Numbers 20:1

Numbers 20:1 says, Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.  After years of wandering in the wilderness instead of being in the Promised Land, Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses, died.  Matthew Henry points out that she was a prophetess and had done much good for Israel, but that didn't get her into the Promised Land.  Our actions will likewise never get us into heaven.  Verse two states, And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.  The people of Isreal found themselves without water, and instead of praying to God by faith, they complained against Moses and Aaron.   If we find ourselves in need today as followers of Christ, we need to pray to God about it instead of complaining about anyone we may feel is responsible.  Verse three adds, And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!  Once again, the people told Moses that they would be better off dead than relying on God to provide for them.  We need to learn to rejoice in the Lord no matter what instead of murmuring and complaining when life seems to be too hard if we truly are living by faith.  Verse four continues,  And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?  The people of Israel put the responsibility for their being in the wilderness on Moses and not on their own lack of faith.  Yet, they still did not put their faith in God.  We may try to blame others for our not being willing to live by faith, but the responsibility is all ours even if we do so.  Verse five concludes, And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.  They then once again blamed Moses for their being in such a desolate place after Moses brought them out of Egypt.  It wasn't Moses who brought them out, but God Who had, and they weren't in the land God had promised them because of their own disobedience.  Ultimately, even if we try to blame others, we are responsible for our own sins. Verse six declares, And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.  Moses and Aaron moved away from those assembled there and went to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and fell on their faces before God.  Sometimes, we may need to just get away from those who are complaing about God and fall on our face before Him.  When they did, the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Verse seven adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Verse eight continues, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.  God told Moses take his rod and to gather the people together before a rock, then speak to the rock and it would bring forth enough water for the people and their flocks.  The God Who can produce that much water from a rock can certainly meet all our needs today, if we put our faith in Him.  Verse nine concludes, And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.  Moses took his rod and did as God commanded Him to do, just as we must do whatever God commands us to do today as Christians if we are to successfully reach the lost people of the world with the gospel.  If we are always complaining and murmuring against God, they may see no reason to follow Him.

Numbers 19:17

Numbers 19:17 says, And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:  The ashes of the red heifer were to be used in the purification of someone who had touched a dead body, by running waterthrough the ashes.   Matthew Henry says the ashes represents the merit of Christ and the water represents the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.  Verse eighteen adds, And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:  A clean person was to take hyssop, dip it into the water and sprinkle it over everything that had come in contact with a dead person, bone, or grave.  We are made clean today by the blood of Christ, the only One Who is spiritually clean and can wash us clean with His shed blood.  Verse nineteen continues, And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.  The clean person was to sprinkle the unclean on the third day, and then again on the seventh day, and on the seventh day he was to purify himself and his clothes as well.  The cleansing would not start until three days after the last contact with the dead, just as our cleansing by Christ will not start until we turn away from our sins and to Him.  Matthew Henry says the cleansing on the seventh day is a reminder that we need to renew our commitment to Christ as we move through our everyday life.  We are forever saved when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but we can still be guilty of sinning after we are, so we cannot just ignore sin because we are already forgiven.  Verse twenty states, But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.  The person who would not be cleansed by the water of the ashes would remain unclean and separated from the rest of the people of Israel, God's chosen people.  If we refuse to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus, which is ample to cleanse all who put their faith in Him, we will be forever cut off from the kingdom of God and His people.  Verse twenty-one adds, And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.  The person performing the cleansing would be unclean until the evening, just as we will not be completely cleansed of sin until the return of Christ, even though we are still to witness to others about Him.  Verse twenty-two continues, And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.  Anyone the unclean person touched would be unclean until the evening.  Sin corrupts everyone it touches, even those who are followers of Christ, and we must be purified from it by the blood of Christ.  If we come in contact with sin, we must acknowledge our need for cleansing from its effects, even though all our sins are already forgiven. 

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.