Burunche’s Blog

 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.

Ceremonially Unclean Persons Isolated

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse. You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.” And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

Confession and Restitution

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged. But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him. Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. And every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.’ ”

Concerning Unfaithful Wives

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught— if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself— then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.

‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord. The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”— then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—“the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell; and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.”

‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”

‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water. And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter. Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall wave the offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar; and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.

This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her. Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’ ”

At first, this chapter seems really unfair. Why isolate lepers, people with discharges, and people who have handled corpses? Well, Moses has two million people living closely together in tents. Leprosy is spread by close contact and by droplets when people sneeze and cough. Discharges such as impetigo are spread by direct contact with infected people or items. And what kinds of germs might someone acquire by having handled a corpse? Those who have had to handle corpses can bathe and become ritually clean; however, those in the other categories are being isolated to avoid epidemics. God is also trying to discourage the Israelites from copying the death-focused religious practices of the Egyptians.

Regarding confession and restitution: Here God is being kind. The one who has sinned is to make 120% restitution to the person whom he has offended or to the family or to the priest if the offended person is dead and there are no remaining family members. Without such regulations, an individual or family who feels offended might try to kill the offender, instigating an endless round of blood feuds.

What about the laws of jealousy? Again, God is providing a way of escape for a faithful wife who has been wrongly accused. At the same time, God is also establishing a strong enough punishment that any woman tempted to commit adultery is going to think twice before doing so. At this point, many of the women reading these verses might be asking, “Fine, but what if the MAN commits adultery? What happens to him?” David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary suggests the following: “This ceremony only dealt with an adulterous wife and not a husband because, for the most part, the law of Moses was “case law.” It was not meant to anticipate every potential situation, but to give examples that set precedence for other cases. Though not stated, it is likely that a similar ceremony would be practiced if a wife became suspicious of a husband’s adultery.”  The good thing about this ritual is that once the wife has survived unscathed, the husband and the community must assume she is innocent and treat her as such.

Personally, I seriously doubt that any man ever underwent this ceremony. For a man to go through this ritual, his wife would have to get the priests and elders to agree. On the other hand, Guzik goes on to quote a source indicating that the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi ordered a presumed unfaithful woman to fling herself into the Euphrates River. If she drowned, she was guilty; if innocent she would survive and return to her husband! Compared to the Babylonians, God’s commands to the Israelites are amazingly kind. We should note that the reference to the thigh rotting actually is a euphemism for the womb rotting so the woman, if truly guilty, will be barren. Barren women might suffer discrimination and isolation simply due to their lack of children.

In the interests of brevity, I am not addressing the details of the temple ceremonies. For an in-depth discussion of the symbolism involved in these rituals, please see David Guzik’s excellent explanation: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/numbers-5/ I find Guzik’s material to be highly informative.

APPLICATION: When necessary, the medical community still isolates certain sicknesses. These days, multiply drug resistant tuberculosis and MRSA are becoming more common, forcing medical personnel to isolate such patients. Thanks to modern leprosy drugs, leprosy is far less common than it used to be and most leprosariums have closed.

Jealous spouses and domestic abuse continue to be a problem, and battered women’s shelters unfortunately remain full much of the time. Sometimes jealous husbands follow their wives to the shelters and murder them on the doorstep. Experienced police officers will tell you that calls for domestic disturbances are very dangerous. At times, an attacking spouse will turn to attack the police answering the call. Sometimes the spouse who initiated the call will also side with his/her attacker and challenge the police officer. Compared to such violence, the temple rituals described here are far more sane.      

God’s purpose in all these regulations is to maintain healthy relationships among people as well as healthy relationships between people and God. Jesus told his disciples, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Sometimes people assume that this verse must refer to material prosperity; however, there are rich people who are miserable. God’s will for us is for us to live in close communication with Him and in peace with those around us. Our income level has little bearing on our relationship with God; in fact, many times, wealth can become a stumbling block.

Today, let’s thank God for His love and watch care and ask Him to help us live as He wants us to in close communion with Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to receive Your Word into our hearts and minds so that we can find fellowship with You and those around us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Duties of the Kohathites (Numbers 3:27-32; Numbers 4:34-37; 1 Chronicles 23:12-20)

“Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take a census of the Kohathites among the Levites by their clans and families, men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things. Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. They are to place over this a covering of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles.

Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and place the plates and cups on it, along with the bowls and pitchers for the drink offering. The regular bread offering is to remain on it. And they shall spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover them with fine leather, and insert the poles.

They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, together with its lamps, wick trimmers, and trays, as well as the jars of oil with which to supply it. Then they shall wrap it and all its utensils inside a covering of fine leather and put it on the carrying frame. Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert the poles. They are to take all the utensils for serving in the sanctuary, place them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine leather, and put them on the carrying frame.

Then they shall remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it, and place on it all the vessels used to serve there: the firepans, meat forks, shovels, and sprinkling bowls—all the equipment of the altar. They are to spread over it a covering of fine leather and insert the poles.

When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall oversee the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy objects and their utensils.”

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be cut off from among the Levites. In order that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die.”

The Duties of the Gershonites (Numbers 3:21-26; Numbers 4:38-41; 1 Chronicles 23:7-11)

And the LORD said to Moses, “Take a census of the Gershonites as well, by their families and their clans, from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.

This is the service of the Gershonite clans regarding work and transport: They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with the covering of fine leather over it, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the curtains of the courtyard, and the curtains for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. The Gershonites will do all that needs to be done with these items.

All the service of the Gershonites—all their transport duties and other work—is to be done at the direction of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry. This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

The Duties of the Merarites (Numbers 3:33-37; Numbers 4:42-49; 1 Chronicles 23:21-23)

As for the sons of Merari, you are to register them by their clans and families, from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting.

This is the duty for all their service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases, the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and everything related to their use. You shall assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry. This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

The Numbering of the Levite Clans (Numbers 3:27-32; Numbers 4:1-20; 1 Chronicles 23:12-20)

So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the Kohathites by their clans and families, everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. And those numbered by their clans totaled 2,750. These were counted from the Kohathite clans, everyone who could serve at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron numbered them according to the command of the LORD through Moses.

Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families, everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. And those numbered by their clans and families totaled 2,630. These were counted from the Gershonite clans who served at the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the LORD’s command.

And the Merarites were counted by their clans and their families, everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. The men registered by their clans numbered 3,200. These were counted from the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the LORD’s command through Moses.

So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted by their clans and families all the Levites from thirty to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting. And the number of men was 8,580. At the LORD’s command they were registered through Moses and each one was assigned his work and burden, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Moving the Tabernacle through the wilderness is a very complicated job and not one to be left to chance.  The Kohathites are to transport the most holy things; however, the priests must take stringent measures to ensure that no curious Kohathite decides to sneak a peep at these precious items. God warns Moses, “But the Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die.”

The Gershonites are to handle all the curtains and ropes for the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of the priests. The Merarites are to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases, the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and everything related to their use. Again, the priests are to supervise these activities. “At the LORD’s command they were registered through Moses and each one was assigned his work and burden, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

APPLICATION: Sometimes we might think that the practice of administration is a relatively new profession; however, that is far from the truth. When Joseph became the number 2 man in Egypt, he was an administrator with others working below him. Now God is giving Moses specific instructions regarding the duties of the various families of the Levites and also emphasizing that these men must take all their orders from the priests. God wants to ensure that there will be no arguments and that work will go on smoothly.

God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace and order. God is giving Moses specific orders so that Moses won’t face endless argument and friction over the duties of the Levites. This same principle applies when you are facing difficult decisions. When my husband and I are facing dilemmas, we pray together until we receive the same answer. If we don’t receive a clear answer, we assume that we are rushing things and that we need to give God more time to reveal things. Psalm 32:8 promises “I will teach you and instruct you the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye upon you.” God will never leave us without instruction; however, sometimes we must give God time.

PRAYER: Psalm 29:11 tells us, “The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.” Bible verses are not merely to be read; they are also promises that may be claimed in prayer. For example, using this verse, you might pray like this: “Lord, I thank You that You have promised to give me strength and to bless me with Your peace. You know my trials and my struggles. You know what I am facing today. I thank You that when I need Your strength, You will give it to me. I thank You for Your peace that is beyond understanding. I pray in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Levites Dedicated Instead of the Firstborn

“Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.” So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him. And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three (22,273.)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord. And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites, you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs. And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”

So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites. From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. (1,365 SHEKELS)And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

What’s so special about the first of anything? Having produced one, we don’t know if there will be any more to follow. Firstborn animals, firstborn infants, first results of any effort-all these are a major achievement. Although God has already ordained particular offerings for firstborn males, once these infant boys have been redeemed, they are free to do whatever they wish. But the Levites are in a different category. God has set the Levites apart to care for the various parts of the Tabernacle. Now God is taking that action even further by choosing males one month and above from the Tribe of Levi as living sacrifices to redeem the other male firstborns of the Israelites. The Levites have twenty-two thousand males one month old and above. There are two hundred seventy-three firstborn males from the other tribes. Each of these males will be redeemed by giving Aaron and his sons 5 shekels for each of the 273 males, making a total of 1,365 shekels. God is also considering the animals belonging to the Levites as being dedicated to Him.

APPLICATION: How precious is a firstborn baby of either sex? Ask any couple who struggle for years to become pregnant and then sustain that pregnancy to delivery; such babies are infinitely precious. Parents expect a great deal from their firstborns; these children carry the hopes and dreams of the family. By selecting the Levite males as substitutes for males from the other tribes, God is honoring that tribe. The Levites not only substitute for males from other tribes but they also carry out special duties caring for the Tabernacle. Even if some of those duties seem very mundane, the Levites can still be proud that God has chosen them.

How special do you feel? Do you find yourself caught in a web of petty details, struggling to maintain any equilibrium? There’s an old saying that when you find yourself up to your rear end in alligators (or crocodiles) it’s difficult to remember that your original objective was to drain the swamp. Some days you might feel as if you are being stoned to death with popcorn as the problems mount.  

One of the pitfalls of social media is the potential for painful comparisons. Face it, most people are going to portray themselves in the best possible light, posting photos of their vacations, their lake homes, their highly successful children, etc. Very few people will confess that their jobs or their children are slowly driving them crazy. But it’s quite likely that life is far from perfect for these people as well.

The work of the world generally moves forward on the backs of many little unsung heroes and heroines-factory workers, store clerks, bus and taxi drivers, teachers, school aids, nurses, nursing assistants-the list is endless. But if any of these categories of people suddenly are unavailable, the ripple effect will result in major upheavals. One way of describing these relationships is “the butterfly effect.”

The butterfly effect refers to the idea that something small, like getting coffee, can have much larger effects, such as altering your career. The butterfly effect rests on the notion that the world is deeply interconnected, such that one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system.” (https://thedecisionlab.com)

In God’s view, there are no “little people.” Nobody is insignificant. When Moses and his scribes were conducting the census of the Israelite males, God knew each one of those men. God knows each of us, our names, our hopes, our dreams, our struggles, and our failures. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Amazingly, God still loves us despite all this. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If you were the only person in the entire world, Jesus would still have shed His blood to pay for your sins. Why not accept what Jesus has done for you and allow Him to change your life?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we admit that we have sinned and that nothing we can do will pay for that sins. Lord, please forgive us those sins. Thank You for sending Jesus to shed His blood to die for our sins. We accept the sacrifice Jesus has made for us and we thank You for Your promise that when we have made this decision, we will receive eternal life. We pray in the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Sons of Aaron

“Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests. Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

The Levites Serve in the Tabernacle

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle. Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel. So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”

Census of the Levites Commanded

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying: “Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”

So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.

From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites. Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred. The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward. And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.

From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary. The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.

From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred. The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.

Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death. All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.

In the beginning, there was the Tribe of Levi; however, the priests were all to be descendants of Aaron. But that portable Tabernacle was to move through the wilderness whenever the Israelites moved. If God did not make some divine assignments, there would be unending wrangling. “Why do we have to do all the dirty work around here? Why can’t someone else do _____ for a change?” This section of Numbers 3 not only assigns duties to specific groups of Levites but also indicates where they will always lodge in relation to the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is to be protected by a double ring of Israelites with the tribes lodging on the outer ring and the Levites and Aaronic priests and family of Moses lodging on the inner ring. To paraphrase a common advertising slogan, God’s response to any whining was likely to be “Just do it!”

APPLICATION: “I don’t have to clean that toilet! I am not a conservancy laborer!” It was 1993, and we had recently come to Saboba. One poor pregnant lady had failed to make it to the toilet in time and had defecated on the floor. Now the cleaning lady was sounding off at me. As an Illinois farm girl, I had shoveled a lot of manure, so I simply shrugged my shoulders, cleaned up the mess, and went on caring for the patient. (Ironically, several years later, we saved that cleaning lady from going blind when she went into acute angle closure glaucoma on Christmas Eve and we had to rush her 150 miles north to an eye specialist at a mission hospital.)

Had God not assigned these duties to the Levites, who knows how many of them would have been left untouched because someone thought that was beneath their dignity? We all have a job to do in the Body of Christ. Saint Paul faced such a problem with the Corinthian Church and wrote to them,“But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1Corinthians 12:24-26)

The Konkombas have a saying that “One finger does not pick up a pebble.” God has chosen each of us for a particular work and no single work is more important than another. My husband loves to compliment janitors and cleaners as we travel, for if these people fail to perform diligently, airports and train stations will soon turn into pigsties.  The lines of an old hymn by Kittie L. Suffield say it well:

LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT

In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do
Hark! the Master’s voice is calling
To the harvest calling you

Does the place you’re called to labor
And does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it
For He’ll not forsake His own

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame
There’s a crown, and you can win it
If you go in Jesus’ name

And when the conflict has ended
And our race on earth is run
He will say, if you’ve been faithful
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame
There’s a crown, and you can win it
If you go in Jesus’ name

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that each of us has a special place in the Kingdom of God. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Tribes and Leaders by Armies

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.” And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.

“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.” And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.

“Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.” And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred—these shall break camp first.

“On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.”  And his army was numbered at forty-six thousand five hundred.

“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.” And his army was numbered at fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

“Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of [c]Reuel.” And his army was numbered at forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty—they shall be the second to break camp.

“And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.

“On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.” And his army was numbered at forty thousand five hundred.

“Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.” And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand two hundred.

“Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.” And his army was numbered at thirty-five thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, one hundred and eight thousand one hundred—they shall be the third to break camp.

“The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.” And his army was numbered at sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.” And his army was numbered at forty-one thousand five hundred.

 “Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.” And his army was numbered at fifty-three thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered of the forces with Dan, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred—they shall break camp last, with their standards.”

These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.”

O.K. So, you’re Moses and you have just crossed the Red Sea with the Israelites, a throng of about two million people. Now you have the tabernacle to protect and God wants you to move all these people across a wilderness in an organized fashion. If you call a meeting of your leaders, there will be nothing but wrangling: “We should be first! We are the biggest tribe!” “No! We should be first! We have the most warriors!” “No, we should be first. We are the most important!” And then there’s the question of tribal leadership, an issue that will lead to even more disputes. Organizing this mob is going to be as easy and predictable as herding cats that will take off in all directions. Meanwhile, you know that there are enemies out there. Everybody knows the Egyptians were so anxious to get rid of the Israelites that the Egyptians loaded up the Israelites with all their treasures. Now the Israelites are a rich prize simply ripe for the plucking by the first band of marauders that comes along. This is when God steps in and gives orders.

God arranges things so that there are three tribes on each side of the Levites, protecting the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings. Remember that Ephraim and Manasseh are each counted separately, allowing for this arrangement. There are 186,400 warriors on the east, 151,450 on the south, 108,100 on the west, and 157,600 on the north. God not only orders the arrangement but also identifies the commander for each tribe. The tribe of Levi will always be in the center of the group, receiving protection from the other tribes.

APPLICATION: God is a God of order, not a God of confusion. Centuries later, Saint Paul will tell the Corinthians, “ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)  Why is this so important for us? If we find ourselves confused, we can ask God for enlightenment, confident that He will give us perfect guidance. But we must be willing to receive that guidance and to act on it. “God, you MUST be kidding!” is not a useful answer.

James 1:5-8 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” As we study Numbers, we will realize that the Israelites messed up repeatedly; however, when they followed God’s commands, they had peace and order. Are you struggling with a thorny problem? Bring it to God in prayer and ask Him for guidance. But be ready to obey; otherwise, you are wasting  both your time and God’s!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel confused and upset. Help us to bring our problems to You and then trust You for perfect solutions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The First Census of Israel

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.

“These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran; from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.

Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name, and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually. As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred. (46,500)

From the children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. (59,300)

From the children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. (45,650)

From the children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred. (74,600)

From the children of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred. (54,400)

From the children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred. (57,400)

From the sons of Joseph, the children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred. (40,500)

From the children of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred. (32,200)

From the children of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred. (35,400)

From the children of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. (62,700)

From the children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred. (41,500)

From the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred. (53,400)

These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house. So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel— all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. (603,550)

But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe; for the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying: “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel; but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies; but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.”

There are several things to notice about this census: God personally selected the representatives from each tribe to ensure that the record of his tribe was fair and complete. The men so numbered were “age twenty and above and able to go to war.” There is no mention of the elderly or of women and children, nor were the Levites included in the census. The records were first taken orally and then transcribed. All those responding had to be able to recite their genealogies completely. It’s likely that had this census included women and children and the elderly, the total population might have been as much as two million people. The census included only those able to go to war because God was serving notice that they would need to fight in the near future. These people had been slaves for 400 years and warfare had not been part of their skill set until now. God was preparing His people for battle, whether they liked it or not.

APPLICATION: Nobody likes change! Even if our lives have been difficult, at least we are familiar with our current difficulties. But God is in the business of perpetual change and we must flex when necessary. It’s quite likely that the Israelites didn’t want to even think about having to fight; after all, God had miraculously delivered them from the most powerful army on earth. Why couldn’t God simply keep on delivering them so they wouldn’t have to fight? But God had other ideas; He wanted to take a group of slaves and forge them into a mighty army.

During our missionary careers, we have been forced to do many things we would rather not. We arrived in Ghana for our first mission term, only to learn that there were major problems with the project. When we opposed those attempting to hijack funds, we found ourselves in trouble. Our second mission term was marked by a tribal war that forced us to take a small health center building with no electricity or water and turn it into a bush hospital with a functioning laboratory and theater (OR). (We were sterilizing theater instruments and gown packs using a large pressure cooker on a coal pot on the verandah with our one theater laborer fanning the coal pot.) Subsequently, we have faced other challenges. Currently, our biggest problem is meeting the nutritional needs of several critically ill patients with intestinal fistulas. At the moment, our dietetics nurse and I are the ones making various formulas; however, we are trusting that these problems will help us establish a strong nutritional rehabilitation program.

We love comfort zones; however, God does not. God wants us to grow, to expand, and to build His Kingdom while we would just as soon go off in a corner and take a nap. May God help us, so that when He calls us to do more and to climb higher, we don’t resist.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, even when we just want to quit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.