Verse for the Day, 22 July 2015.

Numbers 9:15-23  On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning.  (16)  So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.  (17)  And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped.  (18)  At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.  (19)  Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out.  (20)  Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out.  (21)  And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out.  (22)  Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out.  (23)  At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses.

Once more we have the recording of the cloud and the pillar of fire appearing above the tabernacle. The people of Israel would have a daily reminder of God’s presence amongst them, a reminder that would have greatly encouraged and reassured them. What did they need to fear when they had the presence of the living God amongst them?

The pillar of cloud and fire had more than one purpose, for it was also the means by which God led the people on their journey to the Promised Land. When the pillar of cloud or fire rose up from over the tabernacle the people knew it was time to move, to journey closer to the land. Every time the pillar came to a rest, they would stop in that place, set up camp and remain there until the pillar rose up again.

Why did God use such a means to guide the people? I believe there are two reasons. Firstly, it was a means through which God reminded the people of Israel that He was their leader, they were to listen to His voice and to walk in the way that He led them in. One would hope that after having done this for the entire journey from Egypt to Israel, these principles would have been firmly imbedded in their minds and lives. Its purpose was to teach this truth to the people so that when they did live in the land, and the pillar was no longer visible, they would continue to look to God. They were to look to God, and they were to walk in the way God set out for them.

In all likelihood there would have been some amongst the Israelites who would have known the way to the Promised Land, it is not as though they had no clue as to where they were going. They could have relied upon their own knowledge and taken the route they thought best. But here they are being taught not to rely upon human strength and wisdom, not to follow their own ways, but to rely upon God and follow after Him.

Secondly, the pillar rising up, leading them and settling down again would have taught the people of Israel to wait upon God and to trust in God’s timing. There would have been some in the camp who would have thought it best to get to the Promised Land as quickly as possible, stopping for brief rests and then continuing on. Some may have grown impatient as to how long they were spending in a certain place, wondering why they were not going anywhere.

As sinful human beings we can be very impatient and impulsive, We are not good at sitting and waiting, at being still and listening for God’s voice to lead and guide us. We want instant results, we want to get from A to B the quickest way possible, we don’t want to have to wait years for something, we want it now. However it was vital for the Israelites to learn to look to God, trust in God and to wait upon God and God’s timing. When they did finally arrive in the Promised Land they did not find it completely abandoned and everything left on sliver platters for them. It would take time, effort, hard work and sacrifice to take possession of the land, and impatience, impulsiveness would only bring the whole nation into compromise. They needed to wait upon and look to God, trusting that God would make it clear to them when and where they were to move.

These are truths that we also need to learn, for we too can trust more in our own wisdom and ways, than in the way God desires to lead us. We also are impatient and impulsive, we live expecting God to keep up with us. We can rush into decisions, situations or sins without having taken the time to seek after the wisdom and guidance of God. We may not have a pillar of cloud or fire to guide us, but we do have God’s Word, God’s Spirit and the gift of prayer. We need to take hold of these means, setting them before us every day, constantly looking to them, consulting them so that we might know what God’s will and way for us is and when the time is right for us to move, or if we need to be still for a little longer. We need to fix our eyes upon God, rather than allowing our impatience, impulsiveness to get the better of us and lead us astray.

God is the one who knows both us and the future completely. We don’t even know what is around the next corner, and therefore we often make decisions not knowing what their future consequences are, or if they will lead us in a path that brings us closer to God. Therefore it is imperative that we spend much time before God in His Word and in prayer, before we make any decisions, or before we set out on a particular path. We need to pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, for His peace and protection against our own foolishness, impatience, impulsiveness and sinfulness, as well as from the world. Once we have firmly fixed our hearts and minds upon God, sought Him in prayer and meditated much upon His Word, only then should we set out on our path, or make our decision, trusting that God will lead us.

All-knowing and all wise Father, we thank You today for You have not left us to wander through life without any direction, purpose or guidance. Your Word teaches us that You have marked out the path for us and all of our days are written in Your book. We pray that You would help us to walk according to the path You have set out for us, and that we would use Your Word to help us know the path, for Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. May we place our trust in You, fix our lives upon You and walk faithfully and obediently. Encourage us to this task in the difficult times, by reminding us that Your path is the path to life, joy and peace, Your path leads us into Your perfect and eternal kingdom. Thank You that we know the end of our journey, but may we be faithful throughout the journey itself. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 16 July 2015.

Numbers 8:14-22, “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.  (15)  And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering.  (16)  For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.  (17)  For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself,  (18)  and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel.  (19)  And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary."  (20)  Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them.  (21)  And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.  (22)  And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.”

This chapter records again the separation of the Levites to the work of the tabernacle. The separation of the Levites was to be a permanent reminder to the people of Israel of their redemption from Egypt, and how they were spared from God’s judgement through the plague of the death of the first-born. Every time they saw a person from the tribe of Levi, they would have been reminded of God’s redeeming grace towards them.

As for the tribe of Levi, God was bestowing a wonderful blessing and privilege upon them. They would be unique amongst the twelve tribes, for they would not have to give their time and lives to farming or other forms of work, instead they were to devote their lives to the service of God. They would have access to the tabernacle and later the temple that few other Jews ever enjoyed. In addition to this they would spend much of their time at the tabernacle or temple, unlike the majority of Jews who would only come several times a year. And they also had the privilege to be involved in the acts of worship, in the various ceremonies that took place throughout the year. What a joy it must have been for them to have this unique position with all its benefits and privileges.

This passage holds three important truths for us. The first is that we need to be constantly mindful of our redemption, our salvation from sin. We must not think of it as a light or easy thing, rather it has come about only by the power, grace and love God. Had God not worked in His mercy, for His glory and our good, we would have no hope of salvation. It is disheartening to see how quickly and easily many Christians forget the magnitude, the cost of their salvation. The moment we start to forget how valuable and costly our salvation is, is the moment that we start to take God’s grace for granted, presume upon it and fail to honour, glorify and worship God in the right manner. It also causes us to falter in our Christian walk, for it will impact upon our prayer lives, how we live our faith out and the attitude with which we serve. We need to daily remind ourselves that our salvation is priceless.

Secondly, we can rejoice in the fact that we enjoy the same, and even greater, privilege and position of the Levites. Only the Levites were set apart to the work and service of the tabernacle or temple, only they could draw nearer to the actual building than others could. But as believers in Christ, every single believer has equal, full, complete and continuous access to God. The Levites had to be consecrated, made holy and set apart for service. Christ has truly consecrated us, made us holy and has called us to serve him with our lives. We don’t need a special position or title, we can all boldly, confidently, freely and joyfully approach God in worship and service.

Thirdly, it was the work of the Levites to assist their fellow countrymen to worship God. From the practical aspects to the more personal details, they were there to help people to know how to worship God in the right manner, and to assist them to do so. This reminds us of our role within the world. Our worship of God as Christians is not meant to only ever be a private affair, done behind closed and locked doors, rather it is to be open and public. In fact the Scriptures tell us to call upon the all the nations, all people to come and worship God. It is our God-given privilege to help the world see the glory of God, the wonder of the salvation He has provided for us in Christ and the rich joy that is found in Christ. We are to help people to know these truths, so that they too might come to worship, love and adore God.

Our privilege, position and purpose as Christians far exceeds that of the Levites, but the challenge is for us to give thanks to God for all He has done, and for us to live in the manner He calls on us to.

Our Father, You alone have done great and wonderful things for us. You are the God of our salvation, without You we would be devoid of any hope. How we give thanks to You for the love You have lavished upon us through the Lord Jesus Christ. May we never lose sight of the wonder and weight of our salvation. We thank You also that You draw all who believe in You near and enable us to come to worship or serve You at any time. We don’t need to be of the tribe of Levi or have a special title, all we need is Christ. Help us to live as joy-filled and willing servants, who long to show the world the riches that are found in You. May they see our joy as we worship You, and be drawn to Christ through it. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 13 July 2015

My apologies that there has been such a long break in the Verse for the Day, life has been rather busy of late and I had to give priority to some more important matters. Thank you for being so understanding.

Numbers 7:10-17, “(10) And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar.  (11)  And the LORD said to Moses, "They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar."  (12)  He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah.  (13)  And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;  (14)  one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;  (15)  one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;  (16)  one male goat for a sin offering;  (17)  and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”

In Numbers 7, we have recorded for us the offering of gifts to the work of the tabernacle, in particular the offerings given when the altar was consecrated. Each of the tribes, with the exception of the Levites, come over 12 consecutive days to bring their gifts and offerings for the altar. Every tribe brings the same gifts and the same amount, it is not as though one tribe out does the other.

The questions that we ask are; why do they bring gifts and offerings for the altar, what is so special and significant about the altar? Why is it necessary for all of the tribes to bring gifts and to bring the same gifts?

Without trying to over-symbolise and allegorise this passage, I believe that we can answer these questions in a manner that is Biblically accurate and honourable.

The altar was one of the most significant objects within the tabernacle. In fact it was one of the few objects in the tabernacle that the people could see and have some access to. Furthermore the altar was the means through which, by which they were able to have a relationship with God. If they desired to come to God, they had to go via the altar, they had to offer up a sacrifice for sin, and then approach God. The altar reminded them of their sinfulness, the consequences of their sin, the holiness of God and also the grace and mercy of God. It was through the altar and the intercession made for them by the priests that the people of Israel could find favour in God’s sight. Thus the altar was the centre piece of their individual and national relationship with God.

Why do they all bring the same gifts? There is great wisdom in the fact that all the tribes bring the exact same gifts, of identical value and quantity. It is human nature to think that those who give more, should receive more. In the case of something like the altar, those who give more, should have greater access to the altar, they have more right to the altar than those who gave less, the altar is more theirs than anybody else’s. Yet by bringing the same gifts, of the same value, it means that the altar is of equal importance to them, and they all have the same right and access to the altar. After-all, all of us are in need of God’s grace, mercy and salvation, no one can say that their need of God is greater than another’s, nor could we say we have more right or access to God than any other. All men alike are in need of God.

The gifts that are given would have been of great value to the people, it would be a sacrifice to give them to the tabernacle. We need to remember that Israel at this point in time had limited resources, they only had that which they had brought with them out of Egypt. Thus as the work of constructing the temple and the giving of the various gifts to Aaron and his sons, as well as to the Levites, and now the giving of these gifts for the consecration of the altar, would have greatly depleted their resources. Their giving is sacrificial, it would have been hard and would have required them to trust in the Lord. They were on route to the Promised Land, a land in which they would have to almost start from scratch, thus they would have wanted to be as wise and frugal as possible with what they had, so as to ensure that they could set up their homes in their new land. Therefore as their resources are being depleted all the more, and their trust in God to provide for them needed to increase. As we shall see on numerous occasions in the book of Numbers, whilst they may have given sacrificially, they failed to trust in God to faithfully provide for them, instead they complained frequently and bitterly against God.

They also equally failed to learn from the point and purpose of the tabernacle and the altar. The tabernacle and altar were there to be constant teachers and reminders, about the nature, character and works of God, and their own nature, character and works. They were designed to constantly point to the holiness of God, and the need for God’s people to display that same holiness. The altar specifically taught and reminded them of sin and its consequences, thus it sought to encourage them to live and walk in righteousness and obedience. Every time they saw the tabernacle, or the altar, it was to remind them that God was in their presence, He was amongst them, He witnessed all that which they did, and He required holiness, obedience and faithfulness. In addition to this it reminded them that God was gracious, He was willing to forgive those who came to Him in humble repentance and that God desired for them to know Him and to have a real relationship with Him.

The tabernacle, the altar and the services that took place at the tabernacle, where rich in what they sought to remind, teach and represent to the people of Israel. To them it should have been a constant joy and delight to have the tabernacle, and the altar, to be able to look to them, stand before them and enjoy the unique access to God it provided from them.

The challenge that comes to us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ is that we have something far greater than an altar or tabernacle. We have the finished work of Christ, we have the established Church, we have the complete Word of God, and greatest of all we have the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What was signs and symbols for the Israelites are realities for us. We have a far greater privilege than they, for what they had to believe in faith would happen in the future, we can look back at and see its complete fulfilment. We don’t have to look far to see and know the presence of God, His nature, character and works and how we might live as His children. Yet we can so easily fall into the very same error that the Israelites fell into. We can take all these wonderful and unique gifts for granted, we can fail to look at them, or learn from them as we should. We can be guilty of wanting something more or greater, and we can be guilty of forgetting all that which God is and has done for us and instead complain against Him.

For us it should be daily delight and joy, a cause for us to worship and praise God, that we do not need the tabernacle or the altar anymore, because Christ’s work is complete, and God’s Spirit now dwells within us each and every day. Every day God seeks to teach us by His Spirit and by His Word more and more of who He is, and more and more of who He would have us be. Every day God seeks to draw us into a closer and deeper relationship with Himself, and allow us to know the ever increasing blessings of our salvation. How tragic it is that we give so little time, thought or attention to that which God has done for us and given to us. How tragic it is that we are so quick to forget and count it a hardship to serve God, never mind having to make a sacrifice. Let us strive to do what the people of Israel should have done, and that is to look to God every day, look to the tabernacle, look to the altar, so we should be looking to Christ, looking to God’s Spirit, so that our lives might be looking in the right direction at the start of the day, until the end of the day.

Our Lord God, how we rejoice in the fact that You are a God who has made Yourself known, and have made a way for us as sinful people to be able to approach You in worship. Thank You that we no longer need a tabernacle or an altar, for Christ’s work has brought us full salvation and brings us into Your eternal favour and presence. Help us, by Your Spirit, to keep our eyes, our lives fixed on You, may You be the centre point, the focal point of our lives. Keep us from forgetfulness, doubt and discontentment, and make us holy, humble, faithful, joyful and obedient. In Your great name we pray. Amen.