Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Numbers 8

    Numbers 8

    Read Numbers 8

    Setting Up the Lamps

    8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’”

    3 Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

    The Setting Apart of the Levites

    5 The Lord said to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. 7 To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves. 8 Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community.10 You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. 11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.

    12 “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

    15 “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting. 16 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. 18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19 From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

    20 Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

    23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

    Go Deeper

    After the Israelites have left Egypt, they now have a totally new freedom to worship God. Since they are no longer held as captives, they can create new systems and structures for their worship. In this chapter, God outlines who is to be in charge of leading the Israelites in worship. He has chosen the Levites to be the people who will take the lead within the tabernacle.

    Interestingly, He says He takes them just as He took the first born sons in Egypt. While the first born sons in Egypt were killed, the Levites will not be killed but instead set apart. In this way the Levites make atonement for the Israelite people. That is they pay for the sins of the people by being given over to the Lord. They are not presented as a sacrifice, but rather a sacrifice of service to the Lord.

    This chapter also says they were to be presented as a “wave offering”. A normal wave offering presented something to God (such as a portion of meat or bread) with a motion that communicated the idea “This is Yours, God.” In this consecration of the Levites, the children of Israel came before God and essentially said, “These Levites belong to You, God.” They would serve in this position from age 25 to 50. The Lord allowed them to retire at 50 because some of their duties involved heavy lifting like building transporting and dismantling the tabernacle.

    Once the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, they were ready for service to the Lord. Their preparation to be set apart as “clean” to God is a reminder of all the things we do not have to go through today. All of us are designated to serve the Lord in different ways, and we do not have to clean ourselves up. The good news of the Gospel is because we have been washed with the blood of Jesus we are now clean. Although we don’t have to go through these rituals, we should take our service to God just as seriously as the Levites did.

    Questions

    1. What stood out to you about this passage?
    2. What can you learn about God from this passage?
    3. How does this chapter impact the seriousness with which you approach God?

    Did You Know?

    Some well-known Levites in the Bible were: Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Ezra, and Malachi.

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  • Numbers 7

    Numbers 7

    Read Numbers 7

    Offerings at the Dedication of the Tabernacle

    7 When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. 3 They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.

    4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”

    6 So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, 8 and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. 9 But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.

    10 When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. 11 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar.”

    12 The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.

    13 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekelsand one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 14 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;15 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

    18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering.

    19 The offering he brought was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 20 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 21 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering; 23 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

    24 On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering.

    25 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 26 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;27 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

    30 On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering.

    31 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 32 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;33 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering; 35 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

    36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.

    37 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 38 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;39 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

    42 On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering.

    43 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 44 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;45 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a sin offering; 47 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

    48 On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering.

    49 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 50 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;51 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a sin offering; 53 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

    54 On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering.

    55 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 56 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;57 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a sin offering; 59 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

    60 On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering.

    61 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 62 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;63 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a sin offering; 65 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

    66 On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering.

    67 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 68 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;69 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a sin offering; 71 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

    72 On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Okran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering.

    73 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 74 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;75 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a sin offering; 77 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Okran.

    78 On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering.

    79 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 80 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;81 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a sin offering; 83 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

    84 These were the offerings of the Israelite leaders for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver plates, twelve silver sprinkling bowls and twelve gold dishes. 85 Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each sprinkling bowl seventy shekels. Altogether, the silver dishes weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. Altogether, the gold dishes weighed a hundred and twenty shekels. 87 The total number of animals for the burnt offering came to twelve young bulls, twelve rams and twelve male lambs a year old, together with their grain offering. Twelve male goats were used for the sin offering. 88 The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

    89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter is a long one–89 verses in all–telling us all about the offerings brought to the tabernacle over the period of twelve consecutive days. Day by day, a new offering came. Plates, bowls, dishes, animals, incense, oil, and more were brought to the tabernacle by a representative from each of the twelve tribes. Reading this chapter, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the details and as if it’s next to impossible to keep track of who brought what. But do you know why all of these details are in this chapter?

    Because that’s what happened. Chapters like this serve as a helpful reminder to us that the book of Numbers (along with the other 65 books in the Bible) were not a creative writing assignment given to an author that was eventually turned in and published. This book in particular is a history book! The reason it’s so full of details, precise measurements and weights, and specific counts of different animals is because that’s what really happened over this twelve day period and it was such a significant moment that it was written down and the Holy Spirit preserved this text so that we could read it thousands of years later. 

    This chapter also serves a helpful reminder to us that God is in all of the details. This passage could have been summed up more quickly, saying “All twelve tribes brought identical offerings.” God could have had them bring them all at once. But tribe by tribe, offering by offering they were presented to God. And these were generous, valuable offerings presented to a good and caring God who had preserved and protected His people through thick and thin.

    This chapter ends on an interesting note, as Moses entered into the tent of meeting so that he could interact with God. While sometimes we’re not given specifics about what it was like when Moses and God would interact, here it’s clear that God was audibly speaking to Moses. Think about that! Moses was the right leader for the Israelites in this moment because of how in-step he was with God. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we too have a special access to God that previously could only happen in the tent of meeting. Praise God for the way we can speak and listen to Him today!

    Questions

    1. What most stuck out to you as you read through this passage? Why?
    2. What does this passage teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
    3. What did you notice about God’s interaction with Moses? What would it look like for you to listen for God today?

    Keep Digging

    There were five different kinds of offerings (or sacrifices) in the Old Testament. To learn more about them, check out this helpful article from GotQuestions.org! 

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  • Numbers 6

    Numbers 6

    Read Numbers 6

    The Nazirite

    6 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lordas a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

    5 “‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lordis over; they must let their hair grow long.

    6 “‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. 7 Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head.8 Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.

    9 “‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication, they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing. 10 Then on the eighth day they must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 11 The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for the Nazirite because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they are to consecrate their head again. 12 They must rededicate themselves to the Lord for the same period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lambas a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because they became defiled during their period of dedication.

    13 “‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over. They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting. 14 There they are to present their offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, 15 together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made with the finest flour and without yeast—thick loaves with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves brushed with olive oil.

    16 “‘The priest is to present all these before the Lord and make the sin offering and the burnt offering. 17 He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to the Lord, together with its grain offering and drink offering.

    18 “‘Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that symbolizes their dedication. They are to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.

    19 “‘After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both made without yeast. 20 The priest shall then wave these before the Lord as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

    21 “‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite.’”

    The Priestly Blessing

    22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

    24 “‘“The Lord bless you
        and keep you;
    25 the Lord make his face shine on you
        and be gracious to you;
    26 the Lord turn his face toward you
        and give you peace.”’

    27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

    Go Deeper

    Continuing through Numbers, we begin chapter six with God explaining the “Vow of a Nazarite” to Moses. The purpose of the Vow of a Nazarite was to express a separation from the world and an intimate desire to draw near and point back to God. Nazarites were to be visibly and morally set apart from others. The most famous Nazarites we see in scripture are three men- John the Baptist, Sampson, and Samuel. The Nazarite Vow was an opportunity for any Israelite, including women, to make a priest-like consecration to God by implementing restriction and practice. 

    Examples like forbidding anything from the grapevine (v. 4) exemplified self-denial, abstaining from using a razor on the head outwardly demonstrating that they were under vow, and avoidance of a dead body exemplifying separation from death. The vow was meant to be lifelong and we see this lived out through John, Sampson, and Samuel. Furthermore, God describes to Moses the consequences of breaking the vow. God communicates that a sacrifice of atonement and rededication will be required to wipe away the former days of the vow. 

    Verses 13-21 give instructions for the public ceremony and conclusion of the vow including a sacrifice of one male lamb, one ewe lamb, one ram, a basket of unleavened bread, and drink offerings. This was an expensive vow to fulfill and was meant to be expressive of total commitment to God. 

    Lastly, we read the priestly blessing God gives to Moses to give to Aaron. Aaron then was to turn around and give it to his people. This was a command to bless the people. This blessing comes at great timing in that it reminds us that God wants to bless all of his people, not just those who make special acts to demonstrate separation from God. This eliminates the opportunity to think that God’s blessing is earned by special acts. Instead, this priestly blessing is an example of God’s desire and love to bless all of his people. As a result, we have one of the most impactful and well-known prayers written that we still recite today. This prayer declares God’s desire to bless His children. Just like we learn to write by tracing letters, we also learn to pray by reciting prayers–and what an amazing prayer that the Lord Himself gave us to pray and learn from. 

    Questions

    1. What are ways that you are practicing self-denial to bring glory to the Father?
    2. What does the gifting of the priestly blessing prayer reveal about the Lord’s character?
    3. How has this prayer affected your walk with the Lord?

    Listen Here

    Listen to the song “The Blessing” from Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes based on the end of Numbers 6. 

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  • Numbers 5

    Numbers 5

    Read Numbers 5

    The Purity of the Camp

    5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body. 3 Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.” 4 The Israelites did so; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

    Restitution for Wrongs

    5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty 7 and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitutionfor the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged. 8 But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest, along with the ram with which atonement is made for the wrongdoer. 9 All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him. 10 Sacred things belong to their owners, but what they give to the priest will belong to the priest.’”

    The Test for an Unfaithful Wife

    11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him 13 so that another man has sexual relations with her, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act), 14 and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure—or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure— 15 then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour olive oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder-offering to draw attention to wrongdoing.

    16 “‘The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the Lord. 17 Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. 18 After the priest has had the woman stand before the Lord, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder-offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has had sexual relations with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. 20 But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband”— 21 here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.”

    “‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.”

    23 “‘The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water. 24 He shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering will enter her. 25 The priest is to take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 The priest is then to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial offering and burn it on the altar; after that, he is to have the woman drink the water. 27 If she has made herself impure and been unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her, her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse. 28 If, however, the woman has not made herself impure, but is clean, she will be cleared of guilt and will be able to have children.

    29 “‘This, then, is the law of jealousy when a woman goes astray and makes herself impure while married to her husband, 30 or when feelings of jealousycome over a man because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand before the Lord and is to apply this entire law to her. 31 The husband will be innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman will bear the consequences of her sin.’”

    Go Deeper

    While Moses and the Israelites are wandering through the Desert of Sinai, Moses passes on the laws that the Lord had given him for the Israelite people. The first laws we read in Numbers 5 are laws on how to keep the camp pure. It can appear cruel that those who are declared unclean are cast out of the camp. Why would God make such laws? There are a few verses in this chapter that give us greater insight.

    Verse 3 says that those who are unclean must be sent away “… so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.” God lives in the midst of the Israelites. His presence dwells with the people there. Because of God’s holiness, there cannot be sin in His presence. The ceremonial uncleanliness of people through disease is a reminder of the consequences of sin that separate us from God. Just like leprosy or other skin diseases that can spread and infect others, sin has consequences that are far reaching. 

    To be near to God we must be cleansed from the disease of sin we’ve all had since Adam and Eve. Verse 6 tells us, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty.” This verse tells us that our sin is against the Lord and our guilt lies with Him. Our sin is ultimately against God because it causes separation from Him. Our sin not only affects those around us, but it keeps us from the relationship and oneness with God that we were created for.

    The law is only a temporary fix for this problem. The Israelites fall short again and again and are required to continually make sacrifices that attempt to pay the cost of their sinful condition. In God’s mercy and grace, He made a way for us to be with Him for eternity by sacrificing His Son in our place. Jesus came, fully man and fully God, to live a perfect life and die on the cross. He did what the law could not do by raising from death to life to give us new life, allowing us to live in relationship with our holy God for eternity. The law God gives the Israelites highlights our desperation for a Savior. Instead of leaving us separated, Jesus paid the cost of our sin.

    Questions

    1. What does it mean that God is holy?
    2. What sin has been keeping you separated from a right relationship with God and those around you? Take time to confess that to your community and seek repentance.
    3. Take a moment to thank God for the price He paid for you to be with Him for eternity.

    By the Way

    Hebrews 12:15 says, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled,” This verse reminds us that many can be defiled by the sin of one person. We are each called to pursue holiness and to help the community of believers around us to pursue holiness.

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  • Numbers 4

    Numbers 4

    Read Numbers 4

    The Kohathites

    4 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. 3 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

    4 “This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things. 5 When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law. 6 Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.

    7 “Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it. 8 They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.

    9 “They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the olive oil used to supply it. 10 Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of the durable leather and put it on a carrying frame.

    11 “Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.

    12 “They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with the durable leather and put them on a carrying frame.

    13 “They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of the durable leather and put the poles in place.

    15 “After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

    16 “Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light,the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles.”

    17 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18 “See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites. 19 So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. 20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

    The Gershonites

    21 The Lord said to Moses, 22 “Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. 23 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of agewho come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

    24 “This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work: 25 They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, that is, the tent of meeting, its covering and its outer covering of durable leather, the curtains for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes and all the equipment used in the service of the tent. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things.27 All their service, whether carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You shall assign to them as their responsibility all they are to carry. 28 This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the tent of meeting. Their duties are to be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

    The Merarites

    29 “Count the Merarites by their clans and families. 30 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting. 31 As part of all their service at the tent, they are to carry the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases, 32 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes, all their equipment and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry. 33 This is the service of the Merarite clans as they work at the tent of meeting under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.”

    The Numbering of the Levite Clans

    34 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathitesby their clans and families. 35 All the men from thirty to fifty years of agewho came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 36 counted by clans, were 2,750. 37 This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

    38 The Gershonites were counted by their clans and families. 39 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 40 counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. 41 This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.

    42 The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. 43 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 44 counted by their clans, were 3,200. 45 This was the total of those in the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

    46 So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. 47 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting 48 numbered 8,580. 49 At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

    Thus they were counted, as the Lord commanded Moses.

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter we see three clans of the tribe of Levi getting assigned their priestly duties for the service of the tent of meeting. The sons of Kohath were given the task of carrying the most holy things. The sons of Gershwin were given the task of carrying the curtains of the tabernacle and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting. The sons of Merari were to carry the frames of the tabernacle. Moses arranged the Levitical families according to the holiness of the articles that they managed, not the age of their ancestors as in earlier chapters in Numbers. 

    This chapter helps paint the picture of the separation between the Israelites and God. The curtains marked the boundaries of which the people could not cross. Only certain people at certain times could enter God’s presence. Even the Kohathites, who were responsible for carrying the holy things, were not able to look inside or directly touch the items or they would die (v. 15, 20). 

    In Mark 15 when Jesus breathed his last breath, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This symbolizes that the barrier between God and sinful humanity has been removed and we have access to God in a new and different way because of Jesus’s finished work on the cross. 

    When we believed upon Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we received the Holy Spirit. We see in John 4 Jesus tells the woman that a time is coming when we will worship the Father neither on a sacred mountain nor in Jerusalem at the temple. We now have access to God; we don’t have to go through any human to access the divine because the divine came to us and the Holy Spirit dwells within us!

    Though we can talk to and sit in the presence of our Heavenly Father whenever we want, this chapter teaches us, we should have reverence for the things associated with God and that service for the Lord is Holy, no matter how mundane it may appear in human standards.

    Questions

    1. How can you show greater honor and respect to the things of God?
    2. Do you take the access you have to God for granted? 
    3. What time today will you set aside to intentionally talk with God?

    Keep Digging

    For more on the tabernacle, check out this helpful article from GotQuestions.org!

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  • Numbers 3

    Numbers 3

    Read Numbers 3

    The Levites

    3 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.

    2 The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

    5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. 9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. 10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

    11 The Lord also said to Moses, 12 “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

    14 The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15 “Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.” 16 So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

    17 These were the names of the sons of Levi:

    Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

    18 These were the names of the Gershonite clans:

    Libni and Shimei.

    19 The Kohathite clans:

    Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

    20 The Merarite clans:

    Mahli and Mushi.

    These were the Levite clans, according to their families.

    21 To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans. 22 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle. 24 The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use.

    27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans. 28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. 29 The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. 32 The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.

    33 To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans. 34 The number of all the males a month old or morewho were counted was 6,200. 35 The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, 37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.

    38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

    39 The total number of Levites counted at the Lord’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.

    40 The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. 41 Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.”

    42 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lordcommanded him. 43 The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

    44 The Lord also said to Moses, 45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the Lord. 46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.48 Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”

    49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

    Go Deeper

    As you read Numbers 3, recall the Israelites are embarking on their journey to God’s promised land for them. Their exodus requires significant organizational instructions which are often recorded as “the Lord spoke to Moses.” Thus far, the Lord has instructed the Israelite tribes to be counted, and the specific location of each tribe determined, (except for the tribe of Levi.) Today’s reading reveals God’s plan for the role of this tribe. Aaron and his two sons were designated by God as the priests for the Israelites, but it was impossible for them to handle all the religious needs of the tribes. 

    God directed Moses to gather the Levites, setting them aside to serve the priests (Aaron and his sons) and accomplish the daily work of the tabernacle. As details of the specific duties are assigned, God’s instructions are clear and precise. Take note of Moses’ obedient response to God’s words. Without hesitation (or offering another perspective), he followed God’s directions totally and precisely: from separating the Levites, to counting every Levite male one month old or more, to registering the first-born Israelite males, to collecting a redemption payment for extra Israelite males not covered by the Levite number, and to giving the redemption payment to Aaron. Moses’ obedience reflects his wholehearted trust in God – the God who provides, rescues, brings order, who knows and redeems. His full obedience serves as a great encouragement and challenge for us.

    As in many Old Testament passages, this chapter offers a shadow of God’s salvation plan. The Levites were set aside for lives devoted to practical service to God in place of each first-born Israelite male, who were previously designated as God’s possession after the rescue from Egypt. In other words, they served as a substitute for the other tribes, fulfilling the obligation of the first-born males. This act of substitution is a shadow of Jesus’ substituting His life for ours, sacrificing his life by dying in our place. 

    Second Corinthians 5:21 describes it this way: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God’s plan to substitute His own Son and redeem us will be revealed throughout our reading of Numbers and other Old Testament books, often in shadows pointing us to Jesus. As we read, let’s ask God to open our eyes and hearts to catch glimpses of His incredible redemption story fulfilled in Jesus. Then, let’s respond with thanks!

    Questions

    1. How does Moses’ totally obedient response to God’s words challenge your obedience to God?
    2. How does your trust in God influence your obedience to Him?
    3. What does Jesus’ substitution of His life for yours mean to you? How can you express your thankfulness to Him today?

    Did You Know?

    It was the job of the Levites to serve the needs of Aaron and the priests, but according to Deuteronomy 24:8 the Levites has another important job: teaching and explaining the Word of God to the Israelites.

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  • Numbers 2

    Numbers 2

    Read Numbers 2

    The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps

    2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standardand holding the banners of their family.”

    3 On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 His division numbers 74,600.

    5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 His division numbers 54,400.

    7 The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. 8 His division numbers 57,400.

    9 All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.

    10 On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.11 His division numbers 46,500.

    12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His division numbers 59,300.

    14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15 His division numbers 45,650.

    16 All the men assigned to the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, number 151,450. They will set out second.

    17 Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard.

    18 On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 His division numbers 40,500.

    20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His division numbers 32,200.

    22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His division numbers 35,400.

    24 All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100. They will set out third.

    25 On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan under their standard. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.26 His division numbers 62,700.

    27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Okran. 28 His division numbers 41,500.

    29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 His division numbers 53,400.

    31 All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last, under their standards.

    32 These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All the men in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. 33 The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

    34 So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.

    Go Deeper

    Numbers 2 outlines the arrangement of the camp for the tribes. The general structure is there are three tribes in each cardinal direction. The tribes are situated around the tabernacle; God is at the center of all of this, He is who they are oriented from. While we orient our maps to the north, that is not the case for this culture. God starts their layout from the east with Judah. 

    We see that God is clear with His instructions for them of where they will go, how they will do it, and who they will be led by. He is kind in His order, but it isn’t always clear why each camp is placed where they are at. Sometimes the biggest camps are on the outside, which is good for military protection since they will march in this same order. However, other times it’s the smaller ones on the outside. It is possible that this had a symbolic shape–some scholars even believe that it could possibly be in the shape of the cross. Whatever the reason is, He doesn’t explain it to them (but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one). He is intentional in His order, even if it’s for reasons that we ourselves cannot see.

    “The standard” is mentioned often in this text and it is a banner or flag. There is speculation for what exactly the standards for each tribe is, but the four main banners are normally agreed to be a lion for Judah, a man for Reuben, a calf for Ephraim, and an eagle for Dan. In Revelation, there are these same four creatures described to be surrounding the throne of God. “The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). 

    These are the same Ezekiel 1:10 prophecies about and the four gospel authors are assigned one of these same animals to symbolize them. This is yet another reminder of how the whole Bible is connected. It isn’t accidental that these symbols are seen all throughout the scriptures. Only our God could beautifully connect His story from Genesis to Revelation!

    Questions

    1. What does this reveal about God to you?
    2. Read Genesis 49:8-12. How do you see this prophecy fulfilled in this chapter?
    3. Re-read verse 34. What does this say about the Israelites? What does it look like for you to “obey all the Lord commanded” today?

    Keep Digging

    For more about the camp arrangement, check out this article.

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  • Numbers 1 + Overview

    Numbers 1 + Overview

    Numbers Introduction

    For some people, the title of Numbers alone is enough to make them not want to dive into this book! As we read over the next few weeks, this isn’t a math book, but a narrative of God’s people and God’s faithfulness to them. 

    God’s people have just received the Law at Sinai and now they are journeying to the Promised Land. While the book of Numbers begins with a census of Israel, the rest of the book has little to do with actual numbers. Numbers is about the journey towards the land flowing with milk and honey just east of the Mediterranean Sea. The people head to Kadesh and God leads them through a cloud by day and fire by night. When the cloud that covered the tent moved, the Israelites packed up camp and followed it. When the cloud stopped, the people stopped and set up camp again. God provided for his people giving them manna from heaven, which is bread, and quail. From there, there are stories of trust and disobedience, complaining and wandering. God’s promises hold true throughout. 

    The book of Numbers is in our Bible for a reason. Not only does it move the storyline of Scripture along, but it also points to the coming Savior. Amidst all of Israel’s failures, there was still hope. God’s wrath and judgment in this book might seem harsh, but we see God marked by both judgment and mercy in the Old Testament and New Testament. Look for yourself in the story.

    Like the Israelites, when are you tempted to complain? When are you tempted to question God’s promises to you? In what ways are you acting in disobedience to the Word of God? Take a note on Moses’ leadership throughout Numbers. Where does he do well? Where does he fall short? What can we apply to our own lives? Don’t be afraid of the names you don’t know and the places you may be unfamiliar with–focus on the overall story!

    Join us through the book of Numbers, as we see the unfolding of God’s big story and the rocky journey to the Promised Land!

    Read Numbers 1

    The Census

    1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: 2 “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. 3 You and Aaron are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army. 4 One man from each tribe, each of them the head of his family, is to help you.5 These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

    from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

    6 from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

    7 from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

    8 from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

    9 from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

    10 from the sons of Joseph:

    from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud;

    from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

    11 from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

    12 from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

    13 from Asher, Pagiel son of Okran;

    14 from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

    15 from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

    16 These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel.

    17 Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been specified,18 and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people registered their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, 19 as the Lord commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai:

    20 From the descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. 21 The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

    22 From the descendants of Simeon:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. 23 The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

    24 From the descendants of Gad:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 25 The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

    26 From the descendants of Judah:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 27 The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

    28 From the descendants of Issachar:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 29 The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

    30 From the descendants of Zebulun:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 31 The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.

    32 From the sons of Joseph:

    From the descendants of Ephraim:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 33 The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.

    34 From the descendants of Manasseh:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 35 The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

    36 From the descendants of Benjamin:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 37 The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.

    38 From the descendants of Dan:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 39 The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700.

    40 From the descendants of Asher:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 41 The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500.

    42 From the descendants of Naphtali:

    All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. 43 The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.

    44 These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. 45 All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. 46 The total number was 603,550.

    47 The ancestral tribe of the Levites, however, was not counted along with the others. 48 The Lord had said to Moses: 49 “You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. 50 Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law—over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. 51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it.Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death. 52 The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard. 53 The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.”

    54 The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses.

    Go Deeper

    The book of Numbers begins with a census. There are two censuses that take place in Numbers, one at the beginning of the book and one at the end. This census is for men over twenty who can go to war, which is why women weren’t included. Note the Levites were not included because they were chosen as the priestly tribe. Moses and Aaron divide the people into their tribes and appoint leaders for each one, to prepare to journey towards the Promised Land. Most of us look at these chapters in the Bible and are tempted to skip over them. However, this is more than just a list of names. There is so much we can learn! In this chapter, there are three main takeaways. 

    The first thing we see is that God is dwelling with His people. The book begins saying, “The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month of the second year after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt” (v. 1). Exodus ended with Moses outside the tent of meeting where God’s presence dwelt, and now Numbers begins with Moses inside the tent of meeting talking to God. Why is this important? It means that the book of Leviticus worked! The problem we see at the beginning of Leviticus is how a holy in God could dwell with a sinful people. This is solved through sacrifices, feasts, and the priests. It also shows us that from the beginning, God desires to be with His people. 

    The second thing we see is that God keeps His promises. We see the unfolding of God’s promises through this first chapter in Numbers. In Genesis 12, God promised Abraham: land, seed (descendants), and blessing. This is known as the Abrahamic Covenant. God tells Abraham that “all the nations of the earth will be blessed by [his] offspring.” Already in the book of Numbers we see God coming through. They were heading towards the Promised Land, their numbers were many as we see through the census, and God’s blessing was upon them. What started with Abraham and Sarah is now generations of Israelites. God is faithful!

    The third thing we see through this chapter is that God’s Word is reliable. This book is not a fairytale that took place thousands of years ago. These are real people with real stories. It says their total number was 603,5oo people (v. 46). This implies a total population of about 2.4 million! Census’ shows us the reliability of Scripture and the historical accuracy of what took place. The Bible is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and it has been preserved unlike any other text. Let this census remind you that God’s Word is trustworthy and true. It is authoritative and sufficient. We can and should depend on it. 

    Questions

    1. What stands out to you about this chapter?

    2. Numbers 1 begins with the Lord speaking to Moses and giving him clear instructions for the census. What does this show you about the character of God? What does this show you about the character of Moses? 

    3. This census likely would have been tedious and taken a long time. When is a time you have been obedient to the Lord, even when it was tedious or burdensome? 

    Watch This

    Check out this video overview of the book of Numbers from The Bible Project!

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  • James 5

    James 5

    Read James 5

    Warning to Rich Oppressors

    5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

    Patience in Suffering

    7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

    10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

    12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

    The Prayer of Faith

    13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

    17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

    19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

    Go Deeper

    James closes this letter in a sobering way. A genuine faith is an active faith that pierces every aspect of one’s life. Suffering reveals what we truly believe within.

    He opens by giving a warning to the rich. He is not saying anything new though. He is simply reiterating what his brother Jesus said throughout His ministry about money (Luke 12, Matthew 6). Like few things do, money has a way of convincing us that we are in control and not reliant on anyone else. Jesus is not against His followers having money, He is against money having a grip on His followers. James is clear that many had spent their life building their kingdom at the expense of others and their consequences were inevitable.

    James then proceeds to encourage the church to wait well. For the believer, this world is not our home. Suffering and disappointment are as sure as death. It is easy to lose hope in light of that reality but James offers a better way. He encourages his readers to establish their hearts in the coming of the Lord. Why would he say such a thing? It is the only way to wait well. The heart that knows how the story ends is able and willing to wait. James points us to Job who suffered the loss of resources, kids, and health however He was rooted in the Lord. In Job 19:25 Job says, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end, he will stand on the earth.” Followers of Christ today have the same expectation on the other side of Christ coming knowing that Jesus will return for His bride.

    He closes this letter by inviting the readers to a deeper dependence on the Lord through prayer and confession. You can determine how one views God’s heart by their prayer life and their confessions. James is simply calling us to a life of prayer like he so vividly saw His brother Jesus live. If we commit to walking in the way that Jesus did, we will reap the fruit of the abundant life Jesus offers.

    Questions

    1. Think about the posture of your heart towards money. Do you have money or does money have you?
    2. How have you been able to wait well for God in difficult seasons? What have you found to be helpful?
    3. What distracts you from praying and how can you remove that?

    A Quote

    “Prayer is how God gives us so many of the unimaginable things he has for us. Indeed, prayer makes it safe for God to give us many of the things we most desire. It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God as God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life.” – Tim Keller

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  • James 4

    James 4

    Read James 4

    Submit Yourselves to God

    4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive,because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

    4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the worldmeans enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

    “God opposes the proud
        but shows favor to the humble.”

    7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

    11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

    Boasting About Tomorrow

    13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

    Go Deeper

    James is taking great care to caution his listeners against letting envy and bitterness take root among them, because he knows that this is the source of an anger that leads to great destruction. Right off the bat he explains that the wars between believers come from internal desires for pleasure and things of the world. As one commentator puts it, “It is self-evident that the Spirit of God does not create desire which issues in envying.” In other words, if a believer claims to have a good motive, but has a critical or contentious attitude, then his desires do not align with those of the Holy Spirit. 

    Thankfully, when we let this happen, verse 5 reminds us that the Holy Spirit is jealous for a relationship with God. This jealousy leads to conviction when we are not in right relationship with Him. While translations of verse 5 may vary, James is merely reiterating many passages from the Old Testament that teach of a jealous God. He intentionally uses the phrase “adulterers and adulteresses” so that this jealousy can be more easily understood: the pain suffered by someone who has been betrayed by a spouse is the same pain we cause God when we forget that we are His bride. He has been ever faithful to us, but our desires for things of the world not only cause war among us, but cause Him horrible grief.  

    So how do we keep our worldly desires in check? James gives us practical guidance in verses 7-10. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Lead a pure life. Have sincere sorrow for your sins and humble yourself before the Lord. When we do these things, James reminds us that we have a God who gives us unending grace when we submit to Him. 

    Charles Spurgeon has various sermons on this passage filled with incredible explanations and words of wisdom. If we question whether it is worth it to do the hard work and humble ourselves and submit to God, consider this quote from Spurgeon: “I desire to whisper one little truth in your ear, and I pray that it may startle you: You are submitting even now. You say, ‘Not I; I am lord of myself.’ I know you think so, but all the while you are submitting to the devil. The verse before us hints at this. ‘Submit yourselves unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.’ If you do not submit to God you never will resist the devil, and you will remain constantly under his tyrannical power. Which shall be your master, God or devil, for one of these must. No man is without a master.” 

    We have two options: submit to God who loves us and created us or remain under the tyranny of the one who wants to destroy us. There is no in between. Let’s take that harrowing perspective with us today so that when even seemingly harmless decisions or situations confront us, we remember to ask the Holy Spirit within us for guidance. In doing so we can both prevent conflict and bring joy to the Father who loves us. 

    Questions

    1. Is there any envy or bitterness within you that you need to confess to God? 
    2. What would it look like for you to practically resist the devil and submit to God today? Is there anyone you need to apologize to? Do you need to abandon any plans long in the making for failure to include God in them? 
    3. Spend time meditating on verses 9-10 and make sure that your heart is in a position of humility before God so that your actions and motivations today align with His.

    Keep Digging

    “If we basely yield to temptations, the devil will continuously follow us; but if we put on the whole armor of God, and stand it out against him, he will be gone from us. Resolution shuts and bolts the door against temptation.” – Matthew Henry

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