Devotionary

The men of Israel had chosen to have sexual relations with the women of Moab and to worship their false god. So, God demanded that Moses put to death all those who were guilty of apostasy and immorality. But it will be Phinehas who earns the praise of God

Even when we are oblivious to the invisible dangers surrounding us, nothing escapes God’s notice. He is faithful to protect us from both seen and unseen dangers. And He is faithful to keep each and every promise He has made to us.

God miraculously used a dumb animal to speak truth to an ignorant and money-hungry man. The apostle Peter used this story to warn his readers about the “way of Balaam,” the temptation to allow our greed to disregard the revealed will of God.

In spite of all that God had done for them, they found it easy to fall back into a pattern of ungratefulness and discontentment. And it usually stemmed from their unwillingness to trust God.

Christ’s sacrifice was offered once and our purification is permanent, not temporary. His sacrificial death made it possible for all who place their faith in Him to receive permanent cleansing from sin and release from the penalty of death.

Korah and his fellow conspirators had to pay for their attempted coup with their lives. And in chapter 17, God gives Moses instructions to ensure that there would no more questions concerning whom God had set apart as holy and as His special instruments.

Korah was dissatisfied with God’s plane and began to spread his dissatisfaction among the people of Israel. But God was unwilling to tolerate Korah’s rebellion. He knew that one bad apple could end up destroying the whole barrel.

In Numbers 14-15, the people of Israel have decided to listen to the majority report of the spies and refuse to enter the land of promise. They begin to let their minds get away from them, as they play out all the worst-case scenarios that could happen.

In Numbers 12-13, we have the well-known story of the 12 men who spied out the land of promise and came back with good news and bad news. It was fruitful, but it was also filled with powerful enemies. And the people

Rejecting God is risky business. Demanding more from our already generous and gracious God is not a tactic that ends well. Telling God you’re unhappy with His provision never ends well. And the Israelites were about to learn that lesson the hard way.

When either one of the pillars moved from its place over the tabernacle, it was time for the Israelites to follow. They didn’t get a vote. They weren’t asked if it was convenient or fit into their schedule. When God said, “move,” they were to jump.

In Numbers 8, God continues to stress the role of the Levites who were designated by God as substitutes, taking the place of the firstborns of Israel. They would be a foreshadowing of a greater substitute to come: Jesus Christ.

This chapter shows the Israelites understood that the tabernacle belonged to them as much as it did to the Levites. They benefited from it, so they wanted to give towards its care. And their gift was highly practical, making the job of the Levites much easier than it had been.

While God’s prescriptions for dealing with these things may sound harsh, they were meant to teach His people that disease and death are the sad byproducts of sin. Which is why God wants us to take sin seriously.

Because He expected His people to treat His tabernacle with reverence, He established a protocol that ensured they did so. God was serious about holiness, and He made sure that His people were too.