Posts that reference the book of Numbers

Study Tip: Leviticus & Numbers

Leviticus and Numbers- the twin road blocks to Bible study. Heavy on details, repetitious and even tedious, they can present a real challenge as you make your way through Scripture.

In Leviticus, the Israelites remain at the foot of Mt. Sinai and receive God's specific instructions on how worship would work from now on. God was undoing years of absorbed Egyptian culture and morality to create a unique people, set apart and obedient to Him. In our age of grace, you might make a good case that we don't need to know anything about Old Testament law. However, here are a couple of things to consider as you work through this law book.

What do the precepts tell you about the character of God?
How do the standards given for the priests apply to us as a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9)?

Numbers has lists- census, genealogies, campsites and more. If that's not your thing, there are still some goodies in the book of Numbers. Most of these stories are referenced by New Testament writers so they can add to your understanding in other studies.

Chapter 6:24-26 Aaron's blessing
Chapters 11-12 Rebellion in the camp
Chapters 13-14 The spies, the refusal to advance and repercussions
Chapters 16-17 Korah's rebellion
Chapter 20 Moses' lapse at Kadesh
Chapter 21 First victories
Chapter 22-25 Balaam's prophecies and Israel's failure

I admit, Leviticus and Numbers can be tough, but God always blesses your efforts. Ask Him to show you something you can use. He will.

What have you learned or applied from Leviticus or Numbers?

A Prayer for You, My Friends

By Paula

My friends, you bless me in so many ways, ways you'll never know.

A prayer for you-

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26

Study Tip: Just the Facts

By Paula

Sherlock Holmes wannabe As you study, you run into them- genealogy lists, temple building instructions, missionary journey travel logs. What can you possibly take away from them if you're not into details? Here are some new perspectives on some of these more tedious (boring) sections of Scripture.

Genealogy and Census records– God uses ordinary people to accomplish His purposes. He knows each one, their history and their background, just as He knows ours, and in grace, He not only includes us in His work, but He records that for all eternity. Your name may not be written in Scripture, but it's recorded in God's ledgers. (1 Corinthians 1:26 …not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.)

Lists of offerings– In Numbers 7, for example, there is a huge list of the offerings each tribe brought as the tabernacle system was instituted. It's repetitive, and I often wondered why we couldn't have a much shorter chapter- "Each of the leaders brought …" But what's boring for us, God never tires of. He delights in EVERY offering, EVERY act of worship. It never gets old. If He accepts our worship with such intense delight, shouldn't that change how we offer it?

Temple-building instructions– You find these in Exodus for the tabernacle, in 1 Kings for the first temple and in the last chapters of Ezekiel for the millenial temple. Then there's wall-building in Nehemiah. I admit, those last chapters of Ezekiel are tough to wade through. Why does God do that to us? Just to kill our read-thru the Bible plans? No. Part of it goes back to the point I made about offering and God's delight in our worship. However, it also shows God's care and attention to detail. He has a right way that He wants things done. When we undertake something for God, it must be done His way and not ours. However, more significant than this, the temple and tabernacle represented God's physical presence with His people. When we see the cumbersome requirements that must be met before we can approach a holy God, we get a much greater appreciation for the what Christ's redemptive work did for us.

Missionary logs– If you're not into first century Mediterranean geography, wouldn't it be just as easy to say "Paul made a lot of stops." Yes, but we'd miss some insights, such as God has a plan. The places Paul went were not the only cities around, but they were ones God wanted Paul to go to. There are plenty on ministries around doing good work, but we can't work at all of them. God has a place for us, a route He wants us to take. Those other cities, other ministries- He's got somebody lined up for them.

Now when you read Scripture and hit some details that are … well, boring, take a minute before your eyes glaze over, and ask God why He wanted all that stuff in His word. What can you take away from it? You'll find out GOD is in the details.