Month: February 2025

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Numbers 8-10 Order out of Chaos

The Lord God gave Moses instructions on how to bring this camp of Israelites into a camp with order. They were a camp of chaos running here and there and causing harm and disobeying the commands of the Lord and Moses. God used this section to remind us that He is the one who brings order and He has selected men to guide in that direction. And so God directed Moses on how to do this and when. It is comforting to read this section when we see it happening even now in our own country. There has been chaos for over four years and even now we see those disrupters on the scene just as it was in the day of Moses. Remember this: God is a God of order not chaos. 

God’s instructions to the church are this: “1Co 14:40 And do everything in a decent and orderly manner.” Isaiah wrote: “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” [Is 28:10] That is how God governs and we should do the same. 

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Numbers 7 God Speaks

Be still and listen

Moses recounts his interaction with God with this famous verse: “Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the atonement lid that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. Thus he spoke to him.” [Num 7:89]

The fact that Moses heard God’s voice speaking to him from the most holy place indicates God’s acceptance of these gifts (v. 89). Moses, as the representative of the nation, and God enjoyed a close relationship because of this sacrifice of worship. This is not the first time God spoke audibly to Moses, but it is the first time when God spoke to Moses from above the atonement lid. As we continue our reading we will find that Moses recorded the words of God in the next chapter.

Have you heard God speak? He now speaks through the written Word and the Holy Spirit. Sit quietly and listen for His still, small voice. The Apostle John wrote, “Joh 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Are we listening for His voice?

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Numbers 6 The Blessing

God gave Moses the prayer of blessing that Aaron was to pray over the people:

“The Lord bless you and protect you, The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” 

This is a marvelous prayer for the people and as Aaron was to pray this we imagine his heart was yearning for that blessing for himself and the people. There are three parts to this prayer: 1. May the Lord bless and protect you as you go in and go out. Carry these words to your heart so you remember that it is God who blesses. It is God who protects.  2. The character of God is in the second section. When we are in His will and obedient, we can count on God to shine His protective love over us and His graciousness will be upon us. 3. The Lord will lift, will shine over you as you live for Him and His countenance or His presence and His power will be showered upon the people. 

Today stop and pray this for yourself and your loved ones and your church. 

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Leviticus 24 Warning!

This is a story that ought to be told over and over! “any man curses his God, he will bear responsibility for his sin, and one who misuses the nameof the Lord must surely be put to death.” Today we hear the name of God used in a profane way without thought or consequences. Perhaps if we followed this there would be less of that and more of honoring the Lord’s Name! Clearly God wants His people to be pure and holy and this is one way we bring dishonor to Him and it all begins with the loss of temper. Curtail your temper and remember to honor God and other men. 

Wisdom speaks: “A person who has a quick temper will do foolish things, and a person with crafty schemes will be hated.” And again: “quick-tempered person stirs up dissension but one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel.“ [Prov 14 and 15]

Today speak with calmness and avoid solving problems with a temper tantrum otherwise you might find yourself in a predicament like this young man. 

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Leviticus 23 Appointed Times

God cares even about numbers

As God continues to teach His children since they had been in Egypt for 430 years, we learn that God has apportioned dates and rules regarding certain feast days. Each feast day would be a lesson in how God has organized His calendar and the children of Israel are to be reminded of these as important dates and ways. God has His ways of bringing truth to the nation so that they would be a holy nation for the world. Even today, Israel celebrates these feast days as God’s teaching tool. Each feast was to be honored and celebrated and they are to be handed down to the next generation. 

What do you do to hand down traditions and/or ways of honoring the Lord in your church, your family and how do you share that with others? 

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Leviticus 19-21 Regulations 

You must be sure to obey my statutes. I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations, so that the land to which I am about to bring you to take up residence does not vomit you out

God demands holiness and we are bidden to obey. God reminded the Israelites of these regulations so that they would remain pure and a holy people. What has God demanded of us? We are to be a holy people as well. As we look about at our nation and read these verses we see evidence we are not a holy people. Today take a few minutes and read these passages again and repent of any thing that God has said it should not be. Over and over Moses recorded these words: “I am the Lord.” And He is our Lord as well. 

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Leviticus 16-18 Purity & Holiness

God gave Moses these chapters so that the priesthood and the people would know and understand the way to be holy. Moses recorded this for the nation of Israel that there be no misunderstanding. God is holy and He has called them to Himself to be a holy people. 

It is interesting to read about the scapegoat, how it was chosen, how used and the reasons. One goat was to be offered as a sin offering and the second to be sent into the wilderness. Dr Constable’s notes explain: “The two goats used in the ritual represented two aspects of the atonement that God provided. Both animals taught the Israelites that a sinless agent was removing their sins by vicarious atonement. The goat slain represented the judgment on sin that resulted in death necessary for atonement. The goat sent off into the wilderness with the sinner’s guilt imputed to it symbolized the removal of guilt.”

This was a ceremony to be etched into the minds of the people of the price sin exacts. How grateful I am that Jesus paid the price for my sin that I don’t have to follow these regulations, but also the heavy price my sin costs…not a goat, but the precious blood of my Savior. 

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Leviticus 14-15 Rules for Uncleanness/Infections

Rules are given for a purpose

What does it mean to be unclean? It means different things for different conditions but in all it means separation for the unclean and the clean so it does not spread throughout the camp. ‘Sickness was symbolic of sin, and even now it should not be forgotten that sickness and death are part of God’s curse on the sin of Adam and his race. Therefore, cleansing the diseased person required sacrifices.” Today we do not offer sacrifices but the in other ways it is much the same when one is found to be infected. We do that so that it doesn’t spread to others. The principle is the same for men and women. There are different occasions when this rule is to be implemented and for good reasons. God has instituted these to protect His people and it has transferred over the centuries to even today. 

Infections breed when they are not contained, thus the reasons for separation. These chapters show us how God loves and protects His people so they can be a holy people. 

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Leviticus 11-13 Healthy is as Healthy Does

Today we have doctors that diagnose disease and we have medicines to alleviate suffering but in the time in the desert, the Israelites did not have doctors or medicines. God instituted several precautions for His people so they would remain healthy. Today we follow many of these same instructions. Physical observations offer much as to what the body is facing. 

So today if you find yourself suffering, you might want to observe and follow some of these instructions because we are only healthy as healthy does. Paul refers to this in a similar way when he says our bodies are the temple of the Lord. We are to honor and revere these wise instructions so that we can honor the Lord. 

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Leviticus 10 Sin is Costly

Moses honored the Lord with the gifts that the children of Israel brought. After all that, we wonder why the two sons of Aaron brought strange fire?  The Lord found them guilty and He pronounced death upon Nadab and Abihu for their sin. The cost of their sin was their life. We casually sin and then offer a prayer, but to God any sin is costly and He will deal with it; sometimes even death. 

We fail to consider how costly sin is. That is one reason Jesus came and offered Himself. He paid the cost for our “casual” and important sin; sin is sin. What sin do I need to seek His forgiveness today that I may not have to face His punishment for unforgiven sin. 

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