Numbers 23-24 God Speaks Through An Unbeliever

Balak was so upset by the possibility that Israel might take over his land that he hired Balaam to travel from Aram to curse them.  Yet it did him no good.

First of all, Balak and Balaam offered sacrifices to Baal, not God, in hopes of enabling a curse.  I can’t imagine how Balaam could sacrifice to one god and then listen to another God, but my commentary said he was driven by greed.  His first message from God blessed Israel.  He even said he wanted to be like Israel, but he wasn’t prepared to live the life of the righteous.  Greed ruled him.

Balak took him to another place to get a different perspective, but God was again in control.  They again offered sacrifices to Baal, my commentary noted.  Still, God made sure blessings came out of Balaam’s mouth and not curses for Israel.

In his third message, he described Israel at peace in the Promised Land, reflecting their immediate future.  Balak hated this and told Balaam to go home – and that he wouldn’t be paid!  Balaam received one more message from God that knocked him to the ground!  It was a vision of the coming Messiah and the fates of nations in the vicinity.

Father, I’m thankful that You are so sovereign that you can even control the mouths of unbelievers.  Your ways are higher than our ways, and I pray that You will be sovereign over those who rule our own country now and in the future.  Make them bow to Your will as You did Balaam.  Speak to us in America, Father!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 21 -- Balaam the False Prophet

My commentary answered some questions I’ve wondered about!

“Balaam was definitely a hireling who was interest primarily in money … he deceptively maneuvered around God’s declared will so that he could go to Moab and receive his fee … It was God who came to Balaam and not Balaam who brought God to himself, and the Lord wouldn’t allow him to accept the invitation.  God made His will very clear.  ‘Do not go with them.  You must not put a curse on those people’ … He told the delegation he wouldn’t go with them.  However, he didn’t tell them the reason:  Israel couldn’t be cursed because God had blessed them.  If he had told this to the delegation, that would have put an end to the negotiations…”

Balak sent a bigger, more important delegation along with a bigger fee.  “Knowing God’s will in the matter, Balaam should have refused even to consider this second offer, but the hireling soothsayer was still trying to find some way to circumvent God’s will … With his lips, he professed to obey the Lord, but in his heart he coveted the money and hoped God would change His mind.  God came to Balaam and instructed him to go with the princes only if they came to call him the next morning … But the next morning, Balaam didn’t wait for the men to come to him; he saddled his donkey and went to the place where the delegation was camped, determined to do his own will.  This determination and covetousness made the Lord angry … he was impetuously running ahead of the Lord and at the same time stubbornly refusing to obey God’s clear directions.” 

God’s angel stood in front of Balaam’s donkey as he traveled, and three times Balaam beat his donkey until God allowed Balaam to see the angel.  Balaam said, “I have sinned,” but he wasn’t repentant.  He still wanted the money.

Father, when I have clearly heard from You, don’t let me do the same, trying to figure some way around Your will.  Help me to obey.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 21 -- The Snakes And The Cross

The battles recorded here seemed to accomplish several things, including training the Israelites for ware and finishing off that original generation who'd left Egypt.  I used to have problems with the fact that Israel "invaded" other territory, killing men, women, children, and animals under God's direction, but God eventually got through to me with something that I also saw in my commentary this morning:  "The Canaanite culture was unspeakably wicked, especially their religious practices, and God wanted these nations removed from the earth."

Their first victory was followed by a long, hard trek through rough terrain, having to bypass Edomite.  "Courage in the battle must be followed by endurance in the race," my commentary said. 

The appearance of poisonous snakes sent by God because the people grumbled and complained again is examined spiritually in my commentary, and I loved what I read.  Here's a portion:

"But the Lord didn't answer in the way the people might have expected [in their prayers for relief from the snakes].  Instead of immediately removing the serpents and healing the people who had been bitten, God instructed Moses to make a serpent of brass, and put it on a pole where all the people could see it [imagine having to build a fire hot enough to melt brass, then melting it and shaping it -- that took time]."

"All people have been infected by sin and will one day die and face judgment, but if they look by faith to Christ, He will save them and give them eternal life.  Looking to the bronze serpent saved people from physical death, but looking to Christ saves us from eternal death.  But why should Moses make a model of a serpent, the very creature that was causing the people to die?  Because on the cross, Jesus became sin for us -- the very thing that condemns people -- and bore in His body that which brings spiritual death ... The uplifted serpent was the only cure in the camp, just as Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners in the world.  Nobody could look at the bronze serpent for another person; each dying sinner had to look for himself or herself.  The salvation Christ offers is personal and individual, and each of us must look to Christ by faith."

Father, thank You for loving and caring for all of us sin-infected people, and for offering to infect Your own Son with my sin as the only way to save me from eternal death.  Thank You that He took on not only my sin, but the past, current, and future sins of the entire world!  How defiled He must have felt!  And You had to turn away and let Your Son die because You cannot look upon sin!  What a terrible thing for a Father to have to endure to save me!


Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 20 -- Moses' Personal Failure

Once again the people failed to trust God when they ran out of water at Kadesh.  The forty years of wandering were almost over but there were still a few members of that older generation who were still living.  Moses had just lost his sister, Miriam, and once again the people’s complaining led him to meet with God along with his older brother, Aaron.  My commentary said that the Hebrew word for “rock” here “means a high cliff, a place for a fortress, and not a boulder.”  Moses was told to speak to that rock so that water would flow out of it.

Moses committed an impulsive sin, not doing exactly what God had commanded.  Instead of simply speaking to this high cliff, he struck it twice, and also sinned when he said, “Do you want us to bring water out of this rock?”  It wasn’t Moses and Aaron who would be supplying the water.  Only God.

God could have simply not provided the water from the rock, making Moses look like a fool for his rash words and actions, but in His grace, He provided the needed water anyway.  Psalms 130:10 says, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.”

God let Moses know that this one slip-up would keep him from entering the Promised Land.  How painful that must have been, but “Moses revealed his meekness by submitting to  God’s discipline and continuing to lead the people,” my commentary said.  “Moses has experienced two family funerals (both Miriam and Aaron died during this time), two confrontations with critics in the camp, and a personal failure at Kadesh, yet he picks up his rod and goes right back to work.  Victorious Christian service, like the victorious Christian life, is a series of new beginnings.  No matter what mistakes we’ve made, it’s always too soon to quit.”

Father, thank You for allowing me to teach again!  I’ve missed it so!  Though I haven’t understood the why’s, You have helped me to cherish these opportunities even more.  Keep me from any personal failures and thank You for allowing me to get back to work.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 19 -- The Ashes Of One Red Heifer

My commentary began:  “In their daily lives, the Jewish people had to be sensitive to what was clean and what was unclean for this determined their relationship to the Lord and the other people in the camp … there was a spiritual purpose behind these laws:  to teach the Jews the difference between holiness and sin and encourage them to walk in holiness.”

God gave an elaborate ritual to provide them with cleansing, involving the killing and burning of a red heifer.  I remember reading in another commentary that the ashes of that heifer provided enough material for cleansing for thousands of years, since God had mandated that Aaron’s son Eleazar was the only person God named to perform the task – no substitution was possible, even after his death.

“People who became ceremonially defiled … could be made clean again by using the ashes.  They would have to wait three days after their defilement and then go out of the camp with a ceremonially clean man to the place where the ashes were kept.  The man would mix some of the ashes with running water in a vessel, dip hyssop into the water and sprinkle it on the unclean person.  This would be repeated 4 days later… The cleansed persons would then wash themselves and their clothes and wait until evening to return to the camp.”

Most importantly, “unclean people who refused to be cleansed were cut off from the nation and stoned to death.”  If they missed the cleansing rituals on either the third or seventh day, it meant death!  That put a whole new twist on confessing the sin of uncleanness! 

My commentary summarized:  “God wants us to be a holy people.  We should cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  God promises forgiveness and cleansing to His children if they turn from their sins and confess to the Lord.”

Father, how serious this ceremonial uncleanness was to them!  And how lightly we seem to treat our own uncleanness today and how it affects our holiness.  Help me to never let sin go uncofessed in my own life.  Make me aware of it, and cause me to understand my need to confess it to You so that You may restore our relationship.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Number 18 -- The Priesthood And Giving

Aaron and his family, and the Levites, were given specific duties here.  The rebels in the previous chapter had dared to presume that they could appoint themselves as priests!  Here, God speaks directly to Aaron, telling him that it was now the duty of the priests to protect the tabernacle from defilement, and the Levites were given the responsibility of assisting the priests.

Out of all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Levi was the only one to receive no land for themselves in the Promised Land.  Instead, the Lord was their portion, and they were allowed to live in 48 cities scattered throughout the Promised Land.  Amazingly, this lined up with the prophecy by Jacob in Genesis 49:5-7 that Levi would be scattered in Israel!  There was good in this scattering, though, for this put the Levites in close proximity to all the tribes in the Promised Land to help the people understand God’s teachings.

God was gracious in giving what was given to Him to the priests and Levites.  They only had to be ceremonially clean to receive it.  “Those who serve the Lord and His people should be supported from the material blessings God gives His people,” my commentary explained. 

God also expected the Levites to tithe 10% of what was given to them and to share it with the priests, my commentary said.

“For us as Christians, tithing is just the beginning.  If we grasp the meaning of 2 Corinthians 8-9, we’ll practice grace giving and go far beyond the tithe,” my commentary added.

Father, thank You for opening my heart to grace giving, sharing with those You put in my path what You have so kindly allowed me to have!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 17 -- Another Reminder That God Had Chosen Aaron As High Priest

God knew that the insurrection He’d put down in chapter 16 still lingered in the hearts of some, and only tangible evidence would make them give up.  His use of a plague in that chapter brought death to many.  This reminder, however, would bring life.

At God’s direction, Moses had the leaders of each tribe bring their walking sticks to the tabernacle.  Ensuring that no misidentification or false claims of ownership occurred, Aaron’s name was written on his, identifying him as the owner.  Moses placed them all before the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies inside the tabernacle.

The next morning, only Aaron’s walking stick had changed.  God had imparted life to it again without the support of soil or water or nutrients.  Not only had it produced small buds – it had also produced leaves and blossoms and almonds overnight!  Moses brought out all of the sticks and gave them to their leaders, while Aaron’s stick was to remain in the Holy of Holies as a reminder to the people that obedience brings life.

The people foolishly “concluded that the sign mean that anybody who came near the tabernacle would perish.  They had developed a fear of judgment, but they didn’t have a true fear of God in their hearts … The Lord gave Israel three reminders to encourage them to obey His law and submit to His will:  the tassels on their garments, the brass plates on the altar, and Aaron’s rod … To encourage believers today to be obedient children, the Lord has given us His Word, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Lord’s Supper, and the interceding Savior in heaven … perhaps we’d better examine our own hearts to see if we’ve submitted to the authority of His Word and of His appointed leaders,” my commentary said.

Father, thank You that our faith today is based on belief and not on sight.  The proof I have is Your great answer to all my prayers along with what was mentioned above.  Thank You for caring enough to make sure that I do believe!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 16 -- Rebellion Against God Never Pays

This chapter records attempts by the people to challenge the leadership of Moses and Aaron.  In doing so, the people were actually challenging God’s will, but they failed to understand that. 

Korah was a Levite who wanted to be a priest.  Only those descended from Aaron could be priests.

Four men, including Korah, persuaded 250 men – “well-known leaders chosen by the community” – who challenged Moses, claiming that all the people were holy, every one of them, and that the Lord as among them.  With this claim, they wanted a role in leadership as priests.

Moses’ first reaction was to bow facedown.  It was a sign of humility.  Seeking God’s will, Moses then told the rebels to assemble the next morning to see who God would allow to present incense before Him – a priestly function.

Moses also summoned two of the rebels who refused to come.  This greatly angered Moses and instead of interceding for those two, he told God he was innocent of their charges and let God handle things.

The next morning, despite the intercession of Moses and Aaron in prayer, Dothan and Abiram and their families and belongings were swallowed by the earth, and fire from the Lord came down and destroyed the 250 men who’d rebelled.

Despite all this, the next day a general rebellion began among the people!  Before Moses could say a word, God ordered Aaron and him to move away s o He could destroy the people rebelling.  Moses had Aaron take fire and incense from the altar and run into the crowd to offer forgiveness for their sin.  A plague had already begun and people were dropping dead.  Aaron offered the incense, standing between the living and the dead, yet 14,700 people did in the process.

My commentary summed it all up – “What is there about the human heart that makes it so easy to follow the crowd and disobey the Lord? … The one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history, and that includes church history.”

Father, help me to see Your leadership and understand where You are truly leading and through whom.  Let me know when I am rebelling against Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 15 -- A Message To The Kids ... And To Us

God is actually telling Moses in this chapter to talk to all the kids under 20 years old at that time, because their parents would never enter the Promised Land.  So it could have started with, “Thirty-eight years from now, you kids …”  God was guaranteeing that they would enter the Promised Land, but they’d have to suffer for the sins of their parents to get there.

God specified several offerings they were to make one day, when they’d settled in the Promised Land and begun to raise animals and crops.  “The burnt offering typified the worshipper’s complete devotion to God, for the animal was totally consumed on the altar.  The meal offering spoke of the worshipper’s dedication of his labor to the Lord, and the peace offering represented joyful fellowship and thanksgiving to God for His blessings … the sin offering and the trespass offering were not sweet savors because they dealt with guilt and sin, and there’s nothing pleasing to God about sin,” my commentary explained.

One thing I noticed in verse 15 seems to speak to what Christ would one day do:  “You and the foreigners are alike before the Lord.”  His sacrifice brought Jews and gentiles together into the kingdom when they believe in Him.

Forgetting God’s commands is a sin, it tells us in verses 22-29, but God promises forgiveness for sins of omission.  HOWEVER, there is a stern warning we each should remember every day in verse 30:  “But anyone who sins on purpose is against the Lord and must be cut off from the people (stoned to death)… That person has turned against the Lord’s Word and has not obeyed His commands … He is guilty.”  There was no offering available in the Bible for forgiveness of intentional sin.  If it weren’t for Christ’s sacrifice, none of us could make it into the kingdom of God! 

God knew that we tend to forget, so He instructed the Jews to prepare tassels, each with a blue thread woven into the rest, to remind the Jews to be separated and holy.  When they noticed them during the day, they would “remind you of all the Lord’s commands.  Then you will obey them and not be disloyal by following what your BODIES and EYES want.”  God knows that we fight what our bodies and eyes want every day and wanted to help with that fight.  He still does today.

Father, I know it’s good that You deemed intentional sin to be unforgivable, because You want us to remain close to You and to not have to suffer for those intentional sins.  I know that every day I have to say no to what my body and my eyes want if I am to stay loyal to You.  Thank You that Christ has already taken away even my intentional sins that I may commit in the future, but help me not to commit them and therefore in doing so add to what He suffered on the cross for me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 14 -- Loaded With Treasures About God's Will

WOW!  This chapter is packed with treasures!  My commentary said:

“When the child of God is in the will of God, there is no place for complaining, even if the circumstances are difficult.  The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t provide for us or the power of God protect us.”

“A complaining spirit is evidence of an ungrateful heart and an unsurrendered will.  By our grumbling, we are daring to say that we know more than God does about what’s best for His people.”

“The will of God is the expression of the love of God for His people, for His plans come from His heart.  God’s will isn’t punishment, it’s nourishment, not painful chains that shackle us, but loving cords that tie us to God’s heart so He can lead us in the right way.  Those who rebel against God’s will are denying His wisdom, questioning His love, and tempting the Lord to discipline them.”

“God in His grace and mercy forgives sin, but in His divine government He allows that sin to have its sad effects in the lives of sinners.”

“The fact that God forgives us isn’t an encouragement for us to go on sinning, because the Lord chastens those who rebel against Him.  He forgives us so we’ll fear Him (Psalm 130:4) and have no more desire to sin (John 8:10-11).”

“The Jews had lamented that they wanted to die in the wilderness and they had complained that their children would die in Canaan … Out of their own mouths, God passed judgment.  Be careful what you say to God when you complain, because He may take you up on it!  After all, God’s greatest judgment is to let people have their own way.”

“Admitting sin isn’t the same as confessing sin and turning to the Lord to seek His mercy.”

“Faith is simply obeying God in spite of how we feel, what we see, or what we think might happen.  When God’s people trust and obey, the Lord delights in doing wonders for them, because they glorify His name.”

Moses told God, “So show Your strength now, Lord.  Do what You said:  ‘The Lord doesn’t become angry quickly, but He has great love.  He forgives sin and lawbreaking.  But the Lord never forgets to punish guilty people.’”  So, God’s strength is not becoming angry quickly, and having great love.

Father, thank You for these awesome revelations of You that will help me not to complain, but instead to know peace in doing Your will.  Let Your strength also be my strength.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 13 -- An Unlucky Chapter For Israel

This chapter covers the fateful spying-out of the Promised Land and the report upon the return of the spies.  My commentary said, “This tragic failure … is a reminder to us today that it’s a dangerous thing to trifle with the will of God.  You may end up spending the rest of your life wandering around, just waiting to die … Canaan is not a picture of heaven … It is a picture of the inheritance God has planned for each of His children today, the work He wants us to do, and the places He wants us to occupy … The Lord has a perfect plan for each of His children, but we can claim these blessings only by faith and obedience.”

Multiple times God had promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  “God’s promise was Israel’s title deed to the land as well as His guarantee that they would defeat their enemies.  It was all they needed, but the nation doubted God’s Word and began to walk by sight instead of by faith.”

When they asked Moses to let them search out the land, they were expressing doubt.  My commentary said God permitted it, but “it appears that God was letting the Jews have their own way, not because their way was the right way, but because He wanted to teach them a lesson.  They needed to learn to trust the Word of God and do the will of God His way and not their own way.”

I’d never thought about it, but my commentary said that the spied discovered nothing that God hadn’t already told them as detailed in Genesis and Exodus!  The patriarchs of Israel were even buried at Hebron when they went there.  Yet their faith didn’t seem to encourage the faith of the ten unbelieving spies.

When the spies returned, the ten unbelieving spies never referred to the land as that which God was giving to Israel, only as the land to which He’d sent them.

A quote in my commentary by John Gardner said, “We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”  “A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted, and God tests our faith to help us make sure it’s genuine and to help make it grow,” my commentary added.  Romans 14:23 says, “For whatever is not of faith is sin.”

Father, I now relish the times when You’ve tested my faith and I trusted You and believed.  Those were hard times, but You had taught me to say, “I trust You, God!”  Please continue to build my faith by Your faithful promises.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 12 -- Delaying Because of God's Discipline

My commentary began:  “Problems usually come in clusters … because Satan is alive and busy and sinful human nature fights the holy will of God.”

Moses’ sister Miriam had placed him as a baby in the basket in the Nile all those years ago, being directed by God to save his life for just this time.  She is also called a prophetess in the Bible.  Moses’ older brother Aaron had been chosen by God to be Israel’s first high priest.  But Moses was God’s chosen leader.

Miriam began a family rebellion by asking if Moses was the only spokesperson for God.  “Didn’t Miriam and Aaron also have the right to declare God’s Word?” she asked. “In questioning Moses’ authority and God’s will, Miriam and Aaron were acting just like the people of Israel!” my commentary said.  “God heard their words, saw the evil motives in their hearts, and acted swiftly lest their sin spread among the people, because when leaders sin, the consequences can be disastrous… God made it clear that Moses was more than a prophet, because God communicated with him personally,” not in dreams or visions. 

God judged Miriam for her sin and afflicted her with leprosy.  Her brother Aaron, the intercessory high priest, begged Moses to intercede for them with God for healing!  Moses asked and God agreed, healing her, but requiring that she remain outside the camp (out of fellowship with her countrymen) for seven days because she had been defiled.  This amounted to public embarrassment, for the whole camp knew what had happened.

It also meant delay.  They had to wait for her restoration before they could move on.  “The rebellious sinner is always a cause of holding back the progress of God’s people,” my commentary said.  “It’s a serious thing to be a spiritual leader, for the greater the honor, the greater the responsibility.  It’s also a serious thing to try to usurp the authority God has given to others.”

Father, thank You for reminding me that leadership comes with great responsibility and that teachers and leaders are held to a higher standard by You.  Keep me away from sin and if I am headed away from Your will, act quickly to turn me back.  I don’t want to be an example like Miriam.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 11 -- Praying For OUR Will To Be Done Is Deadly

Just three days after they set out from Mount Sinai, the complaining started.  Moses actually had to intercede with God for them!  The mixed multitude contained people of various races who were not Jewish, but who’d accompanied the Jews out of Egypt, my commentary said.  Their faith wasn’t strong, and they therefore complained and this led to the Israelites complaining as well.  They complained about the manna and wanted meat.  “They were experiencing a miracle six mornings a week, yet they wanted more… An unthankful heart makes it easier for people to commit all kinds of sins.”

The people’s complaining actually caused Moses to sin!  He lamented his calling and called it a heavy burden, even asking for death!

“Two problems stemmed from the time Israel spent in Egypt where they developed appetites for the diet of their masters.  The Jews forgot slavery and remembered only the free food.”

God called 70 spiritual leaders out from the people and gave them the Holy Spirit, evidenced by their prophesying, then He fixed the second problem – where to get a month’s supply of meat for everyone.  He sent a wind that carried quail – enough to pile up 3 feet deep a day’s walk from camp!  But He also sent with them a plague that killed many.  “When God really wants to judge His people, He lets them have their own way.”

Moses named the place “the graves of lust,” “a monument to the danger of praying, ‘Not Thy will but my will be done,’” my commentary said.

Father, help me not to presume on Your goodness.  Allow me to be satisfied with wherever You place me.  Help me to come to You when I feel down and to never pray for my will to be done instead of Yours.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 9-10 Celebrating, Then Getting The Move On

My commentary said that chapters 7-9 preceded chapters 1-6.  The Israelites had camped at Mount Sinai for a year getting God’s instructions.  “On the first day of that second year, the tabernacle was erected and the tribal leaders began to present their gifts to God, which took 12 days.  On the 13^th day, the Levites were consecrated and on the 14^th, they celebrated Passover.”

Because of the quick timing, some Jews were defiled by touching a dead body and were therefore unable to celebrate it.  God in His grace permitted them to celebrate it on the 14^th day of the following month.

The great tragedy was that “this was the last Passover the Jews celebrated until Joshua led them into the Promised Land nearly 40 years later!”

God had given them the pillar of cloud and fire to direct them in when they camped and when they moved.  No matter what they were doing, when they heard the silver trumpets blow, they knew they had to quickly pack up and be ready.  Then the tribes, in sets of three, would unwind from around the tabernacle and begin moving as a marching column as God directed.  “Knowing the will of God and doing it is vitally important to a fulfilled and fruitful Christian life today … To assist us in determining and doing God’s will, we have the Holy Spirit within us, the Word of God before us, and the interceding Savior above us.”

Father, we await the sound of the trumpet that will signal Christ’s return to gather us to You.  What a day that will be!  Make us so anxious for that day to arrive that we will not fail to tell others about Your salvation so that no one we love will be left behind!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 8 -- Setting Aside The Levites

God spoke to Moses about dedicating the Levites.  This whole tribe’s men – over 22,000 – were dedicated to God in the place of the first born males from every tribe of Israel.  My commentary calls them the “dedicated laity”.  “The Levites cared for the tabernacle, took the structure down for each march, carried it during the march, and then erected it again in the new location.”

At the initial consecration, God directed Moses and Aaron to sprinkle them with water for ceremonial cleansing.  The men then had to shave their entire bodies.  Leviticus 14:8-9 says this even included their eyebrows!  What an odd-looking group that must have been!  Since blood was required for cleansing, two young bulls were sacrificed after they’d laid their hands on them.

My commentary found practical principles for us today in all of this:

“First of all, it is God who chooses, equips, and consecrates His people for spiritual service, and we must accept his will.”

“A second principle is that those who serve must first of all serve the Lord and then serve His people … No matter what task the Lord assigns to us, it is important to His work, and we must do it cheerfully and carefully.”

“Finally, both the Levites and the priests were obligated to protect the sanctuary of God from intruders … so today leaders in local churches must be diligent to protect the flock from those who would destroy it … Paul warned that dangerous enemies would arise from both outside the church and within the congregation.  God’s servants must ever be on the alert and courageous to confront the enemies of God’s truth.”

Father, I understand from this that it is a serious matter to represent You before Your people, whether as official clergy or as dedicated laity.  Thank You for choosing, equipping, and consecrating me to Your service.  Help me to remember that I serve You first.  Help me to be cheerful and careful in that service.  Keep me alert and courageous to confront the enemies of Your truth.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 7 -- Not Just A Lot Of Repetition

I looked for what might be important in this chapter.  Was it anointing objects with olive oil to give them for service to God?  Was it about the long list of identical gifts from each tribe?  Was it the types of offerings they gave each day?

My commentary said, “We must not miss the point that God took notice of each gift, each leader, and each tribe on each successive day … The fact that God noted and recorded each name and each gift indicates His love for and interest in the individual believer.  He knows our names and has recorded them individually in His heavenly register.  When we stand before the Lord, He will see us individually … Nobody will be lost in the crowd.”

Father, it’s beyond my ability to imagine how You will record and remember every action, thought, and gift I might ever offer in service to You, and how You will recall and reward even the smallest acts of kindness.  But You are God and You are all-knowing.  Help me to give of myself freely in service to You, knowing I could never give back to You enough for what You’ve given me through the death of Your Son!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 6 -- Not A REWARD To Those Who BEHAVE

The people were given instructions for starting and finishing a time of special dedication to the Lord, above and beyond what one would normally expect to do.  It included abstaining from things that God did not allow during this time:  There was to be absolutely no consumption of grape products, no cutting of body hair, and no touching of corpses during the time of “extra devotion to God”.

This time of separation could be interrupted by accidental sin, when the circumstances of life, controlled by God, caused an unintended lapse, such as when a person nearby suddenly died.  If this happened, “the days of the special time before don’t count,” and the person restarts his or her time of dedication.  This gives us a glimpse of our restarts under Christ.  “Believers today need to realize that no failure need be permanent … The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.”

Once the special time of dedication was fulfilled, procedures were given for offerings that would mark that completion.  My commentary did say, “Nobody is saved by making and keeping a vow.  Salvation is the gift of God to those who believe, NOT a reward to those who BEHAVE.”

Ephesians says that the church has been blessed with every spiritual blessing, which includes the one ending this chapter:  “May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord show you His kindness and have mercy on You.  May the Lord watch over you and give you peace.”

Father, thank You for the reminder that salvation is a gift from You to those of us who believe, and not a reward to those who behave; otherwise, I’d have no hope.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 5 -- A Reason For The Separation

My commentary started by saying, “Too often God’s people get in the way of God’s work.”  Often it is our sin that causes the problem.

For this huge group of people travelling together toward the Promised Land, prevention of disease and the spreading of it were very important and therefore God issued commands to help protect healthy people.  It wasn’t only about disease, however.  “Cleanliness involved being acceptable to God in what they ate, what they wore, and how they conducted themselves at home and in public … God compared sin to disease and defilement and holiness to health and cleanliness.  Unclean people were put out of the camp until they had met the ceremonial requirements for reentry.”

There was physical defilement caused by disease.  Some diseases were the result of sin, while many were not.  While health and hygiene were involved in the laws, “their basic purpose was to teach the Jews the meaning of separation and holiness … by obeying God’s Word in every area of life.”

There was also interpersonal defilement.  “The person who committed a trespass against another had to confess it and make restitution …”  The offender also had to pay a 20% penalty.  “In this way, the Lord taught His people that sin is costly and hurts people, and that true repentance demands honest restitution.”  (Also, when they eventually went to war against the inhabitants of Canaan, the members of their army didn’t need the distraction of unresolved offenses against each other during battle.)

God also addressed marital defilement with a unique, public way of handling suspicions.  My commentary said there was no record in Scripture that it was ever used.  “There are clearly some built-in roadblocks that would make a husband hesitate to rush to the priest and ask for his wife to be tried.  The whole camp would know about it … Would a husband want to expose his marital problems that openly? …. Also, if the husband loved his wife and was deeply hurt by her possible infidelity, why would he want to expose her publicly?  But if he didn’t love her and only wanted to hurt her, he might be embarrassed and proved wrong … If his suspicions were proved wrong, he owed his wife an apology and had to work at rebuilding the relationship … If she was found guilty, he had to live with her, wonder who her lover was, and suffer the physical consequences of the curse” – barrenness of her womb – and still having to provide for her and any children they’d had before the sin.

“The major message:  God wants purity in marriage, and husband and wives can’t escape the bitter consequences of marital unfaithfulness.  God can forgive adultery, and husbands and wives can make new beginnings in the Lord.  However, adultery hurts everybody, and it’s sometimes difficult to live with the consequences of forgiven sin.”

Father, thank You for this clear picture of the harm and consequences of sin if I allow it to take root in my life.  Help me never to be blinded to Your truths by the deception Satan tries to use against me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 3:14-4:49 Doing Things God's Way

It’s awfully tempting to skip over sections of this book that cover censuses of various groups and the duties each group had relative to the framework, curtains, and furnishings of the tabernacle as it was moved from place to place during the journey to the Promised Land.  I was therefore glad that my commentary found relevance to share with us:

“Our God is concerned with details, and wants His work to be done by the people He has chosen and in the way He has appointed.  Nothing in the camp of Israel was left to chance or human contrivance.  Each Levite and priest knew his responsibilities and was expected to serve God with reverence and godly fear.  Caring for the tabernacle was serious work, a matter of life and death.”

“Not everyone has the same burdens to bear.  The Gershonites and Merarites could put their burdens on wagons, but the Kohathites had to carry their burdens on their shoulders… their burdens were precious, very important to the people, and appointed by the Lord.  Certainly they considered it a privilege to carry them on their shoulders through the wilderness … there are some burdens we can share, but there are other burdens that only we can bear.”

“Finally, we must note that our God believes in organization, but the organization is a means to an end and not the end in itself … It was important that the camp be orderly and the work of the tabernacle be organized.  Otherwise, the worship would not please God and the warfare would lead to defeat … When God’s work is done God’s way, in obedience to God’s truth, it will never lack God’s blessing.”

Father, help me to recognize and accept the burdens You have planned for me, knowing that I am privileged to have been selected by You for whatever it is You have planned for me to do.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 2:1 - 3:13 Order

There were 603,550 men in the entourage moving through the Promised Land at this time.  With women and children added, the total population likely easily exceeded 2,000,000!  The pillar of cloud by day, with fire in it by night, marked the location of the ark, and when the pillar began to move, order was needed to ensure that the ark and the tabernacle were protected, my commentary said.  God outlined, through Moses, the map of where each tribe would camp in relation to the tabernacle and how they would “unwind” the camp to begin marching as the Lord led via the cloud or fire.

The high priest and other priests were to be descendants of Aaron, and additionally God gave the Levites as a gift to the priests to assist them with the setup and transportation of the tabernacle, as well as with the daily service at the tabernacle.  God specifically said that the Levites would be substitutes for the redeemed first-born sons of Israel, whom God had already claimed for His own.

Father, I thank You for being a God of order, not of confusion.  I know that You had a plan and a purpose for what You were doing then, just as You do now.  When I can’t understand that plan, help me to believe anyway, and to trust You to guide me through this life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 1 -- What I Wish I'd Understood Years Ago

I wish I’d had my commentary years ago when I struggled with trusting God.  One thing Satan had used to plant those seeds of doubt was the “displacing” of the inhabitants of the Promised Land by the Hebrews leaving Egypt.  God eventually got through to me on it, but it’s stated plainly in my commentary:

“Some people are disturbed by the emphasis on warfare in certain parts of the Bible … But their fears and criticisms are unfounded.  ‘The Lord is a man of war’ (Ex. 15:3) when it comes to punishing sin and removing evil.  The nations that Israel destroyed in Canaan were living in abominable moral filth and sinning against a flood of light, and the Lord had been longsuffering with them (Gen 15:13-16).  Would anybody today criticize a surgeon for removing a cancerous life-threatening tumor from a patient’s body?  Yet that’s what God did for society when He used Israel to judge the degenerate nations in Canaan … The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and there’s an enemy to fight and territory to gain for the Lord.  God declared war on Satan long ago, and there can be no neutrality in this spiritual conflict, for Jesus said, ‘He that is not with Me is against Me.’”

Father, You are God.  You know the truth about people and I can only understand it through You.  I proved my ignorance long ago, and I thank You for teaching me to trust You in every area of my life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford