Numbers 21 - Spiritual Wilderness

What caught my eye today is something that has been said before:

 ⁴ Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, ⁵ and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” (emphasis mine)

Yet again, the Israelites are complaining about the wilderness. I find this interesting because I started thinking about it in a spiritual sense and the fact is, it is very much the opposite spiritually from the perspective of what is being offered from God.

So in this journey, God has provided them with manna and water (and meat when they grew tired of the manna), God has provided them with God's presence, guiding them on the journey in a pillar of clouds and fire, God has spoken to them and revealed God's glory and performed many miracles. The spiritual blessings are evident and overflowing, and yet the people are in wilderness...even spiritually. The people have hearts filled with fear and complaints and consistently miss the blessings for their own hang-ups.They can't seem to hold on to what God is offering them and outr of fear, choose to be in spiritual wilderness. If only their eyes could be open...

But how about us. Do we live in spiritual wilderness of our own choosing? Do we allow fears and worries to remove us from God's blessing? Have we let a complaining spirit close off our heart to the gifts that God is showering us with?

I know that I have seen times in my life where that has seemed true. And I know that it is my wilderness, that I have chosen, because God has never deserted me or not provided what I needed. I may have gotten caught up in wants and taken the gifts from God for granted, but they have been there.

The next time you feel like you are in a spiritual wilderness, examine your heart first and see if it is a wilderness that you have created. Examine yourself to determine if you are cutting yourself from God or ignoring God's blessings for you. Don't be in spiritual wilderness when the God who loves you deeply and compassionately is beckoning and wooing you.

Numbers 20 - How Like the Israelites are You?

There are times as I read the book of Numbers, I want to just slap the Israelites and say, "Really, now. How many times does God have to provide miracles for you to trust God's provision!" It seems like they are always complaining about something and this time their rebellion has affected Moses and Aaron.

The real question is, are we any different? How many times does God have to provide or open up a blessing to us and yet we still cry out to God wondering where God is and when this or that will come our way?

It can be very convicting to read about the behavior of followers of God, to see their weaknesses and doubts and insecurities. We can even become critical of their lack of faith. But it is also important to examine ourselves and see where our faith stands. Do we have those same fears and insecurities. And if we do, how are we responding to God?

I believe all those stories are in their for a reason. To cause us to examine ourselves and be convicted. So that we can see our own weakness and do things differently. When next we doubt God's provision, maybe coming back to the book of Numbers would be a place to remind ourselves both of God's faithfulness, but also of God's discipline. God is certainly patient and big enough to deal with our doubts and questions, but faith that constantly falters has its consequences.

Don't let another day go by without some self examination and let self examination be a daily activity. As we seen repeatedly, rebellion against God can be contagious. Be wary and be aware.

Numbers 19 - Questions

So this chapter left me more questions than it answered. I can see throughout scripture that God is looking for a clean and pure heart, but that rituals start to make it seem like it is a clean body and this is where the Jewish priesthood has gone wrong by the time Jesus comes on the scene. I also recognize that there is symbolism between the clean body representing aspects of a clean heart, but I am somewhat lost with this one. Maybe someone out there can help me.

So here we have God setting up the laws revolving uncleanness in regards to a dead body. So in essence being around a dead body either when the person dies or after the person is dead makes you unclean. I am not seeing the spiritual representation in that. Instead what I am seeing is that showing respect for the dead makes you unclean. This just doesn't sound like God to me, so i am wrestling with what is going on here. Here are my thoughts:

• There was a fear of disease from dead remains and this law is man's creations not God's.
• God is requiring a sacrifice of love to honor those dead that you love...meaning you have to love them enough to be willing to become unclean.
• When a person dies, their soul (which is every thing good in them) goes to heaven and all that is left is sin (which is in their body) and we shouldn't honor the body.

Truthfully to me, nothing jumps out to me a a strong God reason for this.  if you have insights please share. i admit that I have thought about this since yesterday when I first read it and I haven't come up with anything that I feel is from God on this one.

But, it is OK, because, i know I don't need to understand everything and that I can bring my questions to God (which I have been doing) and to God's people (which I am doing right now). I look forward to the wisdom that comers of it.

Numbers 18 - Church Finances

As I was reading this chapter that talks about the provision given to the priests and the Levites, I was thinking about church finances today. At that time, the best was given to the priests and the tithes were shared with all the Levites who were taking care of the tabernacle and its sacred objects.

¹⁴ “Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the Lord^[c] also belongs to you.

²⁰ And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. ²¹ As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.

These offerings were to be the allotment of the Levites and to support them while they were in service to the Lord. Now I found this interesting because it made me start to think about church finances and how the tithes and offerings we give to the church  are similar to those given back then at the Lord's direction. I was noticing that the tithes were not also set aside to help the poor or to spread the news of who God is to others, which is something that occurs today. At first I was thinking, maybe their shouldn't be objections when those are not the major focus of a church budget...but then as I thought about it more, I realize that Jesus has given us some new instructions:

 ²² When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

With these new instructions comes a new way for the church to operate and an outward focus that wasn't given as much focus earlier. So therefore, when we consider our church finances, we do need to consider this new emphasis.

The true question becomes what is the balance between caring for our spiritual leaders and buildings and following the commission that Jesus gave. Paul also weighs in on this topic and states that the people should support those who are serving the Lord and teaching them, but Paul also supports himself by working as a tent maker as he spreads the word of God.

I have heard so many discussions of this over the years, but I think there are many questions left for us to wrestle with as a church and while I firmly believe that a greater portion should go to the work of the Lord, I can't actually see where it says that in the Bible and certainly God did intend for those caring for the holy places of God and serving God in the temple to be supported by the community.

Maybe you have some insight to share. Feel free to comment.

Numbers 17 - Communication

Have you ever had a complete communication miss with a person? Maybe, no matter what, it seems like you and that person just can't communicate. Each of you says one thing and the other person never receives that and you both feel lost in the dark and things just go awry...

Well, I hope that never happens to you, but it has happened to me. I think I am telling somebody exactly what I am thinking and how I feel and that person misses that and they think the same and yest I don't see it. When I read this chapter that was all I could think about. Here God is trying to make clear to the people who God has chosen in order to avoid rebellion and more deaths.

⁵ Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”

¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant^[d] to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.” ¹¹ So Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

 It all seems so clear. God provides the sign, the people are obedient and there is no more rebellion and death. Except that is not  the place the people end up...

¹² Then the people of Israel said to Moses, “Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! ¹³ Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the Lord dies. Are we all doomed to die?”

I think this is not a one time problem for God and a major reason why Jesus came to Earth. Maybe it is because of who God is or maybe because of who we are (probably both), but we sometimes have trouble communicating with God. I actually believe that it is more often than we think, we just don't understand enough to realize that we haven't really understood what God is telling us.

So how do we fix this> Well, one thing I think we need to do is shut up and listen more. You really can't hear someone when you are already talking and since I think God has more of value to say than we do, we should start by listening more. Another is to trust and take what we do know and apply it to what we think we here. Since God is not in a bodily form in front of us, we don't have gestures and facial expressions to help convey the meaning of the words. Therefore, we need to use what we know to help us. I think sometimes we get so fearful of the possibilities that we don't focus on the realities of God's behavior and attitudes.

I think if we could do those two things, we could really improve our communication with God. I know I need to give it a try and improve in that area...why don't you join me.

Numbers 16 - Pure Heart

So yesterday I wrote about how one man's attitude and disobedience can be contagious and infect the community and today's chapter provides and example of that. We see that Korah, has done just that at stirred up the people against Moses and Aaron and God turns to punish the whole community.

It is only through Moses and Aaron's intervention that God spares the the community as a whole and limits the punishments to a small portion.

²² But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?

⁴³ Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, ⁴⁴ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.

 ⁴⁶ And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord.^[f] The Lord’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.”

Following the warning, God makes his point that a heart that is sincere for God is what is acceptable. We see that when Korah and the 250 present their incense burners to God, they are not acceptable.

³⁵ Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.

Just following purification rituals without truly being pure in your heart is not what God is looking for. God searches for a heart that is open to God and obedience.

So consider where your heart is and where you want it to be....and let moving closer to God be a daily prayer.

Numbers 15 - Unintentional vs. Purposeful Sin

So as the Lord describes the future...the sacrifices to be made when the people settle in the promised land....God provides provision for being a forgetful people regarding the sacrifice laws. God knows that we, as humans, can make mistakes and forget things. Look at what God says about that:

²² “But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the Lord has given you through Moses. ²³ And suppose your descendants in the future fail to do everything the Lord has commanded through Moses. ²⁴ If the mistake was made unintentionally, and the community was unaware of it, the whole community must present a young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It must be offered along with its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering and with one male goat for a sin offering.

²⁷ “If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering.

³⁰ “But those who brazenly violate the Lord’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the Lord, and they must be cut off from the community. ³¹ Since they have treated the Lord’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.”

Notice that the person (people) who sin unintentionally are given the opportunity to atone and be forgiven while those who are intentional with their sin and to be separated from the community.

So let's think about what it means to be intentional in your disobedience and why the punishment. So in order to be in willful disobedience, you first have to know what you are supposed to do. Then you also have to think about what you will do and make a conscious choice to do it sinfully. In the case of the sacrifices, that means that the person needs to understand that they are to honor and be grateful to God for all the blessings God has given and then the person has to decide to do to that.

When a person does that, they are receiving the blessings, but taking them for granted and not appreciating the one who has provided them. God is saying, don't take me for granted. And the punishment for that is to cut that person off from the fellowship of the community.

Why that punishment. I believe that it has to do with the fact that an attitude of taking things for granted is easily spread. The punishment is more about protecting the rest of the community. God doesn't want that attitude to become a community attitude.

I completely appreciate what God is trying to do. I also look at who we are today as a society...

We are experts at taking others for granted. Especially those we are closest to. We just expect that those closest to us will keep loving and caring for us regardless of how we treat them. And we can see this attitude pervasive throughout the nation.

What do we do? Well, for one, we make sure we are not doing this. We become people of appreciation and recognize both God and others for the role they play in our lives and the blessings they add to our lives. For another, we set this example and encourage others to make this shift as well.

Just as a negative attitude can spread, so can a positive one. It won't be easy, and we may stumble and fall ourselves, but we need to be faithful as God is faithful and when we sin, we need to repent and atone.

Numbers 14 - Are You Someone God Can Work With?

This chapter compares two types of people. First we have most of the Israelite community:

¹ Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. ² Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. ³ “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

³⁹ When Moses reported the Lord’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief. ⁴⁰ Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills. “Let’s go,” they said. “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the Lord has promised us.”

As you can see, the people are afraid and lack trust in God. They fear the people of the land and won't accept the blessing God has offered them.  Then there is a change of heart and they are ready to trust. But why does this change of heart come about. Not because of repentance, no, because they don't like the consequences of their choice. The people are just flitting from one fear to another, trying to find the easy and safe path, rather than the path of trust. Now maybe they were so internally hurt by the Egyptians and being slaves that they don't posses the ability to step forward in faith and be courageous. But the bottom line is, that the feasrs of the moment dictate their decisions. God is not willing to work with this kind of person. God wants a person who trusts and will listen to God's voice and be obedient.

The other personalitry we see is that of Caleb and Joshua:

⁶ Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. ⁷ They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! ⁸ And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. ⁹ Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

These two have trusted the promises of God and know that God is mightier than the people of the land. They have seen God's miracles and remember God's strength over their fears. These tow alone, God promises to bring into the land when all the others have died.  This is the type of person that God can use and work with and in fact when they finally do enter the Promised Land, these men are instruments of God used to lead the people.

So where are you? If I am honest, i fall into both camps. Just six months ago, I picked up my life and moved in spite of many fears but believing this was God's plan for me. I trusted that God would take care of me and provide and God has been very faithful. But if I step back a few months earlier, I thought God had different plans and one could say I was just going to where things looked best at the moment. I honestly can't really say what was or wasn't in that particular situation, maybe God prepared me to move by sending me down another path that would start me thinking of leaving home, so that I would take that step when it came, or maybe I was very like the Israelites heading for the easy and safe road. but the truth is that isn't the only time that I possibly was like a wisp in the wind. In fact, for many years, I was not very assertive for myself or willing to take a lot of risks. I was more interested in trying to please others. Fortunately, the others I wanted to please walked with God and that didn't head me in horrible directions, but it did cause me to deny myself some of what I wanted and needed and that did come back to bite me.

So where are you? Are you like Caleb and Joshua, the Israelites, or like me who spends time in both camps. I hope I am becoming more like Caleb and Joshua and if you aren't already there, I pray that you also will become more like these two men.

Numbers 13 - Fear

Have you ever let fear topple your trust?

The Israelites have been promised the land by God and yet, when they scout the land, they see the people living there and are afraid. They have a promise from God, who travels with them, has done miracles in their presence, and yet, they still suffer from fear. Why do they? Well,, while they have a relationship with God, there is a lacking trust. Maybe brought on by the the lack of ability to interact with a God whom they can easily understand.   But aren't we similar.When people get married they promise to love and cherish the other person until death do us part, but things happen to erode that relationship sometimes and trust is lost.

So the scouts go out and survey the land and find:

Numbers 13 (New Living Translation)

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Numbers 13

New Living Translation (NLT)

Numbers 13

Twelve Scouts Explore Canaan

 ¹ The Lord now said to Moses, ² “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” ³ So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. ⁴ These were the tribes and the names of their leaders:

         Tribe — Leader
         Reuben — Shammua son of Zaccur
       ⁵ Simeon — Shaphat son of Hori
       ⁶ Judah — Caleb son of Jephunneh
       ⁷ Issachar — Igal son of Joseph
       ⁸ Ephraim — Hoshea son of Nun
       ⁹ Benjamin — Palti son of Raphu
       ¹⁰ Zebulun — Gaddiel son of Sodi
       ¹¹ Manasseh son of Joseph — Gaddi son of Susi
       ¹² Dan — Ammiel son of Gemalli
       ¹³ Asher — Sethur son of Michael
       ¹⁴ Naphtali — Nahbi son of Vophsi
       ¹⁵ Gad — Geuel son of Maki ¹⁶ These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land. (Moses called Hoshea son of Nun by the name Joshua.)
 ¹⁷ Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go north through the Negev into the hill country. ¹⁸ See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. ¹⁹ See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps? ²⁰ Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see.” (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)
 ²¹ So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. ²² Going north, they passed through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai—all descendants of Anak—lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.) ²³ When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs. ²⁴ That place was called the valley of Eshcol (which means “cluster”), because of the cluster of grapes the Israelite men cut there.

The Scouting Report

 ²⁵ After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned ²⁶ to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. ²⁷ This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. ²⁸ But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea^[a] and along the Jordan Valley.”

While they find great bounty, they also find people who are strong. Now in spite of the promises made the them by God, they ultimately choose not to trust in God's promise. Now maybe they aere so beaten down by the Egyptians that they couldn't see themselves as conquerors. Knowing the rest of the story, we know there lack of trust resulted in many more years of wandering until almost all of those who had come out of Egypt were dead.

If only the people could have overcome their wounds and fears, they could have had a different life. This is also true for us. We are the walking wounded and we harbor fears. But like the Israelites we can either find trust and let that overcome our wounds and fears or we can wander through life not receiving the blessings set aside for us.

Yes, trust can require risk, It would feel like a risk to the Israelites to fight the people of the land because of their fears, and we too have to take risks that tap into our fears, but the blessings sit there, set aside from us.

Are there areas where you are not taking up blessings because of fear? What risks do you need to take? Ask God to help you overcome your fears and follow God's direction for you.

Numbers 12 - Impure Heart

Now this is a very interesting passage to me. Yesterday we saw the people complaining and now we hear of Aaron and Miriam complaining, feeling like they are as important as Moses because the Lord has also used them:

¹ While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. ² They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?”

So the Lord brings them all together and gives Miriam leprosy and she had to be kept out of the city for seven days.

Two things that I find interesting about this. The first is that Aaron does not get the punishment that Miriam gets. It seems rather unfair to me. Although, it would have been problematic for the High Priest to become unclean, it seems that Aaron got really lucky. Of course having Miriam get leprosy as punishment probably caused guilt for Aaron as he knew he was to blame and also community shame as they were related and the people understood leprosy to be a punishment from God. So I am sure all three of them actually felt punished.

The second is that Aaron and Miriam make their hearts unclean through their criticism and God makes that uncleanness visible in the form of leprosy. If i think about that idea, I realize that all that is happened is that an inner condition has been made visible. Don't thoughts against others and words spoken in jealousy, anger, hatred, etc give us leprosy of the heart.

I think God is reminding us that we can look just fine on the outside and appear unclean, while still being unclean on the inside. We shouldn't allow our outward appearance to let us think we are fine and pure. Just because others may see a clean person, it is not necessarily true. God sees the truth of our hearts and we need to be focused on acting based on how God sees us, rather than the world. I think this something that Miriam and Aaron forgot. They got focused on an earthly picture of Moses and compared that to their earthly view of themselves. This is the reason for God's anger and punishment.

This passage is a reminder that we need to examine our hearts for sings of uncleanness and deal with them with the Lord's help and keep a clean heart. Have you examined your heart lately or are you relying on an exterior view of how you are doing in righteousness?

Numbers 11 - Complaints

So I bet each one of us can think of someone who is always whining and complaining. Even when things are good, they have something to complain about. They are such a drag and we tend to find them quite annoying, right?

Moses also had to contend with whiners:

⁵ “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. ⁶ But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”

¹⁰ Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. 

The good thing that came out of this situation is that Moses under God's direction called other leaders to help lead the people and therefore didn't have to share the burden alone.

But, I want to point out the result of the people's whining:

¹¹ And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? ¹² Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? ¹³ Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! ¹⁵ If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”

Moses himself started whining. Isn't it interesting how whining begets whining. And if you think about it, haven't you yourself been dragged into one of those whining conversation with the person who you find so annoying...or maybe you start the whining your self.

The Bible tells us in several places to beware of our tongue for it can sin in what it says. We constantly need to think before we speak. And if we are not vigilant, that upbeat conversation can quickly turn around...or that conversation that we hear that is all complaining...next thing you know we are in the middle of it.

So how do you avoid complaining and whining? That is a great question and I wish I had the answer to it. It seems to often that we get fed up and blow off steam by letting the complaints out on a willing (or unwilling) ear. But I think that one way to help with this is to talk to God about what is bothering you. Share with God and let God take away your frustration. Another way to curtail it, is to develop an attitude of gratitude. If you focus on things that you are grateful for, the things which you have complaints about will seem less important and fade away.

Do you have some other strategies? Feel free to share them.

Numbers 10 - Signals

In this chapter the Lord instructs Moses to build two trumpets that are to be used for signalling the people:

¹ Now the Lord said to Moses, ² “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp. ³ When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the Tabernacle.^{[a] 4} But if only one trumpet is blown, then only the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—must present themselves to you.

 ⁵ “When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward. ⁶ When you sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on. ⁷ But when you call the people to an assembly, blow the trumpets with a different signal. ⁸ Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, are allowed to blow the trumpets. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation.

 ⁹ “When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. ¹⁰ Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the Lord your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”

These are to signal the people to  gather, signal them to move on, signal for war and signal for celebration. These signals both provide direction and are a reminder of the Lord.

Signals can be very good memory tricks and ways of communicating to others (as long as they know the signals). For instance turn signals make driving around other cars safer because it allows other drivers to know what you are planning to do. Also, with children, we may raise a hand, which tells them it is time to be quiet. Signals help us to remember and call us to obedience.

But do we have modern signals with God? Certainly as a people of God we do, but sometimes we set our own signs and signals with God. The rainbow is one such symbol which the church shares. This symbol originated with Noah and is still a reminder of God's promise. Looking at a rainbow signals the end of the rain, the beginning of a promise and we see the beauty that God has created.

 Church bells can also be a signal. They can announce the time and sometimes are a call to worship (although that use seems to have decreased over the years). They also have been used to signal celebration and war, just as the trumpets God instructed Moses to fashion.

So what are some personal signals? One signal I use is scripture cards. I keep one on my dashboard in my car and each time I see it, I am reminded of God and to stay tight with God. It calls me to a relationship of love and reminds me to remember God and that I am loved. I put this in place to have that extra reminder of my relationship with God and to keep nurturing it.

Do you have signals with God? I would love to hear about them and I am guessing we could all grow from hearing each others. Possibly we might want to adopt one.

If you don't have any signals with God, consider and set up a way for you and God to communicate. Maybe it will be a sound or a sight, but something that calls you into obedience and deeper relationship with God.

Numbers 9 -A Heart to Honor God

The first half of this chapter deals with a problem that came up over the celebration of Passover. Some of the people were unclean but still wished to celebrate Passover and honor God. Moses got the following instructions from God:

⁹ This was the Lord’s reply to Moses. ¹⁰ “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the Lord’s Passover. ¹¹ They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. They must eat the Passover lamb at that time with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. ¹² They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover.

 God provides a way for these people to celebrate the Passover and remember. God also provides a warning to those who are able to celebrate the Passover at the regular time and don't.

The key to want is going on is the desire to honor God. The people who have become unclean, want to honor God but are unable to at the correct time. By providing this allowance, God declares that it is the intention in your heart that is of primary importance. God understands that things happen and at times we can not do what out heart heart desires and God is saying that if your heart desires to honor God and circumstances make that a non-option, you will not be disciplined for that. Discipline comes when you have the option to honor God but lack the desire.

It is good to know that God is not requiring perfect action, God is requiring a heart that desires the Lord. We don't have to be perfect, which is a good thing because if you are anything like me, you fail. The key is your heart. Can you offer God a devoted heart? That is what God values the most. If you have failed God in some way, see that God makes allowances for those who desire to honor God and forgive yourself for the failure. God certainly wants to be in relationship with you. God will meet you where you are at. Don't let your desire for God fade because you have not been able to honor God the way you wanted to. Let God show you mercy. love and understanding. Receive that today!

Numbers 8 - Making it a Heart Thing

This is an interesting chapter because it discussed the purifying of the Levites. One of the things that I am still trying to figure out is the removing of all hair.

⁷ Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean.

I have a couple of theories but if anyone can shed some light on it, I would love to hear from you. I understand the use of water as a cleansing agent. When it comes to the hair, I have a few thoughts:

• Hair is a vanity and removing it provides spiritual cleansing.
• Hair would trap dirt on the body and prevent full cleansing with water
• When a person developed leprosy, they would often get it around areas where hair grew and there would be white flaky skin. Removing all hair would prove that the person did not have leprosy.

But anyway, I guess the important part is the idea that the Levites were dedicated to God and that this was not a casual thing. Many of the rituals for cleansing and sacrifice are involved and take time. I believe this is to attach importance to it. Think about things we do quickly each day...they can easily become rote and habits that we don't think about. The importance of cleansing is not just a bodily cleansing, but also a spiritual cleansing. Making the ritual involved (hopefully) forces a person to think about it and not just address the outside, but also the heart. God wants a pure heart more than anything else.

Looking forward in history, we hear God explain that it is not the sacrifices but a clean heart that God desires and we see Jesus criticize the priests for  following ritual but not understanding and adhering to its true purpose.

So think about your spiritual activities each day. Do say grace before a meal for instance? Has that become a quick, "Thanks God for the food" that has no meaning or does it hold all the gratitude that you have for the provision for the day?

I must admit that lately that has been harder for me. I am living temporarily with my cousin's family (who i love dearly) and they are not Christians. They will wait for me to say grace if all I say is, "Thanks God for the food! Amen." I have to consciously make that meaningful for me, however brief it is. Now we don't eat all meals together so i also have opportunities to extend that and be deeper as well.

Consider your Christian rituals...are they of the heart or just of action? Do you need to make some changes?

Numbers 7 - Provision

As I read this chapter, I kept thinking about a housewarming party. Each of the 12 tribes has brought there offerings to help provision God's dwelling place among them. This seems much like a housewarming party today, especially when it is a first house. The person has needs and friends and family share their generosity to fill those needs.

I am also reminded of the early church where they shared with one another all that they had, so that each had their needs met.

How are we doing with that today? Do we help those who are setting up new to have what they need? Do we share what we have to assist with ongoing sustenance?

The Levites took responsibility for the Holy thongs and temple and had to forego duties that would provide for their own needs. The other tribes, through their offerings to God, provided for them.

So today, do you know someone who needs a "housewarming"? Might you honor God by sharing with someone who has a need you can fill? What offering can you lay at God's feet? For one of God's workers, someone who is entering a new home (physically or spiritually) or someone who is part of God's family who had some needs being unmet?

Pray with me for God's guidance and leading.

Numbers 6 - Protecting Your Vow

This chapter is very interesting because it talks about Nazarite vows. It starts by talking about what someone who makes these vows should not partake of:

“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.

“If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way, they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins. (Numbers 6:2, 3 NLT)

This is an interesting restriction. Wine, which was not as strong as what we drink today was a very common drink. Water would not always be clean and the fermenting process would make the grape juice safer. So why this restriction? Well, I have to imagine that while wine was less
Potent, it could still impair someone's thinking. Making this something that you could not have when you took a Nazarite vow would protect that vow. It would prevent you from messing it up while impaired.

So the interesting question that brings up for me is in what ways to we protect our vows today? Have you made a vow to God? And what are you doing to protect it? Promises made to God should be held very sacred and deserve the highest level of protection.

When I look around at society today, promises and commitments seem to have lost their importance. Marriages end in divorce, people shift commitments to enjoy the best offer. As children of God, we need to be recapturing the importance of our commitments to God first and then to those around us. I know I have work to do in this area and I invite you to join me.

Numbers 5 - Purity

So this chapter focuses on purity and I love that when it talks about sin, the resposability is on the person. Look at this verse:

They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged. (Numbers 5:7 NLT)

It does not talk about someone discovering the sin, or the person being caught. The person knows they have sinned and it is their responsibility to confess and make the situation better. I think about how life would be different if we all took responsibility for our mistakes and for making amends.

Let's also look at this verse related to marriage:

“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.

"Suppose a man’s wife goes astray, and she is unfaithful to her husband and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself, even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act. (Numbers 5:12, 13 NLT)

Again, the defiling is not based on discovery or knowledge of the sin. Sin is sin independent of others knowledge of it and we are each responsible for repenting.

The rituals for dealing with sin have changed because Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice but we can not receive that blessing and purity if we don't acknowledge and repent of our mistakes.

Do you a clean account? Have you acknowledged, repented and corrected you sin as best as could've done? If not, maybe today, this sabbath, you will take the steps toward embracing the purity given you through the death of Jesus on the cross.

Numbers 4 - Submission to Authority

So in this verse it talks about the jobs for the men in the Levite clans between the ages of 30 and 50. For some reason, it made me start to wonder about the number of Israelites traveling through the wilderness...

so we have 8.580 men between the ages of 30 and 50 in the tribe of Levi...if we look back to yesterday's chapter, we see that the number of males over the age of 2 was about 22,000. Let's assume that their is an equivalent number of females, so now we are at 44,000. Now there are 12 tribes traveling, so we have 538,000.

Now just take a moment and try to imagine leading upwards of a half a million people through the wilderness. Somehow this seems bigger to me than I had ever really thought about or imagines. And all these people need to be governed in addition to being guided.

It is no wonder that God gave Moses specific instructions and job for different groups. And the people had to submit to that direction in order for the journey to not become a pit of chaos.

When I think about that journey, I think about the different times I have rebelled. I can be stubborn and want my way. Of course we know the Israelites also rebelled, so I don't want to indicate that things went smoothly...in fact they didn't. But I challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of one of those Israelites and consider what that journey would have been like. Would you humble yourself or rebel? Would you want to stay with the whole nation or take your chances with a smaller group?

After you have thought about that, I also challenge you to think about your current submission to God's direction. How are you doing? Are there some changes that need to be made?

Numbers 3 - Role of the Saved

So now we get into learning about the Levites' role. What I think is most notable is that the Levites are counted as exchange for the firstbord sons of Israel.

⁴⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names. ⁴¹ The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the Lord. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.”

 When the Lord killed all the firstborn sons of  Egypt and passed over the sons of Israel. The firstborn are only alive as a gift from God and God claims them, allowing the tribe of Levi to be a substitution.

This is the beginning of the idea of those whom God saves being God's.

So where do you fit into this? If you look at it from a very literal perspective, if you are not of the nation of Israel, then you don't fit into it at all. But I think that we need to see this from the more global perspective of being God's children.

For me, I can look at my life and see what God has done. In a spiritual sense, God has truly saved me. and having done so, can claim me as God's own. My sin causes me to deserve death, but Christ's sacrifice gives me life, but a life that belongs to God.

For me, I can also look at it from a different angle, from the perspective of having tried to commit suicide as a young teen and being saved through God's intervention. Without the whole story, i will say that God spoke to me in an audible voice that night and it made all the difference.

In my life God has saved me both spiritually and physically. and therefore my life and service belong to God. Now the real question is how am I doing in that arena? Unlike the Levites who are set apart for God in the physical location that they sleep and the duties they perform, all of which are very public, I am responsible for devoting myself on my own. Each of us knows how God has saved us and each of us knows that God has the right to our service, but when it is not set up publicly like it was for the Levites, we are on our own to do the duties and service God gives us. Of course what those duties are, are also not as cut and dried as it was for the Levites.

So how are you doing in acting the role of a redeemed child of God, purchased for God's service? I challenge you to really examine that today and figure out what adjustments you may need to make and make them. If you need some accountability, find a friend and share with them the changes you need to make and walk the journey together...after all God did make us to be in community.

Numbers 2 - Bloom Where You Are Planted

Well at first glance, I sort of scanned through this chapter as it was explaining where the tribes were to camp in relation to the temple wondering what God wanted to say through this...but then I started to wonder why different tribes were in different places. For instance Judah is listed first and is charged to lead the nation when they traveled. This makes sense since messiah will come from the line of Judah and this can be considered a foreshadowing of that.But then I started to think about how the others felt about their placement. Would the tribe that was last feel offended because they were last or recognize they had been set as a rear-guard/ Would those in the middle see their place as unimportant or see themselves as getting to be nearer the tabernacle and consequently God's dwelling place among the nation?

So what place has God assigned you? Where is your place?

It could be easy for us to focus on where another gets to be and wonder why they got that honor and privilege, Or we could recognize the importance of where God has placed us. I am where I am (and you are where you are) for a reason. God has a special and unique job for you.

I am reminded of a phrase that my mom has been saying to me lately..."bloom where you are planted". Today, think about where God has planted you and how God wants you to bloom. It might be is a beautiful and serene setting where you bloom and grow like a flower in a meadow and people around will appreciate the beauty or you and those others who are blooming near you and create a big tapestry or it might be in a location like the crevice in a rock, where their are harsh conditions and when people see you, they are amazed and your ability to thrive. Whatever the situation and circumstances, trust that God knows them and is with you. Also know that I will pray for you. If you have a specific request, you can either post it as a comment or you can click on my profile and email me.

But remember to focus on where you are and see the beauty and uniqueness of being there and know that God has put you there for a reason!

Numbers 1 - What Kind of Warrior Are You?

I think I am possibly feeling crazy that I would choose the book of Numbers next...but I guess it will be interesting to see what God has in store for me there...and possibly you too.

So here I am starting on this new book and the first chapter talks about registering the warriors...and my first thought is that the draft is Biblical...lol.

But on a serious not, what stood out to me was that eleven of the tribes were recorded for physical warfare and the twelfth tribe was set aside for spiritual warfare. Look at what it says about the Levites:

⁵³ But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord’s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle.

This tribe was selected to stand guard in the spiritual realm and surround the temple, the holy place where God was dwelling among them and protect the community from God's anger. Now I admit that needing a guard against God's anger sounds a little scary but  I see there method of guarding as keeping the people spiritually focused. There job was to build relationship between the nation of Israel and God. They were the ones who spoke to God and spoke to the people on God's behalf. At that time, the nation of Israel was still learning obedience and God was disciplining them. This, of course, was God's way of loving them and building them into the nation of people that God had created them to be.

So bring this into today. There are still people who are counted and called to serve in a physical fighting force to stand between us and others nations that might to fight on a physical level. There are also people who are called to fight the spiritual battle. So have you thought about your calling? As a warrior in the army of Christ, does God use you to physically protect the children of God or spiritually? Or are you even in the battle?

I know I will be meditating on that today, and I invite you to join me. I know that God has used me in the spiritual realm as a prayer warrior and an advocate of love to fight against the evil that encroaches there, but where am I actually in the battle today? Am I on active duty or in reserve? Am I in the tent being healed or going through more training?

If you want to share your thoughts, as always, comment away!!!

Philippians 4 - Cast off Anxiety

Picture this....you have two people standing in front of you...

Person #1:
Smiling, cheerful, full of energy, encouraging

Person #2:
frowning, worrying, brooding, looking for assurance

Now both of these people can have a relationship with Christ. But which one will attract you and which one do you feel like...I want what that person has?

When you have a good relationship with Christ (just like with other friends), you can lay your burdens of God and release them.

The following verse points out a few key ideas to us:

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

First, the importance of releasing our worries. Instead of holding on to them, thinking about them, and perseverating, we need to speak them to God and remember that God is powerful and has handled many things for us before. God has provided, God has guided, and God has protected us.

Second is the role gratitude plays. When you focus your mind on gratitude for things that you have, you start to see the good and positive side of things and that becomes more important than the concerns.

Another is the habit of peace and it's protection. When we regularly find ourselves at peace, and make that a habit, we will find that worry and anxiety have trouble getting a hold on us. The feeling of peace protects us from the arrows of doubt and worry because we have trust that God is taking care of us and will keep us in the palm of God's hand.

So are you carrying a load of worry today?

1. Speak it out to God, whatever it is.
2. Thank God for what you have and what God has done for you.
3. Start developing a habit of peace!

Philippians 3 - The Past

Do you ever let the past enter your present?

There is definitely some benefit from the past if we learn from it in order to better ourselves and our choices for the future. But bringing the past into the present can be a very unhealthy thing if we are holding on to it.

Paul passed on that wisdom to us in these verses:

¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Neither holding on to our successes or our failures will help us. Each and everyday is new and we are a new person. We cannot live off of our past success because it belongs to yesterday and we need to be forging ahead with new accomplishments. What we did yesterday will not be enough to keep us in righteous relationship tomorrow.

Holding onto our failures is also a problem because it creates a prison for us. We must repent and receive forgiveness or we will spend our time trying to fix what was instead of building what will be.

As the Bible says, the goal is at the end of the race...a heavenly prize. We need to keep our eyes on the prize and that means not looking to the past but looking to the future.

Do you have things you are holding on to? Is today the day that you will start letting it go? I pray that it is!

Philippians 2 - Can You Be Too Nice?

Have you ever had someone tell you that you are too nice...like that is a bad thing? It's funny because I have heard that before but then when I take a stand on something or express how I feel (and it is negative) it causes problems.

Whenever I get to thinking about that (and trust me I can over think things with the best of them), this verse is one of the ones that comes to mind:

³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

It is an interesting verse, because it can lead us in some different directions, both healthy and unhealthy. Let's take the phrase, ",,,thinking of others as better than yourselves." What does that really mean?  If others are better than you, do you always put them and their needs first...even to the detriment of your own. Doing that has certainly elicited comments of your too nice...you need to be upset and take care of you sometimes. So is giving others the priority a good thing or bad? Of course it you look at this closely, you will see that it starts with , be humble. It changes the idea from one of actions to one of attitude. An attitude of not elevating yourself above others and thinking that you are better than them, which can be a very different thing. This attitude doesn't require you to put others needs and desired above your own, just to understand that we all have tremendous value and that others need to be thought of and considered when you make decisions.

I think that is supported by the next idea which is to not only look out for your own interests but to take an interest in others too. Notice that it doesn't say to look out for others interests exclusively. In fact looking out for your own interests is mentioned first and as a thing you are to do.

So why does it seem like this verse lead to self-sacrificing martyrdom? Do we forget about that it is about an attitude and make it about action? Do we not see that we are to consider our own interests? I know I have certainly made those mistakes.

So maybe you can be too nice and in twisting this verse, we can see the unhealthy side and seem desperate for others approval (if we are always trying to make them priority) and ignoring our own interests to serve others. Not only that, but we end up being drained and unable to live a positive attitude and to love freely because we aren't getting our needs met.

Now this doesn't mean that you don't do for others, just that you understand that your interests and needs are also important and need to be met. Just remember that as you are noce to others, you need to be nice to yourself!