It's Great, But...

 Numbers 13:25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

This chapter is one of the most confounding episodes in the whole of the Old Testament. After centuries of promises, hoping, and planning for this moment, the people balk at entering the promised land.  They found it to be everything God had said it would be and occasionally given the Patriarchs a glimpse of. Not it was theirs to receive. The evil current residents were not really a surprise; God had told them they were there and would have to be removed. He had just left them there to keep the land and cities ready for them to inhabit. How often do we look forward to what God has promised, yet then the time comes to receive them, we back away, coward out, and give up?

Complaining AND Tattling...

 Numbers 11:26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

The people of Israel had no more than started on their journey from the mountain to the promised land when the predictable happened: they complained about having only manna and no meat.  To top it off, as they were working on resolving that issue the above happened: some prophets who had not heard of the seventy elders being selected and confirmed by prophesying did so on their own. Wrongly perceiving this as a rebellious act, this young man runs to Moses and tattles on him, causing Joshua to speak as he does. We are reminded of a similar and more popular event with Jesus and His disciples. In both cases, Moses and Jesus correct the error of their pupils.  Complaining and tattling are not part of God's plan!

Setting Out on Adventure.

Numbers 10:25 Then the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. 27 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28 This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.

The people of Israel had put everything in place for worship at the tabernacle, celebrated their second Passover in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt, and now they were ready to head on toward the promised land. Once again, everything was done in a need and organized fashion.  This first step forward was a three-day journey, with the ark leading the way and the cloud of the Lord overshadowing them. It was the beginning of a whole new experience.  Sometimes life seems like this: major crisis, preparations that seem to take forever and are full of details, and a short first step.  But finally, they are moving in the direction God has pointed.  Take each step under God's hand. It's a long way to the promised land, but it's worth the journey.

Forced Semi-Retirement???

Numbers 8:23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

The Levites had been set apart by God for service in His Tabernacle, begin the ones to offer sacrifices on the people's behalf.  Here their "active duty" lasted from age 25 to 50, much like a soldier, athlete, or some other job may limit length of duty.  Obviously, the younger limit was to make sure the man had reached a level of maturity to truly understand the seriousness of his spiritual responsibility.  But was being a Levite really that taxing to warrant such a requirement? We need to keep in mind they were responsible for handling large animals and maintaining the tabernacle, some physically demanding work.  Like the above-mentioned careers, those who "age out" become commanders, coaches, and supervisors whose experience aids the younger ones who serve.  Much like the priests who in Jesus' day might never get to offer incense, there might be too many active-duty Levites to serve if the age was not limited. Finally, God did not want any of His servants doing something so long that they were just "going through the motions", doing a job.

Fully Operational

 Numbers 7:24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the chief of the people of Zebulun: 25 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 27 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

Now that all was set in order, each of the 12 tribes of Israel came to give an offering of consecration for the Tabernacle of God's presence. After all were done, Moses went in and was able to hear The Voice of God speak to him there. This is what they had been working on for months: accepting gifts of building materials, crafting all the parts, training the Levites to assemble them properly - all this was topped off by offering themselves - all the people, to God. The Communication line of fellowship with Him was open. Is yours?

The Blessing with the NAME...

Numbers 6:22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” 

God had given everything needed to set the worship of the House of Israel in order. They were told how to keep themselves pure and in proper relationship with Him.  He now gives them this special blessing, still often recited to this day, to dismiss the people as a congregation.  We know the words but often forget the reason given in the last verse above. The priests were reminding the people who they belonged to as they went out into the world. They were His people, representing Him to all other peoples around them. They were going to be blessed by HIM. They (and we) should not forget these things.

The Adultery Test...

 

Numbers 5:26 And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27 And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.

Whenever we read something in the New Testament, we often flash back to the Old Testament to see what it has to say about that.  Immediately when reading this passage, I think of the time the religious leaders brought a woman "caught in adultery" before Jesus demanding that He agree with stoning her to death. He was not so ready to jump on board. They were railroading the process. There was a "test" for that. There was the possibility the man was unrightfully "jealous". Did they even bother to find out? Were they presuming her guilt without due process? Were they caught up in their own self-righteousness?  How likely to do the same?