The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Numbers 14-16
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 3: The Sinai Covenant and law: God embraces and instructs his people
Background Information: Numbers 14-16
Israel shrinks back in faithless fear as the spies return from the land. When they learn of the judgement that will befall them, they push forward in faithless folly. As a result of their faithless fear, the living adults will not enter the promised land. As a result of their faithless folly many will die in battle. Chapter 14 ends with devastating defeat, but chapter 15 reaffirms the promise of a future in the promised land. Several times we read, “The Lord said to Moses/Say to the people/when you enter the land.” Israel has broken faith with the covenant over and over, but God will keep his promise. So chapter 15 gives further rules for when they enter the promised land, an event that has now been put off for 40 years. Why the harsh penalty for a man breaking the Sabbath? The Sabbath was an ongoing covenant sign. We have already seen the devastating impact of breaking the covenant: lots of people die. They cannot overlook this “small” breach of the covenant when so much is at stake. Jesus said that if we are faithful in little we can be trusted with much, and if we are unfaithful in little we cannot be trusted with much. Next, we see the large scale breaking of faith as Korah leads a group to rebel against Moses’ God-ordained leadership. The result is that many die. When will they learn not to trifle with the Holy God? It seems that they won’t. The very next day the people complain against Moses (and God), and many are killed as a result. This is how the Old Testament will unfold. God will continue to be faithful, and the people of God will continue to be faithless. This long, terrible story will take us all the way to the coming of Jesus, the faithful new Moses who will stand in the gap for sinful people like you and me.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Adeline. Ask God to guide her as to how each day and week should be spent as she serves for a short term in Central Asia. Pray for the relationships she is building and pray for more opportunities to speak about Christ.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.