Category: Numbers

REMEMBER (Numbers 15-17)

September 5

talon mon

By Talon Paul

In this section of reading, it can get very overwhelming to read with all of the laws that God gives to the Israelites that may not matter to us in 21st century America very much. However, one of the laws that God gives the Israelites should draw our attention and is very important to understand.

In Numbers 15:38-41, God commands the Israelites to wear ‘tassels’ on their outfits, but it isn’t just so that they look fashionable and “cool”. God has commanded this so that, as verse 39-40 state, the Israelites will remember all that God has done for them and to remember to do all that God commanded.

We as Christians have a very firm and more powerful reminder to do what God has commanded: the cross. A man, Jesus, was literally tortured and executed because of our sins. We can look back to this as a reminder of the fact that God has given us a way to be forgiven of our sins, but also as a reminder that, because of that sacrifice, we need to obey the commands of Jesus and God. When we do this, it keeps us from sinning against them and gives us a hope for the future.

Will you be like the 10? Or the 2? (Numbers 12-14)

Sunday, September 4 – Start of Week 7

talon sun

By Talon Paul

After the Israelites have been freed from their slavery in Egypt by God Almighty (see Ex. 3-14), the Israelites are on their way through the desert towards the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants (see Gen. 12). However, along this brutal journey, the Israelites become hungry, angry, and resentful of their God. In chapter 13, the Israelites are within distance of the Promised Land and send spies to see how the land looks, and if they are able to overcome it. Two out of the twelve spies believe that God will give them this land, while the other ten are fearful and not trusting of God. It gets so bad that the Israelites start to miss their past life in Egyptian slavery! (see 14:3-4)

Our Christian walk can be much the same as the Israelites’ journey. There are times when we question whether or not the promise of the Kingdom of God is worth all the hardships that we face. We sometimes become bitter and resentful of our God as well, although we know He has a better future planned for us. We sometimes look back and wonder if our lives before becoming Christian was easier and better for us too!

Let the Israelites’ story be a warning to us. They were unable to enter the Promised Land because they desired their past life more than God’s plan. I pray that we don’t fall into that same trap. Put your hope in God and His plans, especially when times seem rough. He has a better future in store for us; immortal life without pain or sorrow.

QUIT Complaining and START Praying! (Numbers 9-11)

Saturday, September 3

rebecca sat

By Rebecca Dauksas

Ok, we know that things are not going to go well when we read, Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, …

Why would they do that? The Israelites grumbled, argued and complained, but this never works out for them. Honestly, if we look at our own lives, are we guilty of this too?  Do we show God that we are thankful for our life and the provisions that He gives us?  If I may quote Madame Blueberry: “A thankful heart is a happy heart.”  But, the Israelites are not thankful, and they are not happy.  In Numbers 11, they complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

So, surely they adopted a new way of doing things, a new way to react to the situations that arose. Nope.

“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (verses 4-6)

Wow. Yep that slavery, that was the good life. Sure, they lived lives of servitude, but they had cucumbers.

Unfortunately, this complaining spread until Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The LORD became angry and Moses was troubled. This is where I think we can learn from the way Moses responds.  He asked the LORD.  He is troubled because he is in a situation that is impossible for him to handle alone.  He just has an honest conversation with the LORD. We see him react in the same way that he did in chapter 9 when he is asked a question about the Passover feast.  He told the people to wait until he found out what the LORD commanded concerning them. I think that is how all of us should handle hardships.  We should talk with God about what ever is troubling us. If we are in a continual conversation with the LORD, we bring him our praises and requests continually too.

Moses told Him that he could not carry all those people by himself; the burden was too heavy. The LORD had a solution for him. The LORD would take some of the power of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on seventy of Israel’s elders.  They shared the burden of the people so Moses did not have to carry it alone. As far as the request for meat, the quail arrived when the LORD said it would.  Even Moses did not know how God could do it, but again he talks with God about it. I wonder how things would have gone for the Israelites if they had humbly thanked God for their manna and asked for meat.  The LORD could even have thrown in cucumbers if He wanted to.  From today’s reading lets be encouraged to pray continually sharing our hardships and praises with God.

 

 

Oxen in the Offering Plate (Numbers 7-8)

Friday, September 2

Rebecca Fri

By Rebecca Dauksas

We have a time in our Worship Service when we receive tithes and offerings.  Of course, for most of us that means writing a check or placing cash in the offering plate.  It is not the objects themselves that are of value, but the time and energy we exerted to create the money for our gifts to the LORD. In Numbers 7 the leaders of Israel brought their offerings of Dedication for the Tabernacle. They presented twelve oxen and six carts to the LORD in front of the Tabernacle.  The LORD told Moses to let each leader bring his gifts on a different day for the dedication of the altar. They placed them before the altar. The offering of each leader included a silver plate, a silver sprinkling bowl filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil, a gold dish filled with incense, a young bull, a ram, a male lamb, a male goat, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs. Can you imagine bringing in these gifts?  But these offerings had value. The people crafted the carts, formed the precious metal dishes, raised the animals, …these offerings cost the people something.  They wanted to donate these items to the LORD.  They wanted to show their thankfulness, they wanted to be a part of their Tabernacle.  What are we offering the LORD this week?  Maybe it is from our checkbook or wallet and maybe it is our time.  Time invested in Bible Study. Time devoted to serving the needs of others.  Time spent with God in prayer.  Time showing others what the Love of God truly looks like.  Of course, we want to support the work of God financially – the LORD loves a cheerful giver.  But we want to offer the LORD more than just our financial gifts.  We want to offer ourselves.  Think about a God given ability or talent that you have. Could you use that in some way to serve God today?

 

 

 

The Priestly Blessing (Numbers 5-6)

Thursday, September 1  – By Rebecca Dauksas

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons,

‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27

 

This is a beautiful and comforting blessing from our reading today. A blessing was one way of asking God’s divine favor to rest upon others. This ancient blessing was supposed to convey hope that God would (1) bless and protect  (2) smile on them (be pleased), (3) be gracious (merciful and compassionate), (4) show his favor toward them (give His approval), and (5) give peace. (Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale).

I noticed that the priests put the LORD’s Name on the Israelites.  This has also been suggested as a way to designate the Israelites as the LORD’s people. The LORD’s Name is so important, so holy, so precious, but it seems that I see it misused more than ever.  I hear children scream out the name of God when they are upset, youth yell the name of God because they are happy, or couples saying it over and over after having their newly remodeled house revealed on the latest HGTV show.  I asked a teen girl why they misuse the name of God; after all, she has known the Ten Commandments since she was a child. She said I just didn’t understand because that is not a big deal to anyone anymore. Just this week, I had a cold and was watching a late show that I usually do not watch. I was shocked when a comic skit had a Muppet curse with God’s Name. Blasphemy is committed for the sake of a laugh. I was not amused and I won’t be tuning in to that show again.

Each line of the Priestly Blessing begins with the name Yahweh.  The ancient Hebrew authors revered Him so much that they would not write His full name. In Hebrew it was written as YHWH, the symbol meaning Yahweh. It is built on the word for “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

It is my prayer that we will experience this blessing today.  That we will receive the LORD in every way.  That it will be evident to everyone that we are the LORD’s people who are called by His Name.

 

 

 

— We are so pleased to have Rebecca writing devotions for us this week.  Rebecca Dauksas has been a Youth Worker her entire adult life.  She serves on the Youth Advisory Committee, has been a regional Youth Director, and is serving as the Youth Director at her local congregation of Guthrie Grove Church in South Carolina. She enjoys working with all ages of youth, interns and service-learning students and encouraging Youth Workers in their ministry and is looking forward to teaching a Youth Ministry class at ABC this fall.  She has a passion for the scriptures and loves exploring them with Youth. She volunteers in her community including a Christian crisis center. Rebecca and Dave, her husband of 26 years, enjoy living on a farm near the church.

 

“Curtains, I don’t want to carry curtains!” (Numbers 3-4)

Wednesday, August 31

At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry. Numbers 4:49

rebeca wed 

By Rebecca Dauksas

Being a child of God and a follower of Christ is the most incredible privilege in the world.  How amazing that we are called to serve the Creator of the universe and His Son! But sometimes the jobs that we do for the LORD can seem insignificant, unpleasant or down right gross. Let me explain.  I am a youth worker and I love it.  The time I have spent with youth has been amazing.  But no one told me that there would be tasks involved like unclogging the youth room toilet.  Not my favorite task and probably no one else wants that one either.  But it is necessary.

In Numbers 3 the tribe of Levi was given to assist Aaron the priest and his sons. They were to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. They were to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. The Levite clans were counted and then they were given their specific tasks that they were to carryout.  Literally to “CARRY OUT”.  They were physically carrying, taking care and showing proper respect for the furnishings and the tabernacle itself.  This is where a person’s attitude toward their acts of service is so important.  Imagine what enters the mind of a Levite Gershonite when he is told about carrying curtains.  He can think, “Curtains, I don’t want to carry curtains along with all that other stuff to load on carts. The other clans have much easier jobs than this.”  Or he can think, “I am thankful that I can help move the tabernacle so we can have the LORD’s place of worship to be the focal point everywhere we travel.”

We should be thankful for the opportunity to carry out God’s work and have a positive attitude while we perform that work. We have this chance every time we serve God and others.  Remembering that whether our acts of service are big or small, if they are performed because we love God and others, those tasks have real meaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stand Up and Be Counted (Numbers 1-2)

Tuesday, August 30

rebecca tues

By Rebecca Dauksas

How would you like to be remembered? Of course, we all want to be remembered fondly.  Wouldn’t it be great if people said that you were a great person of faith? That you were so loving.  You were kind and an inspiration to them. All would be great descriptions and a fine legacy to leave for future generations.  In Numbers Chapter 1 we found men that were remembered as the head of their families given an immense task.  They were to take a “census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families listing every man by name, one by one”.  You may not recall Elizur, but he was one of the men who assisted Moses and Aaron as they counted every male who was 20 years old or older who could serve in the military. It is now that we realize how enormous this group truly is.

Elizur was from the tribe of Reuben and their count was 46,500. Lets add the men counted from the tribe of Simeon which was 59,300.  Our total with just two tribes is 105,800.  The crowd is way over the limit for the stadium used for the opening ceremony for the recent Olympic Games.  It has a capacity of 78,838.

The total of males that were twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army was 603, 550. That number did not include the Levites who would take care of the tabernacle of the covenant along with all of its furnishings.

This community was huge.  Yet, God was organizing these tribes and families.  He was assigning jobs. He knew each heart and each mind.  God is able to oversee a community with millions while still overseeing our individual hearts.  That is why God was needed in the center of the Israelite camp and why we need Him in the center of our lives today.  He can orchestrate our lives giving us order and guidance.  His spirit will direct our thoughts, decisions and He directs our steps helping us do more for His kingdom. Allow Him to be at the center of your life today and be comforted to know that God always remembers us.