Numbers 9-12

Discontent. Grumbling. Envy. It’s not pretty.

It’s not pretty in the Israelites as they complain about the menu. It’s not pretty in Aaron and Miriam as they imagine themselves on par with Moses. And it’s not pretty in us, either.

Day after day the Israelites receive manna from the LORD, all that they need — but not what they want. They look back at Egypt through rose-colored glasses, forgetting their harsh enslavement and remembering instead a delightful menu. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. (Num. 11:6)

What? Oh no, manna again?
Oh, manna waffles…
Manna burgers…
Manna bagels?
Fillet of manna…
Manna-cotti?
Bamanna bread!

Keith Green, So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt (Have a listen!)

The Israelites are dissatisfied with what they have and are focused entirely on what they do not have. They crave meat, and the LORD answers their prayer. He obliges them with an abundance of quail, but it is evident that He is not happy about it.

Aaron and Miriam are also dissatisfied, not with their food choices, but with their positions, feeling that they deserve more recognition and higher standing in the community, right up there with their little brother, Moses. But God makes it clear that they are out of line, that it is the LORD’s prerogative to choose whom He wills and to use whom He wills however He wills.

And that brings us to ourselves. Are we content? Do we long for “the good ol’ days?” Do we grumble and complain? Do we envy others? Do we insist on our rights? Do we think we deserve better? When we pray, are we humbly — and gratefully — asking for provision? Or are we craving something more? (Be careful of asking the LORD to satisfy your cravings; He might just say, “Yes.”) Are we, in some fashion, rejecting the LORD? (Num. 11:20) Do we speak against those we ought to uphold? What do we really want?

These are not idle questions. The answers go to how much we trust the Lord. So take some time today and honestly evaluate your level of contentment.

But godliness with contentment is great gain…

I Timothy 6:6

Numbers 7-8

But to the sons of Kohath he gave [no wagons], because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder.

Numbers 7:9

The LORD’s way is often not the easy way.

A few chapters back, in Numbers 4:1-20, the Kohathites are given the duty of carrying the most holy things (e.g., the Ark of the Covenant) using poles made for that purpose. Here we learn more clearly that they are to carry these holy things entirely on their own shoulders, without the convenience of wagons or beasts of burden. One may surmise that the LORD is emphasizing the holiness of these things, that they are to be treated with honor and distinction, but He gives no explanation as to why He chooses this mode of transportation to accomplish that.

The consequence, of course, is that the job of the Kohathites is a good deal more labor intensive than it might otherwise be. I can imagine a Kohathite asking, “Why can’t we use a wagon? If it’s all about holiness, why not just paint ‘Holy’ on the side of one special wagon, or even ornately decorate a wagon, and surround it with Swiss Guards?” (OK, I don’t really imagine a Kohathite suggesting Swiss Guards…) But any such questioning is unanswered. God is not obliged to explain Himself. And the Kohathites are given no wagon.

There is a good lesson in that for us today. Our culture consistently urges the easy path. We love the convenience of modern technology. We all benefit tremendously from the use of modern farm equipment instead of the ox and hand plow. But easier does not always mean better. It’s easier to cheat on a test than to study hard. It’s easier to “go with the flow” than to stand against the culture. It’s easier to blame others than to accept responsibility. It’s easier to give in to temptation than to stand firm for righteousness. And it’s easier to wear a mask of righteousness than to confess our sin.

God calls us to do what is right, not what is easy. He calls us to obedience, not to convenience. Sometimes that may not make good sense to us. We may not always know or understand God’s reasons for what we go through. And He may not explain Himself. We may not see the purpose behind suffering, for instance. Yet we need to trust in God’s goodness, even (or especially) when the way is hard.

Yes, the LORD’s way is often not the easy way.

Numbers 5-6

So, what to discuss today…

We could talk about the importance of confession of sin, along with how making restitution might compare with penalties like prison time. (Num. 5:5-10)

Or we could dive into the quagmire of the “test for adultery” with its attendant battle of the sexes coupled with a hint of the Spanish Inquisition. (Num. 5:11-31)

Or we could look at the Nazirite vow (Num. 6:1-21), but as interesting as that might be, it does not get much further press. (The only person in the Bible who is specifically called a Nazirite is long-haired Samson, but he is a horrendous example. We’ll see his story in Judges 13-16. Otherwise, we have only hints of this practice with Samuel in I Samuel 1:11, John the Baptist in Luke 1:15, and Paul in Acts 18:18. See also Amos 2:11-12.)

Or we could focus our attention on the true highlight of these chapters, what has become known as the “Aaronic Blessing:”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

“So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 6:22-27

I’m guessing that most of us are somewhat familiar with the blessing itself, “The LORD bless you and keep you…” It is quoted frequently to this day, both in synagogues and in churches around the world. Parents pray this blessing over their children at bedtime. We use it at St. Andrew’s as a farewell when those dear to us are called away to some other location. These words are well worth meditating on and well worth memorizing to drive deep into your soul so that you can pray them readily.

But what strikes me here is that even though we call it the “Aaronic Blessing,” it is not Aaron’s idea. Rather, the LORD Himself gives the instruction to Aaron to pronounce this blessing over the people. The LORD, of course, is free to bless whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses — with or without our prayer. But He tends to like to involve people in the process, so He invites (commands) Aaron and his sons to participate.

So it is with us with regard to prayer in general. God is fully capable of administering His universe without a single suggestion from us as to what His priorities ought to be. He knows our needs before we ask Him. (Mt. 6:8) In fact, He knows much better than we do. (Rom. 8:26) But in His love for us He delights in giving us a role to play, a way to participate and not just spectate. He invites our prayers and supplications, and He encourages us to bless one another. To me, this interplay between us finite creatures and our sovereign God is a mystery that I cannot fully comprehend, but it is a beautiful one nonetheless. “So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 3-4

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be Mine, for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for My own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be Mine: I am the LORD.”

Numbers 3:11-13

The LORD here hearkens back to the original Passover, reiterating His claim on all the firstborn, and substituting the entire tribe of Levi in place of those firstborn.

The LORD then asks for a census of the Levites, not those able to go to war, but every male from a month old and upward. I expect that our “numbers guy,” Fred, noticed that if we add up the Levite clans, we get 7,500 + 8,600 + 6,200 = 22,300, which is 300 more than the total of 22,000 given in Lev. 3:39. The traditional explanation of that “discrepancy” is that those 300 are themselves firstborn males and cannot do “double duty” by also serving as substitutes for non-Levite firstborns and so are subtracted out of the total. The census of non-Levite firstborn males gives a total of 22,273. As a result we end up with 273 “excess” non-Levite firstborns who have no one-for-one substitute and must therefore be redeemed at the price of 5 shekels of silver each.

In all of this the LORD confirms the ordination of the Levites for ministry and assigns them duties for the care of the Tabernacle and protection of the priests. But He is also protecting the people. He is calling the Levites to serve as mediators between a holy God and a not-so-holy populace.

In like fashion, we too need a Mediator. We too need a Substitute Who can take our place and can stand before God the Father, interceding for us, for we cannot approach this holy God on our own.

For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

I Timothy 2:5-6

Numbers 1-2

Congratulations! You made it through Leviticus.

Today we start the book of Numbers, which gets its name from, well, all the numbers. We pick up the story of the Israelites just a month after where Exodus left off. (See Ex. 40:2; Num. 1:1.) It’s been a year since the Israelites walked out of Egypt, most of that time camped out at the foot of Mount Sinai, making the Tabernacle and all the other implements of worship. As we know, the Tabernacle is now complete, the LORD is in residence, and the priests and the people are beginning to implement this new way of life.

The LORD instructs Moses to take a census of the people, and they arrive at a total of 603,550 men from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel, not counting the tribe of Levi. Adding in women and children, we can extrapolate a total population of perhaps 2,400,000 — an astonishingly large number. Naturally, scholars have questioned this number for decades (if not centuries), suggesting that the real numbers should be 5,550 men with an extrapolated total population of 22,200 (but that view relies on a peculiar interpretation of the Hebrew, coupled with multiple copyist edits scattered over a wide range of verses). Rather than trying to address this debate directly here, let me refer you to this well-balanced discussion on “Got Questions.” Suffice it to say that we should not be overly troubled by the debate; our faith does not depend on the particular numbers, as interesting as they may be.

Note that the Levites are not included in the general census of men able to go to war. Instead, their role is to care for the Tabernacle. The designation of the Levites for this duty goes back to the Golden Calf incident and their response to it. Not that the Levites didn’t participate in that debacle — Aaron himself was right in the thick of it — but when Moses returned and asked who was on the LORD’s side, the Levites stepped up and were subsequently ordained for the service of the LORD. (Ex. 32:25-29) We all fail, sometimes quite deliberately, but repentance is everything.

As we have seen before, distinguishing the Levites in this way points to holiness, as does the arrangement of the camp. The Levites surround the Tabernacle in the center of the camp, forming a buffer between the Tabernacle and the rest of the people. Yes, the LORD dwells with His people, but His holiness is never to be forgotten.

Leviticus 25:35-27:34

There is much to think about today for ourselves and for our culture, but let me just say this: Remember Leviticus 26 as we move through the rest of the Scriptures.

Leviticus 23-25:34

Today we read instructions for the appointed feasts of the LORD. (Lev. 23:2) I cannot begin to explore the full meaning of these feasts, what they represent and what they foreshadow. I’ll leave that for a much deeper level of study than we can do here. Instead, I’d simply like us to use these feasts to examine our own hearts.

Honestly consider for a moment your own internal reaction to the instructions for these feasts. How do you receive them? Do you see yet more rules and regulations? Do you hear the voice of a stern Deity demanding particular forms of worship? Or do you hear an invitation to celebrate the goodness of a loving God? It’s all a matter of perspective and attitude.

Now zoom forward to ourselves and consider Christmas and Easter. How do you feel about them? Perhaps more appropriately, how does a child see Christmas and Easter? And how does that compare to your reaction toward the LORD’s instructions for His appointed feasts? Is there a difference? Why?

How about the rest of the liturgical calendar (e.g., Advent, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Pentecost)? What comes to mind when you read or hear “Holy Day?” How about “holiday?” What’s the difference? Why?

The majority of the text regarding the appointed feasts of the LORD describes annual events. But there is another appointed feast that the LORD seems to be even more interested in, and it occurs every week: the Sabbath. (Lev. 23:3) So, since we’re asking questions… For you, personally, how is your Sabbath? Do you see the commandment to rest on the Sabbath as a burden or as a gift?

Leviticus 19-22

There it is in today’s reading. Do you see it? Admittedly, it’s a bit inconspicuous. There are no neon signs pointing the way. There is no thundering voice from heaven, no trumpet call to draw attention. It’s just there in the midst of other rules and regulations. It’s a short little statement, not even a whole verse. It is almost just casually thrown in. Yet it is utterly foundational: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev. 19:18)

Jesus says that to love the LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is the greatest commandment and that this commandment to love one’s neighbor is like it, adding, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (See Mt. 22:35-40; Mk. 12:28-34; Lk. 10:25-37.) Saint Paul likewise affirms that idea, saying that the whole law is summed up in loving one’s neighbor. (Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14)

Sometimes the most important things in life are hidden away in plain sight, lost in the midst of other details. So it is here. How easy it would be to miss this second greatest commandment! We need to pay attention. We need to diligently search for truth and wisdom, as for treasure. We need to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to truly seek the heart of God as we read through the Scriptures.

In noting our need to search for hidden gems, let’s not miss the actual commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Let me just say that it is much more challenging to love the person next to me — my neighbor — than it is to convince myself that I love everyone. Loving “all those people out there” is easy. They are all just imaginary. Or maybe I can just write a check to support some distant program. Truly loving my annoying neighbor, though, whose dog barks in the middle of the night and poops in my yard, well, that’s a different story…

Leviticus 15-18

Today we are once again confronted by God’s holiness — and His grace. Remember the structure of the Tabernacle’s Tent of Meeting. It is divided into two sections, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (or the “Holy of Holies”). The Most Holy Place lies behind a thick veil and contains the Ark of the Covenant. Atop the Ark is the Mercy Seat, where God figuratively “sits.” Only the priests are allowed inside the Tent of Meeting, and they have daily duties within the Holy Place. But no one is to enter the Most Holy Place except the High Priest (Aaron) on one single day of each year, the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.

I think we modern Westerners tend to see all this as overly harsh and restrictive on God’s part. Only the High Priest? And only one day a year? Surely Moses got it wrong! But that is the voice of arrogance, not humility. If we think about it honestly, what is truly remarkable here is that the LORD allows any access whatsoever, and furthermore, in that access, He makes provision for atonement, for cleansing. But the atonement of Yom Kippur is merely a foreshadowing of the full Atonement that Christ makes with His own blood on the Cross, at which point the veil in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. (Mt. 27:51; Mk. 15:38; Lk. 23:45)

So when you think to approach God, remember that it is not your right to do so. It is His gift to you, bought at the price of the Cross.

Leviticus 13-14

Today we see the LORD’s care for the people of Israel expressed in very practical terms: disease control and prevention. With our recent experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, the notion of testing an individual for disease and then declaring that person “clean” or “unclean” sounds remarkably familiar. Both then and now, isolating the contagious person serves to protect the broader community from infection.

Note that here “clean” and “unclean” do not carry any moral implications. That is, there is no sin in being “unclean.” Obviously, “clean” (healthy) is better than “unclean” (unhealthy), but it is not a character issue (at least not here). Nevertheless, conforming to the restrictions imposed on the “unclean” is a character issue — just like how crashing a party while actively carrying COVID would be bad behavior.

That’s a bit of what I see in these chapters. How about you? What do you notice? Does anything strike you as interesting? Please share your thoughts with the rest of us.