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Fri, 18/02/2011
The Book Of Numbers Chapters 8 to 10

NUMBERS 8

Setting Up the Lamps

Commentary

Reading Numbers 8-10, each chapter presented a different challenge to me.

CHAPTER 8: Given Wholly to the Lord
The Levites were a special group of people chosen by the Lord wholly to do His work.  Imagine being born into a family and growing up knowing that all your ambitions and personal desires would be pointless.  Watching other children in other families go on to do seemingly better things but knowing that you were set apart for the Lord and that would never be an option.  The Levites would definitely not be looking at the league tables to see the best universities to attend or chasing after a FTSE 100 job.  They were set apart for the Lord to do His work, given wholly to the Lord.  I suppose that the parents of young Levites would emphasise what they were actually gaining and not what they were losing.  The fact that the Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, had chosen them specially to serve Him and no other tribe had that honour.  I don’t know many people for whom working at the White House, particularly for the Oval Office, would not be a dream come true.  So in terms of ambitions, this was the dream job for the young Israelites.  Children in other tribes must have been envious of them.  And this call was for a lifetime although with 30 years of active duty.  

CHALLENGE 1: So as a modern day post Old Testament Levite, I ask myself, am I given wholly to God?  Am I prepared to slay all my ambitions and desires and live a life dedicated to His will?

CHAPTER 9: Breaking Camp
It must have been quite challenging and unsettling to the Israelites to be on this journey.   Considering that they did not know where they were going, they were totally reliant on Moses hearing accurately from God and instructing them.  However, at the Lords command they ‘broke camp’.  I find that phrase quite instructive.  It connotes dropping everything at the Lords command and it gives the image of a sense of urgency to quickly obey God’s command.  And it didn’t matter how long they had been at a place for; whether it was for two days, a month, or a year, they moved.  It’s important to understand that only God knew that they would be staying for two days, a month, or a year.  So more often than not, they had unpacked and started to settle wherever they landed.  It must have been quite inconvenient.  As a mother, the sheer thought of that brings horror to my mind.  Nonetheless, they moved even when it was at great expense to them.

CHALLENGE 2: Do I embark on my own life journey or is it at the command of the Lord? And even when I am on God’s journey, do I settle down longer than I am required to?

CHAPTER 10: Orderliness
I love the order that God set in place to get the Israelites out of Sinai.  Firstly the trumpets were used as a way to alert the tribes and signify their departure.  Then each tribe had a signal for their departure as well.  It’s obvious that though it was time to leave, God wasn’t in any hurry. Each tribe took its time and chaos was avoided in the process.

CHALLENGE 3: Do I hastily go about doing His will?  Even when I am in His will, am I walking at His pace?

Tomi Ayodeji

EXODUS 35:5

5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze;

Yemisi

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A Leader's Offering

Thu, 17/02/2011
The Book Of Numbers Chapter 7

NUMBERS 7

Offerings at the Dedication of the Tabernacle

Commentary

After Moses had finished setting up, anointing and consecrating the tabernacle and all its utensils, the leaders of the tribes of Israel bring two sets of offerings to the Lord.  I do not recall God asking them to do this, which makes the extent of the offering significant.

The first offering: for the work of the tabernacle
As they watched the erection of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and the division of labour between the Levites, they must have thought to themselves how are they going to move this from place to place?  The leaders of the tribes identified a logistical issue and did not wait for Moses and Aaron to come up with a solution, but took the initiative and presented an offering that would make transportation easier.  And the offering was accepted.

The second offering: dedication offering for the altar
The four main types of offerings, (burnt, grain, peace and sin offering), were offered by each leader of each tribe.  What was astounding about this offering is the level of giving involved.  For example, to satisfy the requirement for a burnt offering, 1 bull or ram or lamb would have sufficed but the leaders chose to offer the very best.  This set a precedence for latter generations as recorded in Ezra 6:17, 2 Samuel 6:13 - 18 and 1 Kings 8:5

A few things struck me about the leaders offering.

  1. You may not be the top person in your organisation, home or group but you can still
         demonstrate leadership qualities through using your initiative for the good of the
         people you work with.
  2. They were united in their giving, all giving at the same level, none seeking to stand out.
  3. They were willing to give.  It was a free will offering
Folusho Olugbemiga

EZEKIEL 10:4

4 Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD.

 

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