Once the people are numbered and duties assigned, the Israelites are ready to move. Many times ram’s horns were used for signaling but God had them make trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community together.
For some reason, Moses felt the need to have his brother-in-law Horeb help guide them through the desert. Why did Moses need Hobab if he had the cloud for guidance? Notice right after that the cloud moved sporadically and the people had to break camp and follow. Could it be that God was teaching Moses a lesson?
The people begin to grumble and complain...again. This time they want meat. God answers in essence with "You want meat do you? I'll give you meat! I'll give you so much meat that it will come out of your nostrils!"
What was the severe plague that struck them because of the consumption of the quail? Could it have been food poisoning from spoiled food?
Moses had the presence of the Lord in the cloud for guidance. We have God's Word for guidance. Why would we as Christians want to go to other sources for our guidance?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Did you ever wonder why God warned the people about touching the holy things in the tabernacle? The warning came with a stiff penalty for not honoring God’s warning. Did God ever have to follow through with that penalty? Check this out.
1 Chr 13:9-10
When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
The descendants of Levi are given specific duties. All together there were 8,580 men 30 – 50 years of age who were responsible for the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle). So whenever the pillar of fire or the cloud would move giving the people the signal to move, there were quite a few men taking care of all the moving.
Fascinating tidbit of information…in the Millennial Kingdom, the cloud and pillar will once again return.
Isa 4:5
Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy.
Uzzah suffered a penalty for not obeying God completely.
How is it with us as Christians, do we always obey God completely?
1 Chr 13:9-10
When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
The descendants of Levi are given specific duties. All together there were 8,580 men 30 – 50 years of age who were responsible for the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle). So whenever the pillar of fire or the cloud would move giving the people the signal to move, there were quite a few men taking care of all the moving.
Fascinating tidbit of information…in the Millennial Kingdom, the cloud and pillar will once again return.
Isa 4:5
Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy.
Uzzah suffered a penalty for not obeying God completely.
How is it with us as Christians, do we always obey God completely?
Friday, February 5, 2010
As they prepare to observe the first Passover celebration since their exodus from Egypt, a problem surfaced. Some of the Israelites were ceremonially unclean because of their contact with a dead body and could not celebrate the Passover. Because they were unsure of what to do in light of the regulation restrictions, they went to Moses with their confusion. Moses did the right thing by taking it to the Lord.
When we are unsure or confused about something, is our first thought to take it to the Lord?
When we are unsure or confused about something, is our first thought to take it to the Lord?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Notice that the offerings of the 12 tribes are the same, no matter how small or how large the tribe. Also notice that there are 12 tribes even though the tribe of Levi is not counted. Joseph is left out and his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh are in.
Aaron was told to set up the seven lamps that had been made according to the pattern God had given Moses on the mountain.
Num 8:2-4
"Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.'"Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 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.
Seven lamps are prominent elsewhere in Scripture as well.
Rev 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Everything was done by Moses just as the Lord commanded. So far…so good. Stay tuned!
Aaron was told to set up the seven lamps that had been made according to the pattern God had given Moses on the mountain.
Num 8:2-4
"Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.'"Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 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.
Seven lamps are prominent elsewhere in Scripture as well.
Rev 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Everything was done by Moses just as the Lord commanded. So far…so good. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Aaron’s sons died because they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.Do people today in positions of authority and leadership in effect offer “unauthorized fire” to the Lord? Do they do this in the form of unbiblical observances and teachings? Just a thought…
Jer 2:13
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Lev 10:10
You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Again, something that church and denomination leaders are charged with, to teach the people the difference between the spiritual and the worldly.
And again, much like it will be as the apostate church devolves into the false church during the last days.
Jer 2:13
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Lev 10:10
You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Again, something that church and denomination leaders are charged with, to teach the people the difference between the spiritual and the worldly.
And again, much like it will be as the apostate church devolves into the false church during the last days.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Moses did everything as the Lord commanded.
“…and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
Can there be a more spectacular proclamation? Maybe so. Read the following.
Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
As the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, so we should allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Imagine a group of people so filled with the Holy Spirit that the place where they are meeting is shaken. Kind of gives a person goosebumps doesn’t it?
“…and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
Can there be a more spectacular proclamation? Maybe so. Read the following.
Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
As the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, so we should allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Imagine a group of people so filled with the Holy Spirit that the place where they are meeting is shaken. Kind of gives a person goosebumps doesn’t it?
Monday, February 1, 2010
God gives through Moses the first stewardship “sermon”. God commands that everyone who is WILLING is to bring an offering to the Lord. So everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him gave to the Lord. These are offerings and are different from the tithe which comes later.
Then Moses summoned every skilled worker (with God-given abilities) and who was WILLING to come and do the work.
The people were bringing offerings above and beyond what was needed, so much so that the people had to be restrained from bringing more. This happened because their hearts were moved and they gave for all the right reasons.
(See a Biblical View of Stewardship on the website)
Notice the attention to even the minutest detail, such careful attention to accuracy in the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. Can you even begin to imagine the beauty?
All this is just a foretaste of the heavenly beauty that awaits us in eternity.
Then Moses summoned every skilled worker (with God-given abilities) and who was WILLING to come and do the work.
The people were bringing offerings above and beyond what was needed, so much so that the people had to be restrained from bringing more. This happened because their hearts were moved and they gave for all the right reasons.
(See a Biblical View of Stewardship on the website)
Notice the attention to even the minutest detail, such careful attention to accuracy in the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. Can you even begin to imagine the beauty?
All this is just a foretaste of the heavenly beauty that awaits us in eternity.
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