Numbers 20

Dear RTB’ers,

Although not explicitly stated in the text, it seems that some 38 or so years have passed in the time between chapters 19 and 20. Miriam dies in the first verse; Aaron dies in the last paragraph (a precursor to Moses’ own death); and Edom refuses passage to Israel as they attempt to go around the Dead Sea and cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. So almost all of the men who agreed with the ten unfaithful spies have now died. Their sons, however, still have their fathers’ grumbling ways, and we have the story of their grumbling at the waters of Meribah.

The people grumble that they have no water, God tells Moses to speak to the rock, Moses instead strikes the rock (twice), and his disobedience leads to God’s judgment upon him that neither he nor Aaron will enter the Promised Land. Does that seem like a harsh punishment to you? After all, some 38 years earlier Moses was told to strike the rock at Horeb (Massah) and when he did water flowed out.(Exodus 17:2-7)

If that punishment seems harsh to you, consider that Moses disobeyed a direct command from God, and God did not immediately strike him dead as He had done with so many others. Instead we will read later that God allowed Moses to view the Promised Land even though he was not allowed entry into it. Harsh judgment? Maybe. But God is God and I am not. Thankfully, through Jesus, He forgives our sins instead of striking us dead and has given us a promise of an eternal Promised Land. God is God and I am not. Thank you, Lord!

Blessings!

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See also: February 14 (2023) / Numbers 17-20

Numbers 18:8-19:22

Dear RTB’ers,

Two items from today’s reading – tithing and the red heifer. The red heifer account is straightforward (just to read), but unusual. The red heifer is a female, not a male; is a cow, not an ox; is slaughtered, not sacrificed; and it happens outside the camp, not at the altar. Unusual. As to the use of the red heifer’s ashes for cleansing, we could read commentaries or use our imagination – how could these ashes be associated with cleansing? Remember the rough texture and cleansing properties of “Lava soap”? Similar…?? Go figure!

As to tithing and first fruits… The first fruits go to Aaron and his descendants, tithing to the rest of the Levites. I can remember my dad taking rabbits and chickens (slain and cleaned) and my mom baking fruit cakes for the priests and nuns. It was always the best that they had. Whether they knew it or not, here is the origin for those activities. And tithing… Today’s reading is one of the longer passages in the Bible regarding tithing. God makes it clear that the Israelites are to tithe their grain and animal production to the Levites as the Levites’ “salary”, since the Levites have no inheritance in the Promised Land. Then the Levites are also to tithe from what they receive, a “tithe of the tithe”. We have the tithe as the standard for giving in Christian circles. I recall that tithing is asked (but not demanded) of all Vestry members (I could be wrong on that) and is encouraged of all members of our church. If you are not tithing, start thinking seriously about doing so. I recall Father David commenting on the difficulty of tithing for someone who had not been doing so: “If tomorrow you had your take-home salary cut by ten percent, you would figure it out.” So again, if you are not tithing, think hard about doing so.

Blessings!

Numbers 16:36-18:7

Dear RTB’ers,

More grumbling against Moses and Aaron… Yesterday we lost Korah, Dathan, and Abiram when the earth opened up and swallowed them and their households and possessions, plus another 250 who burned with fire from the Lord. Then today we see the grumbling continuing and another 14,700 dying from a plague. So today the Lord steps in to “personally” end the grumbling, with the story of Aaron’s rod budding. We just read in Hebrews 9:3-4 that Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Most Holy Place, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s staff which budded, and the tablets of the covenant… So Aaron’s budded rod remained as a witness to the people that God had appointed Moses and Aaron to leadership, and to put an end to disputes, rebellions and grumblings. So, an end to the grumbling? Not likely! We read on…!

Blessings!

Numbers 16:1-35

Dear RTB’ers,

Today’s reading is widely known as “Korah’s Rebellion”, even though he is one of four men named, along with Dathan and Abiram and On. (There is no more mention of “On” except in today’s first verse.) Korah’s prominence is because he was a Levite, one of the Kohathites, in fact, who were charged with carrying the “most holy things”. Now Korah is aspiring to more than just transportation: (Moses speaking) “Is it too small an honor for you that the God of Israel has singled you out … and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? But are you seeking the priesthood as well?” Jealousy. Wanting more than what the Lord has already given to us. As a Levite Korah had already been taken from among the Israelites and set apart to special service before the Lord. But he wanted more. It was not enough for him to honor Moses and Aaron and their special calling before God. He formed his own rebellion and it cost him his life.

But it’s not just Korah’s jealousy – with his grumbling he brought others along and they went down with him. Years later the future king, David may have had this incident in mind when he was being pursued by Saul:

He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul.

I Samuel 24:6-7a

Grumbling… Don’t go there!

Blessings!

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See also: February 13 (2023) / Numbers 15-16

Numbers 15

Dear RTB’ers,

I had noticed the word “sojourner” (or stranger or alien) appearing seven times in today’s reading, and the laws that applied to the Israelites applied also to the sojourners. The Lord speaking: For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you. (vv. 15-16) This legal equality is repeated three times in these two verses!

I was thinking of our own USA and the aliens living among us, the legal and the illegal. In particular I was thinking of our current and former Avanza kids and their families. No doubt some of these kids and many of their parents and grandparents are here illegally. And those whom we know (or have known) are living peacefully and working hard to support their families. Yet, deportation is on the horizon, some nearer than others, and many of these kids are nervous for their futures. We need to be praying for them and their families. They need our support.

Blessings!

Numbers 14:10b-45

Dear RTB’ers,

Today, the Lord’s response to the failure of the people to trust God for His Promised Land – and it seems a harsh response: forty years for forty days, one year for each day, death in the wilderness, and a plague consuming the unfaithful ten. It seems harsh, but again, God is God and I am not. Maybe God’s response to this failure on the part of the Israelites should tell us something about His feelings toward our own failures. That is, for us on this side of the Cross, His mercy overwhelms His rightful justice. That’s what Jesus has done for us. Thank you, Jesus.

Blessings!

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See also: February 12 (2023) / Numbers 13-14

Numbers 13:1-14:10a

Dear RTB’ers,

When I think of the book of Numbers, it’s today’s story that comes to mind. It’s not the census of the tribes, not the tabernacle and the cloud and fire, not the grumbling – it’s the story of Joshua and Caleb and ten other heads (leaders) searching/spying out the Promised Land. We only get half the story today; we’ll get God’s response tomorrow.

It’s worth noting that the spies were asked to search out the land, not the people: (God speaking) “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel.”(v. 13:2a) Joshua and Caleb, in their report responded first and foremost to their observations on the land: The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. (vv. 14:7b-8) Only secondarily did they give a positive report about the people in the land and God’s hand in dealing with them (Num. 14:9). And with all that, the people were ready to stone them! Rabble, again…??

All too often I’ve asked myself how I would respond to the ten vs. two, or how I would feel if I were one of the twelve. Am I confident in God’s ability to move His church forward? What part am I playing in that?

Stay tuned for God’s reply tomorrow.

Blessings!

Numbers 11-12

Dear RTB’ers,

Now the rabble that was among them… (v. 11:4a) Made me laugh. There was rabble among them, even among the Israelites, God’s chosen people. And Moses and Aaron had to deal with “the rabble”. Nothing’s changed!

Grumbling… Thankfully, Carol and I have not spent time in grumbling churches. Yeah, people often have their difficulties with this thing or that thing or with this person or that person, but mostly our chosen churches have been Spirit-filled, where difficulties present opportunities. By contrast, however, I have spoken with pastors and leaders in the USA and abroad, and it turns out that these leaders are often the recipients of much of the grumbling – not unlike today’s reading where Aaron and Miriam confront Moses. Maybe it’s time for us to thank our leaders instead! Thank you, Tom T. for your “good of the order” word yesterday!

Jesus once said, “The poor you will always have with you…” (Matthew 26:11a, NIV). He didn’t mention the rabble and the grumblers…!

Blessings!

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See also: February 11 (2023) / Numbers 9-12

Numbers 9:15-10:36

Dear RTB’ers,

Sorry for the late post, folks, but what a day…! We’ve gone from a flooded, impassable driveway to skipped-church, JIT annual meeting, to a wonderful parish brunch, to a 7-hour, 450-mile drive! I am finally a bit unpacked and ready to post!

So you might be thinking – God really left no doubt as to where He wanted the Israelites to go and how long He wanted them to stay there (Num. 9:17-23). The word “command” is mentioned six times in these seven verses; “lifted” is mentioned four times; “set out” is mentioned nine times; and “remained” is mentioned four times. And then my mind races – why doesn’t the Lord speak as clearly to me as He did to Moses and the Israelites? I’ve thought about this for that full 7-hour, 450-mile drive. And I’ve come to a simple conclusion – Jesus, in His earthly person had no difficulty following His Father’s wishes. He was “led by the Spirit” (Matthew 4:1) and He communed (probably multiple times daily) with His Father: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35) So if I’m not hearing from the Lord very clearly, it’s probably the case that I am not seeking Him as I should. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…!

Blessings!

Numbers 8:1-9:14

Dear RTB’ers,

All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. At Mt. Sinai and for many years afterward the priesthood was limited to Aaron and his descendants. [That had changed by the time that Jesus lived.] Scripture consistently distinguishes between Levites and priests. Recall Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan. He first had a priest passing by, then a Levite, then a Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37) My Study Bible adds a good deal to the distinction between Levites and priests, in comparing the cleansing of the Levites to the ordination of the priests: “The priests were made holy, the Levites clean; the priests were anointed and washed, the Levites sprinkled; the priests were given new garments; the Levites washed theirs; blood was applied to the priests, it was waved over the Levites.” Now, if we go back to Numbers 4 we can see that Aaron and his sons, the priests, had specific duties with respect to the “most holy things” – specifically, packing them away. The Levites then were charged with carrying or carting them, but not handling them. Very distinct duties!

Blessings!