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Numbers 15-17
Wrecking
the Rebels
Psalm 23:1-6 Sticking with the Shepherd
1.“The LORD (Yahweh) is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.2.He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.3.He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.4.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.5.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.6.Surely goodness and hesed/loyal love shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh's house forever."Observations
23:1.Being a happy sheep is pretty simple: follow the Shepherd. If you feel you're suffering lack, you might need to snuggle closer to the Shepherd.
23:3.
God tends and guides His sheep for a higher purpose than their survival, His glory.
23:4.
Shadows happen. As the Shepherd guided the sheep through the scary mountain passes to higher summer pastures, dangers abounded. But sticking close to the Shepherd resulted in fertile, abundant pasture on the higher ground when they came out into the sunshine.
23:5.
Oil kept away the nostril gnats; table prep eliminated nose nipping vipers and leg breaking holes. See Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 for great insights.
Application
If you're running ragged, you're not following the Good Shepherd.
Prayer
Shepherd of my soul and life, keep me close to You; use Your rod or staff if I stray. Amen.
Proverbs 6:20-22 Led By Truth
20.“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.21.Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.22.When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.“Observation
6:20-22.Parenting is a team sport, combining commands and teaching (how to implement the commands). The commands of godly parents are the commands of God. The wise person keeps the commands in front of them, so they will do them, be led by them, and protected by them. God actually talks to us through His word if we are totally focused on it.
Application
We talk to God in prayer, and He talks to us through His word.
Prayer
Lord, lead me throughout today by Your truth. Don't let me lose sight of your commands and teaching. Thanks. Amen.
Numbers 15-17 Wrecking the Rebels
Chapter 15 True Blue Fringe
1.Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,2.Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you,3.and will make an offering by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill-offering, or in your set feasts...(include grain and wine offerings).14.If a stranger sojourn with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh; as you do, so he shall do.
22.When you shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses,23.even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations;24.then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering...and one male goat for a sin-offering.25.The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their sin-offering before Yahweh, for their error:26.and all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them; for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly.
30.But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, the same blasphemes Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.31.Because he has despised the word of Yahweh, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.
32.While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.33.Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.34.They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.35.Yahweh said to Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.36.All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
37.Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,38.Speak to the children of Israel, and bid those who they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue:39.and it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute;40.that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.41.I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.
Observations
15:1-13.It seems strange that God would give instructions for offering sacrifices in the land, but He is reiterating that He will bring the next generation in. Offerings were to be accompanied by grain and wine offerings.
15:14.
Non-Israelites could offer sacrifices if they did it correctly.
15:30.
No sacrifice existed for deliberate sin. You were out.
15:32-36.
The congregation starts taking sin seriously and dealing with it.
15:39.
Somehow a fringe seems like a fragile safeguard against following one's own heart and eyes (lust). We'll see if this reminder works.
Application
It's good to remind ourselves of our past so we don't repeat it. It's better to victoriously follow God with all our heart and eyes.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank You that You are true to Your promises; may I always remember from where You brought me so I won't repeat my folly and will be true to You. Amen.
Chapter 16 Korah and Company's Rebellion
1.Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [men]2.and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown;3.and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them: why then lift up yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?4.When Moses heard it, he fell on his face:5.and he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, In the morning Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near to him.6.This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;8.Moses said to Korah, Hear now, you sons of Levi:9.[seems it but] a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tent of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;10.and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? and seek you the priesthood also?11.Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Yahweh: and Aaron, what is he who you murmur against him?12.Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We won`t come up:13.is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself also a prince over us?14.Moreover you haven`t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? we won`t come up.15.Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, "Don`t respect their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them."18.They took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.19.Korah assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation.20.Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,21.Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.22.They fell on their faces, and said, God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?23.Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,24.Speak to the congregation, saying, Get away from about the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.26.He spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.29.If these men die the common death of all men...then Yahweh hasn`t sent me.30.But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.31.It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them;32.and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods.33.So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.34.All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.35.Fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.41.But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of Yahweh.42....the glory of Yahweh appeared.43.Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.44.Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,45.Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. They fell on their faces.46.Moses said to Aaron, Take they censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yahweh; the plague is begun.47.Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.48.He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.49.Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.50.Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.Observations
16:13.As in most demonically inspired disobedience (rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1Sam 15:23) lies abound and repeat (a trademark of Satan). Note the major history re-write. Egypt wasn't exactly milk and honey.
16:21-26.
Safety is found in separation from sin and sinners.
16:32.
The families suffered for the sins of their fathers. The kids would probably have grown up just like dad.
16:41.
The people Moses just spared, murmur against him, and Moses and Aaron have to intercede again for them. So much for the blue fringe.
Application
Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can't be shaken, let us have grace, through which we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe/caution, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Prayer
God of Love and Wrath, may I draw on Your grace to serve You in a manner that pleases You, not resenting anything You've allowed in my life for my benefit. Amen.
Chapter 17 Aaron's Almond Joy
1.Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,2.Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them rods, one for each fathers` house, twelve rods: write every man`s name on his rod.3.You shall write Aaron`s name on the rod of Levi;4.You shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.5.It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from before me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.8.on the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.9.Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.10.Yahweh said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.11.Thus did Moses: as Yahweh commanded him, so did he.12.The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.Observations
17:1-10.God attempts to end the rebellious murmurings against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. God goes beyond buds to flowers and almonds. Will it end the rebellious murmurings?
17:11-13.
The people's response doesn't sound too positive.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God is gracious to remember His promises, even though He feels like wiping rebels off the face of the earth. Fortunately He always doesn't do as He feels, and gives us reminders and incentives to obey Him. When confronted with bare-faced rebellion, He justly cuts off the rebel, before the infection spreads. He is clearly not to be treated with contempt.
Us in a nutshell: Unless we purpose to remember and do God's commands, we will default to following the desires/lusts of our own heart and eyes, and reap judgment. We're most likely to resent and rebel against spiritual authority when we have no spiritual worth in God's sight. Rebellion opens the door for Satan to deceive us even more, to the point that we live in a world of lies, blinded to the Truth. We wind up resisting the very ones God uses to save us from our stupidity, which makes sense, since we are resisting God.