Numbers 5:1-9:14

Purity of Camp

There was sin and defilement because of our fallen world. This was part of the Israelite camp. If God was to dwell in the center of the community, the Israelites needed to know how to deal with sin:

– Unintentional sins (such as infectious diseases)

– Intentional sin which required restitution

– Unfaithfulness in families – adultery

If God is to be the center of life, we must know how to deal with sin.

God calls His people to deal with sin.

The initial step in dealing with sin is trusting in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Moses tells the people what is required if a person wants to devote himself to God for a period of time. These people are known as Nazarites.

Moses instructs Aaron and his sons on how they are to bless the Israelites.

God blesses and gives His grace and peace to those whose lives are centered on Him.

We see the offerings that are brought to the Levites to help them with their work. We see the same offerings offered by different people on different days. What is the significance of the repetition? It means it is important. What point is God making? Through the repetition, there is careful recording of what each tribe brought as an offering(s) to God. This is not to say that each person should give the same thing. Rather, that no gift is insignificant when given out of love and for His work.

God values each gift given for His work.

One year ago, the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians. Passover is a vivid picture of the Gospel. Those who trust in the blood of Jesus Christ are “passed over” by God. We do not have to endure the wrath of God and punishment for our sins

God wants His people to remember His Son’s sacrifice.

We are cautioned not to let Jesus’ sacrifice become “old”. We are to remember and celebrate it.

February 14, 2015 by anatatar

GUARD OUR HEARTS…..

ENCOURAGE by cornelilioi

Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

We’re admonished by Scripture to guard our hearts, including our choices in entertainment! Any entertainment would lead us away from whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable or praiseworthy supposed to be avoided.

Today, the release of the movie Fifty Shades of Grey will be a true challenge for everyone called Christian!!! The Hollywood chose the Valentine’s Day to release this movie deceiving people, making people think is relationship, love story movie but the truth is, Fifty Shades of Grey is real porn movie, promoting depiction of bondage/discipline, dominance/submission and sadism/masochism as normal and pleasurable, promoting premarital sex and sexual deviance.

Don’t be surprised if next week or following weeks will increase the domestic violence, will increase the addictions to deviant sexual behaviors.

“Movies with the message that women must…

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February 12, 2015 by anatatar

Preparation for Camp

Numbers 1:1-4:49

Preparation for Camp

Who or what is the center of my life? The Sunday School answer is “Jesus”. But what is the main focus of My time, My thoughts, My energy, My actions? Around what/whom does my life revolve? God organized the Israelites around the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle. God is literally in their midst. He is the center of everything. The presence of God was to be the heart of everything the Israelites did. If they were to be successful, God needed to be at the center. If we are to be successful spiritually and eternally, God needs to be at the center of our lives. Our lives are to be oriented around God! Is my ENTIRE life camped around the presence of God?

God commanded Moses to count every male 20 years or older. God had promised them the Land of Canaan but Canaan was already inhabited. The Israelites would have to conquer and defeat these people. The census counted 603,550 men. The Levites had a different task and were not included in the census count. How did the count occur? The men cue up and their names were written down. Every name was recorded and counted. How mind boggling is that? As a believer, my name is written in the BOOK OF LIFE.

This is a picture of how our lives are to be oriented around God. The arrangement of the camp is about who is in the center of the camp/our lives.

God is the God of order – there is no randomness.
God is wise. Without God’s direction, there would have been utter chaos in the Israelite camp. God knows our human nature. Everyone would have been jockeying for position, or whining about why they had a particular task to do. Think of our church potlucks – even there, people push and shove to get in line first.
God is compassionate. Without God, the anxiety and fear of moving all the time for the Israelites would have been unbearable. God has removed all that by giving them an assigned spot. They knew where they belonged and they knew their neighbors.
God is relational. He wants a relationship with His people. Everything in the camp – everything – Focused on – Revolved around – Was oriented toward God.

The Levites were given specific duties by God. Aaron and his family were to be the priests. The other Levites were to do the work in the Tabernacle

The Kohathites carried all the things that were inside the Tabernacle (lamp stands, Ark of the Covenant etc.)

The Gershonites carried the curtains.

The Merarites carried the frames of the structure. God has a work for each of the Levites. Each Levite was to do the specific work God had assigned to them.

God has a work for each individual to do for Him.

We read nowhere in the Bible that the Levites said “No” to God. They did not question their assignment. There was no whining of being assigned one task rather than another; there was no discussion of not being worthy to do a particular task.

How about you? Do you question your assignment?