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 …

Better a minority with God than a majority without Him

Numbers 32:1-42 Some look for an easy life. They know that there will be conflict on the other side of the Jordan. They opt out - 'do not take us across the Jordan' (5). They think they've travelled far enough. God says, 'Let us go on to maturity' (Hebrews 6:1). 'My happiness' - This is …

Redeemed by God, let us live in odience 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). …

Don’t settle for second best.

Numbers 33:50-34:29 'Drive out all the inhabitants of the land' (52): We must drive out the enemy (Satan) if we are to enter more fully into our salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:3-14). Idolatry is to be banished (52). It has no place among God's people. God wants us to 'possess the land' (53): a …

Words, Spoken By God, For Our Blessing

Numbers 6:22-27  These are more than words spoken about God. They are words spoken by God. They are spoken to Moses before they are spoken by him. They are not spoken in the name of Moses. The are spoken in the Name of the Lord. He is the One who speaks His Word to us. …

Numbers

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 …

Numbers 22:21-23:26; Luke 6:37-7:10; Psalm 37:32-40

“God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). God’s Word is truth. To build on the foundation of God’s Word is to build on a rock-solid foundation (Luke 6:47-48). To build on this rock-solid foundation is to be safe in the stronghold of God’s salvation: “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; …

Numbers 23:27-26:11; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 38:1-12

There is, in Numbers 24:17,19, a prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel … A ruler will come out of Jacob.” Centuries later, John the Baptist was sent by God as a …

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 …

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 …

Weak in ourselves, strong in the Lord – this is meekness, and it is blessed by the Lord.

"The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord" (Isaiah 29:19).  "Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). The work "meek" rhymes with the word, "weak" - but the two words are …

How long will we be in this wilderness?

Sometimes, we feel like we're in a wilderness - and we can't get out of it! The first half of the book of Exodus tells of the deliverance of the people of Israel from their time of bondage in the land of Egypt. Things were looking up! Surely, there were better days ahead for them. …

Numbers 7

Numbers 7:1-47  -  Why do we bring our offerings to the Lord? - ‘that they may be used in doing the service of the tent of meeting’ (5). We give ourselves to the Lord - ‘Love so amazing, so divine, shall have my soul, my life, my all’ - and we ask Him to put …

Numbers 5-6

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 …

Numbers 3-4

Numbers 3:1-51  -  The Levites were to ‘minister at the tabernacle’ (5-8). Different people were given different responsibilities. They were not to compete with each other. There was to be no overlapping. One was not to interfere with the work of another. The call comes from God. ‘Every male from a month old and upward’ …

Numbers 1-2

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 …

Numbers 21-22

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 …

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 …

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?” …

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 …

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. …

The Lord bless you and keep you.

"He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the Lord. 4 Blessed is the person who places his confidence in the Lord ... " (Psalm 40:3-4). Our worship brings joy to the heart of the Lord - and it, also, brings blessing …

The blessing of the Lord

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us" (Psalm 67:1). In these words, we hear an echo of the words of Numbers 6:24-26, "The Lord bless you and keep you... ." This is a prayer that we need to pray for one another. Throughout our life, from …

The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ – and leads us in the way of obedience and blessing.

Day of Pentecost: Acts 2:1-21 (or Numbers 11:24-30); Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 (or Acts 2:1-21); John 20:19-23 (or John 7:37-39) The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ. ‘No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12:3). ‘In Jerusalem’, on ‘the day of Pentecost’ there are ‘Jews, devout men …

Overview Of The Old Testament: Numbers

Numbers 1-8 ‘Every man able to go forth to war’ (1:3): God is looking for ‘soldiers’: Soldiers of Christ! ‘The Lord said to Moses’ (2:1): Let your life be centred on the Word of the Lord - Listen, Read, Study, Memorize, Meditate! ‘Every male from a month old and upward’ (3:15): ,24,28,34,39-40,43): Long before we …

Notes on Numbers

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 …

Cleansing from sin

In Numbers 19:9, we read about “cleansing … purification from sin.” This is what Jesus came to do for us. He’s “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

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 …

In The Wilderness …

"In the wilderness (or the wild country)" (Numbers 1:1). "Stage by stage" (Numbers 33:2) - Moses kept a record of Israel's journey. "In the wilderness", "stage by stage" - When we read these two phrases, and think about our own journey through life, we are invited to think about where we've been, where we are, …

We Will Do As The Lord Has Said.

Numbers 30:1-32:42 In the various areas of life: personal faithfulness (chapter 30), our relationship with the world (chapter 31), our relationship with the Lord’s people (chapter 32), there is one thing which is of the utmost importance, “we will do as the Lord has said” (Numbers 32:31). This is the most important thing: obedience to …

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 …

A mighty work of God …

Numbers 33:1-34:29; Luke 9:10-27; Proverbs 8:22-31 The sheer dimensions of what God was doing with His people, Israel, are most impressive. This was no small thing. This was a mighty work of God. The feeding of the 5,000 was a mighty miracle. It was impressive because of the sheer numbers involved in it. When we think of such mighty miracles, …

Some Simple Thoughts From The Scriptures

Genesis When I was writing these words, I was thinking of some of the stories in the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings). I was thinking about Adam, Abraham and Joseph - and I was thinking about Jesus!___________________________________________ It was the genesis of my life.Things were looking so good.Then, it all went badly wrong.What …

God Is Speaking. Are You Listening To Him? God Is Listening. Are You Speaking To Him?

Numbers 7:1-47Why do we bring our offerings to the Lord? - ‘that they may be used in doing the service of the tent of meeting’(5). We give ourselves to the Lord - ‘Love so amazing, so divine, Shall have my soul, my life, my all’- and we ask Him to put our gift to good …

The Battle May Be ‘Fierce.’ The ‘Victory Is Secure.’

Numbers 31:21-54 If we are to be ‘soldiers of Christ’, we need to be ‘purified’, made ‘clean’. There is purification by ‘fire’ and ‘water’. Purification may be painful, but we have the promise of God’s protective presence. He says, ‘I will be with you’. He assures us, ‘the waters... shall not overwhelm you... and the …

Walking around in the desert

Numbers Walking around in the desert,It seems such a waste of time,Or, was there something more than that?Is there a way out of the wasteland?Yes! There is the promised land.The Lord is with us in the desert.He will not leave us there.

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 …

The Lord’s face shines upon us…

"The Lord make his face to shine on you" (Numbers 6:25). "Restore us, O God, let your face shine that we may be saved" (Psalm 80:3). The Lord's face shines upon us - these words are very precious to us. To know that we are blessed by the Lord - saved by him, this is …

‘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 …

From the wilderness – a word of encouragement

"God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" (Numbers 23:19). In the wilderness - that's where the people of Israel were during the whole of the book of Numbers. What can we …

The Lord has blessed us – and there’s so much more still to come…

"The Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). "The Lord is your keeper" (Psalm 121:5). We are "kept by the power of God" (1 Peter 1:5). "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling" (Jude 24). "The Lord bless you and keep you." (Numbers 6:24). God loves us - and he …

The Lord Never Changes – He Remains Unchanged, Unchanging And Unchangeable In His Love.

Numbers 20:1-29No 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 he was excluded …

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

Numbers 8:1-26The 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 Word …

Exactly What The Lord Commanded

Numbers 17:1-18:32 Moses, the priests, the people – All of them were to honour the Lord in everything. (i) “Moses did exactly what the Lord commanded him to do” (Numbers 17:11). (ii) The priests were “a gift, given by the Lord, to do whatever work is necessary at the tent of meeting” (Numbers 18:6). (iii) …

Our Sin? or God’s Blessing?

Numbers  5:1-6:27 We must take sin seriously. It can lead to a withdrawal of God’s blessing. This is the important and challenging message of Numbers 5. We must not lose sight of God’s purpose for our lives. We are to be “dedicated to the Lord” (Numbers 6:6). It is God’s intention to bless. In His …

In the wilderness …

Numbers 9:1-23 God's people were 'in the wilderness' (1) - No longer in the land of bondage, not yet in the land of promise. This is our situation - We look back to what the Lord has done for us. We look forward to what the Lord will yet do for us. The Passover directs …

In God’s "place", the "place" of His blessing, there must be nothing that hinders true worship of the Lord.

Numbers 33:1-34:29Much of what we have here is geographical. There is also, however, a spiritual dimension. God is leading His people to their new land, the land He had promised to them. In all the names of the places, we must see the hand of God directing His people according to His perfect plan. In …

This is My Son – whom I have chosen; listen to Him …

Numbers 35:1-36:13; Luke 9:28-56; Psalm 40:9-17 To come to the end of the book of Numbers is to sense the great significance of the man, Moses. To read the transfiguration of Jesus is to realize that the glory of “Moses and Elijah … in glorious splendour” isnothing compared with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of …

The Perfect Sacrifice

Numbers 28:1-29:40 The people of Israel were given an extremely elaborate and detailed description of the sacrifices they were to bring to God. We no longer need to bring such sacrifices to God. God Himself has provided the perfect Sacrifice. The Son of God has given Himself for us. He has put away our sin …

Let’s sing “a new song … a hymn of praise to our God” …

Numbers 31:25; Luke 8:40-9:9; Psalm 40:1-8 In Moses’ time, the people of God were to “arm themselves before the Lord for battle” (Numbers 32:20). In Jesus’ time, His disciples were given “power and authority to drive out all demons …” (Luke 9:1). In every generation, the Lord’s people are to sing “a new song … …

Problems Among God’s People

Numbers 11:1-35There were problems among God’s people. The spirit of complaint had spread among them. This brought the “fire” of judgment (Numbers 11:1). The spirit spirit of complaint comes when people don’t like what God is doing among His people.We see this in Numbers 11:26-28. The words of prophecy are described as the result of …

God’s people are being called on to maturity.

Numbers 25:1-26:65God'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 to …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Not An Easy Pathway

Numbers 12:1-13:33  In his leadership of God’s people, Moses faced problems. It was not an easy pathway towards the promised land. There was opposition from Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:1). There was an unbelieving report, brought back from the land of Canaan by most of the spies (Numbers 13:31). Alongside these problems, there was the …

In all of our service, one thing must take priority: Worship.

Numbers 4:1-49 'The sons...from thirty years old up to fifty years old' (2-3,22-23,29-30...): The service of the Lord calls for maturity. Long before we ever offered ourselves to God, He had His hand upon us. If, however, we are to prove worthy servants of the Lord, we must press on to spiritual maturity. Why is …

What About This Generation?

Numbers 14:1-45The problems continue. The problems increase (Numbers 14:1-4). Again, there is the Word of encouragement – “this time from Joshua, as well as Caleb” (Numbers 14:5-9). The people bring judgment upon themselves. They will not enter the promised land. Of the older generation, only faithful Caleb and Joshua were to enter the land. They …

Our whole life must be controlled by one thing: ‘Do all to the glory of God.’

Numbers 6:1-27 'Separate...to the Lord,...Separate...from wine and strong drink' (2-3): These two thoughts are closely connected in the New Testament - 'Do not get drunk with wine,...Be filled with the Spirit' (Ephesians 5:18). We are to be 'holy to the Lord' (8). 'Consecrated to the Lord', our whole life must be controlled by one thing: …

The Names Change. The Lord Remains The Same.

Numbers 27:1-23Joshua was to lead the  people beyond the point to which Moses had led them. Joshua was chosen and empowered by God. Reading the story of God’s people, from one generation to another, we find that the names change – but the Lord remains the same. Moses played his part. Joshua played his part. …