Let us hear and obey God’s Word.

Numbers 5:1-31 'The Lord said...' (1): Let us hear and obey His Word. God is holy: His people are not to be defiled (3). Sin is not merely moral. It is spiritual. It is not only a deviation from law. It is an offence against God - 'breaking faith with the Lord' (6). God is …

Continue reading Let us hear and obey God’s Word.

We Need The Power Of The Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit of God came upon him” (Numbers 24:2). There needs to be empowering by the Spirit of God. Without His power, our words will never speak to people as the Word of the living God. With His power, everything changes. It is His power that carries home His Word to the hearts of our …

Continue reading We Need The Power Of The Holy Spirit.

God’s people are being called on to maturity, to be men and women of faith.

Numbers 25:1-26:65 God's people are being called on to maturity. This is the significance of the phrase, "at least twenty years old" (Numbers 26:2,4). There are, however, many dangers. We are easily sidetracked - putting other "gods" before the Lord our God (Numbers 25:3). This turning away from the Lord is a serious matter, leading …

Continue reading God’s people are being called on to maturity, to be men and women of faith.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Numbers 14:1-45  -  ‘All the congregation raised a loud cry...’, ‘all the people of Israel murmured...’, ‘all the congregation said to stone them...’ (1-2,10). Was there any ‘light at the end of the tunnel’? Yes! - ‘The Lord... will bring us into this land’ (8). With the promise, there was also the warning: ‘Do not …

Continue reading Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

God’s people are being called on to maturity.

Numbers 25:1-26:65 God's people are being called on to maturity. This is the significance of the phrase, "at least twenty years old" (Numbers 26:2,4). There are, however, many dangers. We are easily sidetracked - putting other "gods" before the Lord our God (Numbers 25:3). This turning away from the Lord is a serious matter, leading …

Continue reading God’s people are being called on to maturity.

Speaking The Word Of Truth, Walking In The Way Of Truth

Numbers 22:1-24:25 The story of Balaam concerns the challenge of speaking God’s Word in truth. God is the God of truth (Numbers 23:19). His messengers must speak the Word of truth.. Before we can speak God’s Word in truth, there needs to be a confession of sin, an acknowledgment of how far we have deviated …

Continue reading Speaking The Word Of Truth, Walking In The Way Of Truth

The Sin, the Suffering, the Supplication, the Salvation

(1) The Sin "They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’" (Numbers 21:5). (2) The Suffering "Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people …

Continue reading The Sin, the Suffering, the Supplication, the Salvation

Forty years in the wilderness… Is there more than this?

Forty years - it's such a long time. We look back. We try to remember what happened down through the years. We've forgotten so much more than we, still, remember. Have we forgotten the Lord? or Do we, still, remember him? We ask about our remembering and our forgetting, but there are more important questions …

Continue reading Forty years in the wilderness… Is there more than this?

Before we can hear the Lord speaking to us, we must stop speaking against Him.

"We have spoken against the Lord" (Numbers 21:7). Before we can hear the Lord speaking to us, we must stop speaking against Him. How can we hear what the Lord is saying to us if we keep on speaking against Him? If we are to speak for God, we must begin with listening to Him. …

Continue reading Before we can hear the Lord speaking to us, we must stop speaking against Him.

True worship is, always, more than just words. It is the offering of ourselves to the Lord.

Numbers 7:66-9:14; Luke 2:41-52; Psalm 35:11-18 At the time of the book of Numbers, worship took place in the Tent of Meeting. By the time of Jesus, worship took place in the Temple. The Passover was being celebrated in the Desert of Sinai in the days of Moses. The Passover was being celebrated in Jerusalem …

Continue reading True worship is, always, more than just words. It is the offering of ourselves to the Lord.

God hasn’t stopped speaking to us through His Word – but have we stopped listening to Him?

Some people say, “Surely, you don’t believe the Bible.” They say that the Bible belongs to the past. It’s not for us today. This kind of talk takes us right back to the Garden of Eden – “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1).  The Bible says that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God?” …

Continue reading God hasn’t stopped speaking to us through His Word – but have we stopped listening to Him?

Standing in Christ’s strength alone, we resist the devil.

Numbers 11:1-35 'The people complained in the hearing of the Lord' (1) - Remember: All our words are spoken 'in the hearing of the Lord'! There was 'a rabble among them' (4): What problems there are when such people are mingling with God's people! What are we to do when this happens? - Pray for …

Continue reading Standing in Christ’s strength alone, we resist the devil.

The fire of the Holy Spirit: burning away our sin and brightening up our lives

Numbers 9:15-11:3; Luke 3:1-22; Psalm 35:19-28 From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire” (Numbers 9:15). "Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1). “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in …

Continue reading The fire of the Holy Spirit: burning away our sin and brightening up our lives

God Says To Us, ‘I Am The Lord Your God.’ We Say To Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You Are Our God.’

Numbers 8:1-26 The Levites were ‘set apart’ for God (14). They were ‘a gift to Aaron... to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting...’(19). We are to work together as a team. ‘Yield yourselves to God...’(Romans 6:13): Help each other to be better servants of Christ. The ‘lampstand’(1-4): ‘Thy …

Continue reading God Says To Us, ‘I Am The Lord Your God.’ We Say To Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You Are Our God.’

Let us press on to know the Lord and enjoy His blessing.

Numbers 13:26-14:45; Luke 4:14-37; Psalm 36:1-12 In Numbers, there were those who grumbled against the Lord and those who pressed on to know the blessing of the Lord. In Jesus’ time, there were those who despised the Him and those who received the “good news” with gladness. What a difference there is between the two: “See …

Continue reading Let us press on to know the Lord and enjoy His blessing.

Pressing on to a greater enjoyment of God’s blessing

Numbers 30:1-31:20  -  Vows (30:1-16): Be careful what you say - You may live to regret it (Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4-6; Matthew 12:36-37; James 3:6-11). Learn from Balaam. Full of good intentions about speaking God’s Word (22:18; 23:12), he hoped to ‘die the death of the righteous’ (23:10). He did not live up to his good …

Continue reading Pressing on to a greater enjoyment of God’s blessing

Cleansed from sin and on fire for the Lord

Numbers 29:12-31:24; Luke 8:19-39; Psalm 39:1-13 Numbers 31:22-24 emphasizes the importance of cleansing. The healing of the demon-possessed man, in Luke 8, emphasizes the power of Christ to cleanse even the most sinful of people. To be cleansed from sin involves an act of the will on our part - “I will watch my ways …

Continue reading Cleansed from sin and on fire for the Lord

The Completeness Of Christ’s Work For Us – ‘For All Time A Single Sacrifice For Sins’

Numbers 19:1-22 The sacrifice was to be ‘without defect’. There was to be ‘no blemish’(2). Here, we have a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ - ‘without sin’, He offered Himself ‘for the sins of the people’(Hebrews 4:15; 2:17). The gathering of ‘the ashes’(9-10) speaks of the completeness of Christ’s work for us - ‘for …

Continue reading The Completeness Of Christ’s Work For Us – ‘For All Time A Single Sacrifice For Sins’

The Name of Jesus

January 1: The Naming of Jesus – Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7 (or Philippians 2:5-11); Luke 2:15-21 His Name was called JESUS (Luke 2:21). Christmas is over – but let’s not forget Jesus. He is still here. He is still with us. He is for New Year’s Day as well as Christmas Day. He …

Continue reading The Name of Jesus

If there is to be real blessing among God’s people

Numbers 21:1-35 The Israelites are journeying with the Lord. He is leading them from victory to victory. Salvation for Israel, salvation from the God of Israel, the true and living God, meant "destruction" (Numbers 21:3) for those who opposed God and His people - "How horrible it is for you, Moab! You are destroyed, you …

Continue reading If there is to be real blessing among God’s people

Jesus Christ is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Numbers 19:1-22 When we read about being made clean, we must look beyond what we read in the Old Testament. From the sprinkling of the blood of "a red cow that is perfect, with no defects", we must look on to the New Testament, where we read of "the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses …

Continue reading Jesus Christ is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Obedience to God arise out of knowing that we are loved by Him.

Numbers 1:1-2:9; Luke 1:26-38; Psalm 33:12-22 “The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 1:54). “‘I am the Lord’s servant’, Mary answered, ‘May it be to me as You have said’” (Luke 1:38). Obedience to the Lord’s Word – this is emphasized throughout Scripture: “the eyes of the Lord are on …

Continue reading Obedience to God arise out of knowing that we are loved by Him.

From a long, long time ago – a story for us, a story for today

Situations change. Sometimes, we're going through hard times - but blessing may be just around the corner. In the Old Testament book of Exodus, we read about the people of Israel, suffering in the land of Egypt. Would their suffering go on and on... Would it never come to an end? Then came their deliverance …

Continue reading From a long, long time ago – a story for us, a story for today

God’s Word reveals God’s purpose and provides God’s guidance.

Numbers 10:1-36 God's Word - 'the testimony' (11) - reveals God's purpose (29) and provides God's guidance (33). The 'cloud' is like the presence of God's Spirit hovering over us. Great things are about to happen. The Spirit of God is moving over the face of the people of God gathered for worship (11; Genesis …

Continue reading God’s Word reveals God’s purpose and provides God’s guidance.

The Lord bless you and keep you

Numbers 5:11-6:27; Luke 2:1-20; Proverbs 7:6-20 “The Lord bless you…” (Numbers 6:24). The Lord’s blessing comes to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him, there is “good news of great joy … for all the people.” He is the “Saviour”; “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). “The Lord… keep you” (Numbers 6:24). In Christ, we …

Continue reading The Lord bless you and keep you

Jesus has given Himself for us. Let us give ourselves to Him.

Numbers 7:1-65; Luke 2:21-40; Psalm 35:1-10 In Numbers 7, we read of the various offerings which were brought to the Lord at the dedication of the Tabernacle. In Luke 2, we read of Joseph and Mary taking Jesus “to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22). All that the people brought to the …

Continue reading Jesus has given Himself for us. Let us give ourselves to Him.

Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

Numbers 16:36-18:32; Luke 5:17-32; Psalm 37:10-20 The Levites had an important part to play in the life of Israel. A man called Levi (Matthew, the writer of the first Gospel) had an important part to play in the life of the early Church. We are told, in Psalm 37:17, that “the Lord upholds the righteous” …

Continue reading Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

Don’t get dragged down to the level of those who will not come up to where God wants them to be.

Numbers 16:1-50  -  ‘You have gone too far!’: They regarded themselves as ‘holy’, yet they refused to go ‘too far’ with God (3)! What kind of ‘holiness’ is this? There is a ‘holiness’ which is more concerned with respectability than obedience to God. Faced with ‘the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’, we dare …

Continue reading Don’t get dragged down to the level of those who will not come up to where God wants them to be.

The seed and the fruit: “I will wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God.”

Numbers 27:12-29:11; Luke 8:1-18; Psalm 38:13-22 In the parable of the sower, Jesus speaks of the seed and the fruit. In Numbers, we read of Moses and Joshua. The seed had been sown by Moses. The fruit would be given to Joshua. The important thing is this: It is not the sower or the reaper …

Continue reading The seed and the fruit: “I will wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God.”

The School of Discipleship (5): The Lord will be with us, every step of the way.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land …

Continue reading The School of Discipleship (5): The Lord will be with us, every step of the way.

‘Let Everyone Who Names The Name Of The Lord Depart From Iniquity.’

Numbers 16:1-50 ‘You have gone too far!’: They regarded themselves as ‘holy’, yet they refused to go ‘too far’ with God (3)! What kind of ‘holiness’ is this? There is a ‘holiness’ which is more concerned with respectability than obedience to God. Faced with ‘the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’, we dare not …

Continue reading ‘Let Everyone Who Names The Name Of The Lord Depart From Iniquity.’

Let go and let God have His wonderful way.

“Take the staff, and you (Moses) and your brother Aaron, gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink” (Numbers 20:8). Speak to the rock – this is what the Lord told Moses to do. What did Moses do? – he “struck the rock twice with …

Continue reading Let go and let God have His wonderful way.

Redeemed by God, let us live in obedience to Him and enjoy His blessing.

Numbers 35:1-36:13 Cities of refuge were provided for those who had killed someone accidentally. This is a good illustration of fleeing to Christ for refuge. He is our 'strong tower'. We 'run' to Him and we are 'safe' (Hebrews 6:18; Proverbs 18:10). God gave Israel a 'land'. They were not to 'defile the land' (34). …

Continue reading Redeemed by God, let us live in obedience to Him and enjoy His blessing.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, gave Himself for our sins. Then, God raised Him from the dead.

Numbers 28:1-31  -  The sacrifices, offered to God, were to be ‘a pleasing odour’ to Him (2,6,8,13,24,27). These sacrifices are no longer required. A greater Sacrifice has been offered and accepted. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has offered Himself as a Sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:23-26). This Sacrifice is ‘a pleasing odour’ to God. It is …

Continue reading Jesus Christ, God’s Son, gave Himself for our sins. Then, God raised Him from the dead.

To those whom we serve, we say, “We say, “We are your servants, but you are not our lords.” Jesus is our Lord.

Numbers 8:1-26 The Levites were 'set apart' for God (14). They were 'a gift to Aaron... to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting... ' (19). We are to work together as a team. 'Yield yourselves to God... ' (Romans 6:13): Help each other to be better servants of …

Continue reading To those whom we serve, we say, “We say, “We are your servants, but you are not our lords.” Jesus is our Lord.

When He comes, our glorious King… Hallelujah! What A Saviour!

Numbers 15:1-41 We read of offerings for ‘atonement’(25,28). We think of Christ: He went ‘outside the camp’ for us (35-36; Hebrews 13:12) - to bring us forgiveness (25,28). We are to ‘be holy to our God’, the God of our redemption (40-41). Obedience to God is of the utmost importance: We need to be reminded …

Continue reading When He comes, our glorious King… Hallelujah! What A Saviour!

No man or woman is indispensable. God’s work goes on, with or without us.

Numbers 20:1-29 No man or woman is indispensable. God's work goes on, with or without us! (a) Miriam (Moses' sister) served and worshipped the Lord (Exodus 2:7-8; 15:20-21). Now, her time had come. She was not to enter the land. She 'died' (1). (b) Moses had been the leader of God's people. He sinned, and …

Continue reading No man or woman is indispensable. God’s work goes on, with or without us.

Without worship, we are weak. When we worship God, we will grow strong.

Numbers 1:1-54 'Every man able to go forth to war': This is the key phrase in verses 1-46. God is looking for 'soldiers': Soldiers of Christ! To live for Christ is to be engaged in warfare. It is spiritual warfare. We need 'the whole armour of God' (Ephesians 6:10-20). We must remember that 'the weapons …

Continue reading Without worship, we are weak. When we worship God, we will grow strong.

When we’re suffering, let’s remember Jesus: in love for us, He suffered for us.

Numbers 19:1-21:3; Luke 5:33-6:11; Proverbs 8:1-11 The wilderness years were not easy. The pathway from Egypt (the land of oppression) to Canaan (the land of promise) was not an easy pathway. For Jesus, the pathway between Bethlehem and Calvary was not easy. Jesus’ suffering did not begin at Calvary. There was suffering from the very beginning …

Continue reading When we’re suffering, let’s remember Jesus: in love for us, He suffered for us.

Let Christ enter your heart, destroying Satan’s strongholds and taking possession of your life.

Numbers 21:1-35 In verses 5-9, there is an illustration of God's salvation (John 3:14-15). There is sin and death (Romans 5-6; 3:23, 6:23). Christ prays for our forgiveness (7; Luke 23:34). Lifted up on the Cross, He dies that we might have eternal life. In love, He appeals to us, 'Look to me and be …

Continue reading Let Christ enter your heart, destroying Satan’s strongholds and taking possession of your life.