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 …

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 …

From Victory To Victory

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’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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

God Speaks To Us. We Speak For Him.

“Speak only the Word that I tell you” (Numbers 22:35). If we are to bring the Word of God to others, we must pray that He will speak to us. We must pray that He will give to us His Word – “the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth” (Numbers 23:5). At the heart …

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, …

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. 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 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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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?” …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Learning From The Past

Numbers 22:1-41 Learn from the past. In 2 Peter 2:15-16, Jude 11 and Revelation 2:14, we are encouraged to learn from the events of this chapter. Each passage contains a warning. (a) 2 Peter 2:15-16 - Don’t leave ‘the straight way’ and follow the crooked way! (b) Jude 11 - Don’t let making a profit …

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 …

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 …

Let us go on to maturity.

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 …

Listening to the Word of God

Numbers 15:1-16:35; Luke 4:38-5:16; Psalm 37:1-9 In Numbers, we read much of the way of opposition to the Lord and His Word. It is a way that leads to judgment. There is, however, a better way. It is the way of “listening to the Word of God” (Luke 5:1). Which way are we to choose? …

Christ saves to the uttermost.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Our words are to be an echo of God’s Word.

Numbers 23:1-30  -  Our words are to be an echo of God’s Word. We are to speak only what God says (8,12). Before we can speak for God, He must speak to us. ‘God’s Word is truth’ (John 17:17). God does not lie. He does not change His mind. What He says, He does. He …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Let us worship God.

Numbers 4:1-5:10; Luke 1:57-80; Psalm 34:11-22 Numbers 4 speaks about the work which the various tribes were to do in the Tent of Meeting. Above all, the work we are called to do is worship. We are to say from our hearts, “Praise be to the Lord” (Luke 1:68). Part of this worship will be …

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 …

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, …

Let us praise the Lord.

Numbers 2:10-3:51; Luke 1:39-56; Psalm 34:1-10 The detailed instructions given in the early chapters of Numbers arise out of Moses’ communion with God – “the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai” (Numbers 3:1). God speaks to us, and we – in response to His Word – speak to Him. ‘Mary’s song’, in Luke 1:46-55, …

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 …

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).

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 …

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” …

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 …

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 …

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 …

‘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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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). …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …