Numbers 28-29
Sacrifices and feasts
The Book of Numbers is divided into 3 parts:
Christ's first coming was the fullest possible expression of his love. His second coming at the end of this age will be the expression of his righteousness.
Sacrifices and feasts
The Book of Numbers is divided into 3 parts:
Num. 1–10: Israel at Mt. Sinai preparing to enter the Promised Land
Num.
11–21: Israel on the short trip to Kadesh Barnea, after which they
wander in the desert for 38 years due to their disobedience.
Num. 22–36: Israel again on the threshold on entering the Promised Land.
The message of these sacrifices and offerings is that God desires the worship of his people.
The
guilt and sin offerings are mandatory. They were for the purpose of
atoning for sin. There were different economic levels of offerings that
could be brought.
The
burnt, fellowship and grain offerings were voluntary. They were
directed toward God. The grain offering involved no blood. The
fellowship offering involved the worshipper and his family in a festive
celebration.
The
God tells Joshua which sacrifices should be offered at each of the different feasts:
1. The passover
2. The feast of weeks
3. The feast of trumpets
4. The day of atonement
5. The feast of tabernacles
Celebrations
are important to God and his people. We should remember his favor, his
granting of grace and his mercy, in our lives.
Remember that sacrifices are made to please the Lord.
They were costly.
Numbers 30-31
Vows
Chapter 30 sounds like a male
chauvinist talking. But look into the context. These were set into place to
protect women. The bible gives us a family model in which the husband is the
head of the family.
Note how much importance is
placed on a VOW. Vows are voluntary. Jesus talked about the importance of
keeping our word. The vow of a young lady still living at home - she was under her
father's protection. Once she marries, she is under her husband's protection.
The bible places a high value upon women. Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. We
ought to measure our words much more carefully than we do. Let your YES be yes
and your NO be no.
Next, God asks Moses to show vengeance on the
Midianites. It seems horrible for God to say. Some people may say that the God
of the NT is different in morality than the God of the OT. But God said,
"I am the Lord, I do not change." Then why does it seem that God does
not exhibit his love in chapter 31. God is love! But he is also holy at the
same time. God had put off the judgement for over 400 years. In Genesis 15:16, he tells Abraham that the Israelites will
wait for years before they can reach the promised land, because the 'wickedness
of the nations had not become complete'. Vengeance is actually justice.Christ's first coming was the fullest possible expression of his love. His second coming at the end of this age will be the expression of his righteousness.
Numbers 32-34
Settling for the second best
Gad, Reuben and Manasseh ask permission to stay on the east side of Jordan. But God has promised the other side of Jordan. Why did they do it? They were tired, it was safe, and the land was good for grazing. And, they got distracted by what they saw and forgot God's calling and promise. The got what they wanted. But, this was clearly not God's best for them. Does this happen to us?
Please imagine Moses' anguish upon hearing this request? He for one has been waiting to go to the promised land, but now God has refused him permission to go. Here are the people who God has approved for the passage to the promised land, and they instead want to settle for the second best.
Chapter 33 lists at least forty different camps. The geography and chronology is charted out here. But, we have little hard evidence to trace the actual route apart from the origin and the end point. Why did God allow this to happen? Did he want people to exercise faith rather than settle on evidence?
Why did God want the present inhabitants of Canaan to be driven out from the land? Two themes emerge - separation from the people, so that the idols of Canaan does not get into the people of God; obedience to God's commands. Incomplete obedience will always come at a cost.
Settling for the second best
Gad, Reuben and Manasseh ask permission to stay on the east side of Jordan. But God has promised the other side of Jordan. Why did they do it? They were tired, it was safe, and the land was good for grazing. And, they got distracted by what they saw and forgot God's calling and promise. The got what they wanted. But, this was clearly not God's best for them. Does this happen to us?
Please imagine Moses' anguish upon hearing this request? He for one has been waiting to go to the promised land, but now God has refused him permission to go. Here are the people who God has approved for the passage to the promised land, and they instead want to settle for the second best.
Chapter 33 lists at least forty different camps. The geography and chronology is charted out here. But, we have little hard evidence to trace the actual route apart from the origin and the end point. Why did God allow this to happen? Did he want people to exercise faith rather than settle on evidence?
Why did God want the present inhabitants of Canaan to be driven out from the land? Two themes emerge - separation from the people, so that the idols of Canaan does not get into the people of God; obedience to God's commands. Incomplete obedience will always come at a cost.
Numbers 35:1-5; 36; Psalms 106
Summary of Numbers
God provides special towns for the Levites to live in. The Lord itself is their inheritance. But he provides them with a place to live - 48 cities in the promised land. Around 10% of all the males were Levites. There were a lot of people set apart for worship ministry.
The inheritance of Zelophehad's daughters usually only sons inherited, but Zelophehad had died without sons and a decision needs to be made. This was a new case for which no precedent already existed, so it shows us how case law developed in the theocratic society of Israel.
Psalm 106 is a psalm of confession and hope. The plea to be saved and the end note of triumph, the record of the rebellions against God. It notes down five incidents of rebellions against God, and verses 34-39 recalls the incidents after they enter Canaan. The Psalm is written after the first exiles returned to Jerusalem from Babylon.
The book of Numbers provides a historical account of the trek from Sinai to Jordan; a sobering reminder of how God's people forget and disobey; and a reminder of God's faithfulness and commitment to his promise.
Psalm 106 teaches us:
- sin is awful
- judgement follows sin
- when repentance is genuine, forgiveness follows
- God's faithfulness endures.
Summary of Numbers
God provides special towns for the Levites to live in. The Lord itself is their inheritance. But he provides them with a place to live - 48 cities in the promised land. Around 10% of all the males were Levites. There were a lot of people set apart for worship ministry.
The inheritance of Zelophehad's daughters usually only sons inherited, but Zelophehad had died without sons and a decision needs to be made. This was a new case for which no precedent already existed, so it shows us how case law developed in the theocratic society of Israel.
Psalm 106 is a psalm of confession and hope. The plea to be saved and the end note of triumph, the record of the rebellions against God. It notes down five incidents of rebellions against God, and verses 34-39 recalls the incidents after they enter Canaan. The Psalm is written after the first exiles returned to Jerusalem from Babylon.
The book of Numbers provides a historical account of the trek from Sinai to Jordan; a sobering reminder of how God's people forget and disobey; and a reminder of God's faithfulness and commitment to his promise.
Psalm 106 teaches us:
- sin is awful
- judgement follows sin
- when repentance is genuine, forgiveness follows
- God's faithfulness endures.
Acts 13
Church in Antioch
The church in Antioch was different from the church in Jerusalem. The latter responded to events. Whereas the church in Antioch was an initiator. However, it was a church that regularly prayed and fasted.
The church was a real conglomeration of all sorts of people. The Jerusalem church was mostly homogenous, comprising mostly of Palestinian Jews, and some Hellenic Jews. The church in Antioch had plenty of gentiles as well. Acts 13:1 gives us some hint of the composition of the church. Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, Saul was a Hellenistic Jew from Tarsus; Simeon called Niger could have been from Africa; Lucius of Cyrene is likely from Libya, and may have been the son of the Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus' cross; and Manaen was the foster brother of Herod. It had all sorts of people - rich, poor, different ethnicity. The church sent the best they had when they were asked to send out people in an evangelistic mission.
The incident with the sorcerer Elymas is a power encounter - this is the only way Proconsul Sergius Paulus could be convinced that the way of Saul is the right way. In fact, archaeologists have found evidence of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus in Cyprus. With this incident, Saul becomes Paul, the leader.
Now let's examine Paul's strategy.When he went to a new city in Asia Minor, he would first go to the synagogue. He first offered the gospel to the Jews. He knew that the God-fearing gentiles found at the synagogue would be more receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. His message was that Jesus had done what the Law could not do.
"All who were appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48
The mystery of election is something we can never understand. No one will ever come to Christ until we consciously confess our sins and accept him. But this passage also teaches us that the first movement should come from Christ - he appoints those who should hear the good news. Whether we believe or not will decide our hope for eternal life. That responsibility is fully upon us.
The church in Antioch was different from the church in Jerusalem. The latter responded to events. Whereas the church in Antioch was an initiator. However, it was a church that regularly prayed and fasted.
The church was a real conglomeration of all sorts of people. The Jerusalem church was mostly homogenous, comprising mostly of Palestinian Jews, and some Hellenic Jews. The church in Antioch had plenty of gentiles as well. Acts 13:1 gives us some hint of the composition of the church. Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, Saul was a Hellenistic Jew from Tarsus; Simeon called Niger could have been from Africa; Lucius of Cyrene is likely from Libya, and may have been the son of the Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus' cross; and Manaen was the foster brother of Herod. It had all sorts of people - rich, poor, different ethnicity. The church sent the best they had when they were asked to send out people in an evangelistic mission.
The incident with the sorcerer Elymas is a power encounter - this is the only way Proconsul Sergius Paulus could be convinced that the way of Saul is the right way. In fact, archaeologists have found evidence of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus in Cyprus. With this incident, Saul becomes Paul, the leader.
Now let's examine Paul's strategy.When he went to a new city in Asia Minor, he would first go to the synagogue. He first offered the gospel to the Jews. He knew that the God-fearing gentiles found at the synagogue would be more receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. His message was that Jesus had done what the Law could not do.
"All who were appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48
The mystery of election is something we can never understand. No one will ever come to Christ until we consciously confess our sins and accept him. But this passage also teaches us that the first movement should come from Christ - he appoints those who should hear the good news. Whether we believe or not will decide our hope for eternal life. That responsibility is fully upon us.
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