When we first began studying the Book of Numbers; did you have any inkling that it would be so full of so many various details about living life before God?
DEUTERONOMY IS COMING NEXT
Today we will say goodbye to the rich and amazing teachings of the book of Numbers and we will wonder on over across the river of scriptures; or as the Israelites are about to do; we will “crossover” into the teachings of Deuteronomy.
I’m sure this book will have it’s own amazing discoveries and the crossing is being done with anxious anticipation. That is probably just the way the Israelites felt as they stood on the Jordan river’s banks and looked across to where they were headed for the rest of their days.
The last moment of the time in the wilderness of Moab is about to pass with the study of Numbers and we are going to a new place in Deuteronomy. We are moving with hope and the knowledge that God has a plan and a future for us.
HOPE FOR A FUTURE
These are very exciting times; both for Christians marching through the wilderness of the world today and it was also just as exciting for those Israelites that had endured life in the desert for forty long years.
You can feel a sense of change about to happen.
God is moving ahead with his plans for our purposes. We need to pay close attention.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHANGES
Now everything about how to live a good and holy life was spelled out and made clear in the time expressed in the Book of Numbers.
Everyone now knew the plan.
They understood what was to happen when they crossed over and inherited the Promised Land.
These were a people prepared.
God had covered all of the bases and allowed Moses to explain everything needed to the people. The new leaders coming after Moses were also prepared and made well aware of what God wanted to happen in the new land.
The people, young and old and wise and foolish were all made well aware of how things were to be in this new place.
A PEOPLE PREPARED
It was extremely important that such a nation start out on the right page and stay there as they began to grow and prosper.
No detail had been left out or ignored.
Not even the question about the inheritance of the Daughters of Zelophehad.
We spoke in a previous lesson of how these women spoke up for themselves, and how they asked that they inherit land for their Father’s name in spite of the fact that he had no sons. It was agreed for them to do so; but there were more last minute instructions given as they got closer to the land they would inherit.
KEEPING ALL PARTS OF FAMILY TOGETHER
It was made very clear to these daughters that they were to marry within the tribe of Manasseh if they wished to keep the land for their tribe forever.
However; they could marry as they chose.
If they chose to marry outside of their own tribe the land would be apportioned to the family of that husband and his native tribe; therefore making the ownership of the land switch tribes.
Even when the Jubilee year happened, and each tribe’s land was returned to the original tribe; this would not happen for the husbands of these women; unless they had married within their own tribe.
MAKING WISE CHOICES
These were wise women though.
They listened to the words of God through Moses and acted accordingly. Each married one of the men of their own ancestors so that no heritage would pass from one tribe to another.
This meant that the patterns set for the original inheritance of the land would never change under their God-given government.
With this supplementary agreement added to the land-rights to clarify the actions of the daughters of Zelophehad, the last requirements for maintaining the new land were all nailed down.
Everything was ready.
Everything was done.
Everyone was prepared.
So many important matters were settled right there in the Book of Numbers.
A SPECIAL CALLED-OUT NATION
These important matters and facts were recorded and written down so the people could always remember what God had requested and required of them in order to live as such a special, called-out nation.
In their times of the journey from Egypt to Canaan, their work as a people had been more clearly defined. They had spent many years in slavery. Times were now changing. Their situation had changed completely. The people now had to develop a whole new way of thinking and looking at their circumstances.
LEARNING HOW TO LIVE IN FREEDOM
When the journey began, no one was used to working or living in freedom, and they did not remember how to go about such a blessing with ease in a way that would bring peace and harmony to all.
They had to realize that now they were to work under the laws of God in order to prosper and grow. This was a totally different way to live. Now they had to learn to use God’s ways to solve conflicts and identity problems and to understand ownership, leadership and authority in the right ways.
The Levites had the job of helping the people to identify with God and to understand how His ways were the best ways to live. Because of this, the Levites were strategically placed in scattered city/towns so that they could teach the people and help them to understand and use the goodness of God’s ways in their daily lives.
A NEW STRUCTURE WAS FORMING
God had given Israel clear laws that discussed the details of government, civil life, military order, agricultural order and religious order. Civil laws were implemented. Courts were set up in the cities. Accounting and financing were considered. Agriculture was planned out so that everyone could live in abundance and have no needs.
Numbers were recorded and used for making good decisions based on solid, fair and proper logic. God’s word was above the numbers always, which meant that the leaders were not to let moral/mathematical reasoning rule in times of crisis and unrest. God’s way was always the best way.
SOCIAL JUSTICE UNDER GOD
God set up the social order of justice by distributing the land by lot according to the size of each tribe and He looked after the needs of the lesser tribes, for example those that had women at their head instead of men. He allowed those who were shepherds to chose the best lands for grazing; even if a river separated them.
This book full of numbers, with all of its counting and clarifications was at the base that anchored life with God after being released from bondage and slavery. It governed that time in the middle before the people became people with an inheritance who owned property because of their Father’s love and mercy and kindness.
LIVING IN THE MESSY MIDDLE
Numbers took us through that time in the messy middle; not quite to the promises, but knowing about them and hoping for them while being totally relieved from the times in bondage.
In the wilderness the people had learned to trust and hope for the ever-present help of God. If they had come immediately from bondage to prosperity; perhaps they would not have learned how to be a good and godly nation.
God knew they needed the wilderness experience; just as we do today. Everyone needs their own wilderness experience. That is what we now call life.
EACH MUST SURVIVE THEIR OWN WILDERNESS
Have you ever considered that your whole life is nothing but another type of wilderness experience?
Do you not yet realize that God is using our present lives to prepare us for another life in eternity?
Your life is simply a test for what is to come in eternity.
A VERY HISTORIC MOMENT IN TIME
The nomadic people who were once not a people were about to become a great and prosperous nation.
This was one of the greatest moments of human history. It was the fulfillment of a portion of the covenant with Abraham that God had made many generations back.
Meticulously, and with God’s help, Moses laid out a detailed map that provided places for managers, accountants, statisticians, economists, military offices, governors, judges, policemen, schoolmasters, community leaders and those families to which they would minister.
God, Moses and Joshua hashed out and created the first form of godly civic institutions, training centers, defensive strategies. All of this social structure was set up to fall in step with God’s best ways to live.
WORSHIP AND KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS WERE CENTRAL TO CIVIL LIFE
The universe of the Hebraic world in The Promised Land evolved around the ten main and best ways to live.
God also gave them His standards for worship. It was understood that offerings came from the fruit of their labor.
These people knew about first-fruits offerings. God had explained how and why we are to give such offerings.
The people understood the difference between a sacrifice and an offering. In the book called Numbers, God spends much time explaining what a sacrifice is and why it is given for atonement of sins.
In the wilderness, on the way to the Promised Land, God’s people learned the process of repentance, restitution and restoration.
This is the plan of God for helping us to overcome the faults of our own humanity and injustice, and it gives provision for us to come closer to God in order to receive his hope, love, mercy, forgiveness and kindness into our lives.
These lessons became the shadows and types of the atoning blood of Christ for the salvation of the nations.
LEARNING TO LIVE UNDER THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
Before dying, both Moses and Aaron taught the People of God how to put themselves under God’s blessing and how to receive the words spoken in prayer over their lives so that those blessings could multiply out to the world and bring peace and harmony and hope of a better tomorrow for everyone.
Today we call the verbal prayer they used The Aaronic Blessing.
The people learned that daily work was sacred; a service that was rendered unto God and that God in turn blessed the fruit of their labors and gave them abundant life.
KNOWING WHERE THE BLESSINGS COME FROM
All of the possessions that the people obtained in their journey were dedicated to the service of God, and the people themselves were dedicated to God to become an example nation, a pattern for the world to know God’s best ways to live.
It is impossible to be materialistic and greedy when you understand that everything you have in your physical possession actually belongs to God.
We, like those old Israelites, are only the care-takers during this amazing journey called life.
KEEPING SACRED TIME
Israel also learned that Sabbaths were sacred times, appointments to be kept with God including times for rest and worship and prayer. As long as the earth kept Sabbath; the earth would flourish and provide for the people.
As they entered the land the people were made aware of the fact that the land would always respond to God’s perfect order. So it was then; so it is now.
They knew if that order was upset or disregarded that things would never go well for them. So it was then; so it is now.
GOD’S REQUIREMENTS FOR RETIREMENT PLANNING
These lessons learned in the wilderness even included the proper age for which people should retire; or transfer their working days into something of a more mature nature and more fitting for their physical abilities.
God spelled out all of these processes of life as the people went through all of the phases of counting their days in the wilderness. Now we have all the lessons learned in the Book of Numbers. We would do well to heed their lessons in our own lives. Yes; today we live in different times and cultures; but certain spiritual things are ageless and timeless. These stories offer much wisdom and knowledge for today.
The people of Israel were even told how grievances should be handled and how to respond to authority. As they entered the new spaces where they would live out their lives, new leaders were commissioned to implement these new ways.
NEW LIFE IN A NEW LAND
There came a day when the sun rose over Moab and the people began to walk toward a new life.
The Promised Land was waiting for all who desired to enter in.
How would you be able to tell who desired to move on to this new life?
Just the same way that people can tell and know who are Christians today.
You could know them by their love.