Burunche’s Blog

Laws about Offerings

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: After you enter the land that I am giving you to settle and you present an offering made by fire to the LORD from the herd or flock to produce a pleasing aroma to the LORD—either a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a freewill or festival offering— then the one presenting his offering to the LORD shall also present a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour(A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour) mixed with a quarter hin of olive oil. With the burnt offering or sacrifice of each lamb, prepare a quarter hin of wine as a drink offering.

With a ram you are to prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of olive oil, and a third of a hin of wine as a drink offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (a quarter hin of oil; that is, approximately 0.97 quart or 0.92 liter)

When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to the LORD, present with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of olive oil. Also present half a hin of wine as a drink offering. It is an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. This is to be done for each bull, ram, lamb, or goat. This is how you must prepare each one, no matter how many.

Everyone who is native-born shall prepare these things in this way when he presents an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And for the generations to come, if a foreigner residing with you or someone else among you wants to prepare an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he is to do exactly as you do. The assembly is to have the same statute both for you and for the foreign resident; it is a permanent statute for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the LORD. The same law and the same ordinance will apply both to you and the foreigner residing with you.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land to which I am bringing you and you eat the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the LORD. From the first of your dough, you are to lift up a cake as a contribution; offer it just like an offering from the threshing floor. Throughout your generations, you are to give the LORD an offering from the first of your dough.

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses— all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come— and if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, then the whole congregation is to prepare one young bull as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and drink offering according to the regulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. The priest is to make atonement for the whole congregation of Israel, so that they may be forgiven; for the sin was unintentional, and they have brought to the LORD an offering made by fire and a sin offering, presented before the LORD for their unintentional sin. Then the whole congregation of Israel and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, since it happened to all the people unintentionally.

Also, if one person sins unintentionally, he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the person who erred by sinning unintentionally; and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven. You shall have the same law for the one who acts in error, whether he is a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.

But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from his people. He shall certainly be cut off, because he has despised the word of the LORD and broken His commandment; his guilt remains on him.”

A Sabbath-Breaker Stoned (Exodus 31:12-17)

While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found the man gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation, and because it had not been declared what should be done to him, they placed him in custody.

And the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death. The whole congregation is to stone him outside the camp.” So the whole congregation took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

 The Law of Tassels

Later, the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout the generations to come they are to make for themselves tassels for the corners of their garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the commandments of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes.

Then you will remember and obey all My commandments, and you will be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.”

It seems strange that following the story of the spies and their failures, God immediately begins giving laws regarding offerings. But God has dealt with the rebels, and it’s time to move on to other matters. After laying out the regulations for offerings, God warns of dire consequences for those who ignore these rules. When a man chooses to break the Sabbath by gathering wood, God orders the Israelites to stone him to death as a graphic demonstration of the consequences of breaking God’s laws.

Finally, God gives special orders concerning the garments of the Israelites. The Israelites are to attach tassels with blue threads to their garments so they will remember God’s commandments and “not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes.”  God knows His Israelites have very short memories!

APPLICATION: We might find the details of ancient offering regulations boring; however, the most important point is this: How obedient are we? When we offer something to God, do we offer our best or something less? And when God tries to guide us, do we listen or argue? How do we remind ourselves of God’s commandments without attaching tassels to our clothing?

For years, my husband and I have spent the first hour or so in the morning with Bible reading and prayer. In our village, early morning is a favorable time for making culturally important visits. If we fail to do our devotions early in the morning, visitors are likely to arrive, and we might spend the rest of the day playing catch up. (Don’t get too impressed; sometimes those devotions get shortened a lot!) We also memorize scriptures that help us and encourage us. In times of stress or fear, those scriptures come back to encourage us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember You, no matter what we are doing. Help us to hide Your Word in our hearts so we will always be reminded of Your Will for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Israel’s Rebellion (Deuteronomy 1:26-33)

“Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”

But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb.

Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them with a plague and destroy them—and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them. And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

So now I pray, may the power of the Lord be magnified, just as You have declared: The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment (Deuteronomy 1:34-40)

“I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied. “Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the LORD, not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times— not one will ever see the land that I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.

But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it. Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea. ”

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me. So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.

Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it. But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.

Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lie scattered in the wilderness. In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.

I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this entire wicked congregation, which has conspired against Me. They will meet their end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land— those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD. Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.

And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.

The Defeat at Hormah (Deuteronomy 1:41-46)

Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.”

But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed! Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you. For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.”

But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.”

Poor Moses and Aaron!  Poor Caleb and Joshua! Having bought the frightening reports of the faithless ten spies, the Israelites are ready to appoint new leaders and return to Egypt, where they will undoubtedly return to slavery. Moses and Aaron throw themselves flat in front of the mob while Joshua and Caleb tear their clothes in frustration. Despite all assurances, the mob is ready to stone Joshau and Caleb. Completely fed up, the Lord is ready to strike all these whiners dead with a plague and found a new nation with Moses as its progenitor. Moses argues that then all the surrounding nations will think that God isn’t able to totally deliver the Israelites. Finally, Moses pleads, “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

God is merciful, but He is also just. “As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.”  To compound their horrible mistakes, now the Israelites decide to enter Canaan without God’s protection. The results are catastrophic with the Israelites running for their lives.

APPLICATION: This whole mess has come about because the Israelites really don’t trust God. Moses and Aaron and Joshua and Caleb are men of faith; however, the remaining ten spies are not. Most of the Israelites really don’t trust God either. God has delivered the Israelites from the most powerful army in the world and has guided them through a wilderness, appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. God has demonstrated His power at Mount Sinai and has repeatedly supplied two million people with food and water. But the Israelites have short memories and little faith, a bad combination.

God sent ten plagues to convince the Egyptians to release the Israelites, but the Israelites have now tested God and disobeyed Him ten times. In addition, the Israelites have whined that ““If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!” God gives them exactly what they have demanded. “But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it. But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.”

How much do we really respect God? The Israelites have refused to honor God or to remember all of His works, and they pay a horrible price. God allows the Israelites to pronounce their own doom. This brings up another point: how careful are we about what we say? There is no record of the Israelites ever praising God for all the miracles He has already done; in fact, the Israelites appear to feel that Moses is their designated worshiper, freeing the rest of them from relating to God at all. Too bad God doesn’t feel the same way. God is looking for hearts of obedience such as those of Joshua and Caleb. The test of obedience is simple: Do we want God’s Will or ours?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to have obedient hearts and refuse to argue with You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 Spies Sent into Canaan

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”

So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel. Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; from the tribe of Joseph, that is, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.

Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

After only a few weeks in the wilderness, the Israelites are now at the borders of the Promised Land. God orders Moses to send one leader from each of the tribes to spy out the land. Notice that God has preserved the names of all of the spies. The spies spend forty days to complete their investigations, and return bearing delicious pomegranates and figs. Two spies are straining under the weight of a huge cluster of grapes. When the spies begin their report, all seems well. “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” At this point, the Israelites are probably slapping each other high fives. Then the spies continue, “Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

OUCH! These guys have been doing so well, only to blow it. “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”  Wait a minute! How can a land that devours its inhabitants produce nothing but men of great stature? This makes no sense. And why are these guys so sure that they appeared like grasshoppers to these giants?

Caleb does his best to encourage the Israelites to go on and take the land. “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But Caleb and Hoshea (Joshua) are the only men with enough faith to trust that God can handle giants. The other ten men wimp out, whipping up opposition. Sadly, the Israelites go with the majority. This will prove to be the worst decision these men have ever made and it will eventually cost them their lives.

APPLICATION: Proverbs 29:25 tells us that “The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”  Analyzing the arguments put forward by the Israelites, they make no sense. But when people are listening to fear, logic rarely enters into the matter. Think about the Israelites. This is the same group that God has taken through the Red Sea while destroying the most powerful army in the Middle East. Since then, God has been guiding these people with a pillar of cloud by day that becomes a pillar of fire at night, making it readily visible for hundreds of miles in the wilderness. The Israelites have NO idea what the Canaanites are thinking. For all the Israelites know, God may have allowed them to look very fearsome to the Canaanites. We have personally witnessed God doing this very thing.

Years ago, we were living in a crime-ridden part of Mid-town Memphis, Tennessee. One night, we went to a nearby store, only to find a drunken young man who was being stalked by two would-be attackers who were waiting to pounce as soon as he left the store. My husband stayed with the young man while I ran next door to call two of our friends who were attending a Baptist seminary. Both of our friends were tall but slender; however, as soon as they walked into that store, their appearance changed and they suddenly looked like veteran weight lifters. The would-be attackers suddenly disappeared completely! Once the emergency was over, our friends resumed their normal appearances.

There are all kinds of giants-illnesses, financial loss, threats to personal safety, injuries, loss of belongings from fire or theft. Each of us has a choice: do we trust God or listen to our fears? When we find ourselves panicking, remember that the Lord of the Universe is still on the throne. God’s Name is above every other name, including cancer, heart attacks, and any other problems you might face. Let’s copy Joshua and Caleb and trust Him!  

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You even when we are tempted to succumb to fear. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron

“Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife. “Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this.

Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth. And suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three, come out to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three went out, and the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam.

When both of them had stepped forward, He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?” So the anger of the LORD burned against them, and He departed.

As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous, and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, please heal her!”

But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again. After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.”

Poor Moses! Having survived a protest over food that left hundreds of people dead, now Moses is facing problems with his siblings. Aaron and Miriam are green with envy over Moses’ success as a leader and his relationship with God. Without any other reason to criticize Moses, Aaron and Miriam decide to attack Moses’ choice of an Ethiopian wife. Until now, we only know Miriam as the young girl who saved the infant Moses when Pharaoh’s daughter found him floating in a basket in the Nile. And Aaron is the dude responsible for creating the golden calf, a model of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, while Moses is up on Mount Sinai receiving God’s commandments. Those credentials aren’t exactly stellar; however, that doesn’t prevent the terrible two from attacking Moses.

“Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this.” God describes Moses as the most humble man in all the earth, but Aaron and Miriam are a different matter. God is so angry that He summons Moses, Miram, and Aaron to the Tent of Meeting and then comes down in a pillar of cloud to the door of the Tent of Meeting to confront Aaron and Miriam. “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”

Are Aaron and Miriam ashamed of themselves and fall flat on their faces before the Lord? No. It takes Miriam suddenly becoming leprous before Aaron repents. “As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous, and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”  There is no record that Miriam repents at all. Only when Moses intercedes is Miriam healed. Miriam is isolated outside the camp for seven days as a sign of her disgrace.

APPLICATION: In an earlier age in America, disobedient children were taken out to the woodshed to be spanked. This practice became so common that corporal punishments came to be referred to as “woodshed sessions.” This chapter records a divine woodshed session. Sadly, there are few indications that Aaron and Miriam actually learn very much apart from realizing that messing with Moses is a bad idea.

How much respect do we have for the Ruler of the Universe? If anybody might have a sense of entitlement, it might have been Moses. Moses started in the Pharaoh’s palace until he had to flee to herd sheep in the wilderness for forty years. Forty years in the wilderness has taught Moses how little he actually knows. Moses has been meeting with God ever since the encounter at the burning bush; now he is the most humble man on the face of the earth. The more we know about God and His magnificent nature, the more we realize our own insignificance and our lack of knowledge. Aaron and Miriam really know nothing about God; they simply want power and assume they can get it by undermining Moses. It takes Miriam being stricken with leprosy before her brother and repenting before they truly bow to God’s Will.

The song from Fiddler on the Roof says it well. “Life has a way of abusing us, blessing and bruising us.” The longer you live, the more you realize how little you really know about a number of things, particularly God. The wonderful thing about God is the more you learn about Him, the more wonderful you find Him to be. The more you learn about God’s grace and mercy, the more amazing He appears. As we age, let us strive to learn more about God and to become closer to Him. A dear friend who is now with Jesus used to pray, “Lord, help me love you more today than I did yesterday.” Let that be our constant prayer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to love You more each day than we did the day before. Give us a hunger for Your Word and for being in Your presence. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The People Complain

“Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah (Burning), because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

Now the mixed multitude who were among them lusted intensely (yielded) to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the responsibility/burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore/ solemnly promised to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”

The Seventy Elders

So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. Then you shall say to the people,  ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?” ’ ”

And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’ Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? (Is the Lord’s power limited?)Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!” Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

The Lord Sends Quail

Now a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves of Craving), because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving. From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.

God has given Moses marching orders and everything appears to be fine, but there’s always some somebody ready to complain. God is so angry that He sends holy fire to consume the worst complainers. Only the prayers of Moses prevent others from suffering a similar fate. One might think that the remaining Israelites would learn a lesson, but they don’t!

 “Now the mixed multitude who were among them lusted intensely (yielded) to intense craving…” Who is this “mixed multitude?” Remember that the night of the Exodus, God struck all the first born people and animals in Egypt dead, terrorizing the Egyptians. There were non-Israelites who fled Egypt along with the Israelites. Perhaps some of these people were slaves from other countries, or from Egypt. Even though these people have witnessed all God’s miracles to date, they still aren’t believers; they are merely hanging on hoping for a better deal from the Israelites than they got in Egypt. Once this wayward bunch begins whining, the Israelites take up the complaints as well. Listening to these complaints, you realize the complainers are close kin to Esau, who was willing to sell his birthright for a big bowel of soup! Even though these people have escaped slavery, all they can think about is the food they enjoyed in Egypt. God is sending manna and these people are whining for leeks, onions, melons, garlic, and fish.

Fed up and exhausted, Moses is ready to quit when God does two things. First, God empowers seventy Israelite elders to help bear the burden of leadership with Moses. Second, God sends an enormous covey of quail. But those who have spoken out of their lusts die while the meat is still in their mouths. Dead quail and dead people-no wonder Moses calls the place “Graves of craving!”

APPLICATION: I have previously explained the Yiddish term “kvetch.” A kvetcher is one who is a total pain in the ear-nothing is right or sufficient. Notice that the Israelites don’t really begin to whine seriously until the non-Israelites have already begun complaining. And look at the complaint: “our whole being is dried up!” But these people have enough strength left to complain bitterly. Yes, these people are truly kvetchers.

Until now, Moses has been trying to shoulder the burdens of leadership alone. God has to step in and anoint seventy elders to share those burdens with Moses. At some point, Moses’ father-in-law also advises Moses to appoint leaders at various levels to settle disputes so that Moses is free to lead rather than being caught up in a web of complaints. Delegating authority is not always easy and sometimes God has to step in before we realize it’s time to do so.

Why is God so hard on those who have been CRAVING Egyptian food? Quite likely, the food issue is merely the top of a large pyramid of unrest. As slaves, the Israelites have been protected; after all, if the Egyptians don’t take care of their slaves, who will build all those pyramids and temples? And prior to the ten plagues, Egypt was a very prosperous place. Religiously, Egypt is a weird mixture; however, the main thing is that the Israelites have been accustomed to doing whatever they want when they want. Now God has brought the Israelites into a wilderness where they must depend totally on Him for everything and He has given commandments rather than suggestions. Little wonder that the Israelites are now setting new records for wailing.

How do we respond when God leads us into difficult places where the only means of escape is obedience? We might tell ourselves that we would never have complained; however, it’s likely that many of us would have been salivating for those quails. When God sets us in situations where the problems appear endless and the future bleak, do we trust God or begin kvetching? Tough situations afford us the opportunity to glorify God with our obedience. Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…” (Job 13:15) Sometimes the only way out of a difficult situation is to trust God and hang on. But while you are hanging on, make sure you are not kvetching!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust where we cannot see and to continue to obey You even when things seem dark. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

For a very funny but accurate description of these complaints, watch Keith Green’s video, “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qokgHJeUqTg

Two Silver Trumpets

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you. When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey. When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys. And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance. The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.

“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

Departure from Sinai

Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran. So they started out for the first time according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur. Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.)

And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud. Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran. And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey.

Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.” And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.” So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same we will do to you.”

So they departed from the mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the Lord was above them by day when they went out from the camp.

So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” And when it rested, he said: “Return, O Lord, To the many thousands of Israel.”

How do you move more than two million people across a wilderness without encountering problems? First, God instructs Moses to make two large silver trumpets the priests are to blow to signal the Israelites. A blast from one trumpet summons the leaders while a blast from both trumpets summons the entire congregation. Special trumpet calls sound when the Israelites are to break camp, and the tribes move out in a definite order. These same trumpets will be used to sound alarms in time of war and call people to celebration at the times of the feasts.

Next, God lays out the arrangement of the tribes so there will be no mistakes and no arguments. Finally, Moses begs his brother-in-law Hobab to accompany them and to do scouting for the Israelites. Hobab has grown up in the wilderness and is familiar with much of the territory. Having someone with local knowledge is an invaluable asset in this situation. And we learn the prayer that Moses prays routinely over the Israelites. “So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” And when it rested, he said: “Return, O Lord, To the many thousands of Israel.”

APPLICATION: Sometimes we wonder if God really pays attention to the details of our lives. Here God not only gives the Israelites their marching order but also assigns the priests to blow silver trumpets to give signals. Moses has two million or more people to organize, so he needs all the help he can get. Even though God is guiding the Israelites using a moving cloud, Moses still hopes to secure the services of his brother-in-law to help them as they move into unknown territory.

The final part of this chapter is perhaps the most important. Moses prays before setting out and upon arrival. We live and work in northeastern Ghana. Our Northern Region capital of Tamale might be one of the most dangerous places in the world to drive. !” One missionary friend who had served in the U.S. Army in the Middle East driving Humvees in war-torn areas has told us that Tamale is the most dangerous place in which he has ever driven. Huge lorries, taxis, tricycle vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians all crowd into an inadequate road network. We firmly believe that driving in Tamale requires two people: one to drive and one to pray! Our constant prayer in Tamale is “Dear God, don’t let anything or anybody hit us and don’t let us hit anything or anybody!” We pray before setting off and after returning home safely. We also have learned to notify any friends with whom we meet during our travels of our safe arrival at home.

PRAYER: This is our standard prayer before traveling: “Father God, we lift up this trip. We ask you to set your angels around our vehicle and keep us safe from road traffic accidents, armed robbers, mechanical failures, or any sickness or danger. Take us safely to our destination and bring us home safely. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.” Our standard prayer upon arriving at a destination safely: “Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for blessing us with a safe arrival. Please continue to watch over us as we travel. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.”

 The Second Passover

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.

‘And if a stranger dwells among you, and would keep the Lord’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land.’ ”

 The Cloud and the Fire

Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

How do you train a people with no previous religious traditions, especially if they have just come out of slavery and if they have spent 400 years of being exposed to the death – centered Egyptian religion? God has ordained certain feasts and celebrations throughout the year, and Passover is the first. These people have experienced the original Passover when God struck all the firstborn people and animals of Egypt dead. The Angel of the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites when he saw the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the doorposts. Now the Israelites are about to celebrate the second Passover, and predictably, there are problems. Men who touch a corpse are defiled and must undergo cleansing, but are they barred from celebrating Passover? No. Passover is so important that these men are allowed to celebrate; however, anyone who is not defiled and refuses to celebrate Passover faces being cut off from his people.

Once the Israelites have crossed the Red Sea, they have entered unknown territory. Where do Moses and his people go next? On the day that the Tabernacle was first raised up, God manifested His presence by a cloud that remained above the Tabernacle. At night, this cloud appeared to be full of fire, so that it could always be seen. Now God is indicating His guidance by the presence of the cloud. If the cloud remains stationary, Moses and his people stay put. As soon as the cloud begins to move, the Israelites must pack up and follow the cloud. God is training His people to follow Him without questioning.

APPLICATION: Sometimes we feel frustrated because we wish God would make His will clear. The Israelites didn’t have that problem-God sent them a cloud. But do you think the Israelites were happy? Doubtful! It’s far more likely that Moses heard stuff like this: “Moses, when are we going to move again? This place is horrible! Why can’t we simply pack up and get going?”

Even when we say we want God’s will for our lives, most of the time we really hope that God will rubber stamp our desires. But God has never been interested in rubber stamps, and He works at His own rate and not ours. How much will we trust God? What if we find ourselves in a miserable situation, one from which there appears to be no way out? Are we willing to trust God or will we try to be our own amateur providence? Years ago, we found ourselves in a difficult situation. We had joined a church that appeared to be a perfect fit with excellent teaching and worship. Then the leadership changed and one of the elders seized control, strangling worship, and teaching at the same time. We were struggling with pressure from several other directions and desperately wanted to leave, but God absolutely said “No!” It was only when the leadership changed and things began to improve that God released us to move to a different church. God kept us there as intercessors until His purposes were accomplished.

God has promised in His Word that “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (upon you.)”  We may not see moving clouds, but God is a good Father who does not play charades with His children. If we ask God for guidance, we can trust Him to give it.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us feel confused and wonder if we are heading in the right direction. Please guide us and give us Your peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Arrangement of the Lamps

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ ” And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing and Dedication of the Levites

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites; and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord. Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.

“And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

What’s a wave offering? When God is instituting offerings, there are certain categories that are lifted and swung to and fro in front of the Lord but these offerings are not burned or boiled. The act of waving the offering is to indicate that the object is wholly dedicated to the Lord; subsequently, the meat or other offering will be shared among the priests and their families. But what about all the firstborn Israelite children? God has reserved all the firstborn children for Himself. Now God is designating the Levites to act as a wave offering in the place of the firstborn children of the other tribes. The priests are descended from Aaron; however, the Levites are descended from all the other members of the Tribe of Levi. God has chosen the Levites for a very special purpose; they are to carry out all the non-priestly duties in the Tabernacle.

To indicate the special calling of the Levites, God instructs Moses to put them through a series of rituals culminating in sacrifices in the Tabernacle. These rituals include bathing, shaving all body hair, and putting on clean clothes. After this, special sacrifices are made and then the Levites begin their work in the Tabernacle. Finally, God indicates that Levites between the ages of twenty-five and fifty will serve actively, although older Levites might “attend to needs” in the Tabernacle. Perhaps these older Levites might offer counsel or guidance as people come to worship and offer sacrifices.

APPLICATION:  While the Levites are being chosen to do grunt work, it’s holy grunt work and still marks them as being specially called of God. The Levites would be tasked with cleaning the Tabernacle, hauling out ashes from sacrifices, etc. They also will help transport the Tabernacle as previously noted.

One interesting aspect is the description of the duties of older Levites. While the major work is to be done by those between the ages of twenty-five to fifty, God still has work for the Levites who have retired as well. In God’s economy, there is no such thing as retirement; instead, God calls us into new avenues of service so that we continually reinvent ourselves.

At seventy-five, I might be the oldest doctor practicing in northern Ghana. I still do rounds and operations; however, one new area into which I am moving is nutritional support for patients. At present, we have several patients with intestinal fistulas whose nutrition was not good prior to operation. Our dietetics nurse and I are developing various kinds of formulas to help these patients heal so that they can go home and live healthy lives. This work is challenging and sometimes heart-breaking. We want so much for our patients to heal quickly, but there are no quick fixes. We are encouraged by reports from other mission institutions in Niger and Malawi, where such patients have successfully healed and have gone home.

Do you feel as if you have been put on a shelf with nothing you can do? Look around you, for God always has someone for you to help. Perhaps you can volunteer in a school reading program or you can help students with homework. Perhaps you can visit people in hospitals or nursing homes. Perhaps you can volunteer at the local food bank or some other charitable organization. You might call people who are shut in to encourage them. And above all, you can pray. God always needs more prayer warriors. Today, let’s ask God to open our eyes to the opportunities for service around us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to see the needs around us and to find those areas in which You want us to help. Thank You, that Your gifts and Your calling are sure and that You will guide us if we only ask. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Offerings of Dedication

“On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, along with the altar and all its utensils. And the leaders of Israel, the heads of their families, presented an offering. These men were the tribal leaders who had supervised the registration. They brought as their offering before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two leaders—and presented them before the tabernacle.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Accept these gifts from them, that they may be used in the work of the Tent of Meeting. And give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”

So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave the Gershonites two carts and four oxen, as their service required, and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.

When the altar was anointed, the leaders approached with their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. And the LORD said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the altar.”

On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah drew near with his offering. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels(130 shekels is approximately 3.3 pounds or 1.48 kilograms), and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, (70 shekels is approximately 1.76 pounds or 797.8 grams) both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, (10 shekels is approximately 4 ounces or 114 grams) filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, drew near. The offering he presented was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

On the third day Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the Zebulunites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the Reubenites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the Simeonites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the Gadites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the Ephraimites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the Manassites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the Benjamites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the Danites, drew near. 67His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the Asherites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the Naphtalites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

So these were the offerings from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold dishes. Each silver platter weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each bowl seventy shekels. The total weight of the silver articles was two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. The total weight of the gold dishes was a hundred and twenty shekels.

All the livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old—together with their grain offerings—and twelve male goats for the sin offering. All the livestock sacrificed for the peace offering totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony. Thus the LORD spoke to him.”

Reading through these exhaustive lists, we wonder why they couldn’t just list all the offerings once and then append the names. Why not just insert ditto marks, for goodness’ sake? But these lists were necessary so that nobody would feel slighted or left out. These records were being kept for future generations and had to be as complete as possible. Where did the Israelites get all this wealth? From the Egyptians, who were so anxious for them to leave that they loaded the Israelites up with all their valuables. The most amazing part of this entire chapter is the fact that God speaks to Moses. God’s instructions will appear in Chapter 7.

APPLICATION: While these lists are tedious, one thing is clear: God has allowed the names of these tribal leaders to be preserved for several thousand years to honor their faithfulness. Sometimes we might wonder if God really knows we exist. We occupy positions of obscurity, performing tasks that merit little attention. But take heart! God sees! God knows! Your faithfulness is being noted and approved of. The same God who has preserved those names and donations over centuries is still watching over you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that You know every detail of our lives. Help us to trust that You will lead us and guide us if we will only ask. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Law of the Nazirite

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin. ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord.

‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it. Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day. He shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation, and bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as a peace offering, a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering with their drink offerings.

‘Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering; and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering. Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them upon the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord; they are holy for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.’

“This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.”

The Priestly Blessing

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’“So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Why might anyone choose to separate himself or herself to the Lord? Throughout history, there have been those who have sought to be closer to God, to achieve holiness. God is making provision for these people. There are several requirements: First, these people must have nothing to do with any part of the grape, not even seeds or even grape skins. They are not to cut their hair or beards. They will not go near any dead bodies, thus defiling themselves, not even for their parents or their siblings. If someone drops dead next to a Nazirite, causing the Nazirite to become unclean, the Nazirite must shave his/her head and make an offering. But even an incidental defilement means that the timing of the Nazirite’s vow must start all over again. When the Nazirite has completed the vows, he/she will make special offerings.

Finally, this chapter ends with the priestly blessing, a benediction that has been used in temples, synagogues, and churches throughout the world.

APPLICATION: While very few of us are likely to take a Nazirite vow, we can still learn a great deal from the rules for the Nazirites. One key element is the refusal to have anything to do with grapes in any form whatsoever. When we are dealing with any form of temptation, it is well to avoid any form of compromise. Alcoholics and drug addicts who have conquered their addictions know full well that they cannot possibly allow themselves that first drink or that first fix because it will lead inexorably back into addiction. Alcoholics Anonymous routinely pairs recovering alcoholics with a sponsor who has already been in recovery for years. Should temptation loom, the recovering alcoholic can call the sponsor for encouragement.

How do we deal with temptation? 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” While we might not have ready access to a sponsor whom we can call, we can always call on God to help us. But don’t try half-measures. Don’t mess with grape skins.

The priestly blessing is one of comfort, blessing, and encouragement. ““The Lord bless you and keep you.” What does God’s blessing look like? God knows our needs far better than we do and He can meet those needs far better than we can. God’s keeping means that He will protect us and guide us. “The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you..”  When God’s face shines on us, He is happy with us and proud of us. Think of a parent taking delight in his/her child. When God is gracious, He bless us in ways we cannot imagine. “The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”  When God “lifts up His countenance” on us, His favor is resting on us. And we all need peace, the deep peace that only God can give.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we want to be holy, but so many times we find ourselves compromising. Help us to follow You sincerely and whole-heartedly all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.