How to Remember...

Numbers 29:26 “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 27 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 28 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

As God gave the people of Israel all these instructions about special days to commemorate, He came to one which was much more than one day: the Day of Atonement, followed by the Feast of Tabernacles. This was to help them remember their need for forgiveness as well as God's provision for them during the wilderness wanderings.  God did not want them to forget their need to constantly come back to Him, nor all the experiences of their journey, with their failures and His faithfulness.  We, like they are prone to forget. 

How to Celebrate!

 Numbers 28:26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish.

Every culture has its celebrations. Some have many days throughout the year that they commemorate which have accumulated over the centuries.  God had brought His people out of bondage so they could worship and celebrate. This chapter discusses the daily, weekly (sabbath), monthly, and annual sacrifices and celebrations. Every day is a day to worship God and celebrate his blessings, but every week, month, and year there are special times and ways to do so. We have done so this past week with our celebration of the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. God has provided our salvation and life eternal. May we learn and remember to celebrate well.

Not another Census!

 Numbers 26:26 The sons of Zebulun, according to their clans: of Sered, the clan of the Seredites; of Elon, the clan of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the clan of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the clans of the Zebulunites as they were listed, 60,500.

When reading through the Bible together, one of people's greatest fears are genealogies and censuses. All those long names unlike names we have today, and how to pronounce them! But they are there for a reason. This one was taken just before entering the promised land. After listing all twelve tribes Moses notes that no one was on this list that was on the list before the wilderness wanderings (except two), and to note the changes in size of the tribes, which would affect the size of their lots in the promised land. Most did not have a big change, but one did have quite a decrease (quite possibly due to their sin during the false teaching of Balaam covered in the previous chapters.) At any rate, changes had taken place and needed to be noted.  The past would influence the future. So it does today. 

All That the Lord Says...

Numbers 23:25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” 26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord says, that I must do’?” 27 And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

We saw yesterday Balaam's persistence to go where God kept throwing roadblocks in his way. Finally, he was able to hear, but he did not listen very well.  The same was true of Balak who had hired him to curse God's people. He did everything possible to make the right setting for Balaam, but three times (once before and once after this one) Balaam's prophecy went against Balak and for God's people. How often do we try to find loopholes, other ways, to not listen to God? 

Do You Hear Me Now?!?

 Numbers 22:24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

Balaam had it in his heart and mind to speak against God's people as they moved toward the promised land.  He should have known better, but he was set on this course of action.  Three times God' tried to stop him, and three times Balaam took it out on the donkey.  That number three of course is repeated often in scripture to show God is done waiting.  Peter had three opportunities to proclaim Christ in the courtyard when Jesus was being tried.  How slow we are to give up our ways.  Sometimes God has to throw all sorts of obstacles in our way.  We hit a brick wall. He is talking to us, but we just won't listen. We take it out on other people, even on God.  He is speaking. Do you hear Him now?

A Temporary Base...

Numbers 21:21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 

After a couple more interruptions in their trip due to disobedience, Israel came to the Amorites, requesting safe passage through their land. This was not where they wanted to stay nor did they want to take anything.  That wasn't good enough for Sihon; he wanted to show his strength, so he attacked. This was not a wise move and Israel, used to camping out, ended up using the capital as a "motel." This left them in control of a stopping point on the King's Highway, but this was not where they were to stay. They were still heading for the Promised Land. 

Passing On...

Numbers 20:22 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, 24 “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. 26 And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.” 27 Moses did as the Lord commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

Aaron had been with Moses throughout this eventful journey. He was not just a sidekick; he and his heirs carried the burden to representing God's people and their sins before Him. But now it was time for him to pass off the scene and his ministry to be passed on to his sons. This was God's plan, planned and prepared for, but also appropriately mourned.  The nation would not move on for a month.  They wept not for their inconvenience, but the loss of his leadership and his inability to see the Promised Land. Do we know how and why to mourn?

The Tithe of the Tithe

Numbers 18:25 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. 27 And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 So you shall also present a contribution to the Lord from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the Lord's contribution to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the Lord; from each its best part is to be dedicated.’

Just to make sure they understood that being sanctified for service did not mean they were so special they were exempt from tithing or any other acts expected of their fellow Israelites, God explained to the Levites that they too were to give a tithe to the Lord.  They were just as dependent upon God (and maybe more so) and were called to be fully dedicated to God. Whatever privileges God gives us in His service, we never become so special we are exempt from His commands.

Step Away; Don't Be Swept Away

 Numbers 16:25 Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” 27 So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28 And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. 29 If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.”

Moses was not one who wanted to be leader and get all the credit.  Indeed, he did not even want the job in the first place. (See Exodus 3)  But he accepted this position as go between for God and His people Israel. It was hard enough in the beginning: convincing people to trust God's plan when that involved the task of making bricks in Egypt even harder. One would think that as God proved Himself over and over again as He sent the plagues, delivered His people out of Pharoah's hand, through the sea, and the provided food and water to sustain them that they would trust both God and Moses. But different parties kept rebelling. Moses was careful to step back when God showed His power, holiness, and righteous judgment in His way. May we learn to do the same. 

Hope for the Journey

Numbers 15:22 “But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 all that the Lord has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the Lord gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations, 24 then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their mistake. 26 And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake.

This chapter on "unintentional" sins is important in its context.  They people had only made it three days into their journey and already messed up big time.  How will they ever make it the rest of the way if they are going to sin and be judged every time.  Well, first of all, their corporate sin was not unintentional; they had blatantly said "no" to obeying God. Here, God is saying He will not make a big deal about every type of failure. He is not waiting to bash them(or us) Secondly, He always makes a way. He is the God of Hope.

The Fallout from Faithlessness

Numbers 14:26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 

The spies from Israel had forty days to check out the promised land and bring bag a challenge to enter it. The majority (ten) failed to do so, and the people failed to listen to the two that did. The grumbling under their breath was deafening in the ears of God. The result was that their generation would never see the land and the consequence was a life of aimless wandering, living only to give the next generation their opportunity to dwell there.  How much of our lives are wasted by our fears, our faithlessness, our grumbling? 

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?

No Light Task

Numbers 4:24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25 they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting 26 and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. 

As we continue to look at the organization of the Levites and their responsibilities, each clan is addressed in detail. Pause to consider what the Gershonites had to do: they in a sense "carried the walls", keeping them clean and in repair, putting them up and tearing them down, every time the camp moved forward. Making this journey toward the promised land was tough for each family, but the clans of the tribe of Levi had "extra baggage" to bring along.  Yet, it was their privilege to serve God, His people, and His house. Some of us have some extra "carrying" to do, but with those responsibilities there also comes blessings.  Don't grumble at the hardness, repetitiveness, or endlessness of the task. Focus on all God has given that goes along with such privileges. 

A Place for Everyone and Everything

 

Numbers 3:21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22 Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 7,500. 23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24 with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers' house of the Gershonites. 25 And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service connected with these.

We talked yesterday about the orderliness of God's people arranged around the Tabernacle, with three tribes on each side of the camp.  Since the Levites had no "side" to be on, the three clans of the tribe were scattered around the three sides, each with their own responsibility for the parts of the tabernacle and their transfer.  Everyone had a place to call "home", even in this temporary camp. Everyone knew their part and their place. Still today, God's people in Christ are His priests, each and every one with their part and place. His church is their home, and His Son is their hope. 

Not a Motley Crew

Numbers 2:25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”

If you've ever seen a sketch of what the organization of Israel would have been like around the Tabernacle, it is quite the display.  If reminds one of some of the formal army arrangements throughout history. But this was not an army. It was a whole nation of people - God's people.  God is, and always had been, a God of order.  He has always planned, prepared, and expected His people to be a God of order. Paul repeats the same sentiment in I Corinthians 14. Such order does not negate holiness or the moving of the Spirit of God, but it allows it to flow more freely.  Such order makes it visible to all, within and outside the "camp", who we are, and to observe God at work in us.  We are no motley crew.

More than a Number

Numbers 1:26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 27 those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

Bible scholars have often pointed out that the book of Numbers has a misleading title.  It is not so much about how many people there were (though God had caused the nation of Israel to grow dramatically.) It was more about how God was organizing His people to enter the promised land.  These names were more than a list: they were the descendants and ancestors of God's people who were finally entering the land promised to Abraham centuries before.  It was organization not for the sake of structure, but for seeing how the people would continue to be blessed if they lived in obedience to God's laws for His land.  This census gave them a point of comparison as well as a future to anticipate. People are never merely a number to God.

Taking Vows Seriously

Leviticus 27:26 “But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord's. 27 And if it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back at the valuation, and add a fifth to it; or, if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold at the valuation. 28 “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord.

Worship is serious business. Like all of life, there is joy and celebration included in it, but some things are not to be taken lightly.  As this book nears the end of God's instructions for worship the question comes to vows made in worship.  When God moves us and we respond, there are often commitments we make, which are no light thing. People devote their possessions, offerings, and even themselves or loved ones to the Lord. God in some cases allowed, or even required them to be redeemed, bought back, as they were needed (or inadequate), but the general rule was that they were sacred/holy/devoted for His use alone. The answer is not to avoid making vows to God. They are often appropriate and needed but do so solemnly. 

Warning Signs...

Leviticus 26:23 “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

God had gone to great lengths to bring His people to the promised land and provide His worship plan to keep them from falling into the sins of their predecessors. In this chapter He gives them the warning signs that they could see and experience if they began to get off track: panic, disease, famine, defeat, and exile. Ultimately, they would be taken from the land to give it rest. Notice that if they began to "walk contrary" to Him, He would not immediately bring hard judgment, but "walk contrary" to them. He would create a path of resistance to slow them down, to make life harder, to get their attention. He forewarned them so they would wake up and notice.  What warning signs is God giving you?

The Year of Jubilee

 

Leviticus 25:25 “If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. 26 If a man has no one to redeem it and then himself becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, 27 let him calculate the years since he sold it and pay back the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and then return to his property. 28 But if he does not have sufficient means to recover it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his property.

In this chapter is a concept that is so alien that we can hardly wrap our heads around it.  It is a reminder to all that the land was God's land, given to His people. It is a plan of hope against endless poverty.  Since land, homes, and property change hands so often in our society, it is hard to imagine this working, but in the promised land, it all was distributed by lots and recorded.  God's plans are indeed greater than we could ever imagine, full of love and mercy.  May we stand in awe of Him.

Absolutely Nothing You Can Do

Leviticus 23:26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

This chapter describes all the prescribed feasts of the year for God's people, Israel.  Each one has its reason and each one points to Christ.  What is overly emphasized here is that there was absolutely no work to be done. That coincides with the fact that there is absolutely nothing we can do to bring about our salvation and forgiveness. Jesus paid it all. It is His righteousness alone.

Not a Savage Party...

Leviticus 22:26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the Lord. 28 But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day. 29 And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the Lord.

As we have seen repeatedly, life in Israel was to be far different than life had been in Egypt or in the land of Canaan they were inheriting.  Many of God's laws on purity had to do with making that distinction and with the sanctify of and respect for human life.  Pagan sacrifice and fertility rites often violated that. They were not worship like God is to be worshipped, but reckless and ruthless perversions involving abuse and disrespect.  When sacrifice was conducted in Israel the aftermath was to be a purity that prevailed.

...That You Should Be Mine

Leviticus 20: 22 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. 24 But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. 26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

After listing all the penalties for breaking His laws, God says "Look, this is all about your being My people.  You represent Me to the world.  I'm cleaning out this land for you. Keep it clean for Me.  Keep your lives clean for Me." This defines our purpose in living. He has made a place for us and a purpose for us and purity for us.  We do this in response to what He has done for us.  It is part of the privilege of being His.

That Fruit Thing Sounds Nutty?

Leviticus 19:23 “When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. 24 And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the Lord your God. 26 “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. 27 You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.

At first glance this paragraph on fruit trees sounds strange, until you put it in context. Besides the following verses about eating blood and cutting oneself, this passage is surrounded by prohibitions against other practices involved in idol worship: immorality, prostitution, calling up the dead, etc. It was all about cleansing the land of the sins of the past and setting a new course distinguished from the way things had been.  There is a consistent pattern of cleansing, consecration, and then enjoying the fruits of the land. It sounds strange, but God has a reason.

Moral Purity

Leviticus 18:24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, 25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you 27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), 28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

Just as certain animals were deemed clean or unclean according to their use in pagan worship, there were sexual practices which had been a part of the pagan peoples who had inhabited the promised land prior to the entrance of Israel. This chapter talks about adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, and other sexual perversions which were (and are) not to be practiced.  As usual, God has a picturesque way of telling what will happen when these practices are welcomed: they would be "vomited out" of the land. May we heed this warning in our own culture.

Total Cleansing

 Leviticus 16:23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there. 24 And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. 26 And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 27 And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire. 28 And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

The procedures for offerings on the Day of Atonement are fascinating.  After bringing sin offerings for himself, he then would bring sin and guilt offerings for the people. One goat was a consumed offering and the other sent out of the camp with the guilt of the people. Repeated washings and clean clothes were involved and some even had to be burned. The picture was that there was to be no sin left among them. But there was. They had to do it every year. The blood was insufficient, the cleansing incomplete.  Christ took care of these offerings and cleansings once for all. "Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing flood?"

Prolonged Issues...

Leviticus 15:25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. 27 And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 28 But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting. 30 And the priest shall use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for her unclean discharge.

This is the fourth section of this chapter, which deals with both male and female discharges. God, through Moses, made it clear that natural normal cyclical discharges were not a problem; there was no cleansing needed for them. What he was addressing was prolonged, abnormal issues.  Flash forward to when Jesus dealt with the woman who had a chronic issue of blood, which had haunted her for years, which he healed. Jesus also said it is not what goes into the body, but what comes out which is a problem. What God is looking for is purity and humility of our hearts before Him. 

Not Hopeless after All!

Leviticus 14: 24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25 And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord. 28 And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, in the place where the blood of the guilt offering was put. 29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord. 

This chapter follows yesterday's discussion of leprosy and other skin conditions. There was a clear path to being declared clean, which very much parallels that of sanctifying the priests. You couldn't get any more "holy" than that.  So often we come to see people as hopeless, when God clearly says: "There is a way," and that way is also clear: Christ can do it. May we believe and act accordingly.

That Dreaded Disease!

Leviticus 13:24 “Or, when the body has a burn on its skin and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a spot, reddish-white or white, 25 the priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the spot has turned white and it appears deeper than the skin, then it is a leprous disease. It has broken out in the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a case of leprous disease. 26 But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and it is no deeper than the skin, but has faded, the priest shall shut him up seven days, 27 and the priest shall examine him the seventh day. If it is spreading in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a case of leprous disease. 28 But if the spot remains in one place and does not spread in the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar of the burn.

The concern for the protection of the population here was obvious.  There was also a picture of the holiness God expected of His people.  At times quarantine was necessary to protect others from infection. But this was viewed to be rather rare and temporary.  There was no spiritual judgment of the individual or sense of superiority. After all, the priest had to have contact for inspection to take place. Instead, we find in Jesus' day some who had such infections were shunned, scorned, and judged. People had lost their sense of compassion and hope for healing. How often do we find ourselves pointing and saying (or at least thinking) "Unclean!" May we have more of Christ's compassion.

Clean or Unclean?

Leviticus 11:24 “And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 25 and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26 Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And all that walk on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 28 and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.

One the of things that many find most curious about the Levitical Laws is the distinction between clean and unclean animals.  Some of these things go back to Noah and the animals brought onto the ark. It was for more than a healthy diet that these were given. The main reason was to distinguish the worship of Israel from that of her pagan neighboring cultures with their idol worship.  Everything named clean or unclean - not just animals - was to call attention to Israel as being a set apart people who worshipped only the true and living God. There was nothing they were to have in common with the immoral idol-worshipping people whose land they were to receive or who would surround them after they settled. The key question is: Will we obey what God commands without always questioning His wisdom or His ways?

The First Ordination

22 Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Then he presented Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. 25 Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, 26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. 

If you have ever been to the ordination service for a deacon, elder, priest, missionary, evangelist, or other church leader, it probably was a little different than this first recorded one: that of Aaron and his sons. But the imagery is very powerful here. To serve as priest one had to be truly set apart for service. The blood on the ear, thumb, and toe demonstrated a commitment to hear and speak God's word, to serve Him with one's hands, and to live(walk) in total obedience to Him. God asks no less of us as His priests today - not just the leaders mentioned above, but His whole Kingdom of Priests - each and every confessing follower.

Why Not That?

Leviticus 7:22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat. 24 The fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it. 25 For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people. 26 Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. 27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.”

The reference here is back to the peace offering, detailed in chapter 3, which was for reconciliation and fellowship between God and a sincere worshipper.  Nothing was to be held back for oneself but totally offered to God. In no cases was the blood to be eaten/drunk, as "the life is in the blood", and many pagan rituals involved the drinking of blood. We see here that even animals that died not from sacrifice but were potentially sacrifices were to be treated the same way.  No sacrifice was to be taken lightly or made for any selfish reasons.  All was Holy to the Lord.

Sin Offering Eater

Leviticus 6:24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 

God spent over two chapters giving instructions for the sin offering, when it was to be offered, and by whom.  He now told about what to do with it.  It was to be eaten by the priests who had been made holy for this service.  God was very specific about who, when, and where it was to be eaten. Fast forward to the upper room, where Jesus said: "This is My body, given for you; take and eat." They were being told to eat the sin offering.  In that same setting He told them that they were made holy through their faith in Him. They, and those after them, were His priests, made holy through faith, who gather in remembrance of Him and what He has done.  This pictures God's acceptance of what Christ has done for us, just as the eating of the sin offering by the priest pictured God accepting the sin offering.

Special, Yet the Same

Leviticus 4:22 “When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 23 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, 24 and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. 25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. 26 And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.

It only makes sense that since Exodus ends with the completion of the Tabernacle that this next book, Leviticus, would begin with the offerings brought there in worship.  When we come to chapter 4 we are talking about sin offerings, be it for sins by the priests, the whole people, individual citizens, or in this case by a leader of the people. In comparing the four classes, two distinct characteristics emerge. First, the cost of the sacrifice was greater for the leader than the average citizen. Second, whereas sins by the priests or the whole congregation had the blood taken into the holy place, while those of individuals -even leaders- did not. Sins of leaders are in a sense more important, yet on the other hand, they are not more important than any other citizen. They have greater accountability, but do not deserve special treatment. 

Everything Put into Place

Exodus 40: 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.

In this last chapter of Exodus, the assembly of the Tabernacle has been completed, and the furnishings have all been prepared. It is now move-in day. I remember well our recent move into our home, where we had planned where everything would go and fit just right. Once that was done, we could get on with what we came to do.  That is where Israel was: they had come out of Egypt to worship God. Now they were ready.  What is keeping you from being ready?  What is still not "in place"?  Stop holding back. Get on with putting everything in place.

Dressed for the Occasion...

Exodus 39:22 He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue, 23 and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear. 24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates— 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

God had spelled out all the details for the place of worship. He had also addressed who would represent the people by entering into the temple.  Now the garments were being made for the priest who would do so.  This outer garment was bright but tasteful, with a special added touch: the bells at the bottom. It is said that they were to indicate that the priest inside was still alive.  Since the holiness of God was so profound, warnings were given about not approaching Him presumptuously. If a priest did so, and he were to faint or die inside, no one else could go in after him. It is also said they would put a rope around his foot in order to drag him back if necessary.  Others would be waiting outside, listening intently, while he would offer the prayers of his people to God.  Do we come "dressed" to God, waiting in such humble worship and anticipation?

Major and Measured Investment

Exodus 38: 24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men... 29 The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels;

As Moses wrapped up the details of the building of the Tabernacle, he summarized all the precious metals supplied for the building, of which there was a specific record for each one.  Like other building projects in scripture (the ark, the temple, the palace, etc.), God does keep records. He does the same with time and with lives.  It's not that He is some Scrooge counting every penny (a phrase soon to become extinct), but that He does watch over every detail of what we do and what we give, and how it contributes to or detracts from His plan and our investment in others.  The call to us is to go all out. We will never outdo what He provides. It will be worth it all: each second and each cent, if the goal is to bring Him glory.

 

Not to Be Overlooked

Exodus 37:25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it, 27 and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

Of all the furnishings in and around the temple, the smallest was this altar of incense.  Yet nothing was of any more importance, except perhaps the Ark of the Covenant. This was the continuous reminder of the need to come into God's presence, and in order to do so, be holy.  It is in a sense a "mini-Ark", with the gold and the rings to transport it, just like the ark.  From the perspective of the priests in Jesus' day, it was the one day of fame when they were to be the one to offer the incense, representing the prayers of God's people.  It was far from insignificant, not to be overlooked.  May we not overlook our need for prayer, nor the little opportunities God sends our way to draw us closer to Him and His plan.