Luke 1:39-56   "Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah."  Nazareth, a city in Galilee..  to Judah's hill country.. possibly Hebron, one of the cities of refuge given to the Levites.. is not a quick trip.  Hebron is even further away than Bethlehem.  It is doubtful that Mary would travel by herself, but we are not told of anyone else going along.  

Elizabeth would have been 6 months pregnant or 7, depending on how long it took for Mary to get there.  But, as soon as Mary entered the room.. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and the babe in her womb "leaped"!  She knew in an instant that Mary was "the mother of [her] Lord".    John- still in the womb of his mother  "leaped.. for joy"!   How incredible these words are.. the world we live in doesn't even want to recognize and unborn baby as human... while John was aware, filled with God's Spirit and leaping for joy months before he was born!

Mary must have been so encouraged by the reception from Elizabeth!  "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."  

Mary's song of praise speaks of God's grace and favor.. she rejoices that God has blessed her even though she is just a humble girl. She magnifies the "Mighty One".. telling of His holiness, His mercy, His power, His justice, His provision, and His help.  

As we come before the Lord in prayer this Christmas season we can learn much from this humble young woman...

Father in heaven, we exalt You and we rejoice in You, our God and Savior.  We are thankful for the grace that You have shown us.. bringing us into fellowship with Your Beloved Son who came to save Your people from their sin.   You have done great things for us.  You have shown mercy to us and upon our families.. those that came before us and those who have come after.  You have done mighty deeds.. bringing down those who are evil and exalting those who humble themselves before You.  You fill the hungry with "good things".  You have helped Israel and You have helped us too.  We give You all praise and glory, with hearts of thanksgiving  and joy. You are precious to us, and we come to adore You today and throughout this blessed Christmas season.  Jesus Christ is Lord and King forever. Hallelujah and Amen. 

Luke 1:26-38  Luke's investigation into all the events "from the beginning"  brings out details of the birth of Christ that none of the other gospels give us.  Did Mary herself inform Luke of these events?  Who else would know that the angel Gabriel visited Mary that day? Who else would report his words "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." 

Mary found "favor with God".  He knew her heart.. He knew that she would receive this Word and surrender herself.. her womb.. her reputation.. her relationships.. so that the will of the Father would be done. 

Luke gives us the first glimpse of Mary's Son.. "And behold you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end." 

This is the promise given to Mary and to us.. the Day is drawing nearer when this will be perfectly complete.  We wait patiently with great anticipation for that blessed day!  Meanwhile we give thanks and rejoice in the greatness of Mary's son... Jesus Christ the Son of God who is coming again!

Father, we are turning our eyes now to Jesus.. looking beyond the "seen" to that which is "unseen". We rejoice in the promise given to Mary.. Jesus will reign over an unending Kingdom and we will be with Him forever!  Lord, haste the day when our faith will become sight and we will know the joy of Heaven in a way we can't ever imagine with our mortal minds. Thank You for coming to save us, Jesus!  Prepare our hearts today for the Day when You come again to take us to be where You are!  Amen!

 Luke 1:1-25   Luke wanted to know and share the whole story of "the things accomplished among us". He talked to eyewitnesses,  he "investigated everything carefully".. he wrote it all down in "consecutive order".   This man became a close friend and companion to Paul the apostle.  Paul calls him the "beloved physician".  It is thought that Luke was a Gentile.  He gives us the perspective of an educated Greek man who believed that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.. 

The first thing that Luke included in his investigation was the birth of John the Baptist.  He tells us of Zacharias and Elizabeth. We see that both Zacharias and Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron. Zacharias was of the priestly division of Abijah... one of the 24 divisions established by David.  More than that, they were "both righteous in the sight of God".  At the right time, Zacharias was chosen by lot to "enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense."  As others prayed outside, an angel appeared to Zacharias.  He was given the good news that his barren wife would have a child.. even though they were both "advanced in years." 

Not only would Zacharias and Elizabeth have a child, he would be a very special son and they would call him John.  He would be raised like one under a nazarite vow.. never touching wine or liquor.. but filled with the Holy Spirit.. from before he was even born.  John would serve the Lord in a way that none other could. He would "turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord God".. and he would "make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 

Zacharias wanted a sign to know that this would happen and the angel Gabriel called this "unbelief".  But..  Zacharias had a sign that could not be ignored.. he could not speak another word until the birth of his son. Elizabeth conceived and rejoiced in the gift that God granted her.. a son. 

Our Father in heaven, You raise up men and women to serve You now, even as You raised John to serve You back in that day. May we also be messengers of good news, helping others to turn back to You and to help others be prepared for the day that Jesus comes again. May we be continually kept full of Your Holy Spirit that we might fulfill Your purposes in us.. according to Your will and for Your glory.  We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord, Amen. 

 Numbers 32-36  As the people of Israel prepared to enter the promised land there were a few more things that needed to be established.. 

In chapter 32 we see that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh asked to receive the land that they were living on in Gilead. They promised to send their soldiers with the rest of Israel, across the Jordan to help the other tribes,  but desired to live in Gilead because of all of their livestock. 

In chapter 33 Moses recorded their complete journey from Egypt to the Promised land, naming every stop along the way.  He also reminded the people that they must drive out all of the inhabitants of this land, destroy all of their idols, and take full possession of the land given to them by the Lord. 

In chapter 34 the Lord gives them instructions for how to decide the portions of land that would be the inheritance of each tribe. 

In chapter 35 the Lord instructs Israel to give portions of land to the Levites and to prepare cities of refuge for the purpose of protecting someone who accidentally killed another... until judgement is made based on the witnesses. 

And in chapter 36 the Lord clarified the inheritance given to  daughters when there were no sons. 

Plans were made. The time was drawing near.  Moses would soon be gone. The people of Israel were as ready as they would ever be to take the land that the Lord prepared for them. The book of Deuteronomy is a history lesson for the people and at the end of it.. we are told of Moses' death.. high on Mount Nebo...where he was able to see all of the land.  The Lord Himself buried Moses who was 120 years old at that time. 

Psalm 66:5-6 "Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds towards the son of men. He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him!"

From the beginning of the journey until the end.. and beyond.. the Lord led His people to the land He had promised to Abraham's descendants.  From the beginning of our own journeys the Lord leads us and His grace sustains us. Even through failures and disappointments.. even through rebellion and faithlessness.. God will accomplish His purposes... just as He did for Israel.  As the psalmists wrote.. we join the voices of the faithful and  "sing praises" to His holy name.. "Come and hear all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul." ( Psalm 66:16) 

Father, I praise Your name and thank You for walking with me through the days and weeks and years.. You have never failed to be faithful and kind. Your grace is sufficient.. Your grace is amazing.. Your grace has been lavished on us and we praise You!  Draw us nearer and nearer to Your heart we pray.. that we might walk in Your Spirit and glorify the name of the Lord with every breath... for You are worthy of all our praise! Amen!

 Numbers 31  Midian was a son of Abraham, born to Keturah, Abraham's wife after Sarah died.  Moses had fled to Midian after running from Pharaoh in Egypt.  He married the daughter of Jethro, a priest of Midian. But, here, these many years later, Midian had become allies with Moab.  They were involved in the seduction of Israel leading into idol worship and immorality.  It was a Midianite woman that came into the camp with Zimri, a Simeonite, and brought about a plague.  It was at that time that the Lord told Moses "Be hostile to the Mideanites and strike them; for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor...." Numbers 25:17-18. 

The Midianites were involved with Balaam, who counseled them "in the matter of Peor" (Numbers 31:16). Because of this the Lord told Moses to send out an army.. 1000 soldiers from each tribe.  So 12,000 Israelites soldiers went to war.  "..they killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of the slain; Evil and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword." ( v8)  All the males were killed and all the women and children were captured.  All their cities and camps were burned.  They brought back a great amount of booty.. animals, goods, gold and silver.. and people. 

When they returned to Moses.. he made them kill all the women who had been "intimate" with a man.. these were the ones who would be involved in idolatry and immorality.  However, they spared all the girls who were still innocent...32,000 of them.  All the male children were killed.  It sounds so brutal to us. Yet, the Lord ordered this for His purposes, knowing the temptations and the struggles that lay ahead for His people. 

All of the booty was split between the 12,000 soldiers, of which none had been lost during the fighting.. and the rest of the congregation.  A portion was levied as a tax from both halves and given to the Levites and Eleazar the priest.  It was a massive amount of sheep, donkeys, cattle, and people... the girls.  After that the men who had gone to war brought another offering, thankful that none of their army had been killed. They brought "articles of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord." ( v50)

Not quite a pleasant Christmas passage for today.... This is a message about judgement.  The nation of Midian had not only turned away from the Lord.. they had purposely tried to entice Israel from Him too.  The Lord sees what the nations are doing.. He sees what our own nation is doing.  He will judge the nations.  Psalm 46:10 says, "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  It is not a matter of if.. but a matter of when.  Zechariah 2:11 says, "And many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and become my people.. "  And this becomes my prayer.. 

Lord, may it be that our nation will join herself with You and be Your people!  Let the United States of America come to repentance and exalt the Lord God! Father, we know that You are near to all who call on You.. Hear us we pray and save us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

 Numbers 30  This chapter clarifies the Lord's commands about making vows.  "If a man make a vow to the Lord or takes and oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." 

Ecclesiastes 5:4 says this, "When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!"  

The psalmists speak about keeping vows also: 

 Psalm 116:14 and 17 "I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people." 

Psalm 66:13 -14 "I shall come into Thy house with burnt offerings; I shall pay my vows, which my lips uttered and my mouth spoke when I was in distress."

Psalm 22:25 "From Thee comes my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him." 

The King James version says "If a man vow a vow.. "   It is both a verb and a noun.  It means to make a promise and it is the thing promised.  To make a vow to the Lord is to bind yourself before Him to fulfill Your promise.  To "pay" a vow means to make good.. to complete or finish, to fully do what you have promised to do. It is a covenant of peace between the one who fulfills his vow and the One to whom He make the vow.  Whatever vow or promise that you make to the Lord.. you are bound to Him to complete it.. fully.  

The Lord makes another statement about vows.. ".. if a woman makes a vow to the Lord, and binds herself by an obligation in her father's house in her youth.. "  Then.. it is up to her father to either permit or forbid her to keep this vow.  Or if the woman is married it was up to her husband  to either allow her to keep it or to forbid it.  Only a widow or divorced woman is bound by the vow she makes without intervention.  There is a level of protection over a woman.. her father or her husband can annul the vow if necessary.. especially if her vow was a "rash statement of her lips with which she has bound herself." 

Jesus spoke about vows too... "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet.. But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes" or No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil." ( Matthew 5:34-37)   To make a vow or oath or a promise to God and not keep it is a terrible thing.. So terrible that Jesus tells us not to do it at all! 

We probably do this more than we think.  There are times when people are in desperate situations and they make "foxhole prayers".. promising God whatever He desires if He would just rescue them from the present situation.  But.. afterwards they don't ever remember that they made a promise.  This is "evil"  Jesus tells us.  Many, many people have made marriage vows.. before God.. and failed to keep their promises to love, cherish, or stay together as one.. never realizing who they have spurned.. not just a spouse but the Lord God. 

So, what can we learn from this?  Should we never make a promise?  Maybe... but more so, we must learn to be careful of what we say.. our words mean something.  We may not be making a solemn vow.. but we may speak "rashly" or say that we will do something but fail to complete what we said.  The Lord calls us to be people who have integrity and speak truth.. He calls us to have a guard over our tongues and to be gentle and meek.. self-controlled.. so that our words are pleasing in His ears. 

Father in heaven, once again we seek the Holy Spirit to fill us so completely that we might live holy lives of obedience to Your Word.  May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in  Your sight.  Help us to remember that our tongues have the power of life and death ( Proverbs 18:21) and be mindful whenever we speak.  Thank You Lord for Your great patience and grace towards us.. Forgive us for the times we have broken our promises or have spoken rashly.  Cleanse us from all evil we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen, 

 Numbers 28-29   The Lord gives Moses a reminder for the new generation of Israelites as they prepare to enter their new land.. "You shall be careful to present My offerings.. " 

There were daily offerings; Sabbath day offerings; Monthly.. new moon offerings;  offerings for Passover and for the Feast of weeks when the "new grain" was offered.  There were offerings for the feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Unleavened Bread..  These offerings included many bulls, goats,...lambs  who all  were without defect and 1 year old... there was grain offerings and drink offerings included.  All of these were commanded to be kept every year.. plus votive offerings, sin offerings, and freewill offerings as needed or desired.  The purpose of these offerings were to "make atonement" for the people.. to humble them before the Lord.. to honor the Lord by their obedience.. to keep the relationship that He established with His people. 

Every family would be involved in this.. either growing grain or grapes for the wine.. raising sheep and goats and bulls for the sacrifices.. and by keeping the Law.. the Sabbath days and the Feasts.  Every part of their lives would remind them that they needed to prepare for those days of worship.. as they sowed their fields, tended their flocks, or picked their grapes.. 

Later, we know that the people of Israel began to neglect these required offerings and observances.. til it got to the point where the Lord despised them and refused them.  They neglected the relationship with the Lord that was available to them.. forsaking Him.. while half-heartedly walking through the rituals. 

 We can learn from this.. as we do through every part of God's Word.. 

There are times of the year that are special to us as believers in Jesus Christ.. Christmas is a great celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus. But.... are we in danger of missing the relationship with our Lord in the midst of the rituals? those things we call "traditions"?   We know that Christmas is not about songs or presents or trees or whatever.. but even things like Christmas programs and Advent wreaths can become half-hearted attempts to include Jesus without really connecting with Him.. 

Father in heaven,  may Your Name be hallowed.. kept as Holy.. honored and lifted up.. as we come before You this day.. and during this season we call Christmas. May Your will be done and Your Kingdom come anew in our hearts as we turn our eyes upon Jesus. Fill us, Lord, with YOUR love and joy and peace as we rejoice that a Savior was born.. and that He fulfilled all of the Law and all of the sacrifices for us.. for our atonement from sin.. for our eternal souls.  May we not miss the most important thing about this celebration.. Jesus Christ came for us that we might come to You.  Thank You Father!  Thank You Jesus. Amen 

 Numbers 27:1-12  This section of the chapter deals with inheritances.. one family from the tribe of Manasseh had only daughters.. and they were concerned about having no inheritance since their father had died.  Moses asked the Lord what should happen in this case.  The Lord gave an answer for this particular case and more!  The daughters could inherit from the father if there wasn't any sons; and if there weren't any sons or daughters.. then  the father's brother would receive the inheritance. And, the Lord went even further... if the father had no brothers then the inheritance would go to the nearest relative. 

The last part of this chapter focuses on what would happen next.. Moses would go up the mountain of Abarim, where he would be allowed to look over the promised land.. and there he would die.  Moses had one concern.. who would lead Israel in his place?  The Lord chose Joshua to become the next leader.  He told Moses to bring Joshua before the people and commission him.  Eleazar the priest would take part in this commissioning.  There would be no question of Joshua's authority as Moses did as the Lord commanded. 

Father, You are just and You are Kind!  You are wise and You are perfect in all Your ways.  Whatever problem we have.. we bring to You. When the questions are more than we can handle.. we come to You. Help us to remember that there is nothing too small or nothing too big that You are not aware of or care about.  You see the sparrow fall.. and You see us with doubts and fears and worries.. and You remind us that we can.. we must.. trust in You.  So, once again we bring our cares to You.. cares about loved ones who need to know Jesus; cares about friends who are sick and need healing from Your Hand;  cares about our world and the darkness that threatens to put out the Light.. and we know.. oh hallelujah.. we know that Jesus reigns.. that He is able to save and to heal and to overcome!  We bring praise and thanksgiving to You, Holy Father... for You are just and You are kind and You have a perfect plan for Your people. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done.. and Your Name hallowed, we pray.. in the Name of Jesus. Amen. 

 Numbers 26  The new generation...are now grown up ... having lived in the wilderness.. as nomads.. and soldiers. The Lord orders Moses and Eleazar to conduct another census of all the males 20 years old and older.  What is interesting to me in looking at these numbers is that some of the tribes grew greater in number than during the first census.. and some were smaller.. notably the tribe of Simeon went from 59,300 to only 22,200.  Altogether the number of fighting aged men went from 603,550 to 601,730.  Pretty close to where they started out.  Verse 64 tells us "But among these, there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai."   The Lord said they would all die.. and they did... with the exception of Caleb and Joshua. 

The Lord was preparing His people for their inheritance in the land He was giving to them. When they entered the promised land each tribe would be given a territory divided by lot.  "To the larger group you shall increase their inheritance, and to the smaller group you shall diminish their inheritance; each shall be given their inheritance according to those who were numbered of them. 

Through the years the tribal identity was very important to the Jews.  Even Paul spoke of being from the tribe of Benjamin. We know that Joseph and Mary were from the tribe of Judah.;; giving Jesus the inheritance belonging to that tribe.  He is the "Lion of Judah".  He is the son of David who was also from the tribe of Judah.  It was important to be identified in that way.  I wonder if it still is?  According to the internet.. ( not sure how reliable that is these days)... most do not know unless their family passed down specific traditions.  Most documentation has been lost through the years.. especially during the holocaust.  It also says that those with the last name "Cohen or Kohanim" or "Levy"  may be the descendants of Levi. It says that some of the Ethiopian Jews claim to be descendants from the tribe of Dan. Some Jews in India claim relationship to the tribe of Manasseh. The Lord only knows for sure!

A lot of people have become interested in their heritage.. Ancestor.com or 23 and me have given people an opportunity to search out some idea of where they come from... perhaps to help them know who they really are.  We identify ourselves by our family name.. our parents and grandparents pass down family lore and traditions... and that is important.. but what is most important is to know that the Lord knows us.. He alone knows the truth.. for He has knit us together in our mothers' wombs.. He has written in His book all the days that He has ordained for us.  He searches our hearts and knows what is in us.  He alone sees us as we really are and leads us in His ways.. the "everlasting way"  (Psalm 139)  He knows the number of hairs on our head.. and He cares for us.  The inheritance that He has given us is "imperishable and undefiled"  ( I Peter 1:4) And because of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.. we are called His "sons and daughters" Hallelujah !

Father, once again we come to You with praise and thanksgiving!  You know us and love us and we are Yours forever!  Praise the Name of Jesus who has brought us out of darkness and into the Light of Your grace and glory. Amen!

 Numbers 22-25  This is the story of Balaam.  The king of Moab, Balak, sent for Balaam so that he could put a curse on Israel.  At first Balaam sounds like he is a servant of the Lord... he refuses to go when the Lord tells him not to.. he refuses to accept the offer of honor and wealth from Balak.. and he refuses to speak anything except what God tells him to speak.  But... he ends up going anyway. 

When the donkey stops him three times.. and when she speaks to him.. Balaam confesses that he had sinned in going with the Moabites and Midianites.  However, the Lord tells him to go and to only speak what He tells him to say.  It appears that Balaam obeyed the Lord's directions. Three times Balak takes him to a place to offer sacrifices to the Lord and three times Balaam blesses Israel instead of cursing them. 

Finally Balak gives up on Balaam and sends him away.  Yet, something happened here. II Peter 2:15 ".. forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophets." 

Who is Peter referring to? Who has gone the way of Balaam?  Those who "indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties.. but they, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed."  These are the revelers, the adulterers, those who "never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children." ( II Peter 2:10-14)   Jude writes about the same kind of people.. "these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.. these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah." Jude describes these people as "ungodly sinners" who have "spoken against Him."  They are "grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage."  

In Revelation 2:14 the Lord Jesus told John to write this to the church at Pergamum .. "But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality."  This is exactly what happened in Numbers 25.. after Balaam left.. ".. While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.. and the Lord was angry against Israel." 

It got so bad that an Israelite man brazenly brought a Midianite woman right into the camp.. into the middle of the congregation. A plague began to slay the leaders of the people.. 24.000 died that day.  Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, took  a spear and killed the man and the Midianite woman and  stopped the plague or more would have  died.  The Lord considered this atonement for the people and blessed Phineas for his righteous deed.  The Lord also placed a curse upon the Midianites for their part in all of this...." affair of Peor".  

Peter and Jude remind us to be aware of those who are like those who go into the "error of Balaam".  Jude wrote, " But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."  Peter tells us to "remember the words spoken".. by the prophets and by the apostles and by the Lord Jesus.  And in Revelation 2, Jesus tells the church to repent.. to hear..  and to overcome. Back in Numbers we are reminded by the act of Phinehas.. to be "jealous for" our God... to have a great love and zeal for our Savior  who has overcome the world.  Let us stand up for His Name.. for His holiness.. for His honor and glory. 

Father, let Your Spirit fall fresh on us today.. May we be mindful of Your Presence and of Your word.. that we might not be like unreasoning animals acting only by instinct.. but that we might come to You and reason together with You.. to know You and to honor and worship You alone.. with great woe and zeal!   We come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord who has made atonement for us by His death on the cross.  Live in us, Lord Jesus, fill us and build us up to be Your holy people we pray. Amen. 

 Numbers 21:10-35  "Now the sons of Israel moved out.... "   Something changed.  Perhaps the last of the unbelieving generation  had passed away.. perhaps the conquest of the Canaanites finally made Israel realized that the Lord was really with them and was giving them the land...  but, something changed.  

Israel traveled from place to place and they fought.  They conquered and claimed land and moved into cities and villages. The Lord was with them and they were actively involved in the battles, but it was the Lord who was giving them victory. The time was drawing near.. and they would soon be ready to enter the land that the Lord had promised to Abraham. 

What an encouragement!  Even in the long struggle.. and the many rebellious actions, even while they complained and disobeyed, even when they showed unbelief and had no gratitude.. the Lord never forsook them.  He did punish those who rebelled.. but He did keep His promise to Abraham. His descendants would live in the land that was promised. 

We often struggle.. we are sometimes rebellious.. we complain and disobey.. we don't believe or trust the Lord as we should.. and we often neglect to give thanks.  Not just in words.. but with all of our hearts.. showing our gratitude for the grace.. the abundant and amazing grace of our Lord.. Who will never leave us or forsake us. 

Father in heaven, we have seen the glory of Your grace.. we have come to know the Savior, our Lord Jesus who came to love us with the Divine love from heaven. We bow at Your feet and express our love with thankful hearts.. in His Name. Amen 

 Numbers 21:1-9  Israel begins to fight against the many enemies surrounding the promised land.  Edom had refused them passage through their land, so Israel goes around.. but immediately is challenged by the Canaanites of Arad.  The Lord hears the vow of Israel to destroy these enemies and He gives them victory. 

But, just as things began to go right.. the people became "impatient".  Once again they complained about Moses and the "miserable food" and brought judgement upon themselves. "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died,"  At last, they people recognized their sinfulness.. "We have sinned because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us." 

When Moses interceded the Lord had him do something really unusual .. "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live."  Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Anyone who was bitten by a fiery serpent and looked at the bronze serpent lived. 

Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ( John 3:14-16)

As those who were bitten by the fiery serpents found deliverance when they believed and obeyed God's command to look up.. and found physical life...  Jesus  was lifted up on a cross.. so that we can look up to Him.. believing and obeying God's command.. and find eternal life.  God's grace was displayed that day when Moses lifted up the standard.. and God's grace was and is displayed as we look up to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain.. who died on a cross.. who rose again and conquered death forever!  Grace.. instead of death.. Give praise to the Lord!  Come before Him with thanksgiving!

Father, we are so grateful for the truth that You reveal to us through every book of the Bible.. it all points us to Jesus.. Oh what a Savior!  Thank You for this amazing gift of eternal Life in Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen. 

 Numbers 20  Israel traveled back to Kadesh.. the same place they had sent out the spies from.. and had sinned when they refused to trust God and take the promised land.  Back to the place of rebellion and unfaithfulness.  "Now Miriam died there and was buried there." 

"And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron." The lesson had still not been learned. The people still blamed Moses for every problem and did not trust the Lord for every need.  These lessons are still hard to learn, aren't they?.. we still want to blame others for our problems.. we still lack trust in the Lord for every need. Lord, help us!

Moses and Aaron went to the door of the tent of meeting and "fell on their faces".  Aaron seems to have learned a lot since the days of his own rebellion. He seems to have begun to know and fear the Lord. Finally! At least he has learned to turn to the Lord in the face of this difficulty. "Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them." 

Moses and Aaron were instructed by the Lord to get the rod.. the rod that had blossomed and proven that Aaron and his sons were chosen by the Lord to serve. The Lord said , ".. and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water."  But, Moses was angry at the people so he took the rod "and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly and the congregation and their beasts drank."  Problem solved... but... 

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." 

Moses sent messengers to Edom to request passage through their land.. but Edom refused.. several times and sent out an army to stop them.  So Israel went a different direction to go around Edom. When they arrived at Mt. Hor,  Moses was instructed to take Aaron and Eleazar up onto the mount.  There Aaron was stripped of his priestly clothes and they were given to his son, Eleazar.  "Aaron died there on the mountain top."   When the people saw Eleazar and Moses return without Aaron they knew he had died and they mourned for him for 30 days. 

The Lord called Moses' actions.. striking the rock instead of speaking to it.. unbelief.  Was it because he did not believe that words were powerful enough to bring forth the water? Or was it because Moses wanted to express his own anger and claimed the power to bring forth water on his own?  What is it that led the Lord to pronounce such a sad verdict on Moses and Aaron? The Lord said that Moses did not treat Him "as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel. " 

The first time that Moses struck the rock and water came out was at Meribah. Exodus 17 tells us that Israel had "quarreled" with the Lord.. tested Him and He "proved Himself holy among them" (Numbers 20:13). But this time the command was different.. to speak to the rock and not strike it. The Lord had a different plan.. perhaps for a greater outcome... that would again prove Himself holy.. but Moses failed to trust Him to accomplish what He wanted to do. 

Father in heaven, how many times do we fail to trust You to accomplish the greater things and try to do things in our own way, through our own will.. through unbelief or anger.. or whatever?  Forgive us Lord! Help us Holy Spirit to believe and obey the Lord so that His holiness is made evident and all glory is given to the Name that is above all Names.  Remove all unbelief and fill us with confident faith in the power, wisdom and grace of our Lord Jesus.. to the glory of God our Father . We ask this in the name of Jesus, who is our Lord and Savior. Amen. 

 Numbers 19  The Lord gave Moses and Aaron a new ordinance.. the responsibility was given to  Eleazar to bring a "unblemished red heifer.. " outside the camp and have it slaughtered.  The first thing he had to do was to take some of the blood and sprinkle it "toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times."  Next the heifer was completely burned.. every part of it... plus cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet material.  It was burned until all that was left was ashes. These ashes were preserved outside the camp and would be mixed with water and used to purify anyone who became unclean because of contact with a dead body. 

Anyone who touched the ashes.. or touched the water that contained the ashes.. would also be made unclean for 7 days.  There were exact rules to be obeyed so that the unclean person could then be considered clean and could once again come into the camp and into the tent of meeting.  If they did not obey exactly as God required they were to be cut off from the congregation.  

Many people had already died from the congregation of Israel because of their sinful rebellion. The rest of those who had refused to enter the promised land would also did in the wilderness.  The Lord prepared them for this and provided protection for their children so that they would not be contaminated by the dead bodies. 

Hebrews 9:13-14 says this, "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who had been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

God's purpose for the offering of the red heifer was to cleanse.. or sanctify..those who had been defiled by contact with death... death of the flesh.  Greater still.. He has given us the "blood of Christ" to sanctify us.. from spiritual death.. from a sinful conscience.. from the contact that we have had with a sin-filled world and from sin that has defiled us.  Hallelujah! What a Savior! He has delivered us from sin and from death!  He has cleansed us and made us holy and blameless by  washing us with  His own blood. 

Father in heaven,  there is so much we do not understand but we are learning to trust in You and not lean on our own understanding.  We are learning.. help us to learn.. to acknowledge You in all that we do and allow You to direct our path.. our every step. Fill us Spirit of God so that we might walk in righteousness to serve the living God.. with all our heart and soul and spirit.  We are in Christ Jesus who "loved the church and gave Himself  up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through  the Word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless, " ( Ephraim 5:25-27).. Praise the Lord. amen and amen. 

 Numbers 18  The Lord, once again,  explains to Aaron and Moses... and the Levites.. that they have been chosen to "bear the guilt" - take responsibility  for the sanctuary and the priesthood.  They had a solemn obligation to serve in the tabernacle.  Aaron's responsibility was great.. but his sons and the Levites were given to him to serve and to share in this work.  They were responsible to guard and protect the things of the Lord. To fail would bring death to those who were "outsiders" and to them also.  

But, not only was this work an obligation and responsibility.. it was a gift.  The Lord called it a "bestowed service".  They were in charge of the offerings and holy gifts that were given to the Lord.. every offering.. sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings. guilt offerings.. everything!   And out of those offerings they would feed themselves and their families.  They had no land of their own.. no inheritance except the Lord Himself.  But... they would have the "best of the fresh oil, and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the Lord,.." the Lord told them. " I give them to you."

The Levites would receive the "tithe" that all of Israel would bring to the Lord.  Out of that they themselves would tithe a portion and give it to Aaron. This was "compensation" for their service in the tent of meeting.

The church of today works in a similar way.. We bring our tithes and gifts to our church and present it as an offering to the Lord.  The offering is the Lord's and He gives it to those who serve in the church.  Not only for the pastors and staff, but for the upkeep of the buildings.. to protect and guard what is the Lord's sanctuary. The one thing that we don't always remember is that what we give should be the best of what we have.. not that we need to offer sacrifices like Israel did, for we have been covered by the One who shed His blood, once for all times.  But, we have been given the privilege to serve the Lord.. and we know that the Lord" loves a cheerful giver.." ( 2 Corinthians 9:7)  Indeed, the Word tells us that God will give to us more so that we can be even more generous in giving to others... and that includes the church for sure!

Father in heaven, You have blessed us with so much and we bring our gifts and offerings to the church that You have established.. for Your will and purposes.. May we give generously and with true thanksgiving in our hearts. May You receive all praise and honor and glory. It is Your "surpassing grace" given to us that enables us to be faithful and obedient in all things. Let Your will be done we pray, in Jesus' name . Amen.

 Numbers 17 The Lord gives another sign.. to prove to all the people of Israel that He chose  Aaron and his sons to be the priests and the Levites to serve Him in the tent of meeting.. And not anyone else! He had each tribe bring a rod.. the rod of that belonged to the leader of each tribe.  Each rod was inscribed with their name.  Aaron also had a rod with his name inscribed on it.  These rods were placed in the tent of meeting over night. 

"And it will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I shall lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you."   So, this is what they did and the next morning Moses brought the rods out.. "and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds."  There could be no doubt that God chose Aaron and the Levites.  Not just a bud.. but the whole cycle of growth was evident.  Buds, blossoms, and fully ripe almonds from a rod that had long ago been cut from a tree. A miracle that was far beyond their imagination or understanding. 

This rod was placed back in the tabernacle.. it was a sign that should always remind the rest of Israel that God decided who would serve Him and they should stop grumbling! 

It is only then that the rest of the sons of Israel realized that they were wrong.. "Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!"  They could not come near the tabernacle of the Lord.. what could they do?

Way back in the days of Cain and Abel there was a similar problem.. Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's was not..  for he had chosen to do things his own way and not according to God's way.  We know what happened next.  The tribes of Israel wanted to control the Tent and tabernacle their own way.. but that was not acceptable to God.  It was not open to debate or compromise. It was determined by God and would be His way! He chose Aaron and his sons to be priests and the Levites to serve as they had been directed. 

Likewise, we are called to come before the Lord Almighty according to His Word and that Word is Jesus Christ. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." ( Acts 4:12)  Some want to come to the Lord in their own ways.. works.. other religions.. or self-righteousness.  But, the Lord has made it clear by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that He is the only Way.. the complete Truth.. and the giver of Life. The Father chose His own Son to be the High Priest of heaven.. and there can be no debate or argument that will stand against Him. Hallelujah!

Father, hide us in the Rock of Ages.. in Jesus Christ the Son of God who came to seek and save the lost.. to make atonement for us who have no righteousness of our own..  We must have Jesus as our Savior for He is our only hope and life.  Draw us nearer to our precious Lord we pray. We cling to You Jesus. Thank You for this great salvation found in Your Name.. the Name above all names. Amen and Hallelujah! 

 Numbers 16  The people of Israel were still questioning and challenging Moses and Aaron.. and rebelling against the Lord's clear commands.. even after seeing the consequences of those who had died already in their rebellion and unbelief.. 

Korah was the son of Izhar.. a relative of Moses and Aaron.. a leader in the tribe of Levi.  Dathan and Abiram and On.. were from the tribe of Reuben. Verse 1 tells us that this little gang.. "took action".  They brought 250 of the other leaders "men of renown".. Men put into position by the Lord's own choice.. and they all came against Moses and Aaron. "You have gone far enough .. " they told Moses. We are holy.. everyone is holy.. the Lord is here.. "so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?"

Mose fell on his face.  He was a humble man.. but he was not a weak man.  Moses told Korah and the others to come before the Lord the next day.."tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself." 

The next day Korah and some fellow Levites showed up.. but Dathan and Abiram wouldn't even answer the summons to come before the Lord.  So Moses told the people to get back away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.. and the Lord  did a new thing.. "the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah, with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly."  On top of that the Lord sent forth fire and consumed the 250 men who had tried to present incense to the Lord. 

Instead of repenting and seeking the Lord, the congregation continued to grumble! The Lord appeared once more in the cloud that covered the tent of meeting.. and sent a plague upon the people. 14,700 more people died in this plague, which was stopped when Aaron took his censor and brought fire from the altar to make atonement for them,  

Rebellion, jealousy, arrogance..those thinking they were better.. holier.. more worthy.. were the ones who  experienced plague.. fire.. and the ground splitting open and consuming the evil doers. The Lord took action against those who came against His chosen leader.. Moses and His chosen priest. Aaron. 

The Lord draws near to Himself those who are His.. He sees those who are holy.. and He sees those who just think they are worthy..  The Lord had called the tribe of Levi into service to Himself... but they were not content and not grateful.  They wanted more.. they wanted power.. they wanted recognition. They failed to take into account the sovereignty of God. They failed to submit to the authority that they were called to obey.  They brought destruction upon themselves and all of their family and all they had. 

The Lord had Aaron take up the bronze censers that were burned up with the 250 leaders.. and he made a "plating before the altar.. "   it was to remind the laymen to not come near to burn incense as Korah did. That job was meant for the true priests.. the sons of Aaron. 

Father, let us learn from Your Word what You would say to us today.  You have called men and women to serve You.. according to Your purpose and plan for each of us. We are grateful for the place You have made for us.. and we pray that we will serve You well and humbly.  We want to be content and not allow jealousy or arrogance or selfishness to have place in our hearts.  Oh may we have pure hearts and clean hands, Lord God!  Let Your will be done, Father. We surrender all to You.. Be glorified in our lives we pray. Amen. 

 Numbers 15 The Lord had just sent Israel back into the wilderness to drift through the next 40 years until those who had failed to trust Him for the land He promised, had all died. Now, He reminds them that He will give them the land and they will need to follow His commands now, in the wilderness, and later when they enter the land. 

The Lord commands them to bring special offerings when they enter the land. It's going to happen and when it does.. they are going to worship Him.  He assures them that He is still with them all the way.

The Lord also commands that the "alien who sojourns" with them should be treated the same as every Israelite. "There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you." 

Then the Lord gives directions for those who unintentionally sin or fail to observe His commandments.  He also gives directions for those who intentionally and defiantly do anything that blasphemes the Lord. One who sins unintentionally can find pardon and atonement. One who is defiantly sinning would be "cut off".  

It didn't take long for an example to be made.. "they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.. " This man was sentenced immediately to be stoned and the people obeyed. 

The Lord gave one more command.. He wanted them to sew blue tassels to the corners of their garments.. these were to remind them to obey the commandments and "be holy to your God".  The tassels were supposed to  help them to constantly remember the commandments.. "so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot." 

"I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God, I am the Lord your God." 

So... what is it that the Lord, our Shepherd, is saying to us today?  First, I hear Him say.. set Your eyes on what is ahead.  Israel was in the wilderness.. but they would enter the promised land.. so  they could look forward to that and be prepared.  We look forward to the coming of Christ.  Peter wrote, "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved since you look for these things, be diligent to be found in Him in peace, spotless and blameless." (II Peter 3:13-14)  

Secondly, the Lord is telling us to treat everyone the same.. we should not use one standard for some people and another standard for everyone else. We are all beholden to the same God and He shows NO partiality. 

Thirdly, the Lord had shown us that we all fail.. none of us is perfect and even if we don't intend to sin.. sometimes we just do.  But.. He is good and He is always ready to forgive!  That does not mean that if we turn away from Him and rebel or "despise His word".. that He will automatically wipe away that sin. Only true repentance can bring us into fellowship with our God. He is the Lord!

Finally, I see that the Lord wants us to walk with Him continually.  He calls us to a life of constant fellowship. He wants us to remember Him and walk in obedience to Him.  We don't have blue tassels for our garments.. but we have the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and will keep us in His will if we keep our eyes on Him. 

Father, help us to be faithful in all things.  We are weak.. but You are strong. You are faithful, even when we are not.  You are good and willing to forgive and we are so filled with gratitude for Your mercies that are made new every morning.  Fill us Spirit of God and guide our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.  Keep our eyes on Jesus.. as we look towards the finish line.. fill us with hope and peace and make us spotless and blameless in Your sight we pray. In Christ Jesus we come. amen. 

 Numbers 14:20-45  The Lord pardoned the iniquity of the people of Israel as Moses had prayed. But, the consequences of their unfaithfulness would be devastating.  All of the men who had been numbered.. the entire army with the exception of Caleb and Joshua  would die in the wilderness without ever entering the promised land.  The 10 spies who had brought the "very bad report" died immediately from a plague. 

The rest of Israel were sentenced to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness as shepherds... one year for each day that the spies had spent in the land of Canaan.  Only when the grumblers were buried in the wilderness would their children be able to finally take the land. 

Yet, even after the people mourned their loss, they turned around and disobeyed again!  Some men decided to go fight the Amalekites and Canaanites on their own.  Moses warned them that the Lord would not be with them for they were sinning against Him once again.  But.. they would not listen and went on their own.. and were struck down. 

The Lord did not leave Moses or the people without hope.. ".. as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.." (v21)  He told them to turn back to the wilderness.. for they would wander for 40 years.. but there would be a day when they would enter the land.. "When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you.. " He said. (15:2)  They would enter the land.. they would present offerings and worship Him.. there was still hope! He would not forsake them even in their wandering.

Father, sometimes we feel like we are wandering.. and our hope for Your return becomes dim..  Restore us Lord.  Give us greater faith and deeper hope. Open our eyes to see Your Hand at work, even now. Open our ears to hear Your voice calling us to wait upon You and to lift up our eyes because Jesus is coming soon. Fill us with Your Spirit and grant us strength and courage for You have promised to be with us and You always keep Your Promises.  Let all the earth be filled with the glory of the Lord, even as You spoke to Moses in the wilderness. We thank You for the good news of salvation.. still spreading out to every tongue and tribe and nation.  Rescue the perishing, Lord God.. Let the Light of the World.. Jesus Christ break through all the darkness we pray. In His wonderful Name. Amen

Numbers 14:1-19   There are consequences for rebellion and unbelief. The people of Israel lost faith in the God who was present.. in the cloud by day and the fire by night.. the same God who brought them out of Egypt with His powerful Hand.  They saw Him... but didn't know Him.  They didn't trust His promise that He would give them the land.. that He would conquer these enemies. That He would do what they couldn't do.  

Verse 5 tells us that Moses and Aaron both fell on their faces.. Verse 6 tells us that Joshua and Caleb "tore their clothes" and spoke to the people.  " If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us - a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land. "  

But the people were ready to stone them.. until the Lord showed up.. "Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel."

Imagine this.. when the glory of the Lord shows up.. it stops the rebels.. it stops the arguments.. He brings an end to the violence.  It must have been stunning.. this powerful appearance of the Lord in the midst of the multitude. 

The Lord seems to take Moses aside "How long will this people spurn Me?"  He is willing to "smite" them all right there and then.  But, weary and frustrated Moses intercedes instead of agreeing..   He reasons with the Lord.. his argument is that the Name of the Lord will be dishonored by the other nations if the people die in the wilderness like this. They will think that the Lord is unable to accomplish what He set out to do. "But now I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as Thou hast declared." Moses prays for the pardon of "the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, just as Thou also hast forgiven this people, from Egypt until now." 

Moses reminded the Lord of His own words spoken on Mt Sinai.. ( Exodus 34:6-7) "The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation." And we are reminded once again of the character of our God.. for He never changes.  He is willing and able to forgive.. He will pardon our iniquities.. He is abundant in His lovingkindness towards us. But, He will not ignore those who continue in sin and rebellion. 

There is one thing that the Lord did change.... oh how great is His grace... In Ezekiel 18 the Lord declared that  "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." (v20)  

Father in heaven, You are so good. You are ready to forgive. Ready to pardon our iniquities and give us life.  You are just in all You do.  We desire, Lord, to live for You and to please You.. even though we know that we fall short. So we thank You for being patient and loving towards us.. We are grateful that You are slow to anger and that You do not remember are transgressions against us when we repent and turn away from sin.  We thank You for the atonement that You have made for us through Jesus Christ the Lord who died on the cross, shedding His blood and giving us life through His death.  Hallelujah! What a Savior! We praise Your Name and pray that You will be exalted in all the earth !  Amen. 

 Numbers 13 And then there they were.. heading towards the land of promise.. and the Lord tells Moses to send out men to "spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel.. " 

One man from each tribe (except Levi).  Their names are carefully recorded: Shammu; Shaphat; Caleb; Igal; Hoshea (Joshua); Palti; Gaddiel; Gaddi; Ammiel; Sether; Nahbi; Geuel.  12 men from prominent families... chosen for this special force.  Imagine the pride and excitement to be given this great privilege and responsibility. 

Moses gave them directions as to where they were to go and what they were supposed to observe - They were to go up into the south country ( the Negev) then move on into the hill country.  So they went on their way and traveled 40 days up into Canaan, going as far as Hebron where they saw the "giants".. the people of Anak.  They saw the people of Amalek,  the Hittites, the Jebusites and the Amorites. They saw the Canaanites.   They saw those who lived in the mountains and those by the sea. They saw the prosperity of the land and brought home the large cluster of grapes.  But.. they also brought home their fears and doubts.  

Only Caleb spoke up.  "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it." 

But.. the other men increased their arguments.. "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim.. and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."  The root of the word Nephilim, translated as "giants" is a word that means to fall.. to have a violent death, or to fall prostrate before .. The spies were ready to fall down in fear before these giants.  It was either that or they would be violently hewn down by them.  They exaggerated the story to say that "all" the people were giants. They felt their own weakness and led the people into fear instead of faith. 

This bad report.. especially with the addition of the word " Nephilim".. these "giants" brought the people to tears, "and the people wept that night." (14:1)  Their hopes were shattered and their faith was lost. 

 They "fell" to the enemy before even taking one step into  the land that God had promised to give them!

Father, You are greater than anyone or anything in this created world.. for You are the Maker and sustainer of everything.  Like David of old.. we may face the giants in our lives with faith and not fear!  Thank You for the examples of men like Caleb and Joshua.. like David and Paul and so many others that chose faith and not fear.  Let our testimony be that with You nothing is impossible . Let us stand before those who try to scare us.. knowing that our God is stronger.. and You will complete what You have said!  We bow before You and You only!  We will not fall.. for we stand on the solid rock... Jesus Christ the Lord.  He is our hope and we cling fast to His right hand.. for He will help us to keep on standing.  Thank You and Praise to our God!  You are Mighty to save and Gracious to all who look to You. Amen. 

 Numbers 12  As if the griping and greediness were not enough.. as if the plague weren't enough of a warning that the Lord disciplines those who sin against Him... Aaron and Miriam take up their complaint about Moses.. "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?"

"And the Lord heard it." 

Moses, we are told, was a very humble man.. and did not speak up to defend himself.  Instead.. the Lord calls Aaron, Mariam and Moses to the door of the tent of meeting.  The Lord, Himself appears in the pillar of cloud.  It is the Lord who speaks:

"Hear now My words; If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses.  He is faithful in all My household. With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?" 

When the cloud lifted Mariam was completely covered with leprosy.  Aaron turns to Moses to beg forgiveness and to ask for healing for Mariam.   Here is Aaron, the high priest of Israel.. and he doesn't even know how to pray.. he has to turn to the same one that he just challenged regarding his position of leadership.. Moses..  It is Moses who seeks the Lord's help.. "O God, heal her, I pray!"

The Lord sentences Mariam to 7 days of isolation, outside the camp.. to "bear her shame".. a light sentence for the sinfulness she had in her heart...  sins of envy, jealousy.. pride.. arrogance..unbelief. But, He does answer Moses' prayer. 

After the 7 days of Mariam's exile.. the people moved out again. 

The Lord heard the words of Aaron and Mariam. He pays attention to all our words. As I used to tell my grandsons when they were little.. "Words matter".  We need a guard on our tongues.  and we need a guard on our hearts.  The Lord had a powerful message for Aaron and Mariam.. they didn't even qualify to be called prophets.. they had not received visions or dreams, let alone meet with the Lord face to face as Moses did.  They didn't seem to know the Lord at all.. yet challenged Moses who was "faithful" in the Lord's household! 

Both Mariam and Aaron died in the wilderness. They would never see the Promised land.  Little is said about the death of Mariam.  The people did mourn after the death of Aaron.  We are not told what their lives were like after this event.  Hopefully they humbled themselves before the Lord and sought to serve Him with all their hearts. 

May we also learn from the words of the Lord.. remembering that wherever the Lord puts us is where He can use us to do His will. Let us give thanks to Him who has a perfect plan for each of His children and let us learn to be content to trust in Him and walk humbly with our God... no matter what. 

Father in heaven, fill our hearts with Your Spirit.. the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  When we are weak.. when we envy or complain.. when we fail to be content.. or when we grow weary, Lord God be our strength.  Let the power of Your love fill us and overflow from our lips.. words of grace and encouragement.. words of humility and obedience. May we know You and draw near to You, like Moses. Keep our hearts clean and pure before You we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Numbers 11  Three days out of Sinai.. and the complaining began... It began with the "rabble".. those on the outskirts of the camp.. but quickly spread to the people of Israel. The Lord heard the complaints and became angry.  He sent fire that "burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp."

An attitude of greediness seeped into the camp, again beginning with the "rabble" and spreading throughout the camp. The people began crying and complaining to Moses.  They wanted meat. They wanted the food they had in Egypt.  They wanted more than manna.  They wanted more than what God had provided. 

Moses was "displeased" and the Lord was angry.  Moses began his own complaining.. "Why hast Thou been so hard on Thy servant?"   That touches a nerve, doesn't it?  Lord.. this is too hard.. why are You so hard on me?  Why have You given me so much responsibility?  Why have You made me carry this heavy burden ?  What is it that I am complaining about today?

The Lord listened to Moses and granted him some help.  70 elders were called to the tent of meeting.  God took the Spirit who was upon Moses, and put Him upon the 70 saying, ".. and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you shall not bear it alone."  And so He did as He said. 

He also addressed the complaints of the people. They wanted meat and He gave them meat.  Quail by the thousands landed for miles around the camp. Bushels and bushels of quail were gathered by the people. But..."While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was even chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague. " 

The Lord told Moses, "Is the Lord's power limited? Now you shall see  whether My word will come true for you or not." It is a word we need to hear too. 

The Lord dealt swiftly and justly with His people. He always does what He says He will do and we need to listen carefully to what He says.  We are given this example for His purposes.. to learn from the failures of Israel.. They listened to the "rabble".  First mistake.  We fall into this so easily.. we listen to the world.. the complaints and the greediness of this world invade our thoughts... and our lives. Secondly, the people of God turned to Moses.. to a man and not to God.. for the solutions they wanted. We need to take heed of this error.  No man can accomplish what Moses was asked to do.  But God can.. He is the One with unlimited power! 

The biggest mistake that the people of Israel made though... is that they didn't trust God or take Him at His Word. They allowed the spirit of greediness to take hold and forgot all the goodness that He had poured out on them. They completely missed the one thing that would make all the difference.. Gratitude. True faith.. true love.. true obedience are found in a life that is full of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. 

Father in heaven,  You have poured out.. lavished Your grace upon us through Jesus Christ the Lord. You are worthy of all praise and thanksgiving.  You have blessed us with every spiritual.. and physical blessing that we need.. and You have loved us with everlasting love. How can we hold back and complain?  Oh, may we continually give thanks to the Lord.. You are good. You are ready to forgive. You are abundant in lovingkindness. There is none like You! There are no works like Yours. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit.. Amen. 

 Numbers 10:11 -36  Now that everything was ready... all the people arranged into their particular camps.. the tabernacle and tent cared for by those who were given their assignments.. the "cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony."  They began their journey to the promised land.  Their first journey was 3 days, going from Sinai into the wilderness of Paran.

Judah, Issachar, and Zebulan were at the front of the line.  They were followed by the sons of Gershon and Merari, those carrying the tabernacle.. all the tents and poles etc.  Verse 21 tells us that they would have the tent all set up by the time the Kohathites arrived with the sacred objects. 

After Gershon and Merari with the tabernacle and tent came the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. They were followed by the Kohathites with the holy objects for the tabernacle. 

Then came the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.  Bring up the "rear guard" was Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. 

Over 600,000 men.. plus women, children, and animals.. traveled in this caravan.  There were also "sojourners" that followed along with Israel. Plus, we read in verses 29-31 that Moses asked his father-in-law the Midianite to come along and apparently he agreed. 

Verse 33 says "Thus they set out from the mount of the Lord three days journey with the ark of the covenant of the Lord journeying in from of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them." This is interesting.. and I wonder why the ark was not back with the Kohathites.   Moses let the ark lead all the people and he would sing out a battle cry as it set out, "Rise up, O Lord! And let Thine enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Thee flee before Thee."  Then when the cloud came to a rest Moses would say, "Return Thou, O Lord, To the myriad thousands of Israel." 

For three days.. they followed the directions of the Lord.. there was order, there was safety, and there was provision.. three days of purpose and joy in the promises of God.  But, on the third day.. things changed. 

Father in heaven, we see Your perfect plan at work among Your people here in Your word.  You stayed with them.. You provided all they needed. You directed their steps and protected them as they traveled.  We remember that You are God who never changes and that Your plans for each of us are perfect too.  You have a place that You have brought us to.. You have people You have brought into our lives.. and by Your wonderful grace.. You have led us through the days and nights towards Your Promised Land.. our forever Home in heaven.  We are so thankful.. Help us, Lord to keep trusting.. to stop complaining.. and to walk in faith every day as we run the race set before us.  You are with us and Jesus Christ is in us by the filling of Your Holy Spirit. Let our faith grow as we come closer and closer to You..may we find rest in Your Presence. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen. 

 Numbers 9  The first 14 verses of this chapter bring us to the 1st month of the second year after leaving Egypt. The Lord gave the command for Israel to celebrate Passover on the 14th day of this month..So they did all that the Lord had commanded for the Passover celebration. 

There were a few people who were unclean because of the death of someone near to them.  They wanted to celebrate the Passover too, but could not. Moses asked the Lord what they could do and He allowed them to have their own Passover celebration on the 14th day of the 2nd month. 

Verses 15-23 tell about the way the Lord directed the travels of the camp.. When the cloud by day or fire by night lingered over the tabernacle the people would remain camped.  This could be a day, a month, or a year. But, when the cloud was lifted the people would move out.. traveling until the cloud settled down once again. "At the command of the Lord they camped and at the command of the Lord they set out; they kept the Lord's charge, according to the command of the Lord through Moses." (v23) 

Numbers 10:1-10  Here, the Lord adds one more way to communicate with this vast group of people.  He had Moses make 2 trumpets of "hammered work".  These were used in various ways.  Two blasts would gather all the people towards the tabernacle or for them to set out.  One trumpet would gather the "leaders, the heads of the divisions".  The trumpets were also used to sound an alarm.. for moving out or in case of war.  Verse 9 says the the alarm in that case would cause the Lord to "remember" them and that they would be "saved from their enemies." 

The trumpets would also be used for feast days, first days, burnt offerings, peace offerings "and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the Lord your God." 

The sound of the trumpets must have been constant.. I can imagine the people stopping to listen at each sounding.. as they discerned what their response should be... are we gathering?  Are we moving out? Is there war?  Is there a feast? 

 We are also  listening for a trumpet sound, aren't we?  Matthew 14: 31 says, "and He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." 

What a day that will be!

Father in heaven, we are listening for the sound of the trumpet for we long for the coming of the King!  You have given us ears to hear.. and we desire to walk in Your ways.. moving when You say move and staying when You say stay.  But, like the people of Israel.. we may be uncertain.  Help us Lord to trust completely in You.. knowing that no matter what..we are Yours and You will remember us and save us. Thank You for being so gracious and kind.. So loving and patient.  We give You thanks and praise for You are our God, in heaven above and on the earth below and there is no other! Amen. 

 Numbers 8:1-4  Moses received from the Lord a new bit of information about the seven lamp stands placed in the tabernacle... "When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps with give light in the front of the lamp stand."  As this was the only light inside the tabernacle it was the responsibility of the priests to keep the lamps burning at all times. They already knew this.. so maybe this was a simple correction to assure that the light was directed to the front of the room, and not to the walls or the back.  We know that the Lord Jesus is the Light of the World.. and that because of Him we are called to be "light"  also..  We are taught to walk in the Light.. to shine our light into the darkness.. but this passage makes me think.. do we shine our lights towards the front... towards what lies ahead.. towards the eternal Hope we have in Christ Jesus?  Or are we trying to shine a light on the past.. trying to expose the past.. trying in vain to uncover what must be left behind?  Just a thought... something I need to  think on a bit more.. 

The rest of this chapter (v5-26) deals with the preparation and the dedication of the Levites before they begin "to perform the service of the Lord"..  Again the Lord proclaims that the Levites are His! They are cleansed and then an atonement offering is presented.  The Levites themselves are brought before the Lord as a "wave offering".  They are a separate group .. chosen by the Lord as His own to serve in the tent of meeting. 

Something else interesting about the Levites is that they began serving at the age of 25 and retired at the age of 50.  This was hard work.. carrying the tent, the furniture, and all of the framework of the tent and the tabernacle.  It was heavy work.  It was continual work.  And most of all,.. it was sacred work.  Everything had to be done exactly as the Lord required.. the penalty for touching  or even looking at the sacred ark etc.. was death.  It was both a privilege to serve the Lord and a great responsibility too. 

Once a Levite turned 50 and retired they could still "assist their brothers".  They became teachers and helpers to those younger who were now responsible for the work.  But, they would no longer do the work they did before. 

Once again we see how completely thorough God's plans are.. He directs every detail and makes a clear path for those involved in serving Him..  This gives me encouragement.. that His plans for me are just as thorough and that He directs my path forward with His Light.  He gives me the privilege to serve Him and He also gives me responsibilities that are designed just for me.  He has given me a time in my life to do the work.. and also a time when I become the mentor and helper for those younger than me.  His ways are perfect for me.. and will continue to lead me towards His final and eternal destination that He has prepared for me.. Praise God for His many blessings!

Father in heaven, You are good and You are perfect.  Your plans are unique for each of Your servants.. we are not all called to the same duties.. but we are all called to serve You.. for You have made us Your own. We are so thankful!  Help us, Father, to do Your will and to serve You with whole hearts and willing minds. Be glorified in us, Your people, today, Lord.  We come to You in the Name of Jesus.. the Coming One.. let His name be lifted up in us today as we shine forth His Light into the dark world. Amen. 

 Numbers 7 After Moses finished setting up and dedicating the tabernacle with all of its furnishings and utensils,  the leaders of Israel.. the heads of each tribe brought an offering. They brought altogether 6 covered carts and 12 oxen to pull the carts.  The Lord told Moses to accept the offerings and to give them to the Levites "that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting.. "  Two carts  and 4 oxen were given to the Gershonites.. who were responsible for moving all of the tents etc.  4 carts and 8 oxen were given to the Merarites who carried all of the frames, pillars, etc.  The Gershonites did not get any carts or oxen for they carried the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.  ( Remember what happened when David tried to move the ark by cart?) 

Then the leaders offered dedication offerings.. each tribe offering the same thing:

A silver plate or platter weighing a little over 4 lbs. and a  silver bowl weighing about 2.18 lbs.  Both of these were filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 

Each offered one gold pan about 5 oz. filled with incense. 

Each offered a burnt offering consisting of one bull, one ram, and one male lamb one year old.

Each one gave a male goat for a sin offering.

Each one made a peace offering of 2 oxen, five rams, five male goats,  and five male lambs-1 year old.

For 12 days one tribe at a time offered their sacrifices.  The first day was the tribe of Judah and the man who was the leader at that time was Amminadab.. the great, great, great grandfather  of David. 

Altogether the silver uses was about 75 pounds and about 60 ounces of gold. There were 12 bulls, 12 rams, 12 one-year old lambs with their grain offerings; 12 male goats for the sin offerings.  Also the peace offerings were 12 bulls, 60 male goats, and 60 male lambs one year old.

This was all for the dedication of the altar.. and after that Moses entered the tent of meeting and spoke with the Lord.. and "he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him." 

Hebrews 9:18-22 tells us that Moses "took the blood of calves and the goats.. " and he sprinkled the book of the Law, the people and both "the tabernacle and all the vessels of ministry with blood." But verse 24 tells us " For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;"   He made a "new and living way" that we might enter through the veil into the holy place by His blood.  The writer tells us "let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful.. " ( Hebrews 10: 22-23) 

As perfectly planned and executed.. and incredible and amazing  the Holy tabernacle was for Israel.. it fell far short of the Perfect Lamb and High Priest.. Jesus Christ who came to lead us into the very Presence of the Holy One.  Praise the Lord, Oh my soul and all that is within me. Praise His Name.

 Father, help us to hold fast.. to cling to ... and to draw nearer and nearer to the Savior, we pray, in His Holy Name .  Amen. 

 Numbers 6  

Verses 1-21 give the instructions for taking a "Nazarite vow".   This is a vow of separation to the Lord.  When a man or a woman made this "special vow" they had to abstain from anything that came from grapes.. no wine..no raisins.. no grapes of any kind at all. They also abstained from using a razor.. so that their hair would grow long.  They were not able to go near anyone who died.. not even their parents or siblings.  There is a whole long list of sacrifices that would need to be offered if they were accidentally exposed to a dead person.. like if someone fell over beside them and died.  There is also a long list of offerings to be given at the end of the time when the vow ended. Including shaving their head and burning the hair. 

It sounds very complicated... and it doesn't talk about any benefit for the person making this vow.  Yet, look at the life of Sampson.. or the life of Samuel.. both brought up to be Nazarites.. not by their own choice but by the command of the Lord. They were both called to be separate.. and to have a special place in the history of Israel. 

As believers in Jesus Christ... Paul writes that we should be "separate" 2 Corinthians 6:17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."  This is a quote from Isaiah 52:11 which talks about the Lord bringing deliverance and redemption to His people.  He wants us to come out from what is unclean and impure. He wants to be able to be in His holy Presence which is impossible when we are living in the world.. contaminated with the sins of worldly living. 

Then the Lord commands Aaron and his sons to offer a prayer for the people of Israel.. to "bless them".. to set them apart for Himself... 

"The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;  The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace. "  This prayer would "invoke" His name on the people. It would put His name upon them.. to charge them; to preserve them; to regard them; to appoint them or set a sign on them.  This prayer would set a hedge around the people of Israel.. the Lord Himself would guard, protect and attend to them.. His gracious presence would grant them favor as He stooped down in kindness.. His "face"would "shine" upon them.. providing light in the darkness..  His presence would be in front of them, behind them, shining down with peace.. with health and safety and rest.. and joy would fill them as they dwelt with Him.  This is a prayer we need to pray for all of us.. 

Father, we pray for others this great prayer.. for we all need Your blessing.. Your Light.. Your Presence and Your peace. May it be so! Amen. 

 Numbers 5  Something happened... they were getting everyone settled in their places with the tent in the middle of the tribes.. and the discourse takes a turn.. "Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone unclean because of a dead person."  The Lord Himself would dwell in the midst of the camps.. and He would not allow anyone to defile it.  They would be sent outside of the camp.. obedient to the Law which ordered them to stay away for the amount of time required or the needed cleansing to be accomplished. 

Whenever sin was committed , whenever a man or woman acted "unfaithfully against the Lord".. they were commanded to confess their sin and pay any restitution required by the Law.  Atonement would be brought as the priest offered "the ram of atonement" before the Lord. 

Verses 11-31 deal with the sin of adultery.. it could be a married woman who was accused of unfaithfulness to her husband- or- a husband who is overwhelmed by a "spirit of jealousy".  The man would bring a grain offering. The priest would take water and contaminate it with dust from the floor of the tabernacle.  The woman would stand before the priest, hold the grain offering in her hand, and drink the "water of bitterness".  If she was innocent.. she would be fine.  If she was guilty she would be cursed and physically stricken so that her stomach would swell and her  thigh would waste away.. 

All of this sounds a bit like the witch trials of the 1600's...doesn't it? Perhaps this is where they took their ideas from..  but for them it led to hysteria.. not to truth.. 

 I would think this Law would be quite a deterrent to unfaithfulness in any way. Why this Law was added at this particular time had to be because of something that happened just then.. God saw it, even if no one else did.. and acted immediately to protect the people from any more defilement in the camp. 

How can we learn from this?   We see how much God desires us to live holy lives.. He desires us to confess our sins..to find forgiveness through the atonement that Jesus Christ provides us through His sacrifice. We see that our God sees us and knows us and nothing is hidden from His eyes.  We see that His will is for us to be faithful... to be faithful to Him.. and to be faithful in our marriages.  It is uncomfortable to see people sent outside of the camp.. outside of the church.. or even outside of our family.. but sometimes it is necessary so that they do not contaminate the rest of the house.. or the church..   It is uncomfortable to think that your spouse may be unfaithful.. but the truth will be exposed one way or another and the Lord has provided a way to forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)

Thank You Father! Thank You Jesus!  Fill us Holy Spirit that we might walk faithfully, in Truth, in Righteousness, in Peace, in Faith.. in the Word... and in prayer. Let Your Grace be with us who love the Lord Jesus. Amen

 Numbers 4   It is so interesting to read how the Lord organized and assigned the duties of the Levites in regard to the tent of meeting and tabernacle. The three clans of the sons of Levi were numbered and assigned to very specific duties.. 

The Kohathites were assigned to carry the most holy things.. the ark, the table of bread, the lampstand and all the utensils used in the Holy of holies.. But, they could not touch anything until Aaron and his sons went in and covered each piece with cloth, porpoise skins and in the case of the ark - the veil . Everything had poles that were used for carrying. Eleazar, Aaron's son carried the sacred oil, incense, and offerings himself and he took responsibility for all that the Kohathites  were assigned to do.  He was responsible for assigning each man his load and for making sure they didn't touch the most holy objects so that they didn't die. 

The Gershonites were assigned to serve by carrying all of the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting... all the screens and hangings and the cords and equipment for the  entire place.  Ithamar, the son of Aaron was given the responsibly for these men and assigned each one to a certain job. 

Ithamar was also responsible for the Merarites who were given the duty of carrying  the boards, pillars, bars and sockets and equipment for the skeleton of the tent and tabernacle. 

The men assigned to these tasks were between the ages of 30-50. They "were numbered, everyone by his serving or carrying; thus these were his numbered men, just as the Lord commanded Moses." 

What can we learn from this?  The Lord told Moses what to do.. Moses told Aaron and his sons.. and they told all the sons of Levi their specific duties.  The Lord gave them responsibilities and provided clear leadership.. from the top down... It is so practical and so specific that there would be no need for arguments or chaos.   The Lord leads us in the same manner.. Jesus Christ is the Head.. as I Corinthians 11 tells us.. " But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman ( wife), and God is the Head of Christ." Paul continues in chapter 12 teaching that we are "one body" but that the Holy Spirit distributes "to each one individually just as He wills."  Verse 18 "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired."  and Verse 24 " But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to the member which lacked, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. " 

As a church we have different "duties".. different "responsibilities".. we are meant to serve.. and for some that means we are called to "carry" whatever load the Lord gives to us.  The Kohathites were assigned to carry but were not permitted "to go in to see". I wonder if they were tempted to peek?  Are we sometimes wanting a different job than the one the Lord has given us to do?  Have we neglected our responsibilities to lead or to obey?  Have we forgotten to honor others or resent the honor that has been given to another? Perhaps, this chapter in the book of Numbers can give us encouragement to think about theses things.. to remember that God knows best..  

Father in heaven, thank You for being the Head.. for Christ who is the Head of all men.. for the privilege of serving You in the job You chosen for each of us as a member of one body.. one family.. to the glory of our God.  May we be faithful to the calling You have for each of us.  You have called us by name.. You have a plan that is perfect, practical, and beneficial to the whole body. May Your will be done we pray. amen. 

 Numbers 3  In this chapter we are told that the Lord numbered and organized the family of Levi.  

Aaron and his sons were "the anointed priests".  They were "ordained" or consecrated - filled, confirmed, wholly given to the Lord's service. Verse 32 tells us that Eleazar,  Aaron's son was the "chief of the leaders of Levi, and had oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary" . 

All of the rest of the Levites were brought before Aaron "that they may serve him."  They were divided into 3 specific groups according to their families.  Levi had 3 sons.. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.   Each group was charged with specific responsibilities in the care of the tabernacle.  But, altogether they were "wholly given to [Aaron] from among the sons of Israel."  Not only were they given to Aaron and the priests.. but they were wholly claimed by God..  " So the Levites shall be Mine"!   Thirdly, they were considered a substitute for every first-born son from all the other tribes.  When the Lord struck down all the first born sons of Egypt and spared the sons of Israel, the Lord "sanctified" to Himself all the first born men and animals, saying "They shall be Mine; I am the Lord".  

The sons of Gershon were numbered.. "from a month old and upward".  There were 7,500 men. They were given the westward camp around the tabernacle. The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin would be next to them. Their duties "involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway".. all the hangings, screens, and cords would all be in their charge. 

The sons of Kohath would camp to the south of the tabernacle next to the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad.  There were 8,600 males from the age of one month and upward in the Kohathites.  Their service included the ark, the table and lamp stand, the altars, the utensils and the screen for the sanctuary.. the holy place.

The sons of Merari numbered 6,200.  They camped to the northward side of the tabernacle next to Naphtali, Asher, and Dan.  Their service was to care for the frames, the bars, the pillars, the sockets and all the other equipment.. pegs and cords and pillars ect. .. the "bones" of the tabernacle. 

To the east of the tabernacle Moses, Aaron and all of his sons..those who were "performing the duties of the sanctuary.. " camped.  They would be next to Judah, Issachar and Zebulun..

Altogether there were 22, 000 Levite males from a month old and upward.  The next thing that the Lord commanded Moses to do was to number every 1st born son in all the other tribes. There were 22,273. Each Levite male "redeemed" a first born male from another tribe - head for head.  There were still 273 first - born males beyond the number of Levites.. so the Lord commanded that each of these would pay a "ransom" of 5 shekels a person.  "The ransom" was given to Aaron and his sons for the sanctuary. 

So, what can we learn from this?  Again, we see the wisdom of our God. So specific, so organized and practical.. and yet revealing a hint of what was His future plan for His people.. and for us.  Jesus is the firstborn Son.. He is the ransom for all those who have no other way to be redeemed. He is the High Priest who serves..and also the Lamb that was sacrificed.  He directs each of us to His side.. and gives us "good works" that He has prepared for us to do.. (Ephesians 2:10).

Father, we thank You for calling each of us to serve as You have ordained.  You have given us gifts to serve in Your church.. to encourage, to teach, to pray, or to give.  Some have been charged to lead and others to follow.  We all must surrender to Your leading, and so we pray that Your will be done and Your Name exalted. Thank You for Jesus our Lord and Savior.. the ransom for many.. draw us closer and closer to You we pray, in His mighty Name. Amen.