Snippets from Leviticus
Leviticus is not an easy book to go through, but there are still lessons to be learned from it. After all, it is all part of God’s Word to His people today, and as such we should at least read through it. Chapters 1-8 tell of the different sorts of offerings and sacrifices the people were to make, and all of these typified in some way the work and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, our sacrifice for sin. So let’s see what we can glean from some of the main points here……
Leviticus Nine…. (v. 1-24) Forgiven!
Verses 1-24….
The burnt offering spoke of Christ’s sufferings; the peace offering showed He has made peace between sinful man and a Holy God; the heave offering and the wave offering both signified other aspects concerning Christ….
We notice that in every case that the animal being offered had to be without blemish or mark….this shows the sinless perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:25-27). What a great performance went into the offering of these sacrifices if they were to be done correctly! How much we have to be thankful for that they were all done away with in Christ’s one great sacrifice on the cross!
These sacrifices were all consummated in Him, giving us a full and perfect salvation whereby our sins are forgiven (1 John 1:9), blotted out (Isaiah 44:22), thrown into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), removed from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and completely forgotten by God (Hebrews 10:17). What a wonderful God He is, dealing with sin in a way that satisfies His holiness, while at the same time extending His love to mankind!
All forgiven, blotted out and gone, Forgotten altogether, never going on,
Christ is our sacrifice complete, We now can worship at His feet.
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Leviticus Ten…. (v. 1-2) The Law of First Mention.
Verses 1-2….
We see here where God had made a ruling and people had deliberately disobeyed it. God meted out His severe punishment of death immediately. The people had just offered their sacrifices to God and seen God’s acceptance of it in the miraculous fire coming and burning it up (chapter 9:22-24), causing them to fall down with their faces to the ground in awe….
Aaron and his sons knew what God required and yet two of them offered this “strange” incense of their own making before God. They were exhibiting the same attitude that Cain had right in the beginning…”my way is good enough, why should I do what God says?”
How many people today have this same way of thinking….”I’m no worse that other people, in fact I’m better than a lot. I don’t have to come God’s way, I’ll get there my way!”
Nadab and Abihu were struck dead on the spot. This is called the “law of first mention”, and it was to show how serious an offence it was in the eyes of God. All those who think they are going to get to heaven their way will find they suffer a double death when they pass over the other side….separation from anything good and from God for ever.
Yet later on, we find that people sinned in this respect and got away with it….this does not mean it is any less serious in God’s eyes, but they will pay for it in a time to come. How often we must do things that are worthy of death and grieve the Lord’s heart!
The people knew what God desired, They did not do what He required,
They burnt the incense their own way, God struck them dead that fateful day.
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Leviticus Ten…. (v. 3-11) Paying the Price.
Verses 3-11….
Aaron was not a strong character…we see how he gave in to the people when he made the golden calf….and here he has no answer when Moses told him that God’s holiness must be respected.
Moses got his cousins to carry the bodies out of the camp for burial and then told Aaron and his two remaining sons that there was to be no official mourning for these two whom the Lord had struck dead. Rather, the whole house of Israel was to wail for the fact that God’s command had been flouted. How often we mourn for people who die out of the Lord, rather than mourn for the sins they have committed!
Aaron and his sons were given additional rules to follow….they were not to leave the tabernacle with the annointing oil fresh on them, and were not to drink alcohol when going before the Lord….they were to be holy before the Lord at all times. What a contrast Eli’s sons were with their wicked manner of life around the tabernacle! (1 Samuel 2:12-17; 22-35) They were a disgrace…God did not strike them dead immediately but they paid the price before Him ultimately.
Aaron’s sons were struck down dead, Because they did their thing instead,
Those who flout God’s righteous law, Will surely pay the price and more.
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Leviticus Ten…. (v. 12-20) The Bread of Life.
Verses 12-20….
Certain of the offerings were for the priest’s daily food (the meat offering, wave and heave offerings). The sin offering was offered first (the goat) and then the bullock and ram were sacrificed for the peace offering….
The blood was sprinkled to signify the covering of sin and then it was waved before the Lord. This was the meat that was for the priests to eat. Our Lord Jesus is typified in all these sacrifices….He offered Himself to God as a sacrifice for sin, thus making peace between God and man. In a sense He was waved before God as He hung on the cross, His blood was shed and those who now come to Him are able to feed on Him through His Word and continually grow in His ways (John 6:51-58).
This particular day, Aaron had not eaten the goat meat that was his due because he felt that his sons had committed such a sin before the Lord that he knew they deserved their fate….how could he eat that which did not atone for his sons’ sin? Those who continually live in sin cannot eat of the heavenly sacrifice.
The offerings all are pictures true, Of things in heaven through and through,
God will judge those who refuse, They cannot gain, but only lose.
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Leviticus Eleven…. (v. 1-47) What’s on the Menu?
Verses 1-47….
People often get confused as to what Christians should or should not eat in the light of this chapter. Most of the banned animals and birds are scavengers in their natural state and the Israelites were not to even touch their dead carcasses without ritual washing afterwards and then they were unclean until the evening hour….
It also seemed that shellfish were banned…a lot of them are scavengers of the sea bed. So what about us as believers today? The apostles recognised that a lot of the law was a form of bondage and that the Gentiles were not bound by these laws of eating except for these things….meat had to be bled properly, blood products were not to be eaten and food that was known to have been offered to idols was not to be touched (Acts 15:29).
Believers were also not to indulge in food or drink that might lead to other weaker people falling into addictions…this is very clearly stated (Romans 14:14-23; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13). Everything that a believer does should be done to the glory of God and in a spirit of thankfulness to God with a clear conscience (1 Corinthians 10:25-31)
Rules were given to Israel of old, For their health and safety they were told,
Today we keep from un-bled meat and blood, In all these things we thank our God.
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Leviticus Twelve…. (v. 1-8) Why Circumcision?
Verses 1-8….
This chapter deals with the rules of birth and this meant circumcision for the male babies. This was very important for the Jewish people and no Jew was considered one unless he was circumcised….
We might wonder why God gave this command but again it was a physical picture of a spiritual truth. It involved cutting away of surplus skin, unnecessary clutter we might liken it to. In the same way God requires His people to be circumcised in heart and mind, not in the flesh, and to cut out that which clutters our minds and is unnecessary, taking away our thoughts from Him (Romans 2:25-29). Circumcision is not a physical rite for believers today, but the spiritual circumcision of the heart is very necessary for spiritual growth (Colossians 2:11-13).
Those who were godly in Israel continued with the practices laid down in this chapter all through the years…we read of how Mary and Joseph obeyed them implicitly at the birth of our Lord (Luke 2:21-24).
The rules of birth were clear and plain, With circumcision considered main,
Today we need to cut right out, That which hinders, fear and doubt.
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Leviticus Twenty-six…. (v. 38-45) God’s Love and Correction.
Verses 38-45….
God sets out in this chapter all the blessings He will give to His people if they obey His Word and follow His commands. They would prosper in the new land, God would be among them and be their God…what more could they ask for?
This was the ultimate for them then and it is still the same for us today….what more can we ask for? But God knew this would not be the case….He knew they would wander away from Him and need correction to bring them back. He made provision for this and said that if they confessed their iniquity to Him and humbled their hearts to come back and walk in His ways again, that He would restore to them the blessings they had forfeited by their wilful ways in sinning.
It is just the same for us….the ultimate is that we abide in Him and His ways (John 15:1-7), that we bear much fruit, and as we delight in Him so He will give us our heart’s desires because then our desires become His desires for us (Psalm 37:3-5). If we however, continue to wander away, then He has to chasten and correct us (Hebrews 12:6-12) and it is only by confessing and repenting of our sin that we can be cleansed again (1 John 1:9). Let us always be on our guard against slackness in our lives regarding the things of the Lord.
God in His love has set us this goal, To abide in Himself, be spiritually whole,
If we should fall, He wants us to turn, Confess our sins and from Him again learn.
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Lessons from Numbers.
The book of Numbers sets forth the way God wanted things to be done, both as they travelled and once they were in the new land. There are many interesting things to be learned from the book of Numbers, so let’s go ahead and get into it…..
Numbers Four…. (v. 1-49) God’s Order.
Verses 1-49….
In this chapter we see the order that God wanted in the service of the tabernacle….each of the three sons of Levi were given different areas to work in….
Those who were descended from Kohath had the jobs of packing and carrying and setting up the inside of the tabernacle as they moved through the wilderness. It was the job of the high priest to see to the packing and handling of the things in the Most Holy Place….no other person was entitled to even look in at these items, let alone touch anything on pain of death.
Gershon’s family had the jobs of attending to the outside coverings of the tabernacle and the curtains of the courtyard around it, while Merari’s family attended to the boards and poles that held everything together.
We see that God was a God of order then and today He has His order in the church gatherings which we are to observe and obey in the same way. People are speak plainly in a language that is understood by all. Only one at a time is to speak; women are not to speak in the church services; everything is to be done decently and in order….these things are specifically God’s order (1 Corinthians 14:2-35). Everyone has a different sort of thing that they are good at and this is the area they are to serve in (Romans 12:6-8).
Levi’s tribe were the ones to pack, The tabernacle as they went down the track,
So today God’s order is plainly given, When praise is offered to God in heav’n
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Numbers Eight…. (v. 1-26) Who Serves?
Verses 1-26….
In this chapter we have the Levites appointed to do the service in the tabernacle. Just as God had taken every first-born child for Himself, so He now made all the Levites representative of this group to do the actual work around the tabernacle…..
They were to serve the priests by doing the dirty work and cleaning up from the ages of 25-50. After that, they could minister with the priests.
What a contrast to believers now! God has ordained that ALL believers are a kingdom of priests, and as such ALL can approach God in prayer and praise at any time. ALL believers can offer the sacrifices of prayer and praise and indeed ALL believers are to offer themselves
A living sacrifice to God in body, soul and spirit for the service of building up others.
We notice too that the Levites were to be cleansed before they could serve and believers today are to keep themselves cleansed at all times before they think of serving God…an uncleansed or dirty person in thought or action CANNOT serve the Lord acceptably.
The Levites’ job was serving priests, In making sacrifice of lambs and beasts,
Today we sacrifice our praise, Our self and service all our days.
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Numbers Nine and Ten…. (v. 15-23; 10:11-36) To Move or Not.
Verses 15-23; 10:11-36….
We have already seen how the people knew when to move or stay by the cloud of God’s glory hovering over the tabernacle. Once it had been finished and set up, then the cloud of God came down and rested over it…..
It was a white cloud during the day, and a glowing red cloud at night. When it was time to move, the cloud would rise up and the people knew it was time to pack up. God gave the people the order in which they were to travel…Judah, Issachar and Zebulon set off in front; then the tabernacle tents and building were dismantled and carried by the families of Gershon and Merari.
Three more tribes moved into formation next and the Kohathites moved in carrying the furniture of the tabernacle with the rest of Israel behind them. This gave time for the tabernacle to be set up ready for the Kohathites to ;put the furniture straight into place when they arrived.
Their first move was three days’ journey in the second year of their travel….God’s cloud indicated when they moved and when they stayed. Believers are to make sure they take God into account when ,making plans, as no-one knows what tomorrow will bring, it is only as the Lord allows (James 4:13-15).
When Israel saw God’s cloud up lift, They knew it was the time to shift,
Tomorrow is an unknown day, And we must seek God’s every way.
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Numbers Eleven…. (v. 1-17) More Complaints!
Verses 1-17….
The people started to complain again….this displeased the Lord and He sent fire among them and many died. Moses prayed for them and the fire ceased. This shows us how much God detests complaints. To complain about our circumstances is really to complain against God…..
Then the mixed bunch of foreigners who had gone with them started more discontent…they were tired of the type of food that God was providing. They were hankering for the sort of food they had had in Egypt. Moses felt that all this was too much for him to bear alone, so the Lord ordained seventy others to help him in these situations.
How often we see the same sort of thing in churches today! Those who just hang around on the edges start complaining with the way things are done and want extra action that the world has. They are not satisfied with what the Word teaches and feeds them on, but want entertainment that takes them away from this solid base.
The more they get, the more they want and this stirs up discontent or causes the leadership to try to satisfy them without success. God does not want His people to complain, He wants them to call on Him for help (Psalm 50:15). If they continue with their complaints, He sometimes allows them to have what they want but it is not for their good in the long run, and they pay for it in the end (Psalm 106:13-15).
The people wanted more and more, Complained and moaned, and then asked for,
Their requests were given at a cost, Their lusts fulfilled, but blessings lost.
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Numbers Eleven…. (v. 18-35) Problems Solved.
Verses 18-35….
Moses called on the Lord for help in this situation, and He provided the solution. In God’s economy there is no room for a one man leadership….there is to be group leadership to bear the burden and to stop one man becoming a dictator…
God’s Spirit rested on these seventy men and they were strengthened for the task ahead, and the people recognised this as they spoke of God’s things.
Joshua felt that the two men who had not gone with the others were prophesying out of turn, but Moses didn’t feel that. He wished that everyone in the camp would prophesy! The same sort of thing happened with the Lord and His disciples and He had to rebuke them saying that those who were not against them were for them. We too have to be careful that we don’t condemn others who are apparently doing a work for the Lord with obvious blessing. How easy it is to criticize others!
But the people were still hankering for meat and the Lord gave it to them in such abundance that they overate and made themselves sick . Many died as a result. This was another case of God knowing what was best for the people….He had said that the manna was sufficient (Heaven’s food), but no, they wanted more (Egypt’s food). How careful we have to be that we don’t hanker for what the world offers which is nothing more than emptiness and harmfulness!
Moses felt it a heavy load, As the people moaned along the road,
God gave others the load to bear, The burden lightened with them to share.
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Numbers Twelve…. (v. 1-16) God’s Thoughts on Racism.
Verses 1-16….
Now we see Miriam and Aaron complaining about Moses as a man of God….how often are we guilty of the same thing? We see that it was pride of race and family behind these thoughts….they didn’t like this black woman (Ethiopian woman) to be part of their family….
We have to be so careful not to allow pride to make us speak out of turn! God took a very dim view of their back chat, and made a public example of Miriam by causing her to become leprous. Aaron had to humble himself before Moses, the one he had been talking against, for intercession to heal Miriam.
They had no valid reason for complaint against Moses, it was only prejudice against his new wife, and the place she had in his life. God pointed out to them that there had never been another man like their brother who He spoke to by voice and it was by His choice, not Moses’ that he was their leader (chapter 7:89).
The whole camp came to a standstill because of Miriam’s sin, and any blatant sin that is not dealt with will halt a church’s progress today. Complaints and bickering are both sin in God’s eyes and must be dealt with before further progress can be made.
Miriam and Aaron were full of complaints, It was Moses this time they were against,
God spoke for His servant, sent Miriam out, Let us be careful lest we follow suit!
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Numbers Thirteen…. (v. 1-3, 17-33) Another Test!
The people of Israel now faced another test which God knew very well they would fail. It was time to move forward into the Promised Land. They had been brought out of Egypt for this very purpose…..
They had seen His protection and provision for them thus far on their trip and how He dealt with blatant sin and disobedience and now they were to move forwards in obedience to go into the land.
Twelve men were sent into the land to spy it out and bring back a report of what it was like. They were away for forty days (there is that number forty again, the number of testing) and they came back with a glowing report of the land itself. BUT there were giants living there they said, and they felt they couldn’t take it.
Out of the twelve who went in, only Caleb and Joshua had faith that God could give it to them, and all the others howled them down and caused the people to be faint-hearted. How often we see people today who show an interest in the things of God, they look into it and see the blessings there, but then think of what they MIGHT be missing out on if they do, and refuse to go any further! Once this decision is made, there is no further opportunity and they just become hardened and remain in the world (Hebrews 6:4-6; 2 Peter 2:20-22).
For those who went and spied out the land, Forgot all God had done with His mighty hand,
Now they must move forwards in faith and trust, In obedience to God whose Word is just.
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Numbers Fourteen…. (v. 1-45) The Missed Blessing.
Once again the people wept and turned against Moses…”Let’s make a captain who will take us back to Egypt!”, they cried, “We’ll all die if we try to go into this new land!”
God’s patience came to an end with this lot of complaints, and he told Moses that He would destroy the lot of them, and make a nation from him (Moses). But Moses begged the Lord to pardon their sin….he reminded the Lord of His mercy in the past and how the onlooking nations would say that they always thought that Israel would never make it (Deuteronomy 9:23-29).
God listened to Moses’ prayer and granted it. Yet the people paid for their sin and unbelief in the fact that God said they would wander in the wilderness the rest of their lives…they would indeed die without seeing the new land! (Psalm 106:23-26) Sometimes God takes us at our word when we complain and we miss out entirely on what He wants us to have.
The next generation in Israel would be the ones to enter the new land under the guidance of Caleb and Joshua who gave a good and positive report, while the other ten spies died immediately for their lack of faith. Those who refuse to step forward in faith today will never have God’s peace in their lives and will ultimately suffer eternal separation from God.
Those who turned from the land that was best, Never knew God’s ;peace or His rest,
They wandered and died in the wilderness, And missed out seeing how God would bless.
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Numbers Sixteen…. (v. 1-50) God’s View of Rebellion.
Verses 1-50….
Once again we see the people rise up against Moses and Aaron and their leadership…there were three ringleaders, Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and they stirred up 250 others to go to Moses and challenge his leadership and the order of the tabernacle (completely overlooking the fact that it was God’s order, not Moses’)…..
Moses spoke to Korah first and told him he was out of place wanting to do the priest’s job of burning the incense to the Lord….he already had his job around the tabernacle as a Levite. Moses then called for the other two to come before the Lord, but they refused and blamed Moses for getting them nowhere.
He told them to come the next day before the Lord with their censors in their hands and God Himself would choose between them. Once again God told Moses that He would destroy the whole lot of them, but Moses and Aaron interceded for them.
Next day, these three men along with their wives and families came an stood defiantly before the tabernacle. Moses told everyone else to separate from them, and that they were defying God and His order….if God would cause an earthquake to come, then it was His doing, not Moses!
The ground began to rumble and roar and a large cleft in the ground opened up under their feet and these men were all swallowed up. The ground came together again leaving everyone else thunderstruck. Lightning then came and ran along the ground, burning up the other 250 men who had taken on themselves the work of the priests in offering incense to God.
This incident shows us how serious it is to step out of line in God’s order of things…..God has not changed and He still takes as dim a view today of those who stir up trouble and rebellion against His Word. But that was not all….the people then blamed Moses for the death of these men. As a punishment from God, a plague went among them and over fourteen thousand people died in it.
Let us take heed we step not out of line, Of what God has told us and what He’s defined,
God has not changed, His view still the same, Sin will be punished, rebellion brings shame.
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Numbers Seventeen…. (v. 1-13) God’s Choice.
Verses 1-13….
The matter of leadership in the Tabernacle service still wasn’t resolved even after the people had seen God at work in the matter of Korah’s rebellion. God knew what was simmering away under the surface, and He told Moses to get the chief man of each tribe to bring their rods (sticks) with their names written on them to the Tabernacle and He would make it abundantly clear who He wanted as the priestly line to serve Him….
God told Moses that one of the rods (which every man carried as protection and support) would come to life and sprout leaves and blossoms which was an impossibility normally. So they did this and brought their twelve rods which were then taken into the sanctuary of the Tabernacle and left there overnight.
The next morning they were brought out again in the sight of all the people, and there was Aaron’s rod with blossoms on it….not only that, but even more amazing it had almonds on it as well as the blossoms! God told Aaron to display it to the people and then take it into the tabernacle again and leave it there as a token of his priesthood to stop the people complaining again (Hebrews 9:3-4).
We must be very careful that we do things according to God’s order and not complain against others who are doing God’s work in a godly manner. We must remember that God takes a dim view of those who change His order to follow other ways.
God made it clear and plain to all, Who He wanted, who He’d called,
The rods were taken overnight, Aaron’s budded, what a sight!
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Numbers Eighteen…. (v. 1-7) God’s Priesthood.
Verses 1-7….
God once more told Aaron that the priesthood was to be from his descendents….no-one else was to serve as a priest representing the people before God. But with this privilege, there came great responsibility….
The New Testament makes it quite clear that ALL believers are priests of God (1 Peter 2:9), ALL believers have individual access to God at any time through the Lord Jesus Christ , but as such, ALL are to live holy lives ( 1 Peter 1:15-16).….the priests of old times had to observe and keep all God’s rules or they would be struck dead. This should be a lesson to us to live godly lives if we want to please the Lord.
God also made it clear that no foreigner could ever serve as a priest…..this show us that no one who is not a true born-again believer should take a place of authority in the body of God’s people. On the other hand, all those who are not Jews today, and who are born-again believers are regarded as part of the kingdom of priests that Peter writes about; they are able to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to God, not pleasing themselves but Him (Romans 12:1); they are also able to give the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to Him (Psalm 116:17). What a difference and privilege this is! (Ephesians 2:19-22)
The priests of old were Aaron’s son, None else could serve for God’s will to be done,
Today believers to His priesthood belong, Able to serve in worship and song.
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Numbers Twenty…. (v. 1-6) Dry Areas.
Verses 1-6….
The account of Israel moving towards the Promised Land is a mixture of God’s ideals for them and of their failures along the way. This is a picture of ourselves as we travel life’s journey to our Promised Land….
We all have our ups and downs, but it is up to us to make our “ups” continue and not allow the “downs” to bury us in misery. In this chapter we see that the people have yet another test ahead of them….no water again! How often we need to be shown that the world has nothing to offer our souls!
No amount of education, qualification, competition, sport, culture or travel can equal what God has to offer us through His Word, and meeting with His people. Instead of the people calling on God for help here, they complained to Moses and wished they were back in Egypt! How short their memories of their bondage there were!
We need to remember constantly that the world has nothing to offer a believer, except the breaking down of God’s order all around us, and pulling down all morality and goodness! Family life has gone out the door, with no values or self discipline being taught and no boundaries of right and wrong for people. God’s patience is long, but it will come to an end one day….it is no wonder that He gives up on people and allows them to wallow in problems of their own making! (Romans 1:21-32)
Israel again no water could find, And wished for the land they’d left behind,
The world has nothing to offer today, Nothing as good as following God’s way!
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Numbers Twenty…. (v. 7-13) Another Test.
Verses 7-13….
It is wonderful the way that God uses pictures and symbols to teach us His truths! The people were dry and thirsty in the wilderness, and believers get dry and thirsty in their souls in the world system….
We are told plainly that God is our Rock and that Christ was as a rock to the people as they travelled through the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:1-12). Moses had already had the experience of striking a rock before to bring water to them in their time of need, and this was a picture of how Christ would be struck by God on the cross to bring the Water of Life to thirsty people on their wilderness journey (figuratively) .
This time, God told Moses to SPEAK to the rock in front of the people and the water would come. But Moses in his frustration with these complaining people struck the rock, not just once, but twice, thus destroying the spiritual picture of Christ suffering ONCE for sin. Nevertheless, the water gushed out to satisfy the people’s thirst.
As a result of Moses’ impulsive action, God would not allow him to actually go into the land when they got there, but he died before that time. In the same way, people who think they have to WORK for their salvation, and that Christ’s sacrifice is not sufficient will never get to heaven, but suffer separation from God for ever.
Moses was told to bring the people before God, To SPEAK to the rock, not hit with the rod,
But Moses in angry frustration that day, Hit the rock twice, destroying God’s way,
The picture was gone, the symbol was spoiled, Nevertheless God’s plan wasn’t foiled.
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Numbers Twenty…. (v. 14-29) Edom Attacks Israel.
Verses 14-29….
Edom (descendents of Esau) has always been a picture of the flesh, that part of man that rebels against God. Here we see Israel seeking permission to pass through their land along the main highway….
Edom refused to allow this and tried to block them on their journey to the promised land. In the same way, believers still have the flesh (the old nature) with them to block them from the enjoyment of the things of God. Things such as being too busy with work or other interests that take time, or simply being too tired or lazy to fit in a time for the Lord during their day (Romans 7:18-19, 23).
Israel had to skirt around the borders of Edom, and so a believer must leave the unnecessary things (no matter how interesting or nice they may be) to one side and make the things of God a priority in their lives. Christians are in the world, but not of it (John 17:14-16). We are to keep away from doubtful situations, to flee from the lusts of the flesh, shut the door on them and to skirt around them (2 Timothy 2:22).
The time had now come for Aaron to lay down his earthly body, and God told Moses to pass the mantle of the priesthood on to Aaron’s son in the sight of everybody. So Aaron, Moses’ great support in many ways, died and was mourned for, without seeing the promised land.
Edom, a picture of the flesh within, Is like God’s people keeping away from sin,
The world has nothing to offer God’s ones, Nothing compares with God’s loved Son.
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Numbers Twenty-one…. (v. 1-9) More Testing.
Verses 1-9….
Satan never gives up easily on attacking a believer …if he can’t get at them one way, he tries another. We see Israel here has travelled around Edom and is now attacked from the south by the Canaanites and some are taken prisoner…..
They cried to the Lord and said that if He helped them, they would completely wipe out the enemy. The Lord did enable them to do this and they destroyed them. In the same way the believer must look to God for victory in life’s skirmishes. With faith and trust in Him we can vanquish our enemies of fear, doubt and unbelief. As we remind ourselves that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7b), we will find these enemies disappear. We may have to do this frequently, but it never fails.
It is very easy to become discouraged, and Israel was no exception….we often find after some great and uplifting experience, that more testing will immediately follow. Let us not be like Israel and fall to complaining about our lot. God sent immediate chastisement on them in the form of poisonous biting snakes. They cried to Moses to pray for them, and God told him what to do to stop the plague. When we are in spiritual distress, we must confide in godly people and ask them to pray for us (James 5:16).
God told Moses to make a brass snake and put it high on a pole so all could see it. As they looked towards it, they would be healed….this is a wonderful picture of Christ lifted high on the cross bearing our judgment there (brass speaks of judgment) and those who look to Him are healed of their sin (John 3:14-16). Mankind CANNOT heal themselves of their sin!
As the people cried to be whole, Moses put a snake up on a pole,
So Christ was raised upon the cross, To save us from eternal loss.
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Numbers Twenty-one…. (v. 10-35) Keep on Keeping On!.
Verses 10-35….
Israel kept on the move….God was not going to let them settle down in one place in the wilderness for too long. In the same way, believers need to be reminded that this world is not their home….their citizenship is in heaven and they are just passing through it…..
By keeping moving, it kept Israel in the mode of travel and reminded them that they had not reached their goal yet. Once more they wanted to pass through the Amorites’ borders, but they were refused permission and attacked. This time Israel didn’t flee but resisted them and got the victory. There are times in our lives when we need to stand up against the fleshly desires and temptations, and get the victory over bad habits for good.
As we do this, it is as though we are already in God’s land and we are able to rejoice in Him and His things. Just as in Israel’s time, there will continually be things that reear their heads and need dealing with before we can enjoy the peace of God in our hearts and minds. Life on earth is a continual journey of warfare and being on guard against those things that take our mind off the Lord…we have so many distractions around us and evil is present in our homes so readily if we allow them to be. We must learn to use these tools carefully, and not for the evil that they present so blatantly.
Israel was moving through the land, Led by God’s Almighty hand,
Believers too, must keep on guard, Moving on though things be hard.
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Numbers Twenty-two…. (v. 1-19) Temptation Again.
Verses 1-19….
This chapter is the first of three chapters of the story of Balaam and Balak . We see here how persistent and subtle the temptations of the evil one are! Balak seems a straightforward character….he felt threatened by these strange wandering people and he wanted them cursed…
He was afraid that his land would be taken over as his neighbours’ lands had been. Balaam is a more complex person….at first glance it seems that he did the right thing, but a closer look shows that his heart wasn’t right before God. Balaam had a reputation that he could bless and curse people and it would come to pass, so he was the logical one for Balak to contact.
At the fist visit, Balaam asked God what he should do and God gave him a clear answer …”Don’t do it”. He sent this message back to Balak. This was the right thing for him to have done and it should have been left there. We see here the great truth about God’s character….He cannot lie or change His mind. At times it seems that He does, but the end result is always the same…He says “the soul that sins shall die!” (Ezekiel 18:20-23, 30-32) and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). If He says to not do a thing, DON’T do it!
But Balak didn’t give in that easily, and he tried again. How often we get tempted a second time on a matter! Like Eve, we hear the temptation again, take a second look, get consumed by the desire and then fall for it! (Genesis 3:1-6)
Balak was afraid he’d lose his land, Be taken over by this wandering band,
Balaam was told by God that day, Don’t curse these ones, they’re going My way!
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Numbers Twenty-two…. (v. 19-27) Results of Disobedience.
Verses 19-27….
Balak was determined not to give in and tried again with even more temptation…this time in the social sphere. Higher princes visited with more promotions promised…..
How often we find it harder to resist the temptation the second time round! Paul recognised this and gave us the solution to overcome…he pointed out that spiritual battles are fought in the mind and need spiritual armour to guard us and enable the victory. Truth, (God’s truth), righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and most of all the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).
God had given Balaam his instructions and there was no need for him to ask a second time. When we see instructions for living in the Bible, we don’t have to pray about what we should do, we need to pray for strength to shut the temptation out of our mind! A wrong association or friendship needs to be nipped right at the beginning, no matter how right it might seem to the other person! Never think that you are strong enough to handle this on your own! (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)
It was the fact that Balaam wavered in the face of God’s first command that made God angry. Then we have the account of Balaam’s talking donkey….the scene is hilarious with the donkey seeing God’s angel and Balaam then thrashing it….but how often we are more like Balaam than like his wise ass!
Balaam’s ass was more wise than he, It stopped when the angel it did see,
It seems a shame that God should use, An ass when Balaam should have refused.
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Numbers Twenty-two…. (v. 28-41) Balaam Stopped.
Verses 28-41….
We read here of the greatest miracle of all…the donkey speaks to Balaam! It seems that he was so angry that he answered it back without thinking!
Then God opened Balaam’s eyes so he could see the angel standing there with a sword ready to strike him. Balaam’s anger disappeared immediately and he fell down on the ground on his face before this heavenly vision…it we were only more aware of God’s presence, this would be our reaction too. We are not in awe of God enough….His holiness and Majesty are far greater than we can imagine! Because we don’t physically see this, doesn’t make it any less real! Once we realise this, we see what sinners we are in the flesh and this is what Balaam said…”I have sinned”. He didn’t realise what a dim view God was taking of his disobedience and we are exactly the same.
Notice where Balaam was heading…to Balak and the high place of the idol Baal where Balak was offering sacrifices to evil. We have no business to dabble in the things of darkness and evil, and are to keep well away at all time from these things (Ephesians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
Balaam’s ass now spoke aloud, And Balaam before the angel bowed,
God had stopped him on that day, To make him see how wrong his way!
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Numbers Twenty-three…. (v. 1-30) Balaam Wanting.
Verses 1-30….
This account of Balaam appears on the surface that he is doing what God wanted him to, but if we go back to his first instructions we see that God had told him categorically to NOT go with these men….
Israel was a blessed people and would not be cursed. This is what Balaam should have kept to….”I will NOT go with you”. But here he is going, and every time asking God again “What do I say?”
This is like when we see a specific ruling in God’s Word concerning a matter, but we want to find a way around it. If we keep going long enough looking for a loophole, we will find it somehow, but we ourselves will not be blessed. We read that God gave them (Israel) another time their request, but sent leanness into their lives as a result (Psalm 106:13-15). It is like a Christian becoming attached to a non Christian partner and praying about the relationship when God says specifically to NOT do it! It can never work for the best (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
When God states something clear and plain, He does NOT change His mind. Israel was a blessed people and this Balak did not want to hear. Three times Balak tried to get Balaam to curse Israel and three times Balaam pronounced a blessing. It seems on the surface that Balaam was doing the right thing and yet we are told in the New Testament that his heart was not right before God and that he was really wanting the reward that Balak promised (Jude 1:11).
Israel was to be blessed indeed, Naught Balak did would change this creed,
Balaam tried three times to curse, But all he could say was “May God bless”.
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Numbers Twenty-four…. (v. 1-25) Israel Blessed.
Verses 1-25….
It seems that Balaam, although he did say what God told him to, didn’t really want to see Israel blessed. It seems as though he was playing around with black magic as much as he was listening to God…..
He relied on “enchantments” for his prophesying and when he took his eyes off these, then the Spirit of God came upon him (notice, it was not within him) and he felt that his eyes were opened and he was able to bless Israel wholeheartedly in spite of Balak’s displeasure. Not only that, but God gave him a prophecy of the end of Balak’s kingdom when the “Star of Jacob and the Sceptre of Israel” would rule (this refers to our Lord Jesus Christ) and do this, making mention that He is the One who has complete dominion and control of the world (this is still to happen). So Balak returned to his place and Balaam went back home, but not before they had made another plan to make Israel to sin….how often the flesh works subtly in our lives to offer temptation to make us sin and lose God’s blessing!
All things work together for good, For those who follow God as they should,
Naught can harm or curse God’s ones, For He protects us by His Son.
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Numbers Twenty-five…. (v. 1-29) Another Failed Test.
Verses 1-29….
God gave Israel another test here, a more subtle one. He allowed Israel to stay there for a while, long enough for them to get friendly with the local heathen people. ….
We are also told that Balaam had gone secretly to the people of Moab and got them to set out to captivate the men of Israel with their womenfolk, to make alliances with them, socially (chapter 31:16) . It was a test that Israel failed dismally in and it is a test that we have to be ready to pass today. If we are to abide in Christ actively, we cannot afford to flirt with the world; on the other hand while we are abiding in Him, we are safe from the attraction of the world (John 15:4-5, 14). There is no room in the human soul for both the world and for God, one pushes the other into a corner; one flourishes and one fades.
Because Israel fell into the trap that Balaam set, God’s anger came upon them, and He told them that all those who were involved in this idolatry and immorality were to be put to death. They didn’t do this, and God sent a plague upon them where 24,000 of them died.
Tests abound in all of life, Tests to try and temptations rife;
To abide in Christ is our ultimate aim, Have strength in Him and keep from shame.
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Numbers Twenty-five…. (v. 10-18) The Penalty of Sin.
Verses 10-18….
Humans are so immersed in sin that we fail to realise the abhorrence that God has for it…it seems harsh to humans to see God’s wrath against sin. But sin has to be dealt with before God’s anger is abated……
In this case it was Phinehas who turned away God’s anger from consuming the whole nation by getting rid of the root cause in executing these two who blatantly defied God’s rules. We are so brainwashed today by the world’s philosophy, that without God’s Word as our plumbline we would go with the flow too.
It was God’s abhorrence of sin that cause Him to part with His son and see Him suffer on the cross for man’s sin. Once sin’s penalty was paid, death had no further hold on the Son of God and He rose again in triumph with Satan being defeated for ever from the stranglehold he had on human beings!
But in the end evil must be put away and God told Israel to drive out and destroy the Midianites before they totally overcame Israel. What a lot of lessons in all of this for us today!
Sin demands death as the Scriptures say, As Israel found to their sorrow that day,
Without our Lord’s death upon the tree, We’d have no hope for eternity.
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Numbers TwentySix…. (v. 1-65) How Many?
Verses 1-65….
God told Moses to number those who were old enough to go to war (twenty years old and upward)…these were all men who had left Egypt….
So verses 5-51 give a detailed list of the numbers of the different families and tribes. The total came to 601,730 men. God ordained that the larger tribes would receive more land than the smaller ones, but this was still some years in the future when it would be the next generation that would take possession of the new land.
The tribe of Levi as the keepers of the tabernacle (and later, the temple). Would not receive a lump area of land but they were given cities and fields in various parts of the country. We come to Moses’ family tree in verses 58-60 and see where the priestly line was established from…the obedient sons of Aaron (Eleazor and Ithamar). An additional 23,000 men from the tribe of Levi were added to the total.
But of all these people, only two remained who actually went into the Promised Land due to disobedience and complaining and lack of faith…Joshua and Caleb who were both faithful men and men of faith.
The number of those who left Egypt’s land, And now had become a wandering band,
Forty years long they paid their debt, Until sin’s penalty was fully met.
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Numbers Twenty-seven…. (v. 1-23) A New Era Begins.
Verses 1-23….
There were five sisters, the daughters of Zelophehad who had no brother, and they could see that they might miss out on a part in the new land. They went to Moses about it, and Moses took the matter to the Lord and the new ruling was given concerning this case….
If there were no sons in a family, the daughters were to inherit the land. If a man had no children at all, his inheritance was to go to the nearest male relative. Whatever happened, the land was not to be taken from that the tribe of that particular man. This was a ruling that was to last through Israel and this explains why Boaz in the story of Ruth had the right to buy Naomi’s land if he married Ruth (Ruth 3:12-13).
God now told Moses that he would not be able to enter the Promised Land due to his disobedience in striking the rock the second time. But if he went to the top of a nearby mountain, he would be able to see it all before he died.
Moses’ main concern was to find the right man to follow him, who could lead the people into the land, the man who God wanted. He must have been so pleased when God appointed his faithful servant Joshua for this task. Moses took Joshua to the priest in the sight of all the people and he was appointed Moses’ successor. We see that Joshua was to get his instructions from God via the High Priest….he didn’t speak to God directly as Moses did….and he was only to act on the directions from the Urim and Thumim which the priest wore strapped on his chest (Exodus 28:29-30). This way of direction from God lasted until Israel had returned from the captivity in Nehemiah’s time (Ezra 2:63).
Now it was time for Moses to die, His task was done, his time was nigh,
But that would leave a glaring need, Who would then the people lead?
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Numbers Thirty-one…. (v. 1-54) Moses’ Last Battle.
Verses 1-54….
God had one last job for Moses to do, and that was to see that the Midianites were destroyed. This reminds us that even into old age, a believer is not free from the annoyances of the flesh…aches and pains creep in and we have to go places and do things that we don’t like! Let’s make sure that we bear these things cheerfully, thus putting down the actions of the flesh….
Yet in spite of the victory of Israel and the execution of Balaam who cause Israel to sin , some of the Midianites escaped and came to light again in the time of the Judges. So it is that we can never get complete victory over our fleshly thoughts and ways while we are in this body (Romans 7:17-18), but we are to subdue and crucify it (Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:17-25)).
God told Moses to share the booty from the Midianites fairly among all the people….those who went to war and those who didn’t. There were animals, gold and silver ornaments and young girls apportioned out. In the same way we must recognise other people’s needs and share what we have with others.
Just as Israel the enemy subdued, So the believer must the flesh eschew,
All we have must be lightly held, And all desires be quickly quelled.
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Numbers Thirty-two…. (v. 1-42) Don’t Get Discouraged.
Verses 1-42….
Some of the people went to Moses and said they had gone far enough…they wanted to settle in the land they had already conquered. But Moses was afraid this would discourage the rest of the people from continuing….
He had already seen how a few could discourage a whole group! But they promised that their armed men would continue with the others until all was sorted out. Moses put the matter back on them by saying OK, but if they failed to keep their word they would be sinning against God and would have Him to deal with.
So half the tribes of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben settled their families where they were while their armed men continued with the rest of the people. As believers, we must always aim to be as encouraging to others as we can to others (3 John 1:5-8). We have the example of Priscilla and Aquila who supported Paul in his work (Romans 16:3-4). We may not be up-front people in the church, but we can all be encouragers by our attitude, speech and the mere fact that we attend regularly!
Always be there encouraging others, Be cheerful and there to help our brothers,
To support and encourage wherever we can, Make this is our aim towards fellow man.
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Numbers Thirty-three…. (v. 1-56) Moses Recaps the Journey.
Verses 1-56….
Moses had kept a written record of the journeys of Israel…his early training in the kings palace would have taught him to write. It is generally accepted that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible….
So in this chapter we read of all the places they stopped in during the forty years of travelling (verses 2-38). Then there were another three years of stops and starts until they finally reached the River Jordan. It was here that Goad gave Moses strict instructions to completely wipe out all the inhabitants and their pagan worship items before they moved in to stay.
This might seem harsh to the human rights people of today, but God had been very patient with them over the years….He had given them well over four hundred years to repent in and they had just gone from bad to worse (Genesis 15:13-16). Not only was the idolatry to be destroyed, but God warned them that if they didn’t do this, these heathen nations would be a nuisance to them all their days (Judges 11:5). How true that has proved to be!
It is the same for us as believers…if we don’t get rid of all that takes our attention off God and that hinders us in living whole heartedly for Him, then these things will become a snare to us and continue to plague us in trying to live a Christian life.
As we go along life’s way, Changes come from day to day,
We must deal with hindrances great, If we would walk as God does state.
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Numbers Thirty-four…. (v. 1-16) Boundaries.
Verses 1-16….
In this passage the borders of the land were clearly marked out…from the Great Sea (Mediterranean) on the west to the sea of Chinnerath (Galilee) and the river Jordan down to the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) on the east….
Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh were already given their land on the eastern side of Jordan. This was the land that God had promised Abraham over five hundred years earlier that He would give to his descendents, and now it was to become a reality. Today some of the area is still known as the nation of Israel.
As believers, we too have the borders clearly spelled out for us when we get to God’s promised land in Heaven…it will be unlimited! Israel’s journey through the wilderness during those forty years is but a picture of our testing time (40 being the number of testing) during our journey through this life on the way to our Promised Land (John 14:2-3).
People are always concerned with what they must DO to gain God’s favour or earn their way to heaven, but God gives us a list of things to NOT do before a list of things to DO (Colossians 3:5-24). These things are within the reach of every single human being…if our attitudes are right, the right deeds will follow.
Israel‘s borders were clearly defined, Within which they were to stay aligned,
Believers can only rejoice in the Lord, As they stay within boundaries across the board.
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Numbers Thirty-six…. (v. 1-13) Sharing the Land.
Verses 1-13….
The men of Galead were concerned that the women who were land holders by right of inheritance would marry outside their tribe and thus the land would be split up and go to another tribe…..
They went to Moses about this matter and Moses took their concerns to the Lord. Further instructions were given that women in this situation were to only marry within their own tribe to keep the land intact. So this problem was solved without any further trouble.
In the same way, believers are instructed to only marry another believer (1 Corinthians 7:39). There are enough problems in marriage without compounding them deliberately! It is hard enough to bring up children for the Lord in a Christian family and where there are split loyalties within a family, they invariably follow the parent who is not a Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14).
God’s rules are always given for very good reasons and always for our own good, so let us take heed to them. Trying to “possess” the land and live in the joy of the Lord is hard enough in a Christian environment, let alone in one split because of fundamental differences!
God laid down rules so clear and plain, For those who then the land would claim,
So those who would the Lord obey, Must wed within the rules today.
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