Bible in 90 Days - Day 10 (Leviticus 26:27-Numbers 8:14)

Gracious God,

we do not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from your mouth.

Make us hungry for this your Word,

that it may nourish us today

in the ways of eternal life.

Through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen.

 

When I started reading Numbers, I thought I was off a few days. I noticed for the first time this year that Leviticus begins with God speaking to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, and Numbers begins the same way. I noticed it because it reminded me of the way that God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai to give the Law, and now he is doing it again, but from his seat in the camp. Here we have two books in a row that begin with God speaking from within the camp, and that is a significant statement about his presence!

In chapter 5 there is a section called “Restitution for Wrongs.” I find it interesting that if there is no person to receive the restitution, it belongs to God. This is a good reminder that any sin against another person is also a sin against God. The way we treat image-bearers is taken personally by the one whose image they bear (check out Matthew 25:31-46 and 1 John 4:20).

5:11-31 is another foreign sounding section. As I read this again now I think of Moses receiving this word in a world where women had no rights. In the context of a situation where a man could potentially bring a charge against a woman on a whim without witnesses, God steps in and says that he himself will be the woman’s defense attorney.

A final thought- We’ve been talking about God’s presence as a key theme, and in Hebrew the word for presence is “face.” Here we have the classic Levitical blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 that I say almost every week. The blessing is that God would take his face – his special presence – and that he himself would turn it in your direction for your good. Wow. (2 Chronicles 30:27 is an example of God hearing and responding to this blessing.)