Numbers 31-33

We are nearing the end of the wilderness wanderings, and these three chapters give us account of the near end of this journey. Chapter 31 is the record of the destruction and division of plunder of the Midianites, who lived east of the Jordan, east of the land of Israel. This leads to chapter 32, the tribes who decide to settle in this land and not in the land of Canaan – what come to be known as the "trans-Jordan" tribes. They live just east of the Jordan River. Chapter 33 is a recounting of what has happened thus far.

Numbers 28-30

While this may once again seem a repetitive passage of Scripture, please understand that God is training them. He must repeat Himself often. This is also over the period of the 40 years in the wilderness. This may be 15 years after the law was first given, and He wants them to be aware that they need to keep doing this stuff – they can't let it drop, they can't follow the gods of the region – they must stay focused. This is good advice for us – stay focused, and give to Me what is deserved.

Numbers 25-27

Chapter 25 doesn't start very brightly. Another plague is spread upon the people for their disobedience and it leads to death. God did not want Israel getting tied up in the affairs of the Canaanite tribes – not because of race, but because of worship and religion. He wanted them to Himself (a jealous God). After this, another census is taken and the number has dropped. After this, in chapter 27, we have a family that has no sons dealing with inheritance issues.

God gives the daughters their father's inheritance and it changes the way people look at how women are to be treated. God was giving women rights that they had not had before in the ancient world. What a tremendous thing God was doing!

Also, it is declared that Joshua will be the one to pick up the mantel of leader after Moses has died.

Numbers 22-24

There are a few major roles for prophets in the ancient world. One of their main purposes was to tell the world what God had to say. This came in the form of oracles – and in various forms of oracles. Balaam was a bad prophet whom God uses here to show the king, named Balak what Israel's purpose was to be. In these three chapters, Balaam gives the king oracles that proclaim Israel's overriding purpose – to live in the land of Canaan and to be God's light. He also makes allusions to Christ in chapter 24, but his main purpose is to spread the truth to these kings in the land that Israel is not only not going away, but will get stronger and will do more than they all think.

Numbers 19-21

This is a test to see who is reading and what you are able to learn by yourself… What could chapter 19 be alluding to from the church's practices? Also, what do you see as similar in chapters 19 and 20?

Chapter 20 is fateful. Again the people are complaining, only this time it is the lack of water that is making them whine. So, Moses asks the Lord what to do, and God responds by telling Moses to speak to the rock and water will flow out. Now, Moses has already hit a rock with his staff and made water flow. So this instruction is different than before. However, Moses does not listen to the instructions and hits this rock twice – showing that it wasn't going to work the same way as before. Therefore he and Aaron will not enter the land they are leading the people to. Now truly only Joshua and Caleb will be the old folks as they approach the Promised Land. Edom also (the descendants of Esau aka Edom) treat Israel like dirt and do not let them pass. This sore relationship will continue all the way into the book of Obadiah. Then Aaron dies, and the passage in the desert continues to take its toll on everyone. Imagine knowing that everyone around you 20 and older is going to die over the next 40 years. How depressing! How unbelievably sad.

Chapter 21 starts with an amazing victory, continues with a sad story about snakes, shows the journey of Israel to the land of Moab (which is the wrong side of the Jordan River if you are getting to the Promised Land), and ends with victories over Sihon and Og.

Numbers 16-18

I have often had to say to the Lord, "I have not taken so much as a donkey from them," when dealing with grumblers. Isn't that a great phrase? Do you feel like God is being too harsh with some of the grumblers in the desert? Why do you think He was being so harsh?

I think God is establishing a new way and showing people how to obey. The people, even the good ones, will not obey Him and follow. He has to establish His power somehow. Granted, I might wish that it was different, but this is not for me to decide. It is my job to be obedient and to follow. We must never lose sight of this – we are to remain obedient and follow. We are asked for nothing else – just to have faith in the God who saved us. If you aren't going to have faith in Him, then who would deserve your love and affection?

Numbers 13-15

Numbers 13 begins with a promise and a request of God. He asks Moses to "send in some men to explore the land," and this is His request. Why does He want them to do this? He wants them to see what they are going to get. This is the promise, "which I will give to you (emphasis mine)." They aren't going in to assess the cost or work it will take to get the land. They are supposed to go in and just see it, revel in it, marvel at it, be encouraged by it. Instead, they lose sight of the promise and take the request as the most important thing. This happens a lot. Many of us are called or told to do something, but when we begin to look into it, it looks too big or too tough or too expensive to pull off. We lose sight of the promise for the request.

Moses sends in the 12 spies, and all but Joshua and Caleb lose sight of what God will do. They return from the land with great fruit and with cheerful reports of what riches are in the land. They are not cheerful by what they see. They see great walled cities (like Jericho) and giants (Nephilim, like Goliath). They forget that God told them it was theirs. Instead, in chapter 14, they chose to pick a new leader and desire to return to Egypt. Likely they have forgotten the pain of slavery (although they might desire that instead of the desert at this point). It is possible that they believe that because of what God did in Egypt, pharaoh might treat them differently – although they are neglecting that this God would not be with them. They want to return, and God desires to destroy them. Moses and Aaron appeal on their behalf, and Moses appeals to God for the glory of His name in the earth (what will Egypt think – they will think they have won!). God relents, but kills the 10 spies with a plague and tells everyone over 20 that they will not enter the land. Wow. Imagine how this would feel. I would likely have been one of the guys that tried to go in anyways and was defeated. I often mess up and don't like the consequences – wanting to press on anyways without God's blessing. Pray that I don't do this, and that you don't either.

Numbers 15 is about some more sacrifices and the first stoning of a Sabbath breaker. Can you imagine if church's stoned people for missing church (though this would be a poor understanding of the word "Sabbath")? How crazy would that be? The tassels at the end of chapter 15 is great and interesting (and some have connected it with Christ's ministry – the healing of the bleeding woman). What do you all think?

Numbers 10-12

Have you ever wanted to snipe someone because they had gifts that you desired? That seems to be what happens in chapter 12. Moses is the head of the party that gets to meet with God. He is the one specifically who God had an intimate relationship with. Out of this bitterness grows in Aaron and Miriam. Perhaps Miriam's bitterness is more real or she is the one who eggs it on because it was her that received a skin disease (which many translations call "leprosy" even if the word is unclear). She is healed of this, but not until after God says His piece. Do you trust Him enough to believe that He is in control – and rightfully so? Many of us miss the fact that He deserves to have the authority He has. It is His right to chose things and to declare them. He can give some of us gifts that some of us will never have. Do you trust Him? He is capable of using everything for His glory. Does this bother you? He is bigger than you can possibly imagine. Has that sunk in? God is mighty, so mighty as to protect those that are for Him. I hope we all lose sight of the littleness of our lives and claim the bigness of Him.

Good Link and Perspective

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2009/11/frank-viola-and-from-eternity-1.html

What is important about church to you?

Numbers 7-9

How do you feel about the repetition we are seeing in this book? It is important – there are standard measurements and expectations for all those giving to the Lord. Very important.

Chapter 8 is the actual sanctifying of the priestly caste. This was an honor for them to work for the Lord. This also is a small glimpse to what the writer of Hebrews calls us: a holy priesthood. This is where that passage pulls from.

Chapter 9 is really important for Israel. I contained the first celebration of the Passover. This would have been an amazing thing to behold. Imagine watching the first celebration of this event. I don't know if the church today has anything this significant and personal to pull from – in a community-sense. Sure, we all have been saved by the same sacrifice of Christ, but few of us really grasp it. None of us were there to see it. Imagine sharing the stories. Imagine the teary eyes as the account was shared and God is remembered. Wouldn't this have been amazing? Our passage for today ends with the cloud of the Lord descending on the Tabernacle – God is officially dwelling AMONGST His people – wow, what a picture.

Numbers 4-6

The men allowed to work in this line (carrying the Tent of Meeting, etc) have to be younger so that they can really do this. Therefore God only has those that are 30-50 years old to actually do the work. The others would have other jobs for other parts of the greater religious system that was being created.

Chapter 5 is full of some interesting ways at staying pure and righting the wrongs done to you.

Chapter 6 is an important vow. Anyone could make it, it was a "special" vow or "extraordinary" vow. This was for if you wanted to be free from something or set apart. Some people have it made for you. Samson was the most famous Nazirite. Notice what they were not allowed to do. Now remember the story of Samson as you read the things they could not do. Then check for how many of them Samson breaks.

Numbers 1-3

In Numbers 1, the Lord asks Moses to appoint leaders of each of the tribes. Moses does and then counts everyone that is "20 years old or older" and is male. The number is 603,550, which means that there could be millions walking through the desert together approaching the Promised Land. How amazing that God provided for them all this time!

Then chapter 2 positions them around the tabernacle. In my study, I read briefly something about the 12 zodiac signs and the 12 tribes lining up (something like the Lion and Judah lining up). I am not sure if this is true and would be something to look into later, but the main point was that the tribes were laid out to represent the heavens here. Our goal is to be heaven here. Not that we will ultimately win (the victory is His), but we are meant to be something for the rest to see – something like salt and light.

Chapter 3 pulls from something we made reference to earlier. The firstborn were bought by the Lord with a price. They were purchased "by the blood of a lamb", the Passover lamb. So, when a few days later they were worshipping a golden calf, God took away their inheritance. He had claimed them to be the ones that would be working for Him in the tabernacle and eventually the temple. They lost this right and God gave it to the Levites, those who stood up for Him at the golden calf episode. Here he reclaims them, and the Levite tribe becomes the tribe of priests.

Leviticus 19-21

"Be holy for I am holy." What does this statement mean? What makes the Lord holy – what does holy even mean? Holy is generally defined as "separate" and does not necessarily mean "sacred" or "perfect." To be separate definitely defines God, don't you think? He is just different, separate from us. What makes the word holy have these other meanings is the fact that God is just that. He is separate from us – and we are broken, sinful, dirty – everything but "sacred" or "perfect." He is these things – and that makes the word take on these other connotations. So God tells us to be like Him – and isn't that really the point? He wants His children to resemble His goodness. Shouldn't we want to resemble His goodness? Shouldn't we want to avoid sin and evil? Shouldn't we want to treat our neighbor well? Shouldn't we want to avoid sacrificing our children?

Notice how chapters 20 and 21 end a lot of statements with, I am the Lord. This is a reminder that He is He. This is a reminder that He has the right to ask us for these things, and a reminder that He knows what is best for us.

Leviticus 25-27

In chapter 26, we see that God's promises are not just given with no attention given to obedience. God wanted them to want what He was calling for. He wanted them to want to be rewarded. Unfortunately many times we miss the big picture and the possibilities. This is about to happen in Numbers… get ready to check it out. They lose sight quickly of the rewards of following God and see the punishments for disobedience acted out in a painful way. It is unfortunate, but what happens when we are far from Him and when we lose sight of the prize.

Leviticus 22-24

Once again in chapter 22, God wants to receive the best. Only the best, so everything in this chapter shows us what is acceptable and unacceptable. This is followed by all the festivals and events that the Israelites were to experience in the normal religious year. I think we are remiss as a church (the worldwide church) that often we do not live by these special days – holy days – holidays. The church should be celebrating what God has done. The nation of Israel was to celebrate God's creation and rest (Sabbath), His role in the escape from Egypt (Passover), thanksgiving (Firstfruits), various feasts of fellowship (trumpets, tabernacles and weeks) and a day of salvation (Atonement). Their year was structured around events of God. He was their structure and meaning. Unfortunately, many of us miss the meaning. He should be our structure and life goals.

Every seven years, the Israelites would take a year off to reestablish their fields and to give the land a year to rebound. Every 50 years was the year of Jubilee where they celebrated what God had done by releasing slaves and giving back what had to be done for survival over the past 49 (like selling a field to raise money for food). Their goal was not just to be guided into His ways in mind, but to act it out, to live it out.

Leviticus 16-18

The Day of Atonement was the one day of the year that everyone would receive forgiveness for their sins. The scapegoat would take the sins upon itself and be taken into the wilderness (by a Gentile, sometimes thrown off cliff or something like that). Another goat would be sacrificed on behalf of the people. The priest would wear his special vestments (go back to Exodus for details and walk into the Holy of Holies (or the place that God dwelt). This was the day that everyone would be free – until next year. Jesus Christ has made this seem small – we have forgiveness every day. Every day we have freedom in Him… so this was but a pointing to Him and who He would be.

Leviticus 13-15

Okay, more detail on leprosy than you would like, I am sure, but it just goes to show what has been said in the past few postings. God likes His people healthy, so it serves to show that He would work to make sure they were healthy – by giving them rules to diagnose what is what (13) and to cleanse those who are sick (14). Also, what to do if there were bodily discharges. I swear some of these verses are there to get us to pay attention. Yep, that is what they are there for… I hope.

Leviticus 10-12

Nadab and Abihu become the first priests to lose their lives because of "unauthorized fire before the Lord" or something similar to this. When God gives careful instructions to those that are supposed to be serving Him, He expects those instructions to be followed. While it has changed (fire doesn't break out against us), the idea still persists today and did in the New Testament. You remember a few weeks ago when we were learning about Ananias and his wife Sapphira? That was a big mistake. You might have read in 1 Corinthians when Paul tells the church to release a man into Satan's hands due to the despicable actions he was committing. The church (and the priesthood of believers) is not demanding perfection, but obedience and humility. For God to state in chapter 9 not to offer unauthorized fire to the Lord, and then for them to do this in chapter 10 (which is not necessarily a timeline, mind you – it might have been years) is unseemly. For God to tell the church to the light of the world and salt of the earth – why would He not be upset by us constantly be losing our saltiness due to dumb sins? I wish He would call us out more boldly. I wish He would demand more of us and then act in fire to back it up. I wish we could feel the fury sometimes – even if it really hurt me (or killed me). If something like this would happen, there is a good chance we would all change our lives quickly and act in faith – so why don't we now?

Chapters 11 and 12 have a number of things you likely never expected to see in the Bible. I love it. Why would God ask for some of these things, you might ask? My answer is two-fold at this point (more might come as I grow and learn more). First, God wants to protect His people from disease and infection. Some of the animals that they are not allowed to eat or touch are the ones that would carry disease or would cause sickness if not cooked properly. Therefore, God is protecting the people from some of these diseases (as they are in the desert and don't have great cooking supplies – like a meat thermometer). The others are for the health of individuals or the growth of the nation. If you are not allowed to do certain things at certain times of the month, it might encourage you to do them later, when a baby would be more likely to be created. If you aren't allowed to do certain things after childbirth, it encourages the mother to heal – the man to man up and wait – and for the health of another baby, if another pregnancy were to happen. I really marvel at some of these laws now that I am older and married. God was protecting everyone in these things. Often we see His laws like rules that are not fun – and therefore need to be broken. Maybe, just maybe, God has a better plan and is desiring that His people follow through for the sake of each other and their best life. He protects us from ourselves, but we want to rebel from these protections… doesn't that seem a little wrong?

Leviticus 4-6

As I read this text, the main question in my mind is, "so what is the difference between the guilt and sin offering?" I am guessing some of you wonder that as well. If you read it carefully, there is a distinction – the sin offering is for unintentional sins that we might have done and not known it (and still don't know it) and the guilt offering are for sins that were unintentionally committed that we have learned about. Let me illustrate, if I may. Let's say that you have a friend who has a condition you know nothing about. You are blabbing one day and offend him/her by talking about their disease in a flippant way. Later, you go to the altar to repent of this sin – the guilt offering would be if you talked to your friend and they admitted it/the sin offering would be for the sin you committed without even knowing it. This may be a small or dumb example, but I think it shows the point.

Ultimately, however, the real point is that God is hurt by sins we don't even know we do. You might read Leviticus and Deuteronomy as time goes on and see something God says and go, "Wow! I have done that and didn't realize it was sin!" This would be a guilt offering thing, and some of us will never fully know what we are doing that is upsetting God – sin offering. Either way, we are messed up and need forgiveness. That was the point of these sacrifices. As I said yesterday – Jesus paid the price for all of these sacrifices. He forgives us for unintentional sins. He forgives us of our guilt and sin. He makes things right again. How amazing is that!

Leviticus 1-3

The first 5 chapters of Leviticus deal with 5 different offerings, with chapter 5 being the only one that doesn't neatly start with the offering and end with the same offering. Each of these offerings have different aspects that are interesting for us to point out. Each of them involve sacrifice and two of the first three are animal sacrifice (fellowship and burnt), with the last one being grain (aptly named grain). All of them are very defined and each of them have to be the best of the best or "without defect." This is clearly foreshadowing to Jesus – the ultimate sacrifice that is without defect. Each of them are for setting things right or for thanking God for what He has done. This is why we give a little bit on Sundays to Him. This is why we should offer Him our lives (Rom. 12:1-2). This book will seem boring unless you apply these truths to your life.

Exodus 34-36

Moses has the opportunity to see the glory of the Lord – and even the back of God's glory makes Moses' face glow like the sun. After this, the Ark and tabernacle are crafted – almost as a response to this glorious face. What was your perspective as you read how God passed before Moses? What about when Moses covered his face from the people?

Exodus 37-40

Once again, all these details are important because this is the place that God is going to dwell among men. Notice that a key aspect of the Bible so far is that God is coming to His people – He is stopping at nothing to ensure that they know Him. After all the pieces are completed – the glory of the Lord dwells with the tabernacle. The people have Him dwelling with them – which is a huge step in the history of man – don't you think? Obviously this is the start of what will be completed with Christ – God dwells with us actually as a man in this world. He submitted Himself to the lowly for the sake of bringing everything to Him again – by redeeming it! This is the beginning of this, and if it is seeming repetitive, please look beyond it to see the significance – the God who parted the Red Sea will now dwell in a tent with the people He claimed as His own.