Numbers 7-9 Ready or Not

It had been a year since they’d walked out of Egypt – a year since the death angel had taken the lives of all of the Egyptian firstborn sons.  Now, God instructed them to celebrate the Passover again – in remembrance.

Yet some people came to Moses.  They said they couldn’t celebrate it at that time because they’d become ritually unclean from touching a dead body.  They asked Moses what they could do.  Rather than deciding for himself, he said, “Wait, and I will find out what the Lord says about you.”  That should be solid advice for all of us!

God allowed those so affected to celebrate the Passover on the same day the following month.  There would not, however, be such consideration again the next month.  Those people were responsible to see that they were ritually pure.  Otherwise, they’d be cut off from the people.

Because we never know when God may call us for service, it’s vitally important that we not disqualify ourselves because of our sin.  It may be so tempting to give in to sin just once, but God may have already planned to use us at a time and in a way that requires our readiness.  We can unknowingly prevent our own service to the Lord by giving in to sin.

Father, I want to be ready and able to do whatever You call me to do, whenever You call.  I don’t want to disqualify myself by my sin.  When I am tempted, remind me that You may have something just around the corner that I cannot yet see, and help me not to succumb to sin.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 5 & 6 Nazirites vs. Grace

The Nazirite vow was instituted by God to form a small group who would serve God, besides the Levites and priests.  The special rules resulted in publicly-noticeable behavior – longer hair, abstaining from all grape products, and not touching dead bodies – which were designed to keep the Nazirite’s life holy and clean.  I think of Samson, however, and know that he may have followed the external rules, but his life was anything by holy.

The sidebar in my Bible says that religious leaders in Jesus’ day didn’t like the fact that He could expose the inner person.  After all, they’d become adept at “decorating the exterior of life … and camouflaging the interior of life where the scenery was spoiled.”

Others, it said, “were drawn to Him because they sensed an overriding safety in being transparent with Him.  Instead of heaping shame upon them as others did, He gave grace …and grace meant a new start.”

For a Nazirite, sin –whether accidental or intentional, meant starting all over and striving again for holiness.  I’m glad that I’ve got grace instead. 

Father, there is no hiding sin from You.  Thank You for offering us grace that leads us to confess and receive forgiveness.  Thank You for the freedom that confession brings and for the grace You offer us.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 3-4 Doing Our Jobs

8,580 men, aged 30-50, from the tribe of Levi, were tasked with packing, moving, unpacking, and setting up the Holy Tent of Meeting in which God was said to reside among the Israelites as they wondered through the desert.  The elaborate design details of the Tent and its courtyard had been given by God, and now God tells Moses:  “Tell each man exactly what to carry.”  So for the approximately 40 years they wondered the desert following the construction of all this, men 30-50 years old had one job and it was given to them by Moses.

Only Aaron and his sons could view the Ark.  They had to cover it appropriately before anyone else could come in.  So the men of the tribe of Levi did their jobs without ever being allowed to see the object at the heart of that job. 

Of course, they also had their own belongings which had to be moved.  So I suppose those men younger than 30 and older than 50 did this, along with the women and children.

This seems to give new meaning to the thought that all believers have a place in the church.  After all, the common formula today is that 20% of the people do 80% of the work.  I wonder if God wanted us to see through this that all service to Him is important and that we each should contribute and not simply be consumers.  And the task, whether it appears menial or of high importance to us, is both given by God and acknowledged by Him as important.

Father, I pray that You will “activate” more people to be involved in ministry today, not just “consuming” what they find there.  Give them a sense of worth for their tasks.  Show them that it is God-honoring work, and that’s what’s most important.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 2 -- Who's In Front?

God gave instructions for organizing the people by family groups around the Meeting Tent containing the Ark of the Covenant.  The tribe of Judah was always the first tribe to march out, following the pillar of fire or the cloud representing God’s presence and guidance when it began to move.  Even while on the go, the Meeting Tent was in the middle of the tribes, it sounds like.  I’d always thought that the Ark led the way.  I suppose that was Hollywood.

Looking at it from God’s perspective above, it seems to describe a clock face or a bulls-eye when they camped, with the Meeting Tent right in the center of life for these people, as it certainly should be.  While camped, no tribe had another tribe in between themselves and the Meeting Tent, except for the presence of the Levites to move and care for the Tent and the Ark.

Father, too many times I feel that I try to face life with You behind me, backing me up as it were, rather than before me as my shield and protection and guide.  Perhaps the tribe of Ephraim then had the best view, always seeing the Tent and ark directly in front of them.  Help me to crave a view like that always.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Numbers 1 -- What He Said

Moses entered the Meeting Tent to hear from God.  The million or two Israelites who'd just left Egypt and slavery were probably wondering what God would tell Moses that morning.  When he came out of the Tent, he pointed and uttered 12 names.  Twelve guys stepped forward, probably wondering WHAT  was going on.  Imagine their thoughts as Moses said, "The Lord gave me Your names and told me He'd picked YOU as a leader for your tribe." I'm almost in tears at the THOUGHT of it!  Those twelve guys thinking, "GOD wants ME?  Wait ... He KNEW my NAME ???  He KNOWS me and He still CALLED me???" How humbling yet affirming that must have been!  And in the sidebar in my Bible, by Steve Farrar, I read, "The destiny of those future generations is in your hands.  The choices YOU make with YOUR family TODAY will determine the quality of life in YOUR family tree for generations to come.  That's why ONE MAN CAN make a difference." Father, thanks for reminding me how much in awe I should be that You've chosen and called ME to get my boys from Ukraine and to LEAD THEM to be young mean after Your own heart.  Please help them to understand that and to step up to the challenge You've given them. Sent from my iPad Your Brother In Christ, Gary Ford

Lamentations 3-5 A Very Sad State

We cannot IMAGINE what conditions must have been like for the people of Jerusalem as the city was besieged by invaders.  All attributes of civility evaporated as life wound down to survival mode.  Mothers resorted to cooking their babies for food! Jeremiah had been warned by God that it WOULD happen.  The nation's sin was too deep.  Yet he watched in stunned disbelief at the depth of the punishment they faced -- God's own people had totally abandoned Him.  Now, THEY were reaping the punishment for their rebellion. I'd written margin notes from a commentary that said 3:1-18 were reactions based on EMOTION.  But the REST of chapter 3 is based on FAITH AND REASON.  We KNOW God.  We KNOW His love for those who obey Him is immeasurable.  And KNOWING that is the beginning of restoration.  We begin to SEE God's love even in the punishment -- designed to bring us BACK to Him.  But first we have to realize what we've DONE to Him by our sin.  We have to FEEL the SORROW that our sins have brought upon God.  THEN we can begin to reach out and up to Him, asking for His guidance and protection once more.   Father, this is a place I don't ever want to visit again.  I don't want to have to experience Your judgments in order to finally receive Your MERCIES.  Keep me in Your will.  Show me how to live.  I want to remain in Your love. Your brother in Christ, Gary Ford

Lamentations 1-2 All Moan And No Apology

These are hard chapters to read.  God had warned Israel from the beginning of exactly what would happen if they failed to obey.  Now it has come to pass.

God tells them that their sins have brought them to this point.  Yet all the people can say is that God withdrew His protection from them.  The closest they’ve come in these chapters to agreeing with God is in 1:14 – “He has noticed my sins; they are tied together by His hands; they hang around my neck.”  God is making them acknowledge that their sins and not His punishment are the root cause of their distress.

I also saw, “My heart is troubled, because I have been so stubborn.”  Yet the repentance is not there.

Father, I think of our nation as I read this.  We are in dire straits and we don’t want to admit that our sins have put us there.  And even if we acknowledge our sins, there’s no movement towards repentance.  Father, grant us leaders who will shepherd us back to You rather than pulling us farther away.  Enable us to experience true repentance as a nation.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford