Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Numbers Chapters 16-18

Wow - there are some long chapters in Numbers!

16:22 and 45 - Have you noticed that Moses is constantly standing up for people who reject him and rebel against him? He is confronting God and questioning God for people that hate him! It is incredible. I don't think I would be able to have the same kind of "others-minded" attitude...I'd just say, "Cool God, but try not to get any of their charred remains on my new robe." Moses is one of the Christ-like figures in the OT (Of course not Christ himself, but figures that give a bit of a preview about what Jesus was going to be like - a really tiny, pale preview) and we can see how he lives it out in stories like this. Moses fits in perfectly with the words of Jesus when he says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." You and I should be doing our best Jesus impersonation by acting the same way.

16:48 - Another great picture of the future sacrifice of Jesus. As Moses stands between the people and God atoning for their sins...Jesus came and stood between all men and God and atoned for our sins with his flesh and blood. I love it - "And he stood between the dead and the living..." Jesus stood between the living God and the walking dead of humanity and offered us a chance at life and salvation...it's so beautiful.

18:20 - "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nether shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance..." I think we should keep this in mind, along with the fact that we are a part of the priesthood of all believers. God tells the priests that they don't need a portion or land because He is their portion and land. We are the priests of God, made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ...we should not get caught up in the quest for materials and the obsession with imaginary lines that human beings have created to divide one man from another and one country from another...God is our land...God is our portion. Never forget that.

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