Verse for the Day, 5 March 2015.

Numbers 1:1-4, “The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,  (2)  "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.  (3)  From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.  (4)  And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.”

Numbers 1:45-47, “So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— (46)  all those listed were 603,550.  (47)  But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe.”

Numbers opens with the people of Israel still encamped at Mount Sinai, and it starts on a very encouraging note. Moses is instructed by God to take a census of all the men from the age of 20 upwards. The men from every tribe were to be counted, with the exception of the tribe of Levi.

Once the census has been taken we are told that there are 603,550 men. On first appearance this number may not seem significant, but if we were to add the number of women, all those below the age of 20 and the tribe of Levi, we would probably not be far off the 2 million mark!

Israel was a substantial nation of people, in fact such was their number that even the mighty Egyptians felt greatly threatened by them when they dwelt in Egypt.

But there is a greater significance to this chapter, and that is the reminder that God is faithful to His promises. Back in Genesis 12, when God first promises offspring to Abram, if we have told Abram then, that after several generation his offspring would amount to some 2 million people, it is unlikely that he would have believed us. Yet this is exactly what has happened, from one man has come a nation, a nation that is by no means small nor weak. Though its beginning may have been small, its growth has been great. When Israel entered into Egypt in the days of Joseph there was only some 70 people, but in 400 years those 70 have grown to 2 million. This growth is even more remarkable when we consider how the people of Israel were beaten, mistreated, enslaved and force into hard labour, and the order to kill all new born Israelite boys carried out ruthlessly. In spite of all this opposition and persecution, the nation grew in number and strength.

Throughout these years God’s hand had been upon this nation, protecting it, providing for it and prospering it. Though many of the Israelites may have felt abandoned by God, the growth and preservation of their nation was evidence that God was still with and for them. As they saw their nation grow, so they would have been reminded of the sovereignty, power and working of God.

For believers in Jesus Christ there is much encouragement in this passage. Like the people of Israel in Egypt, we can easily and quickly become despondent. There are times when it feels as though God has abandoned us, His promises, power, sovereignty and work appear to have failed, or have disappeared from us. The darkness of that trial hangs over us and we fear that there is no way forward, no way out. This passage encourages us to keep our eyes upon God, trusting Him to work in His way and in His time. We need to trust in God’s sovereign purposes and plans, even when they don’t make sense to us. Furthermore we must not make the mistake of believing that because we cannot feel God’s presence, or see God visibly at work, that He has then abandoned or forsaken us. God is faithful to every promise, even the promise to never leave, to never forsake His people. God is faithful to every promise, even the promise to work out all things for our greatest good and His highest glory. God is faithful and God is at work, in ways, means and places that we cannot see or know about, and at the right time we will see His purposes and works. We are called to trust God, to rest in His sovereignty and power, and to serve Him with joyful obedience.

Our great covenant-keeping, ever-faithful God, we praise and adore You today, for You are a good of truth, a God who fulfils all His promises and who works all things out in accordance to Your will. How we thank You today, that You are the one that holds our lives in the palm of Your hand. Thank You that You are constantly at work in our world and in our lives, working for our good and for Your glory. Help us to remember that You are a God who does not forsake His children, but remains with us in and through all situations, circumstances and trials, bringing us safely through them all. May we always look to You, find our strength in You, rest in Your sovereign power and control, and glorify Your name through our obedience. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 4 March 2015.

Leviticus 27:1-8, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  (2)  "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons,  (3)  then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.  (4)  If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels.  (5)  If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.  (6)  If the person is from a month old up to five years old, the valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female the valuation shall be three shekels of silver.  (7)  And if the person is sixty years old or over, then the valuation for a male shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.  (8)  And if someone is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; the priest shall value him according to what the vower can afford.”

The book of Leviticus ends in a rather obscure manner, in this final chapter we see commands given that deal with the redemption of vows, and those things that were promised to God in the taking of that vow.

The most alarming of the verses are the first eight, as it speaks of how people are to be redeemed. What then are we to make of these eight verses and then the chapter as a whole?

When it comes to passages in the Bible that we struggle to understand and interpret, we must allow the Bible to interpret the Bible. In other words we seek to find another portion of Scripture that either speaks to the same issue, or can help us to understand it. In regards to the first eight verses of this chapter, it is helpful for us to read 1 Samuel 1, giving particular attention to verse 11, “And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

Hannah is making the type of vow that is being spoken of in Leviticus 27. She is praying for a son, asking God to heal her barren womb and give to her the blessing of a son. In return for God’s favour and blessing, Hannah vows to then give that son to God, to serve God for the entirety of his life.

However, if after the birth of Samuel, Hannah wished to be set free from this vow, then she would follow the rules and commandments detailed in this chapter. She would have to bring Samuel to the priest, and depending on the age of Samuel, a calculation would be made and that amount would have to be paid into the temple treasury. Once the payment was made, Hannah would be set free from her vow, and Samuel would be able to remain with Hannah.

But there is more to this chapter than just providing commands on how vows can be redeemed. The question we need to ask is why are these commands given, and why are the amounts stated so high (50 shekels was equivalent to nearly five month’s pay in the days of Jesus)?

There are several reasons as to why these commands are given and the redemption amounts so high. Firstly, God does not want the people of Israel to enter into vows rashly and without thought. How often have we promised God that we would give or do something if He undertook in a certain way, yet after God has undertaken we fail to keep our promise? How many people in a state of panic, shock or fear, have pledged their lives to God if He should save and spare their lives, yet later forget this promise?

Secondly, God wants the Israelites to understand that the taking of vows, the making of promises to God is a very serious matter. It should not be entered into rashly or foolishly, nor should they be forsaken hastily. If we expect God to be faithful towards us in regards to all His promises, is it not then hypocritical of us to be unfaithful to God, breaking our vows or promises?

The giving of these commands and the high valuation for redemption are there to prevent foolish and rash vows, to ensure that the people of Israel think about what they are promising to God and why they are making this vow. They are given so that the Israelites might understand that when it comes to making promises and vows to God, it is something which God takes seriously and desires them to be faithful to them. Therefore they should also take it seriously, and enter into it with the express desire to be faithful to that promise and make every effort to remain faithful. God is a God of truth and faithfulness, every word He speaks is wise, true and good, and every promise He makes, He keeps faultlessly. The people of Israel are being called to be like God in this regard.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we can also be guilty of making rash and foolish statements, promises and vows. We fail to consider what we are saying to God, or the promise we are making. At certain times we may also fail to adequately discern our hearts, our attitude and motivation for making such promises. Are we making it in the hope of what we might receive, what we might stand to gain? Are we trying to manipulate God in the same manner that we manipulate each other, by making grand promises in order to get our way? It should always be our desire to be faithful towards God, we should want to serve Him with all of our lives and all that we have, not because of what we might gain in return, but simply as an expression of love, trust and worship.

Lord God, You are a God of truth and faithfulness. All Your words have proved to be trustworthy and true, You are faithful to all Your promises. We thank You today that You are so faithful to such unfaithful people. We pray and ask You to forgive us for the times that we have made rash or foolish promises, promises and vows motivated more by pride, envy, jealousy and greed, than by godliness. Help us to be people who are eager to be faithful to You in all that we do, and to trust You in all things, for all things, at all times. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 19 February 2015.

Leviticus 26:3-4  "If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,  (4)  then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Leviticus 26:11-13  I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.  (12)  And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.  (13)  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Leviticus 26:14-16  "But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments,  (15)  if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,  (16)  then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Leviticus 26:40-45  "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me,  (41)  so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,  (42)  then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.  (43)  But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes.  (44)  Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God.  (45)  But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD."

This particular chapter makes for both encouraging and sobering reading. There are wonderful promises made by God if the people remain faithful to His commandments. Surely having read of these promises, the people of Israel would have been adequately motivated to live in obedience. These promises and the kind of life that they would lead to, is something that all of us desire. We want to live in peace and security, we want to have all our needs supplied and for there to be an abundance. As Christians we desire to know close fellowship with God, to know the presence and blessing of God. Had Israel lived in obedience to God, they would have been envied by all the world, all mankind would want to be a part of Israel, to enjoy all these rich blessings from God.

Unfortunately the chapter gives more time to the consequences for their disobedience than the blessing for obedience. We must not think that this is because God would rather punish them, or that God takes delight in thinking up all kinds of suffering that He can inflict upon them. This lengthy section on the consequences for their disobedience gives evidence of the fact that God is no fool, and God knows the future. Despite all the promises and pledges made by the people to walk in faithfulness and obedience, God knew that they would fail and quickly turn aside to disobedience. These consequences are stated clearly and explicitly to warn the people that God was serious about obedience, God was serious about His glory and He should not be taken lightly, taken advantage of or disregarded. To do so would be to invite the judgement and discipline of God.

However it is important for us to note that God’s wrath, judgement and discipline are not without mercy. God clearly tells them that if they should acknowledge their guilt, their sin, repent of it and return to Him, then He will forgive them, He will heal them and He will restore them. God is holy, God will deal with sin, but God is merciful and willing to forgive.

For us as believers in Christ we need to give attention to this chapter and not make the mistake of thinking that there is no application to us. We have been given more, we have been given a greater privilege, position, promise and possession. God’s grace towards us is beyond what we can fathom, for it is not the blood of a lamb that was shed to secure our lives and salvation from slavery, but it was the blood of the Lamb, God the Son shed for us. We now live in a state of tremendous blessing, in fact if we take time meditate upon this we will quickly realise that amongst all mankind we are the most blessed. Who else apart from the believer in Christ can call God, Father? Who else apart from the believer in Christ is called a child of God? Who else apart from the believer in Christ has the Spirit of God living within them? Who else apart from the believer has the certain promise of a glorious eternity in God’s Kingdom?

We are blessed beyond what we deserve! But let us not make the mistake that the nation of Israel made by taking all this out pouring of God’s grace and favour for granted. They presumed that because they were God’s covenant people, God would always be faithful to them, He would never punish them. They failed to remember that God is holy, just and jealous for His glory. This led them to become casual about obedience, which quickly led to compromise and sin. As believers in Christ we may have eternal security and all the promises of Christ, but let us not become casual about the holiness, glory and honour of God. Let us not because casual about obedience towards God and the service and worship of God. If we seek to live in obedience, for the glory and honour of God, we will know in greater measure the blessings and presence of God, our relationship with God will grow closer and all the more precious. But if we turn aside from obedience, we will come under the hand of God’s discipline, a discipline that will not be pleasant, but is necessary, is for our good so as to bring us back to repentance and renewed obedience.

We are the most blessed of all men, both here on earth and for all eternity, we have all the promises of Christ, heaven is our home, God is our Father and His Spirit is within us. What more could we ask or want for? Let us therefore walk in joy-filled, loving and willing obedience to our good and gracious God.

Holy, glorious, just Father, thank You for the many, rich and undeserved blessings that You have given to us in Christ Jesus. They are truly beyond what we can fathom and what we know now on this earth is but the beginning, is but a small foretaste. Help us to set our eyes upon You, upon Your awesome holiness, majesty, glory, goodness and grace. May we keep in our minds all that which Christ has done for us and given to us. We pray that this would help us to walk in greater obedience of You, for the glory of Your name. Amen.