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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 13, 2023 15:38:59 GMT
Day 43 (Numbers 11-13)
Sorry… this is late.
Chapter 11 reminds me of the saying, “be careful what you ask for.” But then don’t we also complain and moan? Complaining about what we don’t have instead of being thankful for what God has given us. It’s never enough, the more we have the more we want. We often forget if we have the Lord we have all we will ever need. I would not have wanted to be Moses, having to hear all their complaining and remarks. He was the one everyone turned to for everything. Anything that didn’t go exactly as the people thought it should, the people would blame Moses. Even Aaron and Miriam went against Moses.
2/12/23
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 13, 2023 16:16:18 GMT
Day 44 (Numbers 14-16) (Short one today… still sick)
I see a reminder in Chapter 16 that there is a consequence for sin. When we refuse to confess and repent of our sins, we are holding God in contempt. In our arrogance we are putting ourselves above God. For disobeying God there is a price. And when we rebel against those God has put in charge it is as if we were rebelling against God.
2/13/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 14, 2023 4:13:53 GMT
February 14, 2023 Numbers 17-19 The rebellion had just ended with Aaron taking the incense from the altar and running out among the people. Now God wants to make it very clear who will serve Him, both at the altar and in the Tabernacle. So God has a staff from every tribe brought to the Tabernacle and laid before the altar. The next day not only has Aaron’s budded but had produced ripe almonds. So now everybody would know who would be the priest. Then God assigns the job of the Tabernacle to the Levites again – making sure they knew who would do what. Arron and his family only were the priest and only they could serve God before the Altar, all the other families of the Levites would serve in support. God then shares how the Levites would be supported, and what would be theirs to eat, drink, and how they would have money, since they would have no part of the land. They also were to tithe their 10% of what they received from the people, so that all would give their tithe to the Lord. Chapter 19 deals with becoming unclean due to touching a dead person or even the things of a dead person and the ritual that went along with the cleansing. They took the red heifer and burned it completely along with cedar hyssop and scarlet yarn. (I am not sure why those things) and then the ashes would be mixed with water and sprinkled upon the person needed to be cleansed. A vivid reminder that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 14, 2023 15:03:33 GMT
Day 45 (Numbers 17-18)
Chapter 17: Not only did Aaron’s staff bud but it blossomed and produced almonds. This was a sign from God who He had chosen. To be chosen by God means you have responsibility. Chapter 18:1 {The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.} Now you may be thinking that is an awful lot to ask of the ones not included in the inheritance. BUT… 18:20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. Aaron and the Levites had a greater inheritance than all of Israel. It was an inheritance that would not be depleted, destroyed or stolen from them. Are we not also called into the royal priesthood? Into the same inheritance? 2/14/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 15, 2023 4:39:44 GMT
February 15 Numbers 20-21 (I included 19 in yesterdays)
The end of the 40 years is coming and now they are back at Kadesh. Miriam dies here, she also was under the curse that she would not see the promise land either. The generation that witnessed the miracles of God and the parting of the Red Sea was gone now, soon a new census would show that.
But this generation had not learned to trust God and now complained that there was no water, again they bring up Egypt even though they had only a vague recollection of what that was like.
Who know why Moses went off at this point. He had followed God’s Words so exactly, maybe he was just frighten that this generation would rebel just as the last, but he not only does not do what God says but he takes credit for it also, and act that would cost him dearly. He too would die in the wilderness.
Now Aaron dies, it is really sad these ones who led these people for 40 years so close to the end. Eleazar his son now becomes the High Priest.
The story of the Bronze Serpent reveals that even though the people complained they quickly saw their sin and asked for forgiveness, at least they were learning some.
Things begin to turn now it seems, we read of two songs that the people sang to the Lord and the Lord giving them water without them complaining first. Then they start winning battles they defeat two kingdoms which are right across the Jordan river from the promise land and they begin to settle into those regions. It took 40 years but they began to trust in the Lord.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 15, 2023 18:53:19 GMT
Day 46 (Numbers 19-21) Chapter 20:9-10 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Notice Moses said “WE’, as if He and Aaron were the ones bringing the people water. He did not give God the glory. Verse 12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Chapter 21:8-9 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. It seems to me that anytime things didn’t go exactly as the Israelites expected they wanted to throw up their hands and quit. Even go back to Egypt as slaves. How quick they doubt God.
Some think this would be considered Idol worshiping. But I see it as God commanded it. 2/15/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 16, 2023 15:03:28 GMT
February 16, 2023 Numbers 22-24
Have you noticed how many times the Psalm for today reflects on the reading for the day. Isn’t God’s word amazing?
Today is the story of Balaam. Many people ask me why God tells Balaam to go but then sets up to kill him. God had specifically told Balaam that he should not go in the first place and then when more money is offered, Balaam goes back and ask again. Now we need to understand Balaam is not a good person and he is not a prophet of God, he was a diviner a man who sought out omens, and spirits for guidance. God this time used Balaam because He knew what kind of man he was and God was going to use him to bless Israel. Now God sends his angel to get in his way, I believe not to kill him, (though he would have if God did not use Balaam’s donkey to save him.) But to show Him just how serious God was, after all Balaam was a man who did this for money, and God wanted to make sure that Balaam said exactly what he was supposed to. Now Balaam was scared enough that he did what God commanded him to and blessed the Israelites. Understand Balaam was not a good man, we find out in Numbers 31;16 that Balaam actually suggested to Balak that he could destroy the Israelites by sending women in among them to get them involved in sexual sin. Balaam is killed we find out in Numbers 31:8
Balaam’s final oracle, spoken through the Holy Spirit is a prophecy of Jesus. For Jesus is the one who Balaam sees far off who will rise from Jacob and hold the scepter (be ruler of all). All who have stood against this king will be destroyed.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 16, 2023 17:06:29 GMT
Day 47 (Numbers 22-24) I’ll try to keep it short today..
When I was young I used to like to hear the story of Balaam’s donkey. Especially the part right after the donkey spoke. Chapter 22:29 “Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” Now I don’t know how many of you have had a donkey speak to you, but I have yet to have one speak to me. Yet, Balaam didn’t seem surprised or anything.. He just answered the donkey. Maybe it was common back then I don’t know. Anyway… God told Balaam not to go but Balaam persisted so God said go ahead and go then, but say only what I tell you to say. Time after time Balak tried to get Balaam to curse the Israelites but God kept blessing them.
Psalm 47 … I can just see Israel praising God with this Psalm after Balak was defeated.
2/16/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 17, 2023 12:28:32 GMT
February 17,2023 Numbers 25-27
We find out later that it was Balaam who told Balak to send the Moabite women in to have sex with the Israeli men, why we would think this was terrible, this was common back then, all kinds of sexual sin were practiced by those who worshiped Baal.
How bold were these men and women in their sin, Zimri walks right past Moses with Cozbi the Moabite woman on his way to have sex with her. Even while Moses is telling the leaders to kill anyone who has had sex with a Moabite woman and worshiped her God. (Having sex was part of their worship) Phinehas though gets up from the meeting grabs a spear and drives it through them while there are in the tent having sex. God commends Phinehas zeal for God and stops the plague. How many of us are that on fire for God?
Now the new census is taken and the land is to be divided up, the daughters of Zelophehad come before Moses and say they will have no inheritance because their father had no sons. Now in those days women had no right and no inheritance. But Moses seeks the Lord and God says yes they are to have their inheritance, they have that right and every father who dies with no sons the land will go to his daughters. This was unheard of at that time, the laws of God did not treat women as second class citizens but granted them rights and honor.
Now it is Moses turn to die and he ask who he should appoint as leader and God says Joshua, but note Joshua did not get all the authority of Moses. Instead of going directly to God he was to go to the High priest and the High priest would inquire of God. Israel would be a Theocracy, governed not by king, or ruler but by God.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 17, 2023 17:27:16 GMT
Day 48 (Numbers 25-27)
The second census… Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. The ones who were counted in the Desert of Sinai would not see the Promised land. (except for Caleb & Joshua) The others probably had died.
I want to point out something in chapter 27.
In those times it was customary that women had no rights to own property or inherit property. All their rights came through their husband or father. BUT…. In Verses 8-11 of chapter 27 it shows what God says. 8 “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”
God wanted it to be clear how to handle inheritances. Imagine if it was handled in this manner today? Where would the need for wills or trusts be? There would be no reason for disputes in probate. But man has a way of trying to change what God says to fit what we want.
2/17/23
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 18, 2023 13:12:42 GMT
Day 49 (Numbers 28-30)
As I read these scriptures it comes to me that they must have had massive herds of cattle and sheep. They needed some to feed the people and more as offerings. But even so it was God that provided the herds for them. In Chapter 30, we read how serious God takes vows, oaths and pledges. If you make a vow, keep it.
Psalm 49 is the Psalm for today. In it we find wisdom for both the wise and the foolish; for the rich and the poor and for you and me.
Please do not skip over the daily Psalms. They hold a treasure for us. 2/18/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 18, 2023 14:09:05 GMT
February 18, 2023 Numbers 28-30
This section has a lot of rules about sacrifice. The one that I find fascinating is Chapter 28: 3 And say to them: This is the fire offering you are to present to the LORD: “Each day present two unblemished year-old male lambs as a regular burnt offering. 4 Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at twilight,
Now, although the Old Testament does not say exactly when the morning and evening sacrifice took place, according to ancient Jewish sources outside the Bible, the morning offering of the Tamid took place at 9 a.m., while the evening offering took place at 3 p.m. (See Mishnah, Tamid 3:7; Josephus, Antiquities 14.4.3; Philo, Special Laws, 1:169).
Now what is amazing is how specific the book of Mark is about the time of Jesus Crucifixion/ And it was the third hour (9a.m.), when they crucified him (Mark 15:25). And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (3 p.m.). And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"... And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. (Mark 15:33-37) This means that Jesus was crucified at the same time as the morning sacrifice and died at the same time as the evening sacrifice. In Numbers 30 we read about vows. Notice how seriously God takes vows unto Him, you dare not break them. This is broken down into 4 situations when it comes to women 1. The first case: (3-5) a young woman in her fathers house the father had the right to revoke it or accept it by his actions. 2. If the woman then got married (6-8) the husband had the right to either veto it or accept the vow 3. A widowed or divorced woman (9) who made a vow it was binding because she had no one over her. 4. A married woman (10-12) vow could be voided by her husband or not. God here shows the roles of authority in the house, the father or husband is responsible for the woman, this is reflected in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 11:3) No matter what though a vow that was made and not revoked by a father or husband, as well as any vow by a man must be followed through with. God takes vows seriously.
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Post by pastor on Feb 19, 2023 1:46:42 GMT
February 19, 2023 Numbers 31-32
God does not forget. Now He commands Moses to seek revenge upon the Midianites (also called the Moabites (Numbers 22). Notice Balaam was killed also. They took only 12,000 men against these cities and not only that when they returned not one man was killed.(30:49). Think about that going to war against a country where you wiped out all the men, and not one of your men was killed. That is the power of God on your side. Keeping the women and children was a common practice back then they would become slaves. But notice Moses would not let one woman who had slept with a man live because it was the women that caused the Israelite men to sin, and God would not allow that to happen again.
Now the tribes of Ruben and Gad want to settle in the land that they just conquered because it was good for livestock and they had many. I have often wondered if God would have had something better for them if they had not wanted to stay there. So often we settle for so much less when we stop short of what God has told us. When we wait upon God and not try to decide for ourselves what is best we always receive better than we would have.
Notice Moses first rebukes them, he remembers their fathers who discouraged the people from going into the land of Cana and he says they will discourage their brothers from going. Yet they vow to go with the other tribes to fight for the land if only allowed to make places for their livestock, wives, and children. Moses makes them swear to go over an battle with their brothers and then commands Eleazar the priest and Joshua to make sure that they do this. (Remember Moses knows that he is not going over with them). Then Moses agrees to their request.
Notice the promise in this Psalm “call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you shall glorify me” This is a promise all of us should live by.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 19, 2023 21:15:34 GMT
Day 50 (Numbers 31-32)
I bet Balaam was thinking he got away with what he did. And God said… NOT! 7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. Balaam was the false prophet who instructed the Midian king to have the women sleep with the Israelite men.
The tribes of Gad, Reuben and half tribe of Manassah wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan. To me that would seem to split the Israelites. It would weaken the nation as a whole and make it harder for Moses or later Joshua to lead them or the priests to oversee them. It is only under vow that they are allowed to build on the east side.
2/19/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 20, 2023 13:05:26 GMT
February 20, 2023 Numbers 33-34
Wow all those places. When we read about the places so far it has only been the important ones. The ones that have something that happened there. Here we read of all the places that the Israelites camped. I got tired just reading them. Can you even imagine what it must have been like picking up and moving again and again for 40 years. No wonder the complained so much. You know it was not far from Mt. Sinai to the promised land so much time wasted so many places they would have never have gone if the had only trusted God in the first place. Just makes me wonder how much time I have wasted because I did not trust God. How many places I went that I never had to go. Read Proverbs 3:5-6 maybe it will save you some time and travel.
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