Numbers

Today we finish and leave behind the book of Numbers and most of Deuteronomy. So how do we begin but with war of course. Well, war and a touch of rebellion as the warriors disobey by attempting to bring Midianite women into camp. These are the same women who just earlier had attempted to destroy Israel by sexually enticing them to worship the Baal of Peor.

In our modern sensitivities it is a difficult passage to begin with, there is bloodshed by God's people in time of war as well as in the aftermath of war. I definitely want to work through some of these hard questions on the blog, but unfortunately this isn't the time for it. I have a rather large portion of Scripture to read today and thus I must move on. But I cannot leave the 31st chapter of Numbers without observing that impurity must be purged even from the artifacts of another culture. It brings to mind the Haitian market which I've visited in the past.

Today's reading encompasses caring for the temple, jealous husbands, Nazirite vows, Temple dedication and preparation.
One of the problems that occurs to me as I reflect on the reading and on the history of Israel throughout the book of Numbers is their many rebellions. Rebellion isn't much of a surprise to me, not as well as I know my own heart. But the shear knowledge that for forty years, every single day the Israelites would look outside their tent and see the glory of God in smoke or fire resting on the tabernacle. Then they would go out and gather up the Manna which God had given for them miraculously. Then they would rebel by grumbling with some degree of regularity. They did not rebel because they couldn't see the raw evidence of the God they were serving and should have been seeking. They rebelled for the same horrible reason that I rebel. Wickedness.
God be gracious to me a sinner!

I note that my passage cutoff's aren't as even as they should be. At approximately 30 chapters a day I'm overlapping Leviticus and Numbers as books that could almost be read in one sitting. Ah, well that's alright. Now SHH. It's time for me to get reading. But not before I make one more observation: Leviticus has become my favorite Old Testament book. So this is a special treat for me today.

As a pastor it is significant to me that the Leviticus reading begins with sacrifices for a priest who sins. Someone once wrote, "If a solitary man sins, he destroys himself. If a family man sins, he destroys his family. But if a Pastor sins, he unravels his whole church." That's a sober warning to myself and to any pastors reading this. Men we have got to draw near to Jesus Christ!

As I read through Leviticus it occurs to me that "sin is costly". My wife and I bought a 1/2 a cow last year which is now only partially remaining in the freezer. It was expensive. It was cheaper than buying all that meat from the grocery store for certain but it was still expensive. The sin offerings were bulls and goats (and birds for the poorest) but the overwhelming sense I get is that sin is costly.

I've had to fight through some of my own addictions in the past but it makes me wonder if we had to slay a bull instead of hitting our knees would our addictions find a harder time sticking? - at least once we were truly committed to repenting I mean.