Once again, the people have rejected God’s sovereign choice of their leader. To indicate whom God had chosen to serve as the priestly leader of the people, God told Moses to collect a staff from each of the Israelite tribes. He was to write the name of the tribe on the staff and write Aaron’s…
After the spies returned and reported to Moses that they didn’t think God’s people could take the land that God had given them, they began telling the people what they thought. The fears of just ten men began to spread like gangrene among God’s people. The people began to complain. They challenged God’s authority and…
Several times in today’s Bible reading* we see challenges to authority. And challenging authority was not a good thing! Anyone who’s had children knows that children will at some point challenge authority. They will test boundaries. We see it in nature, too as young lions challenge the dominant male. These are natural challenges. It’s part…
Today’s Bible reading* includes a Blessing that was prayed over God’s people. For many of us who have been around church for very long, we may be familiar with this Blessing. In The Blessing, Moses gives Aaron and his sons the content of what to pray over the people of God. This is a prayer…
There’s a good reason the book of Numbers is called that: it lists a bunch of numbers. It’s a census of the people of Israel. And there were a lot of people! If you’ve ever seen Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic film “The Ten Commandments” (shown on network television every year since 1973 during Easter/Passover…
Today’s Bible reading* includes some incredible blessings for those who unwaveringly hold fast to God and His ways. For those who are fully obedient to the entire counsel of God, God promises safety and security. No conquering enemies. No wild animals. Bountiful crops. Plenty to eat. (Leviticus 26:3-13) And best of all, God Himself would…
