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NUMBERS Chapters 8-9

Spiritual Leaders are God’s Gifts

Week 7 – Day 1

                Every Godly pastor is a gift from God. “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it….it was He who gave some to be…pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” (Ephesians 4:7, 11-12) God has always chosen individual men to be used as spiritual leaders.

                God had planned to dedicate the firstborn son as a priest for each family until the events in Exodus 32. Then He chose the Levites to serve the priests in the Tabernacle. God said, “…they are the Israelites who are given wholly to Me. I have taken them as My own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.” (8:16)

                Since God gave His first and only Son as a sacrifice every believer is a priest. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” (I Peter 2:9) Each believer has access to God through Jesus. “…Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.” (Hebrews 7:24)

NUMBERS Chapters 10-11

God’s People are Never Alone

Week 7 – Day 2

                One of the great benefits of belonging to the Lord is that we are never alone. God instructed Israel to sound trumpets to give notice of God’s presence directing their lives. He provided a cloud by day and fire by night. He told Moses He would distribute his burdens on others to help him. God said, “…I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” (11:17) God let His presence be known by sending fire to punish and quail to feed the people.

                When Christ is the Lord of your life He never lets you go through life alone. When He was preparing to die He said, “…I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you.” (John 16:7) Whatever you’re going through you are not alone when Jesus is your Savior.

NUMBERS Chapters 12-14

What Does the Lord Hear?

Week 7 – Day 3

                We know for certain that He hears complainers complaining. Miriam and Aaron used Moses wife as an excuse to complain that they weren’t as important as Moses. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? ...Hasn’t He also spoken through us? ‘And the Lord heard this.” (12:2) The spies who gave a negative report said, “We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are.” (13:31) The people said, “Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword…?” (14:3) Listen to God’s response. “How long will this wicked community grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.” (14:27)

                What the Israelites were saying by their complaints was that God didn’t care about them and that He wasn’t all powerful to take care of them. They were saying they didn’t believe God nor trust Him. God heard Caleb’s and Joshua’s words of faith and rewarded them. Jesus said, “…by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)

NUMBERS Chapters 15-16

God Resistant Flesh

Week 7 – Day 4

                Bacteria and viruses can build immunity to medicine. In like manner the fallen nature of man resists a holy god. God offers fallen man many opportunities to learn the joy of being with Him and obeying His will. Paul said, “For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8)

                Israel’s behavior in chapters fifteen and sixteen is a good illustration showing how rebellious man’s heart is. It’s our nature to resist God. The people of Israel see Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their families destroyed by God because of their rebellion and they still defy God. “The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ‘You have killed the Lord’s people,’ they said.” (16:41) Their rebellion brought death. “….14,700 people died from the plague…” (16:49) God sent in judgment.

NUMBERS Chapters 17-19

Dead Things Defile

Week 7 – Day 5

                “Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days.” (19:11) Those dead bodies remind us that what the world without God offers will eventually kill. The world’s attitude and activities are temporal and worthless. Since life is fleeting all men are dead men walking. The moment a person is born he begins to die. The only cure for this deadness is to deal with its cause, sin, and be cleansed from it. “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed to take away the sins of many people…;” (Hebrews 9:27)

                Sacrificing the red heifer made cleansing available for Israelites who had touched a dead body. That is a picture of Christ’s crucifixion being the cure for all men’s sin. The heifer was sacrificed outside the camp just as Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem. The heifer’s ashes were used to purify Israelites after touching a dead body like Christ’s crucifixion purifies us from sin. “In fact, the Law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

NUMBERS Chapters 20-21

Consequences can be Costly

Week 7 - Day 6

                Our attitude towards life affects the consequences of our actions. A person can choose a lifestyle that nothing matters as long as he can have fun but there are consequences. There are consequences from having a negative attitude. Instead of Israel being grateful for being set free from slavery they complained. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? …There is no water to drink!” (20:5-6)God gave them water but Moses paid a high price in the process. There were consequences for not honoring God in getting the water.

                King Arad attacked Israel and paid a high price. The consequences of his action was his destruction. Israel, “…completely destroyed them and their towns..;”(21:2) Israel, “…spoke against God and Moses…” (21:3) “Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them…and many Israelites died.” (21:26) Sihon…mustered his army and marched out into the desert against Israel.” (21:23) “Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land…” (21:24) Og, King of Bashan attacked Israel and was destroyed. A person can do what he wants but there are consequences.

NUMBERS Chapter 22-24

Money People

Week 7 – Day 7

                The truth of I Timothy 6:10 is seen in the life of Balaam. “For the love of money is the root of all evil:…” This is true for all mankind including preachers. God disclosed to Balaam that Israel was His chosen people. Even though he accurately gave God’s message to a pagan King he did not value his position as a prophet of God as much as he did money. “…Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbade the madness of the prophets.” (II Peter 2:15-16) Balaam deliberately taught King Balak and his people how to pervert Israel so that God would fight against them. Jesus said to the church at Pergamos, “…thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” (Revelation 2:14) “Money people” are those that put making money before anything else including morals, family or spiritual values.