QT 27 Feb 12, Spiritual leaders also expect to give financially

Num 18:25-29 (NIV) The Lord said to Moses, 26 "Speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord's offering. 27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord's portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the Lord's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.'

NOTE: While tithing no longer applies to the believer in the New Covenant (NC), the principle of giving still does. The difference is that rather than giving 10 percent twice a year and an additional tithe every three years, now a NC believer gives, not under compulsion, but freely and thankfully in response to all that God has done to save him (2 Cor 9:6,7). So, we can give more or less than the average (22-23 percent) that the Old Covenant (OC) believer gave in times past. But there is one other teaching here which is also a principle that continues into the NC, and that there is no distinction in who gives. In the OC, the Levite gave just as the people gave, they also gave their tithes. So, the full-time Christian worker, pastor, elder, deacon, and missionary all have a responsibility to give (of course, not under compulsion, but willingly).

QT 21 Feb 12, We trust in God, but we also need to live obediently

Num 18:8, 10-12, 14, 16, 20 (NIV) Then the Lord said to Aaron, "I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share. . . . Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.

11 "This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

12 "I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the Lord as the firstfruits of their harvest.. . .

14 "Everything in Israel that is devoted to the Lord is yours.  . . . 16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

. . .

20 The Lord said to Aaron, "You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

NOTE: The Levites have no inheritance in the land. They are dependent upon the Lord, and at another level to the people and their prescribed gifts. To the extent that the people hear sound instruction, and then follow it, the Levites should be well provided. But if there is a disconnect from the law and the lifestyle of the leaders, the people will look cynically upon the spiritual leaders and probably reduce their giving. The key is not more messages about giving but rather a congruence between lifestyle, practice, and teaching. Ultimately God will provide since God is their inheritance. But if they fail to provide a proper example and good teaching, they will suffer hurt.

While this is specific to the Levites, the principle is true for believers today. We might never be rich, but we will be taken care of, provided we show a congruence of our life, our action, and our words. We are a witness and it is not just in word but in deed and love.

QT 20 Feb 12, If we aspire to great responsibility, we must first be faithful in the small stuff

Num 18:1-7 (NIV) The Lord said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your father's family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony. 3 They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the Tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar, or both they and you will die. 4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the Tent of Meeting — all the work at the Tent — and no one else may come near where you are.

5 "You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the Tent of Meeting. 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death."

NOTE: With the selection of Aaron's rod comes the special recognition as chosen by God. But with the status comes responsibilities, which cannot be shared. In this case, the family of Aaron are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary and the priesthood. Additionally, they are responsible to perform the duties of the Tent, to take care of the Tent, all the work at the Tent, the sanctuary, and the altar. Only Aaron's family of priests may enter behind the curtain. Their actions not only affect their lives but failure can cause wrath to fall upon the Israelites. It is a tremendous position and responsibility. The recent cultural quote, with great power come great responsibility. That is a true statement that is echoed in scripture. A key aspect  of this truth is a the requirement to be found faithful in the tasks God has already given you. While Aaron was not perfect, he and Miriam rebelled, he stood his ground with the two spies and Moses when the majority of spies were counseling the people that the task was too hard and too dangerous. If we want more authority and responsibility, we need to be faithful in the small things first.

QT 16 Feb 12, We should not trifle with God's Holiness

Num 17:1-5, 8, 10-13 (NIV) The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you. 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites."

. . .

8 The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. . . .

10 The Lord said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die." 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.

12 The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?"

NOTE: Verses 12 and 13 seem out of place, although they could be the result of a number of things: delayed guilt, a hope that Aaron's staff would not be selected and now waiting for the punishment shoe to fall, etc. I am also surprised that God chooses this method, although signs and wonders are often used to signify events. For whatever reason, Aaron's position was undergoing a lot of scrutiny and grumbling. Nor does Aaron's action seem faultless as he and his wife once tried to usurp Moses' authority. The next chapter will highlight the responsibilities of Aaron's role especially in regards to holiness. The reasons offered will be the protection of God's people from wrath. So, the people are right, they do need to be afraid of dying because they are sinful creatures living near the "name or shekinah glory" of a most Holy God (obviously God does not dwell in the tabernacle, but there is something unique about the tabernacle compared to any other place upon earth). Of course, we are holy because of what Jesus has done, but I wonder if we consider the Holiness of God enough in our day to day lives. It was important to God, it should be important to us.

QT 13 Feb 12, Is God trying to get my (your) attention?

Num 16:32, 35, 41, 44, 47b-50 (NIV) . . .  and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.  . . .

35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "You have killed the Lord's people," they said.

. . .  44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 "Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." And they fell facedown.

. . . . The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.

NOTE: God could have destroyed the whole nation for its rebellion on multiple occasions. In his mercy, He doesn't. In his mercy, He warns us. God is okay with our sharing our worries, fears, failures, and struggles with Him. But when we refuse to obey Him, He acts, and sometimes quite painfully. Which is not to say that all pain and suffering is God's disobedience, because it is clear from scripture that it is not, but we should stop and ask ourselves when times are hard -- is God trying to get my attention?

QT 10 Feb 12, The danger of emotion run amok

Num 16:1-3, 10-13, 31-35 (NIV) Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites — Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth — became insolent  2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?"

. . .

He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?"

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We will not come! 13 Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us?

. . .

31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!"

35 And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

NOTE: Apparently, the people also blame Moses for the decision to not go into the desert. Interesting that two Reubenites team up with some of the Levites to lead the revolt. Additionally, 250 others from the community, leaders in their own right, join the rebellion. In human terms, this type of revolt is very well organized with essentially no support for Moses and Aaron. In most times and ages, it would have succeeded. But in this case, God has a special purpose for Israel and has taken active involvement, and he stands for Moses and Aaron. The result is that despite no other support, all the instigators die. An incredible miraculous event, which makes the next day's rebellion even more amazing. The people are hurt and disappointed. Their lives have been torn apart by their sin. They want to rebel against something, anything that might change their lives. They have no hope and they are bitter. Still, life is preferable to death even in the desert. But in times of great emotion, we are blinded by emotion and do not want to hear or listen to truth.

QT 9 Feb 12, Direct rebellion is despising God's word

Num 15:30-36 (NIV) "'But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the Lord, and that person must be cut off from his people. 31 Because he has despised the Lord's word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.'"

32 While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp." 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.

NOTE: Riggans, 1983, wrote,

There are eleven offenses punishable by stoning according to the Old Testament: idolatry (Deut. 17:2-7); encouragement of idolatry (Deut. 13:6-10); child sacrifice (Lev. 20:2-5); prophecy in the name of another god (Deut. 13:1-5); divination (Lev. 20:27); blasphemy (Lev. 24:15-16); breaking the Sabbath (here); murder by an ox (Exod. 21:28-29); adultery (Deut. 22:22ff.); rebellion by a son (Deut. 21:18ff.); violation of God's ban on plunder devoted to him (Josh. 7:25).

Today, in the new covenant, we know that we are not under law but under grace. There is still punishment for direct rebellion,  but it is handled directly by our father (Hebrews calls it discipline). Additionally, we are no longer under the restrictions of the Sabbath, as evidenced by Jesus' statements and Paul's letters. Still, God is not pleased with direct rebellion--the principle of direct rebellion is still valid in both covenants. The foundation is the same, "he has despised the Lord's word." That is why fear of the Lord is just as important in the new covenant as it was in the old. God is our judge and our father, and he will deal with us if we despise his word.

Father, I thank you that I am not under the old covenant law, but I know that I still struggle with sin in my inner self. Forgive me and cleanse me. Help me to walk in a way that pleases you.

QT 8 Feb 11, We need to listen the first time

Num 14:32-35, 39-41, 44-45 (NIV) But you — your bodies will fall in this desert. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert. 34 For forty years — one year for each of the forty days you explored the land — you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert; here they will die."

. . .

39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the Lord promised."

41 But Moses said, "Why are you disobeying the Lord's command? This will not succeed!  . . .

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord's covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

NOTE: There are a number of interesting observations in this passage.

The children are called shepherds (vs. 33), because they will take care of their aged parents until they die in the desert. I suppose that is the responsibility of the children, although not always recognized by the children.

The forty years of wandering is meant to remind the nation of the forty days of exploration, and the resulting disobedience.

In verses 36-38 (not shown), ten of the twelve die from plague immediately.

The Israelites repent (vs. 39-40), but that does not change the consequences of their sin. Repentance is important. It washes away guilt, but it does not prevent consequences of the previous sin. Too many think that asking forgiveness after some sin will also take away the consequences and that is not true. It is possible for God to be merciful, but it is not a given.

They move out without God's leading and protection and many are killed and destroyed in the attack on Caanan. If God is not in it, the result can be disastrous.