Verse for the Day, 3 August 2016.

Numbers 28:1-8, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  (2)  "Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.'  (3)  And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering.  (4)  The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;  (5)  also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil.  (6)  It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.  (7)  Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD.  (8)  The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.””

When reading Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers we can find the repetition unnecessary, however what we are forgetting is that these three books span a period of nearly 120 years. The first seven chapters of Exodus span more than 80 years, and by the time we reach the end of Numbers another 40 years has passed. Thus, Numbers 28 is being addressed to an entirely new generation, a generation that was either very young, or not even present at Mount Sinai. The commandments had been spoken to their grandparents and parents, the vast majority of which had now died. For this generation the events of Exodus, Leviticus and a significant portion of Numbers was a distant faded memory, and for a good number of them these events pre-dated their birth. Therefore, what to us appears to repetition, is the first time this generation was being formally taught these commandments, and this teaching will continue until the end of Deuteronomy.

In this chapter, the commandments about sacrifices are restated. The first eight verses details what sacrifices were to be offered every single day, one in the morning, and the other in the evening. To some this may appear to be wasteful, two lambs, drink, 2 litres oil and 5 litres of fine flour, was to be offered up every single day. This appears all the more unnecessary, wasteful, even selfish, when we consider that these demands were being made of a nation of nomads. They did not have a land of their own, they were not settled and therefore keeping sheep, planting and harvesting grain and producing oil was not easy. So why then does God make such a demand of the people?

God makes this demand of the people, not because He needs it, but because they need to do it. This command for them to offer up a morning and evening sacrifice highlights a number of facts. Firstly, the fact that for those who are God’s people, the day should begin and end with God. God should be the first person we acknowledge, worship and give to, as well as the last. Secondly, they needed this because it reminded them that God was first and last, God was the beginning and the end, God was their God, whom they were called to follow, obey and honour. Thirdly, they needed this because it served as a reminder that God was their provider, everything they had, came from Him and therefore belonged to Him. God gave them their daily bread, the manna and the quail, He provided water and shelter from them, guidance and protection. Fourthly, they needed it because mankind has the ability to forget God almost in an instant. We can become so consumed with our own lives, our own wants, needs, and desires that God becomes a distant thought. By commanding the people of Israel to start and end the day with the worship of God, it would have served as a means to keep their focus on God.

Although we are separated by several thousand years from this generation, we are prone to the very same forgetfulness. Even those of us who say we are true believers in Jesus Christ, we can become so caught up in our lives that we can go an entire week without even acknowledging God in any meaningful way, other than a quick prayer before a meal. Who is our first and last thought? With whom are we occupied with the majority of the day? Whose concerns come first throughout the day? Whose glory, honour and kingdom are we concerned with the most? Is it not ourselves that we are most caught up with? As a result, it should not be a mystery to us as to why our hearts, minds, our lives are not inclined towards God. The simple reality is that God has not featured in our lives through the day, and it is not merely a switch that we can flick on and suddenly find ourselves caught up in the worship, adoration, honour and service of God.

The challenge for us is to heed these truths, these reasons as to why God issued such a command to the Israelites. We should not presume that because we have Christ, the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and the completed Scriptures that we are any better. We have so much more than what the people of Israel had, yet we are just as quick and prone to forget God as they were. We need to make it our daily discipline to remember God, not just in the morning and the evening, but throughout the day. We need to be consumed with God, His glory and His kingdom during the day, for then we will have hearts, minds and lives inclined towards God, and our very lives, desires, wants and needs will all fall into the right place because God is in the right place. Remember the words of Jesus towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Our great God, who inhabits eternity and heaven’s highest throne, the One who is the beginning, centre and end of all things, we humble ourselves before You today. May You be so gracious as to forgive us for being so quick to forget You and becoming consumed, wrapped up in our own lives. Help us to remember that because You are, we are, without You nothing is possible. May You become the very centre of our lives, our first and last thought, and the chief desire of our hearts. Help us this day to follow and live out those words of Jesus, may we seek Your kingdom and righteousness first, and trust in You for everything else. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 27 July 2016.

Numbers 27:12-23, “The LORD said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel.  (13)  When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was,  (14)  because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)  (15)  Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,  (16)  "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation  (17)  who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd."  (18)  So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.  (19)  Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight.  (20)  You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.  (21)  And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation."  (22)  And Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,  (23)  and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the LORD directed through Moses.”

Reading Numbers 27:12-23, produces mixed emotions. Having worked our way through Exodus, Leviticus and now Numbers, it is as though Moses has become a close friend. We have walked with him through his life. We have rejoiced with him as God preserved him, raised him up and used him to bring the people out of Egypt. We marvelled with him as God displayed His immense power, and rejoiced with great relief once the people made it safely through the sea. Along with Moses we have grown weary of the constant complaints made by the stubborn and selfish Israelites. We have been angry on his behalf when the people engaged in idolatry and sympathised with him. We have greatly envied Moses, when he was given that unique glimpse of God’s glory. We have shared so much with Moses, and he is a man we have grown to admire. But like all men, Moses’ time has come and soon he will pass from this life to the next. Now a successor needs to be appointed, to take up Moses’ role.

Whilst we are saddened to seen Moses’ departure and coming death, we are encouraged by the establishment and commissioning of Joshua to be the new leader of Israel. Joshua has already proved himself to be a valiant, courageous, God-fearing man, who seeks to do what is right in God’s sight. Joshua has been following in Moses’ footsteps pretty much since they left Egypt. God has been preparing Joshua for this work, and now the time has come to take over from Moses.

We can be certain that Moses would have been pleased, encouraged and even hopeful for the future of Israel, with the appointment of Joshua. He knew Joshua better than any other, and would have known he was the right man for the job.

Like Moses, Joshua would be greatly tested and he too would have to deal with the complacency and sinfulness of the people. But with God’s presence, wisdom and approval, Joshua would be able to lead well.

Thus, the chapter ends, with Joshua commissioned as the new leader of the people, Moses has handed over the reins of leadership. This new generation now stands on the brink of the Promised Land, with a new and God-appointed leader. It is a picture of hope for the future, as men will come and go, will be born, rise up, fade away and die, but God remains the same, unchangeable and eternal. Therefore, as long as God is alive, as long as God’s man is allowed to lead the people, there will be hope for the nation of Israel. At this point in time, the future for Israel looks bright, full of promise and potential. God has led through Moses, and now that Moses’ time of departure has come, doesn’t mean that God will depart with Moses. God has appointed a new man, He has set His seal, His approval, His authority upon Joshua to lead the people into the Promised Land.

This chapter teaches us once more about the wisdom, goodness and grace of God. He truly has all things in control, and His power extends to both today and tomorrow, in fact for eternity to come. He is the one who preserves, saves, raises up, appoints, equips, uses and then takes to be with Him. He holds all things in His omnipotent, wise and goods hands. The challenge for us is to adopt the attitude of Moses. We see in this chapter that Moses did not look to himself, nor did he regard himself as the true leader of Israel, and certainly not as the king. He knew that God was the leader and king, in fact if God had not worked in the manner that He did, Moses would still be herding goats and sheep and the people of Israel would still be enslaved. It was all God, and none of Moses. We see this reflected in Moses, as Moses doesn’t choose who should replace him, he doesn’t even give himself a share in making the decision. He asks for God to lead, and to appoint this new man.

Here is the challenge for us; who are we looking to as the ultimate leader, ruler and king of our own lives? We who are believers in Christ, submitted ourselves to the complete lordship, authority of Christ at that moment of conversion. We claimed Christ as our king, and gave Him the exclusive right to rule over and lead our lives. Yet how often do we find ourselves engaged in a power struggle with God. We want the right to ‘veto’ and to be consulted, to have a say, sometimes the final say in our choices and decisions. We don’t look to God as our one and only, our exclusive God, Lord and King, nor do we always regard His word as being the final authority. We need to learn to walk in Moses’ footsteps, understanding our position before God and therefore adopting the appropriate attitude, manner position and service. Living in this manner is to walk the pathway to blessing, it is for our highest good, it is for the benefit of the Church, it serves the Kingdom purposes of God, and brings greater glory to God. As a believer we should not want anything more than this.

Almighty God, Your ways are higher than ours and Your wisdom is infinitely greater. We thank You that You are God of time and God of all, for there are no safer, greater or more gracious hands than Yours. Forgive us for the times when we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, and think we have the wisdom, strength and ability to live without You. Help us to submit to You as our one and only God, King and ruler of our lives. May we faithfully, daily, look to You, to lead us and follow You so as to bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 20 July 2016.

Numbers 26:1-4 & 51-56, “After the plague, the LORD said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest,  (2)  "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war."  (3)  And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,  (4)  "Take a census of the people, from twenty years old and upward," as the LORD commanded Moses. The people of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were …. (51) “This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730.  (52)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (53)  "Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names.  (54)  To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list.  (55)  But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.  (56)  Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller."”

Numbers 1 recorded the first census for us when Israel came out of Egypt. A number of years have passed, and a large amount of Israelites have perished under God’s hand of just judgement. It would be very easy for us to assume that the nation was wasting away, growing smaller and smaller. Thus far we only ever seem to read about God disciplining the nation and people dying in large numbers.

But Numbers 26 reassures us that this is not the case. Yes, God has had to deal with rebellious and disobedient people on a number of occasions. Yes, Numbers does record the deaths of tens of thousands of Israelites. However, Numbers also records God consistent, unfailing faithfulness towards His covenant promises and therefore to the nation of Israel. God has continued to provide food, water, shelter and protection for them. The pillar of cloud and fire is still present, leading them each and every day. God is also upholding and building the nation so that it will not die out, but go on to receive the promises God has made to them. This is most visible when one compares the total numbers of the two censuses. The difference is only slight, 603 550 and 601 730. God has faithfully kept, prospered, and increased the nation of Israel. What makes this all the more incredible is that this has happened in the midst of very difficult and adverse circumstances, as well as God’s discipline of the nation.

For us as the readers of this book it gives us hope. Israel still has a future, and it is one that has been given to them by God, preserved by God and one into which God will bring them. God will not utterly destroy them, even though they have given God sufficient reason to do so. God will not allow them to be utterly wiped out by the harsh wilderness or at the hands of their enemies. What God has promised, God will bring to fulfilment, even in the midst of man’s constant and even extreme sinfulness and rebellion.

In the world today it is easy for us to grow discouraged quickly, whether by the rampant ungodliness and evil of mankind, or the apathy of the Church. At times we can even despair, fearing the complete collapse of the Church under the weight of worldliness. But what we see with our eyes and feel with our hearts is not reality. For the people of Israel, it would have been easy for them to grow discouraged by the constant death of people, digging graves day after day. They could be led to think it was all a vain task, what was the point of continuing on, when all it was going to lead to was a slow and unpleasant death in the wilderness. For those growing up and watching grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts die, they may have been filled with despair that what they had been told would never come to pass. Where was this so called “Promised Land”, did it actually exist, and would they live to see it?

We can identify with this thinking and feeling. We watch the older generation of the church, age and die, but it appears that no one comes into the church, in their place, there is little sign of the younger generation. We look around and see churches crumbling into liberalism, or closing their doors and selling their buildings. The Bible is now the object of scorn and mockery, and we are viewed as being ignorant and narrow-minded, even foolish for having such a high regard for the Bible. Doors that once were open to evangelism and Gospel-ministry are closing and closing at an alarming rate, schools and hospitals are now tightly governed and restricted. We have to be careful what we say and do in the work place, so that we don’t create offence, attract unwanted criticism or even persecution. The temptation to grow increasingly despondent and discouraged is great. The temptation to give up enters our minds often. Heaven, eternal life in the joy-filled, awesome presence of God, seems so far off and sounds a bit too good to be true. We fear that what we have prayed for and hoped in will never come to pass and that we will not enter into God’s promise.

Numbers 26, helps us to gain the right perspective by reminding us that God is in control, He is at work in ways we cannot see. It reminds us how quickly we become blind to God’s faithfulness, presence and working. He is at work all the time, He is faithful, gracious, merciful, generous, good and patient with us and all humanity all day, every day. Most importantly, He is working all things out in accordance with His purposes and promises. His works may not be visible to us right now, but He is working and He cannot be hindered. He will do what He has promised. Thus we need to often remind ourselves of passages such as this, so that instead of looking down and feeling downcast, we are able to look up and rejoice in our unfailing, faithful, sovereign and powerful God, whilst trusting Him for the future. God doesn’t ask us to change the world, or to uphold it, nor does He tell us we have to get ourselves to heaven. He changes the world, He upholds it and us, and He keeps us for heaven and heaven for us. God asks us to be faithful, following, trusting, obeying and loving Him as we wander through the wilderness of this life, with the confident hope, expectation and joy that He will bring us home to glory.

LORD God our hearts unite with Jeremiah when he declares in Lamentations 3:22-24, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  (23)  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  (24)  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."” We thank and praise You for Your love, mercy and faithfulness to us. Thank You that they are the rock to which we can cling in this ever changing world. Thank You that You are our joy and our certain hope for the future, rather than the transient things of this world. Enable us to hope all the more in You, by looking up to You, rather than allowing ourselves to be bowed down in despair. Amen.