Author: Brian

Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor

Reflections on Numbers 9-11

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

In our passage today, the people leave Mt Sinai for the Promised Land.  Observe:

  • God’s direction – When the cloud went up, the people would leave.  When the cloud remained, the people stayed.  The people moved according to God’s direction.  How have you seen God guide your life?  Are you seeking to move your life according to God’s direction?  Are you seeking to live by the Book?  Are you sensitive to the Spirit’s leading?
  • Grumbling – The people begin to complain.  They grumbled in Exodus on their way to Mt Sinai; now they are grumbling again as they leave.  This murmuring against God is a continuous theme throughout the rest of Numbers.  Is it a theme in your life?  Are you a grumbler?
  • Consequences – God responds to their grumbling with punishment.  Many die!  God apparently hates grumbling.  Does your attitude towards grumbling match God’s view?  Do you need to confess your sins to the Lord?  When things get tough or don’t go your way, what might you do instead of grumbling?

Numbers 9-14: Trust and Obey

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(9) Israel obeyed God completely in regards to the Passover (v5).  How did Moses respond when a question was raised (v7-8)?  How is this a good example for us?  Can you think of a time when you did this?

(9) At God’s command the people set out, and at God’s command they camped.  What would it look like to so order our lives today?

  • What part would the Spirit play?
  • What part would God’s Word play?
  • Why would trust be essential?

(11) Soon after the people leave Mt Sinai, they begin to complain (v1).  When might we be tempted to complain?  Be specific.  What does our complaining say about our trust in God?

(11) The people grumble again (v4-6).  To whom did Moses turn (v10-15)?  To whom should we turn?  How do trust and prayer go together?  Are there parts of his prayer that show a lack of trust?

(13-14) All of the spies saw the same land, but their focus and recommendation was different.  What was the focus and recommendation of the ten (13:28-29, 31-33)?

What was the focus and recommendation of Caleb and Joshua (14:6-9)?

Why are we often tempted to think (like the ten) that our situation is bigger than our God?  How might we overcome this temptation?

(14) How did the people respond to the spies’ report? What did they want to do (v1-4)?

They failed to trust God, and so they refused to obey Him.  Why is trust essential for obedience?

In what situation do you need to trust and obey God right now?  Take some time to look to the Lord about this situation.

Reflections on Numbes 5-8

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Chapters 5-6 conclude the section of laws that started with Leviticus.  Chapters 7-8 flashback to the dedication of the tabernacle that was set up back in Exodus 40.

  • Blessing – Interestingly, the section of laws ends with a blessing.  How has God blessed you?  Kept you?  How has he been gracious to you?  What peace has he given you?  Take some time to give thanks to the Lord for his blessing in your life!
  • Giving – After the tabernacle was set up, each tribe offered gifts to be used for the work of the Lord?  When has God moved you to give a special gift to the work of the Lord?  What work might he be calling you to give to now?  It might be a material gift or the gift of your time.  In what ways might God be calling you to offer your life to the work of the Lord?
  • Cleansing – To serve the Lord, the Levites had to be cleansed with water and sacrifice.  Jesus is our sacrifice that cleanses us.  Baptism is the water that symbolizes our cleansing through Jesus.  Take time to thank God for his cleansing work in your life.

Current

On By BrianIn Current Collection

Some more posts to help us think about the current transgender issue:

From 1970s-Era Academic ‘High Theory’ to Transgender Bathrooms on Campus – Heather MacDonald (National Review)

Do Biological Facts No Longer Matter? – Nancy Pearcey (CNS News)

College Kids Say the Darndest Things: On Gender (Video) – Family Policy Institute of Washington (YouTube)

A Transgendered Thought Experiment – Kevin DeYoung

 

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 4:17-19

On By BrianIn Ephesians Hymns1 Comment

MusicNotes

Life without God – futility
With minds that are darkened
Blind to the truth they cannot see
With hearts that are hardened

Given to sensuality
Living out wrong desire
Greedy for all impurity
Wallowing in the mire

And so we were lost in our sins
All going our own way
But now in Christ new life begins
So walk with Him today

Beware of sin – against it fight
Don’t walk in those dark ways
Our Lord has brought us to the light
To Him belongs our praise

(To the tune of “O God Our Help In Ages Past”)

Reflections on Numbers 1-4

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

The time is coming for the Israelites to leave Mt. Sinai.  Like with any trip – preparations must be made.  This requires some organization:

  • Organized for battle – First, they must be ready to fight the upcoming battles they will face as God leads them into the land.  So God tells them to count those able to fight tribe by tribe.  How has God prepared you for the battles you are facing?  What might God want you to do in order to be better ready to face future battles in your life?
  • Organized for worship – God organizes the camp around the tabernacle where he dwells.  The camp is literally organized around God.  How have you organized your life around God?  How might you better organize your life around God?
  • Organized for service – God assigns the Levites to different tasks in their service to him.  Likewise today, God assigns different tasks to each Christian in his or her service to God.  How has God called and gifted you to serve?  Are you fulfilling the task God has given you?

 

Numbers 1-8: Preparation

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) Preparations must be made for the people to move from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land.  First, they must get an idea of how many men are available for battle.  How does this census point to the fulfilling of the Abrahamic Covenant?  How would this encourage the people?

How does God prepare and encourage us for our own battles?

(2) The second preparation is to organize the camp.  What is the camp organized around?  What does this suggest for Israel?  For us?  What would this look like in our church?  In our families?

(3-4) The third preparation is to assign duties to the Levites.  How is the way God does this similar and different in the church?

(5) The fourth preparation requires the removal of impurities from the camp so God will go with them.  How does each of the three instructions in this chapter relate to this theme?

How does this theme point to the necessity of church discipline and unity today?

(7) The fifth preparation was to provide the necessary items for the service and transportation of the tabernacle.  How does our giving today prepare for church ministry?

(3, 8) The sixth preparation was to cleanse the Levites, separating them for service to God.  What words or phrases do you find in 8:14-18 and 3:11-13 that point to the Levites’ separation unto God?

We too have been cleansed and belong to God (I Peter 2:9-10, etc.).  What does that mean for our lives?