Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.” – Numbers 7:89

Moses heard the audible voice of God speaking from the mercy seat above the ark. Incredible! It’s impossible to imagine how awesome and overwhelming it must have been to hear. While you won’t have the opportunity to hear God’s voice from the mercy seat in the Tabernacle, don’t let that keep you from listening for God’s voice. God still speaks to His people.

First and foremost, He speaks through His written word, the Bible. As you read the Bible, pray for God to speak to you through the Scriptures. Expect to hear from the Lord as you read and think carefully about what you read. Expect insights relevant to your life, the events going on, and decisions that need to be made.

God speaks through prayer. As you spend time in prayer with God, not just talking but also listening, He will lay unexpected ideas or impressions on your mind. These must be tested against Scripture since we like to talk to ourselves about ourselves. Nonetheless, as you draw nearer to God, you will begin to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised.

God speaks through His people. As you discuss things with wise, mature fellow believers listen, for insights about yourself or your course of life you may not noticed otherwise. God also speaks through circumstances. When you find yourself in unexpected, unplanned, or even unpleasant circumstances, seek God in prayer. As doors suddenly close or open, is there something about what’s going on that may represent God impressing something upon your mind?

Once you hear God speak and have tested that you have heard accurately, it’s important to act on what God says. Whether that’s repentance or a new ministry, reconciliation or moving out on mission, obedience to God has a tremendous impact on how easily you hear and recognize God’s voice in the future. #FollowJesus

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
– Numbers 6:24-26

What more needs to be said about this ancient and profoundly beautiful blessing? May these words be true for you today. May the Lord truly bless you, guard you from all enemies, look favorably upon you, pour out His grace, mercy, and love upon you, and fill you with shalom peace, regardless of what may be swirling around you today! #FollowJesus

“But they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.” – Numbers 4:20

Consider this for a moment – for a Levite to look upon the holy things within the Tabernacle, even for a moment, would result in their death. Not as a punishment. Not because God is vindictive, arbitrary, cruel, or anything else. This is simply the unimaginable power of holiness. The holiness of God is beyond the comprehension of fallen, sinful creatures of dust. The degree to which God is utterly without sin, shadow, or stain is beyond our capacity to process, because we are naturally sinful. No matter how “good” we try to be, we can’t approach the holiness of God on our own. His holiness is absolutely overwhelming!

That’s why any sin, no matter how “small”, is deadly serious. That lie, that gossip, that greed, that division, that lust, that cruelty, that selfishness, those words, that silence, those things are rebellion against God’s perfect holiness. They’re a rejection of holiness. An attack on it. All sin is separation from God and His pure, perfect, overwhelming holiness. That’s why there are no “small” sins. That’s why it’s utterly inappropriate for Christians to fixate on the obvious sins of others without first repenting of their own sins.

The good news of Jesus Christ is that He gave His life to die on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for all our sins. Because of that, when we who believe in Him do repent, those sins are forgiven. Even better, through faith in Jesus Christ, we’re able to draw near to God and have Him live within us, without His holiness killing us. In Christ, there is no veil, no separation, no need to run or hide from God. But that doesn’t mean holiness is less important. Indeed, the New Testament repeatedly commands us to walk in holiness because we are God’s Temple.

While sin is no longer a cause of instant death when confronted with God’s holiness in us, every believer MUST take holiness seriously. Rather than complaining about the sins of others, we MUST look at our own hearts, minds, and actions. We must repent of the sins we find living within us and fight to put those sins which continue to tempt us to death. As a Temple of the Holy Spirit, be holy! #FollowJesus

“Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.” – Numbers 2:17

The Book of Numbers is another Old Testament book that doesn’t get much love from Christians. The first few chapters are so full of numbers that many would-be readers decide it’s time to head for greener pastures. What a shame! Numbers is full of exciting adventures, terrible failures, gracious provision, and merciful forgiveness. More Christians would probably stick with it if our Bibles used the Hebrew name for the book: “In the Wilderness”. That sounds much more exciting, doesn’t it?

Numbers is the story of Israel’s repeated rebellion and failure and God’s miraculous provision “in the wilderness”. It describes how rebellion doomed a generation to live in the harsh desert and how God provided for them anyway. It’s the story of living in the remarkable reality highlighted by this verse – God’s presence dwelling in the center of their camp. That’s the wondrous reality described by all the numbers in chapter 2. The Israelites spent their decades camping in the desert in a very specific way. At the heart off their camp was the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, in which God’s visible presence dwelt. Despite all the hardship of life in the desert, God was visibly residing in the center of their camp. How amazing is that?!?

That’s the essential reality underlying all the stories in Numbers. Regardless of whether the people acted in faith or fear, obedience or rebellion, God was right there in their midst. Who else, in all of history, can possibly say that??? Well, actually, every believer in Jesus Christ! What?!? Yes! The essential reality of Christian life, which we seldom appreciate properly, is that every believer in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit of God living in them. Every follower of Jesus is a Tabernacle, a Tent of Meeting. If Jesus is your Lord, God is living in you. That’s even more extraordinary than what’s highlighted here in Numbers!

If this is true for you – because you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ – do you live like it? Does the presence of God in your very midst change how you think, speak, act, and react? How you view the world? How you view other people? How you view yourself? It should!!! Just as having God in the midst of their camp was a life-altering reality for Israel, it should be a life-altering reality for you. Think about that! And #FollowJesus

“You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 23:42-43

People have short memories. Even the most striking and vivid events in our lives gradually blur and fade over time. And we may, or may not, pass those memories down through the generations. God knows all about human forgetfulness. That’s one reason the Old Covenant included annual feasts and festivals focused on engaging the senses to retell, and symbolically relive, the great works of God.

The experience of the Exodus was to be retold over an elaborate dinner every year at Passover. Older generations were to testify to the younger generations about God’s saving power. The experience of the Wilderness was to be retold every year during the Feast of Booths, as one generation testified to the next about God’s gracious provision.

If you aren’t Jewish, you aren’t required to celebrate these festivals. But what are your annual reminders, traditions, and celebrations that serve to keep your memory fresh about God’s miraculous works and ways? What celebrations do you use to pass the story of God’s power and presence to rising generations? What do you use to engage the senses and refresh your memory about God’s grace and mercy? People have short memories. Brainstorm ways you could regularly refresh your memory about God’s goodness and share those memories with others. #FollowJesus