Numbers Numbers is the fourth book of (i) the Pentateuch; (ii) the Old Testament; and (iii) the Bible. (i) Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch. It follows on from Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus. It is followed by Deuteronomy. The word, ‘Pentateuch’, is a Greek word. It means ‘five books’. In the Pentateuch, there …
Continue reading The Message of Numbers (Travelling Through God’s Word: Numbers).
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10). In his "Sermon the Mount" (Matthew 5-7), Jesus begins with a series of sayings, known as the Beatitudes. In the third Beatitude, Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meek - what does this mean? …
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 …
Numbers 6:22-27 There’s nothing better than God’s blessing. It’s nice to have friends. People like you. It feels good. God’s blessing – That’s so much better. Friends come and go. God’s blessing remains. You can be surrounded by friends – and still feel very lonely. Sometimes, they’re great friends. Sometimes, they disappoint us. When you’re …
Numbers 1:1-4:49 God spoke, Israel obeyed (Numbers 1:1,54). This is the constant pattern of the life of faith – hearing and obeying the Word of God. The names of God’s people differ from place to place. The pattern of their life remains the same. This pattern is also emphasized in Numbers 2, which begins with …
Continue reading Listen To God. Learn From Him. Live For 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 …
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 …
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 …
Numbers 27:1-23 The daughters of Zelophehad were concerned about the continuation of their father's name (1-11). Our first concern must be the glory of God, our Heavenly Father. We are to honour our parents, loving them deeply. We must not allow such love to compete with our love for Christ. He must come first. We …
Continue reading We are called to a life of single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ.
Times of suffering change the way we look at life. What kind of change does suffering bring to us? Does it make us bitter? or Does it make us better? When we're going through hard times, it is difficult to "always look on the bright side of life." What does suffering do to us? Does …
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) …
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 …
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 …
Numbers 14:1-45 The 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. …
Numbers 33:1-34:29 Much 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. …
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 …
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 Christ …
Continue reading This is My Son – whom I have chosen; listen to Him.
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 …
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
“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 …
Numbers 11:1-35 There 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 …
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 …
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, …
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 he was …
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 …
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.
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.
Numbers 27:1-23 Joshua 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 …
Continue reading The Names Change. The Lord Remains The Same.
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 …
"The Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). The Lord blesses us. The Lord keeps us. How wonderful this is! There are plenty of times when we don't feel very blessed, and we don't feel very kept. What does God say to us when we feel like this? He says to us, "You are blessed." He …
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… a …
Continue reading Let’s sing “a new song, a hymn of praise to our God.”
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).
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 …
Continue reading Our whole life must be controlled by one thing: ‘Do all to the glory of God.’
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.
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.
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 our …
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 …
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 …
“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 …
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.
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.
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 …
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 …
Numbers 26:23-65 There is real sadness in the final words of this chapter: 'There was not left a man of them, except Caleb and Joshua' (65). There is also a sense of expectation. So many had died in the wilderness. This was now a new generation. We're living in changing times. God is equipping His …
Continue reading We’re living in changing times. God is equipping His people for new challenges.
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 …
Numbers 31:25-32:42; 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... a …
Continue reading Worshipping the Lord, and winning people for Him.
Numbers 24:1-25 When 'the Spirit of God came upon him', Balaam's 'oracle' was described as 'the message of the man who sees clearly'. His 'eyes are opened'. He sees 'with far-seeing eyes'. He 'hears the words of God'. He 'sees the vision of the Almighty' (2-4,15-16). Balaam looks beyond his own time. 'With far-seeing eyes', …
Continue reading Catching a glimpse of Jesus Christ, and being changed by Him
Numbers 12:1-13:33 - Miriam and Aaron complained (12:1-2). Caleb and Joshua encouraged (30; 14:6-9). Thank God for encouragers! How did Moses react to criticism? He ‘was very meek’ (3). He was like Jesus - ‘When He was reviled, He did not revile again’ (1 Peter 2:23). Moses - ‘a servant’ - was ‘entrusted with all …
Continue reading Let us speak words of encouragement, not words of discouragement.
Numbers 21:4-22:20; Luke 6:12-36; Psalm 37:21-31 The people of Israel had been “blessed” by the Lord (Numbers 22:12). Jesus also speaks of the way of blessing (Luke 6:20-22). Psalm 37:2 tells us that “those the Lord blesses will inherit the land.” Psalm 37:25-26 reminds us of how much blessing we have received from the Lord: …
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 fulfils …
Numbers 26:12-27:11; Luke 7:36-50; Proverbs 8:12-21 Our God is the Lord of hosts – “The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730” (Numbers 26:51). He is also the God of the individual – “Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace'” (Luke 7:50). He is the God of …
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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” …
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 …
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 …
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? …
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
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