Numbers 19:11

Numbers 19:11 says, He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.  Moses then received instructions about anyone who touched a dead body, and someone would have to if the body was not to be left where it fell.  This law concerned the dead body of a person, and brought a heavier burden than touching the dead body of any animal or an unclean person.  When touching the dead body of a person, anyone who touched it would be unclean for seven days.  Matthew Henry says this may have had to do with the wages of sin being death, and any death being associated with sin.  Verse twelve adds, He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.  In order to be clean after the seventh day, the person had to cleanse themselves on the third day.  Christ rose on the third day to wash away our sins, and if we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we are immediately made spiritually clean, and do not have to wait for any amount of time to pass after we accept Him to be so.  Verse thirteen states, Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.  Though the cleansing was a ceremonial one, anyone who failed to be cleansed by the water of separation was still unclean and cutoff from the rest of the nation of Isreal.  Being washed by the blood of Christ is not a physical thing, but a spiritual one, and until we are washed by His blood, we are cutoff from His kingdom.  Verse fourteen adds, This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.  If a person died in a tent, everyone and everything in that tent would be considered unclean.  When we come in contact with sin today, it pollutes everything that we come in contact with, if we do not ask God for forgiveness through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse fifteen continues, And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.  Every uncovered vessel would be considered unclean, just as every person is unclean until they are covered by the blood of Christ.  Verse sixteen concludes, And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.  Even touching a bone or a grave knowingly made a person unclean for seven days.  Anytime we knowingly come in contact with sin, we need to be purified once again. 

Numbers 19:1

Numbers 19:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  Verse two adds, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:  God spoke to Moses and Aaron, with a message for the people of Israel concerning a sacrifice they were to bring.  They were to bring a red heifer with no spot or blemish that had never had a yoke on it.  Jesus Christ is our everlasting sacrifice, and He was without any spiritual spot or blemish and never had the yoke of sin on Him.  Verse three continues, And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:  Moses and Aaron were to then give the red heifer to Eleazar the priest.  He was to take her out of the camp, not to the altar, and slay her.  Matthew Henry says this speaks of the inefficiency of the Law of God to take away sin.  We know that Jesus was sacriced away from the temple, the center of carrying out God's law, when He died on the cross at calvary.  Verse four states, And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:   Eleazar was then to take the blood of the heifer on his finger and sprinkle it before the tabernacle seven times.  This was done to sanctify the tabernacle, as Jesus shedding His blood on the cross would later sanctify all who put their faith in Him.  Verse five adds, And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:  The heifer was then to be completely burned, just as Jesus offered Him completely on the cross to pay for our sins.  Verse six continues, And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.  Eleazar was then to throw cedar, hyssop and scarlet to the fire.  These were used in the cleaning of lepers, who were ceremonial unclean and barred from worshipping with the other people.  Jesus cleanses us from our spiritual uncleanliness by His sacrifice on the cross.  Verse seven says, Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.  The priest was to then wash his clothes and bathe himself in the water made from the ashes of the sacrifice of the heifer, come into the camp, where he would be unclean until the evening.  He was made unclean by participating in the offering of this sacrifice, just as we are made unclean by participating spiritually in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  Verse eight adds,  And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.  The one who burned the heifer was also to be unclean until the evening.  All who made the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross necessary are spiritually unclean until they accept Him as their Savior and Lord.  Verse nine states,  And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.  The ashes were then to be laid outside the camp in a clean place by a priest that was clean.  The sacrifice of this one heifer was enough to purify all the people of Israel, just as Jesus sacrifice is enough to purify all people for all time.  Verse ten adds, And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.  After gathering the ashes, the one who gathered them would be considered unclean until the evening, to both the people of Israel and the strangers there with them.  Jesus death on the cross purifies all who put their faith in Him.  We must be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ to be saved.

Numbers 18:25

Numbers 18:25 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-six adds, Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.  Even though the Levites were to have the tithe of the rest of the people of Israel to use as their inheritance from God, He still expected them to offer a tithe of it to Him. We cannot exempt ourselves from obeying God's laws because we are serving Him and living by His provision for us.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’s heave offering to Aaron the priest.  The tithe given to Aaron the priest would be counted the same as an offering of grain or wine for the Levites, since they did not grow things themselves.  I believe God still expects us to tithe on all that we have.  Verse twenty-nine states, Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.  The Levites were to offer the best to the LORD, which Matthew Henry says was likely used to maintain the high priest, since there is no mention of any other way of providing for him.  Verse thirty adds, Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.  Verse thirty-one continues, And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.  After the Levites offered their tithe to the LORD,  they could freely eat of the rest of the offerings, even though they had been offered to God.  I believe that God still expects us to use His tithes and offerings to support His work.  Those in full time ministry should pay their tithes and offerings to God, but they should also have their needs abundantly met by the congregation.  Verse thirty-two concludes, And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.  If the Levites obeyed God's commands concerning the use of the tithes and offerings, they would bear no guilt in using them.  As followers of Christ today, we must use the things that God blesses us with in accordance with His will and for His honor and glory. 

Numbers 18:20

Numbers 18:20 says, And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.  The Levites were to have no inheritance among the people of Israel, because God was their inheritance.  As Christians, we really have no inheritance in this world, because we belong to God, and He will one day call us home to heaven, leaving everything in this world behind.  Verse twenty-one adds, And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.  The Levites were given all the tenth, or tithe, from the people of Israel to use to sustain them.  Though they had no inheritance, the Levites were well provided for.  Some today are called into full time ministry, and those who have jobs in the world should provide forcthem under God's leadership.  They are not to become rich, neither should they struggle to survive.  Verse twenty-two continues, Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.  The Levites had no inheritance, but had the honor of serving in the tabernacle, and the rest of the tribes had an inheritance, but could not serve in the tabernacle.  Neither group should have had any reason to be envious of the other.  When we are obedient to God's calling, we should never be envious of one another.  Verse twenty-three states,  But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.  The Levites were given the privilege of serving in the tabernacle, but they would have no inheritance in this world.  They were the priests forever.  We as followers of Christ are a priesthood of believers, and we should not put our faith in the things of this world.  They are not our inheritance, but Heaven is.  Verse twenty-four adds, But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.  God said that since He was providing for the Levites by their sharing in the offerings and tithes, that they needed no inheritance.  If we truly believe that God is providing for us today, we need no inheritance in this world.  

 

Numbers 18:8

Numbers 18:8 says, And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.  God put Aaron in charge of His heave offerings of all the hallowed things of Israel.  God as always provided for those who are called to full time service in doing His work, and as Christians we should make certain that we do our part in making sure this happens.   Verse nine says adds, This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.  The most holy sacrifices of the meat and sin offerings were reserved for Aaron and his sons, the ones actually doing the duties of the priest.  Verse ten continues, In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.  They alone were free to eat them, and they were to do it in the most holy place, since it was holy unto them.  God expects us to use what He blesses us with wisely and in accordance with His will if we are followers of Christ.  Verse eleven states, And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.  The heave and wave offerings were also given to Aaron and could be eaten by all his family.  God not only makes provision for His ministers, but for their families also.  Of course, He does work through His people to do this.  Verse twelve adds, All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.  God also gave Aaron and his sons the best of the oil, first fruits, wine and wheat offered to Him.  The offerings served to show that the people of Israel were faithful to God, but also to provide for His priests.  We need to bring our tithes and offerings to God, and then we must use them to carry out His work.  Verse thirteen continues, And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.  This continued to make provision for all of the families of Aaron and his sons.  Verse fourteen says, Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.  All the offerings brought by the people were to be Aaron and his sons to use in accordance with God's word.  They were bpnot getting rich, but were having their needs met in accordance with God's will.  Those called into God's ministry today should not get rich, but they should have their needs amply met by those that they minister to.  Even those churches that may not be able to have a full time minister should do everything they can to help meet his needs so that he can devote as much time as possible to fulfilling his calling.  Verse fifteen adds, Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.  The firstborn of men and beast could be redeemed by the people, and the money used to redeem them would be Aaron and his sons to use.  God not only was providing for their food needs, but was giving them money to purchase other things that they might need.  God did not need what they brought, but He used it to meet the needs of those doing His work full time.  Verse sixteen continues, And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.  Again, this was  provision that would allow Aaron and his sons to provide adequately for the needs of their families.  Verse seventeen states, But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.  Some things could not be redeemed, but were to be offered on the altar to God.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we cannot redeem ourselves from serving Him as He calls us to do, but can only be redeemed by Him. Verse eighteen adds, And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. Verse nineteen continues, All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.  God had given all these things to Aaron and his sons and daughters as a covenant forever.  God would provide for them, just as He provides for His people today.

Numbers 18:1

Numbers 18:1 says, And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.  God told Moses that Aaron and his sons and the Levites would bear the responsibility if the tabernacle was profaned.  Aaron may have been receiving what seemed to be a great honor, but He also bore a great responsibility.  We may receive great honor from God by being followers of Christ, but we also have a great responsibility to keep our life sanctified for Him and to keep His word holy.  Verse two adds, And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.  Though the Levites were to join Aaron and his sons in the priesthood, only Aaron and his sons were to minister before the tabernacle.  As Christians, we are all a part of the priesthood of believers, but we don't all have the same calling to serve the same way.  Verse three continues, And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.  The Levites were to keep the charge of Aaron and the tabernacle, but they were not to come near the vessels of the tabernacle, or they would die.  We should never attempt to claim a role in the church that God has not called us to.  Verse four continues, And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.  Though the Levites were to help Aaron and his sons by serving in the tabernacle, they were to keep strangers from attempting to.  Again, we as followers of Christ have a responsibility to keep those who are not from attempting to take over the church.  Verse five states, And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.  Aaron and his sons were responsible for keeping the charge of the sanctuary and the altar so that there would be no wrath from God on the people of Israel.  Though Aaron might have been called to a position that might have been seen as a great honor, it was even more a position of great responsibility.   As followers of Christ, we have been called to a position of great honor as we have been forgiven of our sins and have become a part of the family of God, but this also brings with it great responsibility to keep the kingdom of God holy.  We cannot allow the things of this world to become acceptable in the church if they are 8n opposition to what the Bible teaches us.  Verse six adds, And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.  God told Aaron that He had given the Levites to Aaron to help in the service of the tabernacle.  We need to allow God to call people to their position of service today.  We cannot simply decide what we want to do in the church without knowing that is what God wants us to do.  Verse seven continues, Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.  God told Aaron that He had given the service as priests as a gift to his sons and him.  Whatever God calls us to do today as followers of Christ is a gift from Him, and we must do it humbly and faithfully.   We are not called to any position in the church because we are better than other Christians, but are called simply because God chose that position for us.

Numbers 17:8

Numbers 17:8 says, And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.  After God instructed Moses to have all the heads of the tribes of Isreal carve their name on a rod and put it in the tabernacle, the rod of Aaron, representing the tribe of Levi, was budded out, bloomed with buds, and yielded almonds.  This could only be the work of God.  I believe that God will always let us know when He is at work, even if we are murmuring against Him.  Verse nine adds, And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.  Moses brought out all the rods in the presence of the LORD and each man took his rod.  Since their names were carved on them, there could be no doubt whose was whose.  We should always know what is ours before God and not try to claim what belongs to someone else, because God certainly knows.  Verse ten declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.  God instructed Moses to bring Aaron's rod before the tabernacle of the testimony as a token against the rebels, so that they would quit murmuring and not die. Jesus stands as a testimony to us today as His followers, and for that reason we should never murmur against God.  Verse eleven adds, And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.  Moses did as God commanded Him to do, and so must we as followers of Christ today.  Just as God showed the people then that He had indeed selected Moses and Aaron to be His representatives with the people, I believe that He will let us know who He has chosen to lead His congregations today, so we should not murmur against them or God.  Verse twelve states, And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.  Yet, the people still continued tto complain, saying they would all perish.  Verse thirteen adds, Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?  They asked if anyone who came near the tabernacle of the LORD would die, were they all doomed to die.  God had never said this.  He said if anyone other than the ones He chose tried to take over the service in the tabernacle that they would die.  We cannot change God's plans to suit our own desires or feed our own ego.  Matthew Henry said that this could represent either the people still murmuring against God or their finally accepting His leadership, but to me it seems more like they were still murmuring and claiming God was too strict.  We may sometimes have the thought that God expects too much from us and start to complain, but this should never happen if we are truly living by faith.

Numbers 17:1

Numbers 17:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.  God told Moses to have the prince of every tribe of Israel to take a rod and write the name of the prince on it.  This included all twelve tribes, and still had to do with whom God had chosen to be His spokesman.  Since they were questioning God, He involved them in the process of answering the question.  I believe that God gives every person enough personal knowledge to come to Him, and also that He gives each Christian enough knowledge to know what they should be doing in His kingdom.  There should be no reason for murmuring amongst the followers of Christ.  Verse three continues, And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.  Moses was to write Aaron’s name on the rod of the tribe of Levi.  This was the one exception, and it placed both Moses and Aaron in the process.  They and the Levites were the ones God had had set apart to serve Him as His representatives to the people.  We need to make certain that we follow those that God has put in position as preachers and teachers today without jealousy or murmuring as long as they are faithful to Him.  Verse four states, And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.  God instructed Moses to then lay the rods in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony where God met with Moses.  If we are going to get answers to spiritual questions today, we need to come before God for those answers.  Verse five adds, And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.  God said that He would make the rod of the of the man He had chosen to serve as His representative to blossom.  God then said this should eliminate the murmuring against Him.  I believe that God still lets His people know what they should be doing in the work of His kingdom today, and therefore there should be no murmuring against other Christians and especially not against God Himself.  Though we may not have as drastic example to show us, the Holy Spirit will let us know what God has called us to do.  Verse six declares, And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.  Moses spoke to the people of Israel and told them what God had instructed him to do, which was to take the twelve rods, one from each tribe, which also had the rod of Aaron among them.  Since they had chosen and marked the rod for their tribe they were very much involved in the process.   I believe that God still gives us clear answers to what we should be doing in His kingdom today, yet we still too often murmur about other Christians and even about God Himself.   Verse seven concludes, And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.  Moses then laid the rods before God in the tabernacle of witness.  Moses did as God instructed him to do, then whatever happened was in God's hands.  We need to simply put ourselves before God in obedience to His word and then leave everything in His hands. 

Numbers 16:43

Numbers 16:43 says, And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.  Moses  and Aaron once more came before the tabernacle of the congregation, which represented where thay worshipped God.  Even if others are murmuring against us, we still need to gather together where God is to be found.  Verse forty-four adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Though the people might have been questioning Moses's right to lead them, God wasn't, and that was what mattered with Moses then and what matters us today as followers of Christ. What other people say, even other Christians, should not keep us from doing what God has called us to do, and it certainly won't stop God from talking to us.  Verse forty-five continues, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.  God told Moses to move away from the congregation so that He might immediately destroy them, and Moses and Aaron fell on their faces.  If we as Christians continually murmur against God and those He has placed in authority over us, I wonder if He sometimes feels the same way about us.  Verse forty-six states, Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.  Moses once again interceded for the people of Israel, even though they were rebelling against him.  He told Aaron to take a censer from the altar, fill it with incense, and move quickly into the congregation, because the plague had begun.  This would put Aaron in danger of dying himself if God wasn't with him.  We should be willing to place ourselves in danger if need be in order to share the gospel with the lost people of the world today.  Verse forty-seven adds, And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.  Aaron did as Moses told him to do, and ran into the congregation with the incense to make atonement for them, even though the plague had already begun.  We cannot reach everyone with the gospel today, because the plague of sin has already begun, and some will never listen to the gospel.  Still, no matter if they treat us badly, we must be willing to make intercession for them.  Verse forty-eight continues, And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.  Aaron stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.  Jesus Christ stands between those who are spiritually dead and those who are spiritually alive today. Verse forty-nine says, Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand, and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.  Fourteen thousand, seven hundred had already died before Aaron interceded for them, in addition to those that died with Korah when the earth swallowed them.  Many people are going to die in sin today no matter what we do, but we have a commitment from God to be sharing the gospel with them and I believe that we also need to be praying for them making intercession for them before God.  Verse fifty adds, And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.  Aaron then returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle and the plague was stayed.  We may never know what our intetercessory prayers do to give others an opportunity to be saved, but we should never stop offering them, even it it requires us to put feet to our prayers and even put ourselves in a dangerous situation. 

Numbers 16:35

Numbers 16:35 says, And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.  Those who were offering incense under the leadership of those who had rebelled against Moses, these false priests, were consumed by fire from the LORD.  We don't have such drastic signs today that someone is a false priest, but must rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal to us if they are or not.  Verse thirty-six adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse thirty-seven continues, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.  Moses was instructed by God to have Eleazar, the son of Aaron the true priest of God, to collect the censers these false priests had used to bring their incense and scatter the fire in them outside the camp, for they were sacred.  The censers themselves were hallowed, since God had instructed them to bring them.  Even though the priest may be false, they cannot make the things that are truly God's to be as well.  Verse thirty-eight states, The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.  The censers were no longer to be used the same way in the tabernacle, but were to be beaten into broad plates that would serve as a sign to the people of Israel about what would happen to those who attempted to claim to be something that God had not called them to be.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:  These censers were made into a broad plate to cover the altar.  Verse forty continues, To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.  This was to be a memorial to the people of Israel that no one who was not a descendent of Aaron should attempt to offer incense before the LORD, as Korah and his company had done.  Though we may be not see the drastic results when someone falsely attempts to claim to be called by God as a preacher today, the everlasting result will be the same.  Verse forty-one says, But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.  The next day, the people of Israel were once again murmuring against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of having killed some of the children of Israel.  They were attributing what God had done to Moses and Aaron.  We need to be careful as followers of Christ that we do not attribute God's righteous judgment of those who would falsely claim to be His spokesmen today to some other church leader.  It should have been very obvious to these people, who had seem the power of God manifested many times, when something was His work.  Verse forty-two adds, And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.  While the people who were gathered against Moses were looking toward the tabernacle,  it was covered by a cloud and the glory of the LORD appeared.  God will always stand with those that He calls against all who defy them.  

Numbers 16:23

Numbers 16:23 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-four adds, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.  God told Moses to tell the congregation to move away from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.  We also need to move away from false places of worship today.  Verse twenty-five states, And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.  Moses went to Dathan and Abiram and the elders of Israel followed him there.  Verse twenty-six adds, And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.  Moses warned the congregation to move away from Dathan and Abiram and to touch nothing that was theirs, lest they be destroyed with them.  It was still up to each individual to decide what they would do.  We can warn people of the dangers of following false teachers today, but it is up to them whether or not they choose to do so.  Verse twenty-seven continues, So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.  The people listened to Moses and left, and then Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their families came out of their tents.  They had attempted a take over, and now they found themselves isolated from God's people.   Those who attempt to change God's word and lead God's people away from Him will ultimately stand alone before God to face His judgment.  Verse twenty-eight says, And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.  Moses told them that they were now going to know that God had sent him, and that what he had done had been done by God's hand, or power, and not his own.  As followers of Christ, we also need to make sure that whatever we do is done by the power of God.  We cannot just follow our own desires under our own strength and successfully follow God.  Verse twenty-nine adds, If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.  Moses said that if Korah, Dathan and Abiram died normal deaths, God had not sent Moses.  Of course, people today can die normal deaths, even if they are leading people away from God, and this does not mean that they are teaching the truth.  Verse thirty continues, But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.  Moses said that if God made a new thing and the earth swallowed Korah, Dathan and Abiram up, then they would know that they had provoked God.  This was something that had never happened before, so if it happened after Moses proposed it, it would be proof that God was speaking through him.  We really don't have any sign like this to prove that people are leading others away from God, so we need to make sure that we know God's word and are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse thirty-one states, And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:  As soon as Moses stopped talking, the earth began to open up.  It was too late for those who had not listened to Moses to do so now.  Verse thirty-two adds, And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.  The earth opened up and swallowed these three, their houses and goods, and all those who had continued to stand with them against Moses.  Verse thirty-three continues, They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.  Korah, Dathan, Abiram and all those who followed them fell into thee pit that had opened up and then the pit closed up again.  We cannot look for the same thing to happen today, but those who corrupt God's word and lead others away from Him will one day be swallowed up by the pits of hell.  Verse thirty-four declares, And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.  All those who had been close by fled the area, saying that they needed to lest they be swallowed up as well.  We need to move away from those who teach false things about God today, so that we do not begin to believe them instead of God and get caught up in their everlasting punishment.  Of course, I believe that if we have truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we never will be pulled away by false teachers. 

Numbers 16:12

Numbers 16:12 says, And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:  Moses called for Dathan and Abiram, who were rebelling against him, to come to him, and they refused.  Moses was God's appointed leader and they would not obey him.  Too often today Christians refuse to listen to preachers, God's called leaders of congregations, because they don't tell them what they want to hear, and they sometimes rebel against them.  Verse thirteen adds, Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?  Dathen and Abiram asked Moses why he had brought them out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill them in the wilderness, unless it was to simply put himself in a position of power over them.  Moses didn't do this, but God did, and if Egypt was a land flowing with milk and honey, they were still slaves there.  We cannot look back to life before we became a follower of Christ and feel that we have given up too much.  Verse fourteen continues, Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.  They then said Moses had not given them a land flowing with milk and honey and asked if he would blind them because they could see this.  It was the lack if faith on the part of the majority of the people that was keeping them out of the Promised Land, and not Moses.  If we are following God simply for material rewards and refuse to obey Him in doing what He calls us to do, we are being spiritually blind by our own actions.  Verse fifteen states, And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.  Moses was upset and asked God to not respect their offering, and said he had taken nothing from them to benefit himself.  As followers of Christ today, we cannot follow Him simply for material benefit.  Verse sixteen adds, And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:  Moses summoned Korah and all his company along with Aaron to come before the LORD the next day.  This is always the best way to settle disputes in the church.  We need to bring everyone and everything involved in the dispute before the Lord, and let Him settle the dispute.  There is no reason to be fighting amongst ourselves.  Verse seventeen continues, And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.  They were all to bring the same offering to God, including Aaron.  Sometimes, we use church disputes to justify not bringing our tithes and offerings to God, but this is not Biblical.  Verse eighteen says, And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.  They at least did as Moses asked and brought their offering before the tabernacle.  They then stood there with Moses and Aaron.  Verse nineteen adds, And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.  Korah was still gathering the people to follow him and not Moses, and as they gathered at the door of the tabernacle, the glory of God appeared to all the congregation.  When we gather together as the church today, God's glory should shine on and through us.  Verse twenty declares, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  God did not speak to Korah,  who was allied with Dathan and Abiram, but to Moses.  Verse twenty-one adds, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.  God told Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the others so that He could consume them in a minute.  We cannot rebel against God and His chosen leaders and not expect consequences for our actions, because if we are truly following Christ by faith, we will not be rebelling against His chosen leaders because we don't like what is happening in our lives materially.  Verse twenty-two continues, And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?  The people, who had been ready to follow Korah suddenly fell on their faces before God and asked if all the people would have to suffer for sins of one man.  People are often willing to follow someone who goes against God's leadership until this starts to bring consequences, and then they want to blame their sin on the action of others.  We are all responsible for our own sins and cannot expect to he relieved of that responsibility by attempting to blame someone else for them.

Numbers 16:1

Numbers 16:1 says, Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:  Verse two adds, And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:  Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On rose up against Moses with two hundred and fifty princes who were famous in the congregation of Israel.  No matter how well known a person is in the church today, nor how many people join them, they should never do anything that is against God's will.  Verse three continues, And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?  They went to Moses and Aaron and told them that they were no better than the rest of the people of Israel and asked them why they lifted themselves up above the rest.  They were basically asking who put Moses and Aaron in charge, and the answer was that God did.  No Christian is more powerful than any other Christian, but we have different roles in the church, so we should never go against those that God has placed in a position of leadership, as long as they are faithful to God.  Moses and Aaron were where God called them to be.  Verse four states,  And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:  Moses did not stand up and say I am in charge, so get used to it, but fell on his face instead.  We do not need to fight with other Christians who may question what we are doing in the church but simply need to humble ourselves before God.  Verse five adds, And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. Moses told Korsth that tomorrow God would show him who was holy and who could come near Him.  We need to simply let God show us who He has called into particular areas of service.  Verse six says, This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;  Verse seven adds, And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.  Moses told them to take their censers and put incense in them and bring them before the LORD and that the LORD would show them who He had chosen to lead the people.  We should never be jealous of those who are serving God in a capacity that we feel makes them somehow better than us.  Verse eight states, And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:  Moses asked Korah and the sons of Levi to listen to him.  They had already been set aside to serve God.  Verse nine adds, Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?  Moses then asked Korah if he thought it was a small thing that God had set the Levites apart from the rest of the nation to do service in the tabernacle.  If we are doing what God has called us to do, we must never view it as a small or unworthy calling.  Verse ten continues, And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?  Moses said God had brought the Levites near Him, and did they want to be a part of the priesthood as well.  Of course, as followers of Christ today, we are already a part of the priesthood of believers, and we should never aspire to be something that God has not called us to be.  Verse eleven concludes, For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him.  Moses then asked Korah and those gathered with him against the LORD what Aaron had done to cause them to murmur against him.  If we murmur against those that God has put in a position of leadership in the church today, we need to ask under the leadership of the Holy Spirit what they have done to cause us to do so.

Numbers 15:32

Numbers 15:32 says, And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.  While in the wilderness, the people of Israel found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, which would have been considered unnecessary work.  Matthew Henry says this was done presumptuously as an affront to both the law and the Lawmaker.  Verse thirty-three adds, And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.  Those who found the man gathering sticks brought him to Moses and the congregation.  We are told as followers of Christ if we find someone who professes to be a fellow believer openly sinning that we are to bring them before the congregation to give them an opportunity to repent.  Verse thirty-four continues, And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.  They put him in the midst of the congregation because they weren't sure about what was to be done to him.  Matthew Henry says it is unclear whether they didn't know whether or not what the man did was a clear violation of the law of the Sabbath or whether or not they were unclear of his punishment.  We need to know what God's law says, and we also need to acknowledge that the penalty of breaking His law, which is what sin is, is death.  Verse thirty-five states, And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.  Verse thirty-six adds, And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.  God told Moses that the man should certainly be put to death, and the congregation stoned him to death.  All sin brings a death penalty, but deliberate, willful sin in the congregation of believers in Christ I believe is especially offensive to God, especially when it carried out for all to see.  Verse thirty-seven says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse thirty-eight adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:  God then told Moses to instruct the people of Israel to put fringes on their garments and put a blue ribbon on the fringes.  This was done to remind them that they were a peculiar people who belonged to God and also so that they would be easily identified by the rest of the world, who would know if they were disobeying God.  They were to do this throughout all the coming generations.  We don't have any particular garment that identifies us as Christians, but our words and actions should.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:  God said this fringe was to be a reminder to the people that they were to remember God's law and not go chasing after the things of this world instead.   We have an even greater reminder, and that is the Holy Spirit living in us.  Verse forty concludes, That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.  This fringe on their garment was to also remind them that they were holy, or set apart, from the rest of the world, and because of that they were to keep God's law.  As Christians, we are holy, set apart from the world, and even though we cannot be saved by God's law, it still applies.   Verse forty-one declares, I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.  God said they were to do these things because He was the LORD their God, Who had delivered them out of Egypt.  We must acknowledge God as the lord of our life today as followers of Christ because He has delivered us from the bondage of sin and set us free from its penalty forever.

Numbers 15:22

Numbers 15:22 says, And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,  There was then a warning to people who had not observed the commandments of the LORD.  Verse twenty-three adds, Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;  This warning applied to the commands of God made through Moses and applied to all generations of the people of Israel to come.  Verse twenty-four continues, Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.  There was a specification about what must be sacrificed if the law was transgressed in ignorance without knowledge of the congregation.  Fortunately for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, all our sins are forgiven, even those that we may accidentally commit.  Verse twenty-five states, And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:  Even sins committed in ignorance could not just be overlooked, because all sin brings the penalty of death with it.  The priest was to make atonement for the congregation after they brought their offerings and sin sacrices.  Jesus Christ is our sin sacrifice, and He is the only One Who can make atonement for them.  Verse twenty-six adds, And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.  All the people of Israel and any stranger living there would then be forgiven for sins committed in ignorance.  We may not know all of God's law and may commit a sin without realizing it, but as already stated, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, all of our sins are forgiven.   Verse twenty-seven says, And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.  Bringing the wrong animal for a sacrificial offering through ignorance would be forgiven once the priest made atonement for the sin.  This was different than knowing what was required and not doing it.  Verse twenty-nine states, Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.  The same law, the only one, was to apply to all who sinned through ignorance, both the children of Israel and the stranger living with them.  Verse thirty adds, But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Those who deliberately sinned, whether a person of the children of Israel or a stranger, were to be cut off from among the people of Israel.   Deliberate sin will always be worse than accidentally sin.  Verse thirty-one continues, Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.  Those who despised the word of the LORD and deliberately sinned would be cut off from the people of Israel.  Those who despise the word of God today and reject the Living Word, Jesus Christ, will be forever cut off from God's kingdom. 

Numbers 15:13

Numbers 15:13 says, All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. All those born in the nation of Israel were to follow the rules for the sacrificial system.  Though Jesus Christ became the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins, those who are reborn into the kingdom of God through putting their faith in Him are still expected to follow God's laws today.  Verse fourteen adds, And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.  God said those who lived in or visited the land of Israel once they were established there who wanted to offer a sacrifice to Him could do so.  God never intended for those physically born into the nation of Israel to be the only ones who could be a part of His kingdom.  Salvation is still not limited to those born in a certain place or into a certain family.  Verse fifteen continues, One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.  God said there would be no difference in His laws between those born into the nation of Israel and those who came to live there from other nations, and there still isn't.  Verse sixteen concludes, One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.. God repeated the fact that there was but one Law for all who would follow Him.  The only way to salvation is through putting ones faith in Jesus Christ as ones personal Savior and Lord, and it doesn't matter where a person is born.  Then, those who accept Him are all under the authority of God's law.  Verse seventeen states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse eighteen adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,  God then told Moses that He had instructions for the people of Israel once they came into the Promised Land.   We as Christians are looking forward to Hewven, our Promised Land, yet when we get there, we will certainly be under the authority of God, so why do we often not like to be today?  Verse nineteen continues, Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD. God told Moses to tell the people of Israel and all the strangers who chose to live with them there in the Promised Land when they ate bread that God had provided for them by giving them the land were to offer up an offering to Him.  As followers of Christ, God has promised us that He will always provide for our needs as long as we follow Christ faithfully, and we should offer up ourself as a sacrifice to God daily.  Verse twenty says, Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.  Verse twenty-one adds, Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.  The heave offering that they were to offer was to come from the first of their dough, and not the last or leftovers.  W need to give to God first out of what He blesses us with, no matter how little we may feel that to be.  Obeying  God must always be our first priority as followers of Christ. 

Numbers 15:1

Numbers 15:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,  God instructed Moses to talk to the people of Israel about what they were to do when they came to live in the land that God had given them.  Even though their entrance was to be delayed and a generation would not be allowed in, God was still keeping His promise to give them this land flowing with milk and honey.  If we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will one day reach our heavenly home, no matter how many generations pass before that happens.  Verse three continues, And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:  God gave Moses instructions for how sacrifices for vows and burnt offerings were to be presented.  When we bring sacrifices and offerings to God today, I believe it should still be under His direction.  Verse four states, Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil.  Verse five adds, And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.  Meat offerings, to provide for God's table, were to be brought with their other sacrifices and offerings, and God instructed them on what to bring with specific offerings.  Verse six continues, Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil. Verse seven concludes. And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.  This concerned the meat offering for a ram or lamb.  They were also to bring drink offerings, which were a sweet savor unto the LORD.  I believe that it was their obedience in doing these things that pleased God, and not the actual sacrifices and offerings themselves.  Whatever we faithfully give to God will please Him, not because He needs it, but because it shows our faithfulness to Him.  Verse eight says, And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD:  Verse nine adds, Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.  Verse ten continues, And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.  These were the instructions for the meat and drink offerings to accompany the sacrifice of a bull.  Verse eleven states, Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.  Though not all sacrifices were the same, whether they were individual or congregational sacrifices and offerings, they were to be presented in accordance with God's instructions.  As already stated,whatever we give to God today should be in accordance with His will.  Verse twelve adds, According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.  No matter how many people were involved in offering the sscrice, it was to be presented according to God's instructions. 

Numbersx 14:36

Numbers 14:36 says, And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,  The ten spies who gave a negative report against the land, causing the people to murmur against God are singled out once more.  They had first been singled out to go and serve God by checking out the land, a very honorable thing.  Verse thirty-seven adds, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.  These men did not enter the Promised Land nor wander in the wilderness, but died of the plague before the LORD.  The rest of the people were guilty of murmuring against God, but these ten were  responsible for leading them to do so.  It is terrible to not put ones faith in God, but it is even worse to lead others not to.  Verse thirty-eight continues, But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.  Joshua and Caleb were the faithful spies, putting their faith in God, so they lived.  If we want to have everlasting life, we must put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we certainly should never be guilty of leading others away from Him.  Verse thirty-nine states, And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.  When Moses told the people what God said, they mourned greatly.   Their murmuring turned to mourning, because they were being punished for their lack of faith in God.  When God's judgment comes, all those who have failed to put their faith in Him and murmured against Him instead will find themselves mourning forever.  Verse forty adds, And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.  The people of Israel then got up early in the morning and went up into the mountain and declared that they would go into the Promised Land, but it wasn't up to them.  They still were not really putting their faith in God, but were simply trying to avoid the punishment of their sin.  Some people today would put their faith in Jesus Christ to avoid the everlasting punishment of sin if they didn't also have to follow Him by faith.  We cannot accept Jesus Christ as our Savior if we are unwilling to allow Him to be the Lord of our life.  Verse forty-one says, And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.  Moses asked how they thought transgressing the commandment of the LORD would help them.  Moses then told them that this would not profit them.  We must respond to Jesus when He calls us and cannot simply decide that we will come to Him on our own terms and in our own time.  Verse forty-two adds, Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.  Moses told them to not go into the Promised Land, because God wasn't with them.  We cannot get into Heaven, God's Promised Land to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ, by our own power or plan.  Faith in Jesus Christ as ones Savior and Lord is the only way to Heaven.  Verse forty-three continues, For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.  Moses said since the people were now attempting to go by their own power instead of by the power of God that they would fail.  Even as followers of Christ, if we attempt to overcome this sinful world on our own and not under the power of the Holy Spirit, we will fail.  There should never be a time when we as Christians look at the world and feel that it is more than we can overcome by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse forty-four states, But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.  The people still presumed that they could dictate to God and went up the hill, but the ark of the covenant did not move.  We cannot force God to go where we want to go, but must instead go where He leads us.  Verse forty-five adds, Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.  Without God empowering them, the people who were going ahead in defiance of God's word were killed by the Amalekites and Canaanites.  Without God's power in our life, especially if we are going against His word, we are going to fail ultimately. 

Numbers 14:20

Numbers 14:20 says, And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:  God told Mosses that He had pardoned the people of Israel as Moses had asked Him to do.  Though we should pray for God to forgive others today, I don't believe our prayers alone will bring them forgiveness.  They must confess their sins and accept Jesus Christ a their Savior and Lord in order to be saved, and if they then stray from God's path, they must come to Him in repentance to be restored to a right relationship with God. Verse twenty-one adds, But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.  God said because of His forgiving the people of Israel instead of destroying them that the whole world should be filled with His glory, just as it should be because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of those who put their faith in Him.  Verse twenty-two continues, Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;  Verse twenty-three concludes, Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:   God then said that those who had continually tempted Him would not see the Promised Land.  Jesus Christ died to save everyone, but those who refuse to put their faith in Him will never see heaven, and those who choose to provoke God instead certainly never will.  Verse twenty-four declares, But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.  God said Caleb, who had a different spirit, one of faithfulness, would go into the Promised Land.  Caleb put his faith in God, just as we must put our faith in Jesus Christ, and he was rewarded by gaining access into the Holy Land, though it wasn't immediate, just as our going into heaven is not immediate when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-five states, (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.  God then told Moses to turn away from the Promised Land, which they stood on the border of, and head back into the wilderness.  Since the people didn't have faith in God to give them victory over their enemies, they never would get to enter the Promised Land, just as we will never get to heaven if we do not put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-six adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  Verse twenty-seven continues,  How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.  God spoke to Moses and Aaron and asked how long should He bear with this evil congregation who murmured against Him.  God may continue to ask us as Christians that question today concerning the return of Jesus Christ in judgment of the world.  Verse twenty-eight says, Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:  God told Moses and Aaron to tell the people there that as they had said when murmuring against Him that He would allow to happen.  By not being faithful to God they had lost their rights to enter the Promised Land, and if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we give up the right to enter heaven, God's everlasting Promised Land.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,  God said that all of those twenty years old and older would die in the wilderness.  They had said they would have been better off to have died there than to go by faith into the Promised Land where they said they would be killed by those who lived there, and God was going to grant their wish.  Just as God would not let unfaithful people enter the Promised Land then, He will not all those who refuse to put their faith in Jesus Christ, no matter how big the problems of this world seem,  to enter heaven.  Verse thirty states, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.  God said only Caleb and Joshua, the faithful spies, of those over twenty would be allowed to enter the Promised Land one day.  Verse thirty-one adds, But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.  God then told the people that the little ones, which would be those under twenty that the people had sai,d would be killed if they went into the Promised Land, would one day go in victorious.  As long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord,  we will one day go victorously into heaven.  Verse thirty-two continues, But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.  All those who had murmured against God would die in the wilderness.  Verse thirty-three says, And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.  God said the children of those who murmured against Him would wander in the wilderness with them for forty years till all those over twenty died.  We as followers of Christ will wander in the wilderness of this sinful world today until Jesus Christ returns or we are called home to glory when we die.  Verse thirty-four adds, After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.  It had taken them forty days to search the Promised Land after being delivered from Egypt and getting to the edge of the it, and God said that they would wander one year for each day that they had the spies had  led them to murmur in doubt.  Verse thirty-five continues, I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.  God said that as He had spoken, so it would occur.  We today need to realize and claim this truth as Christians.  Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will die in the wilderness of sin.

Number 14;11

Numbers 14:11 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?  God asked Moses how long He should have patience with the people of Israel, since they didn't believe in Him even though He had shown them His power through signs that they had seen.  We need to pray that God doesn't lose patience with us today as Christians.  Verse twelve adds, I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.  God said He would smite the people of Israel with pestilence and disinherit them, and then make a of Moses a greater nation than they were.  If we are followers of Christ in name only and not by an unshakable faith in Him, God will one day disinherit us.  Verse thirteen states, And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)  Moses told God that if He were to smite the people of Israel, the Egyptians would hear about it.  Since God had delivered them out of Egypt, if He then killed them, the Egyptians would be able to say that following God brought no benefit, and that the people of Israel would have indeed been better off in Egypt.  Today, we occasionally hear someone ask how we benefit from following Christ, as they see things only in material and earthly value.  Verse fourteen adds, And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.  Moses said that other people, including the Egyptians, had seen His power at work in the people of Israel.  Hopefully, the people of the world today will see His work through us, and we will never question His work in our life.  Verse fifteen declares, Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,  Verse sixteen adds, Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. Moses said that if God killed the people that He delivered out of Egypt that the world would say that He was unable to bring them to the Promised Land.  Even though they were ready to stone him, Moses was still willing to intercede with God on their behalf.  We should have that same attitude today, and intercede for others before God, no matter how they may treat us.  Verse seventeen states, And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,  Moses asked God to show His great mercy on the people of Israel, even though they were guilty of sinning against Him.  This is how we are saved today, because of God's great mercy to us in sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place.  Verse eighteen adds, The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.  Again,  Moses said even though the people of Israel were guilty of sinning against God and sin brought punishment, he asked God to show them mercy.  It is only by the mercy of God that we can have salvation, the forgiveness of our sins today.  Verse nineteen continues, Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.  Moses asked God to once again forgive His people out of His great mercy.  This is the only reason we can be forgiven today.  Forgiveness is not earned by our actions, but is only possible because of the great mercy of God.

Numbers 14:1

Numbers 14:1 says, And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.  The whole congregation lifted up their voice and cried out, and they literally cried all night after the report of ten of the spies.  Verse two adds, And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!  The reason for their crying out and weeping was because they believed the spies more than they believed God, even as they were on the edge of the Promised Land.  They murmured against Moses and Aaron and questioned God.  As followers of Christ, we are always on the edge of the Promised Land, Heaven, but we still often murmur and question God's power to get us there.  Verse three continues, And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?  They continued to question why God had led them there, even though He had already told them why.  They also said it would be better to return to Egypt than to die by the sword claiming the Promised Land.  If confronted with death because of our belief in Christ, would we be tempted to turn back to the world because we believe it would be safer?  Verse four concludes, And they said over one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.  The people of Israel, in spite of all God had done for them and having seen the power of God decided to select their own captain and return to Egypt.  Even if the overwhelming majority of those who claim to be God's people decide to follow the ways of the world instead of following God, we must remain faithful to God and His word.  Verse five states, Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.  Moses and Aaron fell on there faces before the congregation.  They didn't go to war with them.  Verse six adds, And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:  Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, tore their clothes at the action of the people.  These four humbled themselves before the congregation, and more importantly before God.  I don't believe it does any good to go to war with those who profess to be Christians but follow after the world instead of God.  We are simply to humble ourselves before God in prayer for them.  Verse seven continues, And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  Joshua and Caleb told the whole congregation that the land that they passed through was an exceedingly good land.  We as followers of Christ have been promised an exceedingly good home, Heaven, if we truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight declares, If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.  Joshua and Caleb said if the LORD was with them, He would take them into the promised land, which was a land flowing with milk and honey as He had promised.  We need to claim the promises of God today without wavering, and He will give us success over this evil world.  Verse nine adds, Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.  They then told the congregation that since God was with them that the victory was assured.  As long as we are following God's direction in life as Christians, our everlasting victory is assured.  Verse ten states, But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.  The people were ready to stone them, then the glory of God appeared in the tabernacle.  The congregation was not just fighting against Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, but against God.  God was now reminding them of this.  If we are tempted to turn away from God and chase after the things of this world, we need to simply look once again to the power of God.

Numbers 13:26

Numbers 13:26 says, And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.  The spies returned and showed Moses and all the congregation of the people of Israel the fruit of the land as they gave their report.   This was undeniable proof that what God had promised them was true.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.  They then even told Moses that the land that they were sent to spy on, God's Promised Land for them, was flowing with milk and honey.  As we go through life as followers of Christ, we should see His promises to provide for us fulfilled.  Verse twenty-eight continues, Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.  Then, the spies said nevertheless.  This usually doesn't indicate that something good is going to be said.  The spies then started to tell of the strength of the cities and the people, including seeing giants, the sons of Anak, there.  As Christians, we too often focus on the size of our problems instead of the size of our God.  Verse twenty-nine concludes, The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. They then told of the various groups of people living in the land and where they were located.  The land was almost entirely populated.  In effect, they were saying that the land was all that God promised it to be, but that they would be unable to claim it.  How often do we fail to claim the promises of God because we see all the problems standing between Him and us?  Verse thirty declares, And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. Even as the other spies were talking about the impossibility of claiming the land, Caleb said they should go up at once and possess it.  No matter if the majority of the world tells us the impossibility of claiming something that God has promised us, starting with salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we need to be like Caleb and go ahead and claim it.  This is true of anything God promises us.  Verse thirty-one states, But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.  The other spies, except for Joshua as we know, said that they were unable to possess the land, because they focused on those who stood between them instead of God Who had promised them the land.  We need to always keep our focus on God and not on the problems of the world, even if they seem impossible to overcome.  Verse thirty-two adds, And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.  The other spies brought an evil report, telling of the impossibility of the people of Israel taking the land.  They forgot about God, His promises, and what He had already done for them.  If we focus on the size of the problems before us instead of the size of God Who is with us, we may be the same way.  We must live by faith as followers of Christ, and never allow the problems of the world to overpower our faith in God.  Verse  thirty-three continues. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.  The other spies said they were like grasshoppers before the people in the land, especially the giants there who were descendants of Anak.  Once more, thay had forgotten God's promise to give them the land.  I believe we too often miss out on the promises of God when we live sight and not faith.

Numbers 13:17

Numbers 13:17 says, And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:  Moses sent the spies into Canaan, the Promised Land, and instructed them on the way to go.  They were to go in the closest way and to check out all the land.  Verse eighteen adds, And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;  In addition to checking out the land, they were to check out the number and strength of the people.  We should always check out the power of the opposition to God's people today so that we will know what we are up against.  Still, this is not our Promised Land, but Heaven is, so we can never hope to be totally victorious.  Verse nineteen continues, And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;  Moses also told them that they were to check out the strength of the cities, whether they were living in tents or fortified cities.  Verse twenty concludes, And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.  The spies were also to check out whether the land was full of trees and fruit or not, though God had told them it was a land flowing with milk and honey.  We don't have to wonder about Heaven, because it will be all that God promises it will be.  As Moses told the spies then, we just need to be of good courage here in this old sinful world until we are called home to heaven. Verse twenty-one states, So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.  The spies went into the land and began to search.  Verse twenty-two adds, And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)  They went into several cities, one of which was older than some of the cities of Egypt.  Verse twenty-three says, And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. When they got to Eshcol, they cut down a brach with one cluster of grapes that took two men to carry, and also got some figs and pomegranates.  The land was indeed rich in food as God had promised it would be.  God always fulfills His promises, and when we get there Heaven will be all that God has promised it will be.  Verse twenty-four adds, The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. They called the place where they got the grapes Eschol, which meant Valley of the Cluster according to Matthew Henry.  Verse twenty-five continues, And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.  They searched the land for forty days then returned to Moses.  As Matthew Henry points out, they hadn't been sent because Moses doubted the richness of the land, but to show the rest people the richness.  We cannot show people the richness of Heaven, nor can we send spies to verify it richness, so all we can do is tell people what God has promised.  Many may refuse to believe it without proof, but all we can do is point them to Jesus Christ, and if they accept Him as their Savior and Lord, then they will know the truth of His promises.