have a record of God’s mercy towards the people of Israel.  He had the leaders of each tribe bring their staffs and lay them before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting.  The next morning, Aaron’s staff had budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! (Numbers 17:8)  The other staffs were still dry sticks of wood!  God had demonstrated his choice of authority!  Only Aaron and his sons would be High Priests!  Moses was to take this rod and place it in the Tabernacle of Testimony as a reminder of his chosen authority. His desire was to stop the grumbling and call the people to faith and godly submission.

This incident is a picture of Jesus Christ as God’s chosen authority!  He meekly and obediently followed God’s instructions as he lived and walked on earth. He lived a sinless life and was crucified and laid in a tomb.  All religious Jews had criticized His leadership and servant ministry.  But God raised Him from the dead!  He produces fruit in raising to eternal life all who put their trust in Him.  He is presently God’s “rod of authority” seated at God’s right hand.  He is our High Priest forever!  He ever lives to make intercession for us!  What a pleasure to trust God’s authority!  All those who won’t trust will end up like Korah!  The earth will open up and Sheol will swallow them with weeping, crying and gnashing of teeth!

Take some time today and pray for those in authority over you. Give them a call or drop them a note and let them know that you appreciate them. Practice giving honor to God’s chosen authority!

“Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” 1st Peter 2:17

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When we started our journey through the Bible, I began with Luke 24.  The resurrected Jesus taught his disciples on the road to Emmaus and again in the room in Jerusalem everything concerning himself in the Law and the Prophets.  (Luke 24:27, 44) The Law refers to these Books of Moses that we have been reading.  As we take time to rest today, let’s think about these Books in relation to what they reveal about Jesus Christ.

First, Moses himself was a picture of Christ.  Moses was a prophet, a priest, a servant, a shepherd, a mediator, and a deliverer.  We find that Jesus is the final Word from God and holds the office of prophet and priest, as well as king (which Moses was not).  Jesus was a servant, (Matthew 12:18) the Good Shepherd, (John 10:11-14) the only mediator between God and man (1Timothy 2:5) , and our deliverer (1Thessalonians 1:10)! In his character description, Moses was the meekest of men. (Numbers 12:3)  Jesus was humble of heart as well. (Matthew 11:28-30)  Moses was faithful and obedient as was Jesus Christ.  Moses was powerful in word and deed (Acts 7:22) and Jesus certainly was!

In the account of Moses’ early life, he was a baby in Egypt and had to escape Pharaoh’s murder attempt.  Jesus, as a baby, was taken to Egypt to escape Herod’s murder attempt.  Both were providentially cared for by God to survive and fulfill their mission of deliverance!  Moses was rejected by his brothers and as a result obtained a Gentile bride while on the back side of the desert.  Jesus was rejected by his brothers and also has a Gentile bride, the Church!  Moses delivered God’s people from the death angel by the blood of a passover lamb.  Jesus delivered God’s people from death by his own blood spilled on the cross! Moses was eventually accepted by his brothers.  Jesus will be when he comes again!  Moses led the people and fed the people and mediated their concerns.   Jesus Christ is our King, provider and intercessor!

Take time today to think of some other aspects of our Lord that he has revealed to you as you have read these Books of Moses!  May your heart burn with love for Jesus!  Have a blessed day!  Pastor John

Scripture reading for February 14: Numbers 13-16

Walking by faith is not always easy to learn.  We are prone to be strongly influenced by what we see and what our past experiences have conditioned us to believe and understand.  In my younger days, I wanted to learn to fly an airplane.  Several of my friends and I got together and bought a Cessna 172 with instrument rating.  I wanted to be able to learn to fly by instruments.  The flight instructor would put a hood over my head so I could only see the instrument panel, and off we would go.  When we would turn, or go up or down, I would watch the instruments to learn where the wings were.  My mind, however, would play tricks on me.  I felt like we were flying sideways or going up or down, when the instruments said we were flying level.  Senses can lead us astray.  When flying airplanes in clouds or fog, we must learn to trust the instruments.

The twelve Israelite spies were sent into the promised land.  They were told to determine what the land was like and what the inhabitants of that land were like.  It was a military assessment.  God had already told them that the land was flowing with milk and honey.  He had already told them that He would take care of the inhabitants.  God was to them like the instruments in the plane.  If they had kept their focus on what God had said, they would not have veered off course!  Two spies actually did keep on course, Joshua and Caleb!  They pleaded with the others to get ready to go on in and possess the land that God had promised them.  (Numbers 13:30)  Ten spies got their eyes on the difficulties and began to spread fear, doubt and unbelief!  (Numbers 13:31-33)

The whole community got into the act and began to complain and grumble against Moses and the Lord, saying that God and Moses had brought them this far to let them die in the desert.  They even talked of stoning Moses and then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting.  God was ticked off.  He viewed their grumbling and rebellion against Moses as against Him!  (Numbers 14:11, 27)  God’s judgment on them was to give them what they had feared–the whole generation 20 years and older died in the desert because of their grumbling and unbelief! They all would wander in the wilderness for 40 years as punishment for their rebellion!  (Numbers 14:29-35)  Sin is costly!  Be careful what you speak!  Keep your focus on the instruments (God’s Word) and avoid a crash!