Category Archives: Prayer

Saving Rahab the Harlot, and God’s Amazing Grace (Joshua 6)

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Scripture reading – Joshua 6

Having crossed the Jordan River, Joshua and Israel faced the challenge of waging war with the Canaanites that inhabited the land God had promised Israel for an inheritance. The first fortified city to be conquered was ancient Jericho, whose high walls made it a strong fortress and a city that had to be destroyed before the people could enter Canaan and take possession of the land.

As a nation, Israel was two million strong by some estimates. The news of how Israel’s God had divided the waters of the Jordan, giving way for the people to cross on dry ground, terrified the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites. We read their hearts “melted, neither was there spirit in them any more” (Joshua 5:1). With an assurance that the LORD would be with him (Joshua 6:13-15), Joshua was ready to face the battles ahead.

Directions and Preparations for the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-5)

Fearing an imminent attack upon the city, the king of Jericho shut the gates to the fortress, and none were allowed to go out or come in (Joshua 6:1). Israel’s encampment was visible from the towers on the wall. The campfires of that multitude no doubt dotted the hillsides and the plain of Gilgal as far as the eye could see.

The LORD came to Joshua and assured him the city and its leaders were already given into his hand (Joshua 6:2). Joshua’s marching orders were unlike any that an army of warriors had ever received. Rather than a prolonged siege of the city or assailing of the walls, Joshua commanded his army to march silently around the walls.

The Silent Procession Before the Walls Fell (Joshua 6:6-21)

The soldiers of Israel went before seven priests, who carried seven “trumpets of rams’ horns,” followed by priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 6:3-4). Once a day, for six days, a silent procession of warriors went before seven priests bearing trumpets, who walked before the priests carrying the Ark.

Joshua had instructed the people as the LORD had commanded. Rising early on the seventh day, the parade of soldiers and priests again encircled the walls of Jericho seven times in silence (Joshua 6:5-12). However, the silence was shattered after the seventh time when the priests blew the trumpets (Joshua 6:16, 20a). Confident the LORD had given Israel the city as He had promised, the people shouted, and “the wall fell down flat,” and the people rushed straight into Jericho (Joshua 6:20b).

Remember, the LORD had accursed all that was in Jericho, save the city’s gold, silver, iron, and brass. These items the Lord claimed (Joshua 6:18-19), and it was they were placed “into the treasury of the house of the LORD” (Joshua 6:24). All the living beings of the city were to be destroyed, “both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword” (Joshua 6:21).

The Salvation and Preservation of Rahab: A Testimony of Grace (Joshua 6:22-25)

Joshua had warned the people that the city was accursed, with one exception: “Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent” (Joshua 6:17).

When the walls fell, the men who had been spies, and found safety in Rahab’s house, were commanded to “Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, [and they] brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel” (Joshua 6:22-23).

Closing thoughts: Rahab and God’s Amazing Grace

The author of Hebrews described the Battle of Jericho from the point of faith: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

Rahab was spared Jericho’s destruction because she had acted in faith and believed in the God of Israel. She had come to believe and confess that the God of Israel was the True God, and Israel was His people (Joshua 6:9-12). She had welcomed the spies into her home, and when the army of Israel surrounded the city, she tied a scarlet rope around her window to symbolize her faith that she and her family would be spared.

God rewarded Rahab’s faith! Not only was she spared the destruction of Jericho, but she became the mother of Boaz and was the great-great-grandmother of King David. If you wonder how amazing God’s grace is, think about this: Rahab was named in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).! What a testimony of saving grace! She was spared death like all who are spared God’s judgment.

Ephesians 2:8–9 – ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Questions to consider:

1) Who was to encircle the city of Jericho? (Joshua 6:3-4)

2) How did the seventh day differ from the previous six days? (Joshua 6:15)

3) Why was Rahab and her family spared destruction? (Joshua 6:17)

4) Where did Rahab and her family live after Jericho was destroyed? (Joshua 6:25)

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Crossing the Jordan: An Obstacle or An Opportunity? (Joshua 4; Joshua 5)

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Scripture reading – Joshua 4-5

With the promises of the LORD and the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant, “the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan” (3:14). When the priests bearing the Ark stepped into the waters, they receded, and “and rose up upon an heap… and the people passed over right against Jericho” (3:16).

Joshua 4

A Lasting Memorial (Joshua 4:1-9)

What a glorious event in Israel’s history, and one that the LORD commanded Joshua to honor in a physical memorial of twelve stones (4:1-8). Joshua commanded twelve men, each representing his tribe, to pass before the Ark and “take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder” (4:5). The weight and size of the stones required the men to carry them upon their shoulder. So they went before the Ark and brought them to Gilgal (4:8, 19-20), where Israel encamped after crossing the dry riverbed into Canaan.

Then, Joshua placed a second memorial of twelve stones, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel, “in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood” (4:9).

A Miracle: Crossing Jordan (Joshua 4:10-14)

All the people passed over, including forty thousand men of war from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and “half the tribe of Manasseh” (4:13). That day, the LORD fulfilled His promise, for He had “magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life” (4:14).

Closing Waters and a Monument of Stones (Joshua 4:15-24)

The LORD then instructed Joshua, “Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan” (4:16).” Then the priests came “up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before” (4:18).

That evening, the people encamped at the plain of Gilgal, east of Jericho. There, Joshua took the twelve stones the men had removed from the Jordan and built a memorial, a lasting testimony to future generations. So, when their children should ask, “What mean these stones” (4:21), their parents were to instruct them: “Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. ²³For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over” (4:22-23).

Joshua 5 – A New Land and a Renewed Covenant

Demoralized Adversaries (Joshua 5:1)

The nations in Canaan had not assaulted Israel; however, their spies had witnessed the power and presence of the LORD amid His people. “All the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel” (5:1).

Renewing the Covenant of Circumcision (Joshua 5:2-9)

Circumcision had not been observed in Israel during the wilderness wanderings; however, in the new land, the LORD commanded Joshua to circumcise the men of Israel (5:2-3).

Now circumcision served as a physical reminder of Israel’s blood covenant with the LORD (Exodus 19:5-6) and a testimony that the LORD had “rolled away the reproach of Egypt” (5:9). What was “the reproach of Egypt?” I believe it was the reproof of the faithless generation that refused to believe the LORD and had turned back from the land He had promised them for an inheritance (5:6). The name of the place of circumcision would be Gilgal, meaning “rolled away” (5:9).

Celebrating the Passover (Joshua 5:10-12)

Remembering His grace, and goodness, Israel reaffirmed the LORD’s presence and observed the Passover (5:10) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (5:11). The next day, the provision of manna ceased, and “they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (5:12).

A Heavenly Vision: A Pre-Incarnate Appearance of Christ (Joshua 5:13-15)

When Joshua came near the city of Jericho, he looked up, and “behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand” (5:13). Joshua bravely went to the man and asked, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” (5:13)

Then the man introduced himself, saying, “Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come” (5:14; Hebrews 2:10). Joshua, sensing he was in the presence, not of a man, but the LORD Himself, “fell on his face to the earth, and did worship…and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?” (5:14)

The LORD, “captain of the host,” and ready for battle, “said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so” (5:15).

Closing thoughts:

What made the ground holy? It was the presence of the LORD.

When Moses drew aside to see the flaming bush in the wilderness, he removed his shoes, for he understood he was in the presence of the LORD (Exodus 3:5). Now Joshua did the same (5:15). With his shoes removed, Joshua bowed with his face bowed to the earth, and was ready to receive his marching orders for the siege of Jericho (Joshua 6).

Questions to consider:

1) Why did the LORD require Joshua to choose twelve men to take stones from the Jordan? (Joshua 4:2-5)

2) What were the stones to represent? (Joshua 4:6-7)

3) How did Israel crossing Jordan affect their attitude toward Joshua? (Joshua 4:14)

4) How did Israel crossing Jordan affect their adversaries? (Joshua 5:1)

5) What rite did Joshua command Israel’s men to observe after they crossed the Jordan? (Joshua 5:3)

6) Why did the LORD cause the daily manna to cease in Canaan? (Joshua 5:12)

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A Covenant and a Choice of Two Paths (Deuteronomy 29; Deuteronomy 30)

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Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 29-30

Deuteronomy 29 – Renewing the Covenant

Moses declared and recorded God’s Covenant with Israel in Deuteronomy 5 through Deuteronomy 28. He then challenged the people to reaffirm the covenant they had entered into at Mt Horeb forty years prior (Exodus 24). In doing so, the nation would acknowledge its obligation to obey the LORD’s Laws and Commandments (Deuteronomy 29-30).

The Past (Deuteronomy 29:1-9)

Moses then rehearsed with the people all the LORD had done for them in Egypt. He acknowledged how they had been blind to the ways of the LORD (29:4) and reminded them how God had lovingly sustained and preserved them for forty years in the wilderness (29:5-6). Then, in the place they were that day, the LORD had given them victory over their adversaries and their land on the east side of the Jordan as an inheritance for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and “the half tribe of Manasseh” (29:7-8).

A Summons to Obey (Deuteronomy 29:10-15)

Reminding the people they were standing “before the LORD,” Moses challenged every member of the nation (its captains, elders, officers, women, children, and servants) to “enter into the covenant with the LORD” (29:10-12). Moses promised the LORD would exalt Israel as a nation and be their God as He was with their forefathers (29:13). The promises of the LORD would not only apply to their generation but to their children and children’s children (29:14-15).

An Admonition (Deuteronomy 29:16-29)

Nevertheless, should a “man, or woman, or family, or tribe” turn from the LORD and worship idols, they would bear the sorrow and bitterness of God’s judgment (29:18). Such might be deluded and believe they might find peace walking after their imaginations. Still, Moses warned, “The Lord will not spare him…and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven” (29:20).

If Israel tolerated wickedness in its midst, Moses warned that the judgment of the LORD would leave the land like the “overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah” (29:23). He prophesied the nations would look upon the desolation of Israel and ask, “Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?” (29:24). Then, men would answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt” (29:25).

Deuteronomy 30 – A Promise of Grace and Mercy

An Opportunity of Restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1-10)

Though Israel would reject the LORD and disobey His Law and Commandments, Moses promised He would remember His people and not forget His covenant promises (30:1). While the LORD promised to punish Israel for her disobedience, He also promised to be gracious, merciful, and forgiving if the people would repent of their sins and turn back to Him (30:1-7). Furthermore, should the people repent, God promised to renew His covenant with them and “make [them] plenteous in every work of thine hand…for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers” (30:9).

Ignorance was Not an Excuse (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

The will and commandments of the LORD were not mysterious or hidden from Israel (30:11-13). Instead, God’s purpose was established, and His will was revealed by His “Word” (30:14).

Two Paths to Choose: Death or Life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

Deuteronomy 30 concluded with a strong challenge to Israel to know the Word of the LORD was sure. While the path of obedience leads to “life and good,” the way of disobedience leads to “death and evil” (30:15). Choose to keep the LORD’s covenant, and He will bless you. However, disobey God’s Law and Commandments, and you invite His judgment (30:17-18).

So then, summoning heaven and earth to be his witness, Moses warned: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (30:19).

Closing thoughts:

I am reminded that every soul faces the spiritual dilemma of choosing between two paths in life. Faith and obedience are the paths of blessing and eternal life. The way of sin inevitably ends in death and hell. As the shepherd of Israel, Moses longed for the people to love and obey the LORD. After all, that path promised the quality and quantity of life that God alone could provide (Deuteronomy 30:20).

What path have you taken? Are you on the path of obedience and life or disobedience and death?

Questions to consider:

1) Why did Israel need to remember “all that the LORD did” in Egypt and the wilderness? (Deuteronomy 29:2-6)

2) What was the key to Israel’s prosperity in the new land? (Deuteronomy 29:9)

3) What was the condition for Israel to be blessed and fruitful? (Deuteronomy 30:8-10)

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Choices Always Have Consequences (Deuteronomy 26; Deuteronomy 27)

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Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 26-27

Deuteronomy 26

A Confession of Indebtedness and a Prayer of Thanksgiving (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)

Moses continued his charge to Israel with laws and spiritual principles to guide the people as they became a nation in their land (26:1). Remembering that the blessing of the harvest comes from the LORD (26:1-11), the first-fruits offering was to be taken to the place of worship (Tabernacle). There it was given to the LORD, thus supporting the priests, the Levites, and their households.

Tithes and Offerings for the Poor (Deuteronomy 26:12-15)

A special tithe was given in the third year, coinciding with the tither’s confession that he had honored and obeyed the LORD’s commandments. Rather than taking the tithe of the third year to the Tabernacle, it was used locally to meet the immediate needs of one’s community and to support “the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled” (26:12-15).

The Benefits of Obeying the LORD and Keeping His Commandments (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)

Beginning with Deuteronomy 26:16 and continuing to Deuteronomy 31:13, Moses expounded on the benefits of obeying the LORD and keeping His commandments. He reminded the people that they were to do all that God had commanded with all their hearts and soul (26:16). Israel had been chosen by the LORD “to be His peculiar people,” and He promised “to make [Israel] high above all nations” (26:16-19).

Deuteronomy 27

Renewing the Covenant (Deuteronomy 27:1-10)

Continuing his challenge, Moses was joined by the “elders of Israel,” and he “commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day” (Deuteronomy 27:1).

Lest the people forget all the LORD had done for them, the elders of Israel were commanded to build a pillar of uncut stones on the west side of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 27:2-8). The stones were to be plastered, and engraved upon them were the Commandments of the Lord, serving as a lasting memorial of the LORD’s promises and commandments. Also, an altar was to be built to sanctify the place (Deuteronomy 27:5-8).

A Rehearsal of the Blessings and Curses Sanctioned by the Law (Deuteronomy 27:11-26)

Continuing his speech to Israel and with the elders beside him, Moses reminded the nation that “Choices have Consequences.” He charged the people that by obeying the Law, they would invite the LORD’s blessings (27:11-12); however, disobedience would arouse His judgments (27:14-26). Should the nation disobey the LORD and reject His Law and Commandments, Moses warned that twelve curses would befall the nation (27:15-26). To each pronouncement, the people assented and answered, “Amen.”

The first through fifth curses (Deuteronomy 27:15-19)

The following violations of the Law and commandments invited God’s judgment and would be cursed: 1) Idolatry, a violation of the first and second commandments, was cursed (Deuteronomy 27:15). 2) Dishonoring one’s parents was cursed (27:16), for it is a violation of the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12). 3) Stealing the property and possessions of another by deceit, a violation of the sixth commandment, was cursed (Deuteronomy 27:17; Exodus 20:15). 4) Taking advantage of one infirmed or disabled was cursed (Deuteronomy 27:18). 5) The fifth curse was upon one who would treat “the stranger, fatherless, and widow” unjustly (Deuteronomy 27:19;Exodus 22:21-24).

Sexual impurity, a violation of the seventh commandment, was addressed by the sixth through ninth curses (Deuteronomy 27:20-23; Ex. 20:14). Specifically addressed and cursed were: 6) Incest with one’s stepmother (Deuteronomy 27:20; Leviticus 18:8-9, 17; Leviticus 20:11); 7) Bestiality (Deuteronomy 27:21; Leviticus 18:23); 8) Incest between siblings and parents (Deuteronomy 27:22); and 9) Incest with one’s mother (Deuteronomy 27:23).

The fifth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13), was the subject of the tenth and eleventh curses (Deuteronomy 27:24-25): 10) Intentional murder of one’s neighbor (Deuteronomy 27:24), and 11) hiring an assassin to kill another was cursed (Deuteronomy 27:25).

The twelfth and final curse (Deuteronomy 27:26), a sum of the twelve curses, was addressed to any child of Israel who failed to confirm God’s Law and Commandments.

And so the people affirmed all Moses commanded, and all the people gave their assent and said, “Amen” (Deuteronomy 27:26).

Questions to consider:

1) What was Israel to present to the LORD after they took possession of the land? (Deuteronomy 26:1-2)

2) What was Israel instructed to do with the tithes and offerings in the third year? (Deuteronomy 26:12)

3) What did the LORD promise Israel if they kept His law and commandments? (Deuteronomy 26:17-19)

4) What was the first thing Israel was to set up after they crossed the Jordan River? (Deuteronomy 27:2-3)

5) With what word did the people acknowledge and affirm the curses pronounced by the Levites? (Deuteronomy 27:15-26).

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Blessings or Curses: It’s Your Choice (Deuteronomy 11; Deuteronomy 12)

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Scripture reading – Deuteronomy 11-12

Moses’ second challenge to Israel began in Deuteronomy 5 and continued in today’s Scripture reading. Moses repeated the LORD’s covenant demand for Israel to “love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway” (11:1). The detailed explanation of God’s covenant with Israel will continue to Deuteronomy 26:19.

Deuteronomy 11 – A Covenant that Promised Blessings and Cursing

The Great Works of the LORD (Deuteronomy 11:2-6)

Why should Israel love and obey the LORD? Because He had demonstrated “His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm” (11:2) when He brought the plagues upon Egypt and Pharaoh (11:3). When He parted the Red Sea, He allowed Israel to pass through on dry ground. Then He sent the waters upon the Egyptians, drowning them, their horses, and chariots (11:4).

When “Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab,” rebelled (Numbers 16), the LORD judged them and their followers. “The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel” (11:6).

The Conditions of God’s Blessing and Curses (Deuteronomy 11:7-15)

Moses reasoned that they were compelled to keep His commandments because the people had seen “all the great acts of the Lord which he did” (11:7). They were reminded that their strength, prosperity, and longevity as a nation was directly related to their obedience (11:8). Obey the LORD, keep His commandments, and Israel would inherit “a land that floweth with milk and honey” (11:9).

Nevertheless, the promise of God’s blessing was conditional (11:10-17). Should the people turn from the LORD and worship idols (11:16), His wrath would be kindled against them. He would then “shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit” (11:17).

A Solemn Charge (Deuteronomy 11:18-32)

The people were again reminded that their covenant responsibility was to obey the commandments and teach them to their children (11:18-19). The LORD’s covenant with Israel was a conditional promise of both “a blessing and a curse” (11:26). Obey the LORD’S commandments, and He promised to bless them (11:27). Disobey the LORD, and He would curse them (11:28).

Deuteronomy 12

It might be argued that Deuteronomy 5-11 was the preface to the “statutes and judgments” recorded in Deuteronomy 12. Having presented to the people the choices and consequences for obeying or disobeying the LORD, Moses revealed the prohibitions and required the Tabernacle would be the central place of worship.

Destroy all Idols and Places of Idol Worship (Deuteronomy 12:1-3)

Israel was commanded to destroy all idols and every place of idol worship and sacrifice (12:1-3). There were no exceptions! Whereas the heathen sacrificed and served “their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree” (12:2), Israel was warned not to follow their ways.

The Tabernacle: Israel’s Central Place of Worship (Deuteronomy 12:5-14)

The people were commanded that only in “the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation [the Tabernacle] shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come” (12:5). The Tabernacle was the place God chose.

There was one place of sacrifice, and that was the altar in the Tabernacle court (12:6). There was one place the tithes and offerings (above that which was the portion of the Levites) might be eaten, and that was before the Tabernacle (12:7-14).

The Slaughter of Beasts for Meat (Deuteronomy 12:15-25)

Offerings and sacrifices were to be given only at the Tabernacle. Yet, because of the geographical distance of the tribes from the Tabernacle (12:21), animals slaughtered for their meat would no longer be brought to the Tabernacle (12:10-15; Leviticus 17:3-6). Nevertheless, all sacrifices were to be offered at the Tabernacle, which was “the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen” (12:21).

There was also the prohibition on the matter of blood. Unlike the heathen and their sacrifices, Israel was commanded, “Ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water” (12:17, 23-25; Leviticus 17:10).

Closing thoughts:

Moses warned the people not to adopt the heathen’s ways of worship nor enquire, “How did these nations serve their gods?” (Deuteronomy 12:30b) The forms of worship followed by the wicked were an abomination to God, for in their depravity, they sacrificed “their sons and their daughters…to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:31). Moses warned that the LORD would accept nothing less than obedience. The people were “not [to] add thereto, nor diminish from” His commandments (Deuteronomy 12:32).

Some today would suggest that the law and commandments of the LORD are unimportant. Yet, the God of the Old Testament is the God of the New, and He continues to command that His people should be holy.

1 Peter 1:15-16 – “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Questions to consider:

1) What did the LORD promise Israel if the people would love and obey Him? (Deuteronomy 11:13-15)

2) When and where were parents to teach their children the words of the LORD? (Deuteronomy 11:19)

3) What was Israel commanded to do to the idols and worship places of the heathen? (Deuteronomy 12:2-3)

4) What was the only place Israel could offer sacrifices to the LORD? (Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 11)

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Look and Live! (Numbers 21; Numbers 22) – Part 1 of 2 devotions.

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Scripture Reading – Numbers 21-22

Numbers 21

The Defeat of Arad, the Canaanite King (Numbers 21:1-3)

Numbers 21 finds Israel near the end of their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. The vastness of Israel’s population was such that neighboring nations feared the congregation. One king, Arad the Canaanite, fought against Israel, taking some of the people as prisoners. Then, the people called on the LORD and vowed, “If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities” (21:2). The LORD heard Israel’s promise and gave them a great victory over the Canaanites. As promised, the people “utterly destroyed them and their cities” (21:3).

The Brass Serpent (Numbers 21:4-9)

Despite their great victory over the Canaanites, Edom’s refusal to allow Israel to pass through their land soon found the people discouraged (21:4). Like their parents before them, they began speaking against God, and Moses, saying, “Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread” (21:5).

The LORD’S judgment was swift, and “fiery [poisonous] serpents” bit the people, and many died (21:6). Moses, evidencing the humility and meekness of a leader who had borne much, prayed for the people when they confessed, “we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee” (21:7). The LORD heard Moses’ prayer and commanded him, saying, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (21:8).

The Message of the Cross

Moses obeyed the LORD, and fashioned “a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (21:9). Jesus identified the significance of this event in His conversation with Nicodemus (John 3). There, the LORD revealed that the “brass serpent” was a type, a pre-incarnate symbol, of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ^[15] That whosoever believeth in Him [Jesus Christ] should not perish, but have eternal life. ^[16] For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14-16).

The brass serpent Moses, suspended on a pole, was God’s object for Israel to look to and live. Some 2,000 years later, Christ was suspended on the Cross. Sinners who look to Jesus’ death and resurrection find the answer to the “wages of sin” (Romans 6:23). As the invitation to Israel was to look and live, so there is an invitation to all sinners:

Look to the Cross, and with eyes of faith, believe Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and raised from the dead.

1 John 5:11-13 – “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. ¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

LOOK and LIVE!

Questions to consider:

1) Who did King Arad the Canaanite take prisoner? (Numbers 21:1)

2) What did the LORD send when the people began to murmur and complain against God and Moses? (Numbers 21:4-6)

3) What did the LORD promise if the people looked upon the brass serpent suspended on a pole? (Numbers 21:8-9)

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Numbering Your Days and Counting Your Blessings! (Psalm 90)

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Scripture reading – Psalm 90

We depart from the Book of Numbers to consider Psalm 90 for today’s Scripture reading. Psalm 90 is a prayer of intercession and a song of praise that was authored by Moses and is the oldest of the Psalms. Indeed, it would have been one of the psalms heard in the Temple and sung by the people when they assembled in the wilderness before the Tabernacle.

Scholars generally place Psalm 90 about the time Israel rebelled and turned back from the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14). The context is most likely when the people began murmuring against the LORD, and He threatened to “smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them” (Numbers 14:11-12). Moses implored the LORD to spare the congregation (Numbers 14:13-19), and I believe Psalm 90 memorialized that occasion.

Psalm 90 – Great is the LORD!

The LORD had proven to Israel that He was a “dwelling place,” a refuge, a safe place (90:1). He had revealed He was the Creator (90:2a) and had set the foundations of the mountains and “formed the earth and the world” (90:2). He is “from everlasting to everlasting,” the Sovereign God of eternity (90:2). Indeed, man is temporal, and destined for “destruction” (90:3). Nevertheless, the God of Israel is a righteous judge, and in His sight, “a thousand years…are but as yesterday” (91:4).

What is man? (Psalm 90:4-12)

When I was young, I did not fully grasp the meaning of Psalm 90:4. There, Moses wrote, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (90:4). I have come to know too well the fleeting of time, and life. I have seen lives and even a generation pass, and it seemed “as a watch in the night” (90:4).

Imagine the emotions that swept over Moses. He gazed upon the sea of humanity that was Israel. Because of their rebellion, Moses realized all but two (Joshua and Caleb) that were 20 years and older would perish in the wilderness (90:5-8). They would never see the land God had promised the nation for an inheritance (90:9).

You might recall that the longevity of human life at the beginning of Creation and recorded in Genesis was often 800 to 900 years (Genesis 5). Yet, as Moses wrote Psalm 90, we read that he reflected on the brevity of life cut short by sin. He pondered how some lived “threescore years and ten” (70) and reflected how others, “by reason of strength,” live “fourscore years” (90:10). Yet, their lives are a testimony of toil and disappointment and are “soon cut off” (90:10).

Understanding the brevity of life and having provoked and witnessed the wrath of the LORD (90:11), Moses urged the people: “So teach us to number our days [make them count], that we may apply [give] our hearts [understanding; i.e., thoughts] unto wisdom” (90:12).

Psalm 90 concluded with Moses appealing to the LORD to “return” to His people and favor them with His mercy (90:13-14). He longed for the afflictions and sorrows to be lifted, and Israel once again “rejoice and be glad” (90:14-15).

Closing thoughts:

How different would life be if you knew the day, hour, and year God has appointed for your death? (Hebrews 9:27) Every day is a gift of God’s loving grace and should be numbered and treasured. If we did so, would we not find the things that consume our thoughts and time to be trivial? On the other hand, we might regard the moments to which we are prone to give little thought as sacred and to be savored.

Thus, in light of the temporal nature of life, let us set aside pettiness and be grateful for the day the LORD has given. Let the passion of our heart reflect Moses’ prayer:

“Let the beauty [grace, and favor] of the Lord our God be upon us: And establish thou [LORD] the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” (90:17)

Questions to consider:

1) What attributes of God did Moses list in Psalm 90:1-2?

2) What metaphors (images) did Moses use to describe human life? (Psalm 90:5-6)

3) Understanding the brevity of life, what are two things you can do to establish the right priorities? (90:12)

4) What did Moses pray the people would see concerning the LORD? (Psalm 90:16-17)

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What Does the Lord Require of His Ministers? (Numbers 8)

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Scripture reading – Numbers 8

We have followed Israel’s journey from Egypt (Exodus), through the wilderness, to a year-long encampment at the base of Mount Sinai. Leviticus chronicled the LORD establishing His Covenant with the children of Israel and the Tribes accepting the terms of that Covenant represented in His Law and Commandments. The Book of Leviticus also established the nature of Israel’s worship and sacrifices. Finally, it memorialized the Tabernacle’s design, its “holy place” that included the Ark and other furnishings within and without the sanctuary.

The Book of Numbers was the census record of the Twelve Tribes of Israel (Numbers 1-2). Because the firstborn of every Hebrew household was to be dedicated to the LORD, He adopted the tribe of Levi as a substitute for the firstborn of Israel (Numbers 3:12-13). While Aaron and his sons were to serve the LORD as His priests, the Levites were chosen to assist them with the daily sacrifices and the care of the Tabernacle during Israel’s journey in the wilderness (Numbers 3-4, 7).

Illuminating the Tabernacle Sanctuary (Numbers 8:1-4)

With the Tabernacle erected, and the instruments dedicated, the LORD commanded Moses to instruct Aaron to illuminate the interior of the Tabernacle, lighting the lamps on the “candlestick” (8:2). The lampstand, termed as a “candlestick,” is described in Numbers 8:4 as “of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the Lord had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick” (8:4).

The Levites Ordained and Consecrated to the Ministry (Numbers 8:5-22)

While Aaron and his sons served the LORD as priests, the tribe of Levi was consecrated to assist them and serve the people when they came to worship (8:5-26). Because they were ministers of the people, the Levites were commanded to go through a purification process that included shaving “all their flesh,” washing their clothes, and making themselves ceremonially clean by the priests sprinkling water on them (8:5-7). After the rite of purification, the Levites were to bring two young bulls, one to serve as a meat offering and the other as a sin offering (8:8).

Moses then brought the Levites “before the Tabernacle” (8:9). Then, all the people of Israel gathered and placed “their hands upon the Levites” (8:10) and identified their serving on their behalf. Next, the Levites put their hands on the young bulls and identified with their sacrifice as their substitute (8:9-13). Thus, before the LORD, and in the sight of all the people, the Levites were separated “from among the children of Israel” (8:14). Then, the LORD declared, “the Levites shall be mine” (8:14), “to do the service of the tabernacle” (8:15). The children of Israel identified them as the replacement for their firstborn (8:16-18).

The Levites then assisted Aaron and his sons as ministers “in the Tabernacle…and to make an atonement for the children of Israel” (Numbers 8:19-20). Thus the Levites began helping in the daily sacrifices (8:21-22), and the age of service for them was between twenty-five and fifty years old (8:23-25).

Closing thoughts:

While the rite of dedication and consecration was outward (8:6-8), the LORD desired that his ministers would be separated from the world, set apart from the people, and consecrated to Him (8:14). They were to be cleansed, and dedicated to serving Him (8:15).

An application: The LORD commanded those who served Him and ministered to His people to be holy, sanctified, and dedicated (Leviticus 20:7). While times have changed, the LORD has not, and the apostle Peter in his epistle to believers repeated Leviticus 20:7, and exhorted them: “¹⁵But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15–16).

Tragically, many ministers in the 21st-century church have failed to aspire to be holy in life and conduct. Believers should expect in their pastors the fulfillment of Paul’s charge to Timothy: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

Questions to consider:

1) What tribe of Israel was dedicated to serving the LORD and assisting Aaron and his sons in the Tabernacle? (Numbers 8:6-11)

2) From whom were the Levites to separate? (Numbers 8:14)

3) In whose place were the Levites serving the LORD? (Numbers 8:15-18)

4) Where were the Levites to minister? (Numbers 8:22)

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“May the LORD Bless You, and Keep You” (Numbers 6; Numbers 7)

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Scripture reading – Numbers 6-7

Numbers 6 – The Nazarite Vow and the Aaronic Priestly Blessing

The law of the Nazarite, a voluntary vow, was instituted in Numbers 6. Considered a vow of consecration, a man or woman could “vow a vow of a Nazarite” (6:2), and it was a vow of abstinence and separation unto the LORD.

A Nazarite vow consisted of three personal disavowals.

Abstaining from wine and strong drink (6:3-4) was the first. The second, as an outward sign of devotion, a Nazarite was not to cut his hair for the time of the vow (6:5). Thirdly, Nazarites were forbidden to touch a dead body, even that of a loved one (6:6-7). Finally, should one fail to keep the Nazarite vow and become unclean, there were prescribed steps for remediation and purification, including sacrifices to be offered to the LORD (6:9-12).

When the days of the Nazarites were fulfilled, they were to bring offerings to the Tabernacle before the LORD as a release from their vows (6:13). A burnt offering, sin offering, peace offering, meat or meal offering, and a drink offering were required (6:13-17). After offering sacrifices to be released from the vow, the head was to be shaved (6:19), a wave offering of thanksgiving given (6:20), and the Nazarite was then allowed to drink wine (6:20). (The matter of drinking wine is one I will take up in the future; however, be assured the wine mentioned here was not the distilled, strong drink of our day.)

The Priestly Prayer for God’s People (6:24-27)

Numbers 6 concludes with one of the most beautiful prayers and blessings in the Scriptures. The Aaronic prayer expresses the heart of the LORD for His people and represents the heart of a spiritual shepherd. I will allow the beauty of the prayer to speak for itself without commentary:

“The Lord bless thee, and keep [watch, guard] thee: ²⁵The Lord make his face shine [illuminate] upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: ²⁶The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. ²⁷And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:24-27).

Numbers 7 – The Dedication of the Tabernacle, the Altar, the Vessels, and Instruments Used in the Offerings

After much planning and following the detailed guidelines set forth by the LORD, the Tabernacle was set up, anointed, and sanctified (7:1). The altar, vessels, and instruments to be used for offerings were consecrated to the LORD. Then, the princes of the Twelve Tribes and the heads of households “brought their offering before the Lord, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle” (7:3).

What purpose did the wagons and oxen serve?

They were presented for the “service” (7:5) and ministry of the Tabernacle and employed by the Levites when transporting the Tabernacle and its furnishings during Israel’s sojourn (7:4-10). The Gershonites were allotted two wagons and four oxen, “according to their service” (7:7). The ministry of the Gershonites was the care of the draperies, curtains, and coverings of the Tabernacle (4:24-28).

The Merarites were assigned four wagons and eight oxen, “according unto their service” (7:8). They required more wagons and oxen because they were charged with the greater weight (i.e., the boards and pillars that made up the frame of the Tabernacle, 4:31-32).

The Kohathites were not given wagons or oxen “because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders” (7:9). The Kohathites were responsible for transporting the Ark, the table, the lampstand, and the altar (4:5-20). Those objects, central to Israel’s worship and sacrifices, were to be carried upon the shoulders of the Kohathites with staves or rods.

Closing thoughts:

Numbers 7 concluded with the record of the offerings and sacrifices that each tribe was to bring on its assigned day as the Tabernacle and its vessels were dedicated (7:10-88). You will notice that the offerings brought by each of the tribes were identical. Why the repetition? I believe the twelve days of dedication, and the naming of the sacrifices that were brought, added to the solemnity of the dedication and gave each tribe its sense of standing with the LORD.

With the sum of the offerings accounted (7:84-88), Moses, though not a priest, was given an extraordinary audience with the LORD in His sanctuary (7:89). There, Moses heard the voice of the LORD “speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him” (7:89).

I conclude with my prayer for each of you reading today’s devotion.

Numbers 6:24-26 – “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: ²⁵ The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: ²⁶ The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace [shalom].”

Questions to consider:

1) From what was a man or a woman to abstain when vowing the vow of a Nazarite? (Numbers 6:3-8)

2) How were Aaron and his sons to bless the people? (Numbers 6:24-26).

3) How did Moses dedicate the Tabernacle and vessels to the LORD? (Numbers 7:1)

4) Who participated in the dedication of the Tabernacle, and what did they offer to the LORD? (Numbers 7:2-3)

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Did You Make a Vow? You’d Better Keep It! (Leviticus 26; Leviticus 27)

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Scripture reading – Leviticus 26-27

Today’s devotion marks the end of our journey through the Book of Leviticus. Remember, the sacrifices the priests offered on behalf of Israel were a prefigure of the ultimate sacrifice—Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who is our “once, and for all” sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:10).

Leviticus 26

The LORD’s Covenant

The LORD invited Israel to obey His laws and keep His commands (26:3).

The Promise of Blessings for Obedience to the Law (26:3-13)

Memorializing His covenant with Israel, the LORD repeated His conditional promise to make the land fruitful ifthe people would “walk in [His] statutes, and keep [His] commandments, and do them” (26:3). He promised peace (26:6), military successes (26:6-7), and an increase in population (26:9). The LORD assured the nation they would never go wanting (26:10). He promised He would dwell in their midst, saying:

“I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. ¹³I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright” (26:11-13).

The Promise of Judgment (26:14-39)

There was also the conditional promise of God’s judgment should the nation disobey His Law and Commandments (26:14-39). If the people showed contempt for the Law, God promised Israel would be punished with sickness (26:16-17), increased suffering (26:18), famines (26:19), and barrenness in the land (26:20), all as a natural consequence for straying from righteousness. If the people continued their rebellion, the LORD warned they would suffer plagues, childlessness, a dying population, and the land would become desolate (26:21-22).

Leviticus 26:23-26 states three punishments that come upon a disobedient people: Wars (26:23-25), Plagues (26:25), and Famine (26:26). Should the people continue to disobey the LORD, four devastating punishmentswould follow and mark the severest stage of God’s judgment: Famine would drive the people to cannibalize their children (26:29; 2 Kings 6:28-29; Lamentations 2:20; 4:10); towns and holy places would be destroyed (26:31), the land would be left desolate (26:32), and the people would be dispersed among the heathen (26:33).

The Promise of Mercy (26:40-46)

God promised mercy to those who confessed their sin (26:40). In confessing sin; the nation opened the pathway for God to remember His covenant with Israel (26:44-46).

Leviticus 27

Laws Concerning What Is Vowed and Sanctified to the LORD

Vows were deemed holy, and that which a man sanctified and dedicated to the LORD was to be fulfilled (27:1-8). For instance, should a vow be made to serve in the Tabernacle, but he not be needed, the priest was instructed to place a value upon that which was committed to the LORD and assess its value in shekels of silver (27:3-8).

A distinction was made in the value of clean and unclean beasts vowed to the LORD (27:9-13). Remembering the LORD accepted only that which was perfect and clean, an unclean beast that failed God’s standard was assessed a value by the priests, redeemed for its value, and an additional “fifth part” required (27:11-13).

An important matter was raised concerning an owner who desired to redeem or purchase what he had dedicated to the LORD but desired to retain. For example, to buy what one dedicated to the LORD (i.e., beasts, a house, crops of a field) required a priest to establish its monetary value (27:14-25). For an owner to claim what he dedicated to the LORD not only required him to pay its value, but also recompense one-fifth part more to redeem (27:13, 15, 19).

Closing thoughts:

The lesson for Israel was that whatever one dedicates to the LORD is sacred and His alone. Refuse to give the LORD His part; you will not obtain His blessing. To change your heart and keep what was dedicated to the LORD required not only its value but a payment of one-fifth more to redeem.

What about you? Have you kept your vows to the LORD? Have you forgotten the vows you made to Him, whether publicly or privately? Do you remember the decision you made to surrender your life to Him? Could your struggles in life be related to a failure to keep your vows to the LORD?

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 – ⁴ When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. ⁵ Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Remember, what you vow to the LORD, He will not forget!

Questions to consider:

1) What did God promise if Israel kept His statutes and commandments? (Leviticus 26:3-7)

2) What did God warn would become of Israel if the people broke His Laws and Commandments? (Leviticus 26:14-20)

3) What were the consequences for Israel if the people refused to heed God’s judgments and repent? (Leviticus 26:21-25)

4) What did God promise He would remember and not forget? (Leviticus 26:44-45)

5) What portion of a man’s flock or herd was to be dedicated to the LORD? (Leviticus 27:32)

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