Numbers 14:12 “I will strike them down with plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
If I were Moses’s mother, I would be very proud of his spiritual growth. He’s come a long way from asking God to “Please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). God has offered Moses the opportunity to be a founding father of Israel, on par with Abraham and Isaac. He is willing to wipe out all the Israelites and start over with Moses.
Numbers 14:13 Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By Your power You brought these people from among them.”
But Moses doesn’t even appear to consider the offer. His heart is so focused on shining God’s light and caring for God’s people, that he launches immediately into the reasons why God should show mercy (because it will diminish His glory—the Egyptians will assume He isn’t powerful enough—and because showing mercy to the Israelites will show His grace and love). There seems to be no thought at all about what Moses might gain from the situation, showing a true servant’s heart.
Numbers 14:15-16 “If You put all these people to death…the nations who heard this report…will say, “The LORD was not able…, so He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this glimpse into the heart of one of Your servants. Help us to always focus on shining Your light and nurturing Your people, with no thought to our own egos or personal gain. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 14:19 “In accordance with Your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as You have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
Have a blessed day.
The biggest difference…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 14:2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!”
As I was reading Numbers 14 this morning, thinking once again how much I am like the Israelites at times, my sweet Savior whispered to my heart, “You are not the Israelites.” That got my attention, and I thought, “Cool. Now I know what I’ll write about today.” But trying to articulate my thoughts has been incredibly difficult.
Numbers 14:3 “Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?…Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
The Israelites wanted an easy road. Who wouldn’t? But I know we live in a fallen world, and that it isn’t always going to be easy. The Israelites railed against God. But I’ve gone to God before, expressing my anger at life’s unfairness. The biggest difference I can see between us is that the Israelites would have gone back to Egypt, to slavery, if given the chance, and I would NEVER walk away from my Savior. Thank You, Jesus.
Numbers 14:9 “Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that I am NOT like the Israelites in a very crucial way. Thank You that I can be honest with You about my anger and frustration, but that my trust in You is greater than anything else. Thank You for my absolute trust in You and in Your promises such as Hebrews 13:5 (…”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”) and Romans 8:28 (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose). Thank You for drawing me closer. Always. Amen.
Numbers 14:12 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”
Have a blessed day.
God’s presence and promise…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 13:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites….”
Once again I find myself in a precarious position when it comes to judging the Israelites. God promised to give Canaan to the Israelites, and yet, they allow themselves to doubt. It would be so easy for me to think them foolish. God PROMISED them the land. Why would they waste even a second doubting Him?
Numbers 13:27-28 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! … But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large….”
But then I think of my own behavior. God has promised never to leave me, never to forsake me. He has assured me He is making a way, even if I cannot yet perceive it, but how many times have I doubted? How often have I allowed fear to take the lead?
Numbers 13:30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are able to overcome it.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your steadfast presence and the promise that You are making a way in my wilderness, that You are working, You are in control, even if I can’t perceive it. Forgive me when, like the Israelites, I doubt and fear, even though You have assured me of Your sovereignty. Help me to trust and obey and not doubt. Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”
Have a blessed day.
Echoes…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses….
I clearly see a parallel in Numbers 12 between Moses and Jesus. I was surprised when commentary didn’t mention the similarities. First, like Jesus, Moses does not spring to his own defense when he is falsely accused. He knows who he is and trusts God to know his heart. Jesus’s response, found in all four gospels, to Pilate’s question about whether He is king of the Jews is simply, “You say that I am….” Moses simply doesn’t answer his accusers at all.
Numbers 12:7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.
The first words Moses speaks are in Numbers 12:13, where he prays for the healing of Miriam’s leprosy, a condition brought on her as punishment for her false accusation, reminding me of Jesus, as He was dying, praying for the soldiers casting lots for His clothes. “Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Numbers 12:13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the echo of Jesus’s example that I see in Moses’s behavior. Thank You for the reminder to trust that You know who I am, even when I am maligned by others. Thank You for the love and hope that comes from praying for others, even those who persecute me (Matt 5:44). Help me to shine Your light, spread Your peace, love, and hope through my actions and reactions. Help me never to lose sight of the fact that You know my heart and You will fight for me (Exodus 14:14). Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 12:15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
Have a blessed day.
To be recognized in the eyes of man…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron begin to talk against Moses….
As I read Numbers 12, I can’t help but think back to Exodus 4:13, when Moses very kindly says to God, “Pardon Your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” By Numbers 12, Moses, with his humble, servant’s heart, has become someone God can and is using in a powerful way. And that makes Miriam and Aaron jealous.
Numbers 12:3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.
Oh, Sweet Jesus, suddenly You are convicting my heart as well. Miriam and Aaron are tired of Moses getting all the credit. After all, God talks to them, too. But it isn’t God they are seeking to impress. It’s man. “Look at us. We’re God’s people, too. He talks to us, too.” They want to be recognized in the eyes of man. They aren’t content with letting God use them in a more subtle way. Jesus, Help me.
Numbers 12:8 “With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that trying to claim recognition in the eyes of the world is pride. What truly matters is my relationship with You, my ability to get out of Your way and allow You to use me, to work through me. Help me always to remember that it doesn’t matter AT ALL if the world sees me. YOU see me. You know my heart. Help me to be humble so You can use me more effectively in Your service. Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 12:9 The anger of the LORD burned against them, and He left them.
Have a blessed day.
A study in contrasts…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 11:20 “…you have rejected the LORD, who is among you….”
A few last observations before we move on from Numbers 11. The LORD was with the Israelites, brought them out of Egypt, gave them commandments so they knew what He expected, forgave them their idolatry, organized and educated them in His ways and provided them with daily manna for their physical needs, and still they completely ignored the fact that God was WITH them, AMONG them, and they rejected Him.
Numbers 11:23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
Moses approached God with doubt, fear, and frustration. He was trying to lead the Israelites in his own strength, and he was exhausted. He was trying to fathom how the LORD would provide meat for the masses for a month, and his imagination failed him utterly, but His God was steadfast and true. He listened and obeyed what the LORD told him to do, and the LORD helped him.
Numbers 11:24 So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this study in contrasts between the Israelites and Moses, the way they acted and reacted, the way You responded. Help us never to forget that You are among us, steadfast and true, and that You don’t expect us to do Your work in our own strength. You know we can’t. Thank You that You have solutions that we can’t even conceive of. Draw us closer. Help us to trust You always. Amen.
Numbers 11:31 Now a wind went up from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea….
Have a blessed day.
The burden is too heavy for me…. (Devo reflection)
Numbers 11:11a He asked the LORD, “Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant?…”
I have felt God’s call to be a teacher since I was 15 years old. Mostly, I love my job, but it can be incredibly difficult and frustrating at times. However, more than once, like Moses, I have begged God for a way out, feeling wholly inadequate to the tasks before me, feeling utterly drained by my role. But my precious Savior, every time, has drawn me closer to Him instead of providing me a way out. He has strengthened my relationship with Him, taught me how to lean into His strength for the tasks He has called me to. Thank You, Jesus.
Numbers 11:11b “…What have I done to displease You that You put the burden of all these people on me?”
Even analyzing God’s reaction to the Israelites and to Moses is telling. The Israelites are whining. They have food. They just don’t want what they have and don’t want to take initiative to get anything else. So God gives them what they whine for, to their detriment. Moses feels a great responsibility, one he feels wholly inadequate for. He is overwhelmed and frustrated. Maybe he doesn’t SAY the right things, but God definitely understands his heart and helps him.
Numbers 11:14 “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are with us, You hear us, You understand the cry of our hearts. Thank You for being big enough to handle our anger and frustration, for strengthening us when we are at the end of ourselves. Thank You for designing us to need Your strength to accomplish the tasks You call us to. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
Numbers 11:15 “If this is how You are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”
Have a blessed day.
Unrest with the status quo…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 11:4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!”
One of our vocabulary words this week was status quo. We talked about how it doesn’t inherently have a negative connotation, but it could be a bad thing. Numbers 11 provides the perfect example, and I find it interesting that the unrest with the status quo began with the rabble but quickly spread to the Israelites.
Numbers 11:5-6 “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
The discontent spread rapidly and morphed to the point it romanticized the time of their captivity. The bounteous food they ate “at no cost” was bought at the cost of their freedom. This discontent in daily manna seems like boredom. They took their eyes off God and put faith in their bellies and their memories, and it did not end well.
Numbers 11:18-20 …”The LORD heard you when you wailed….You will eat it…until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder not to take our eyes off of You and get lost in memories or worldly desires. Forgive me for the times when I, too, have been ungrateful because what I had wasn’t what I wanted right that moment. Help me to never lose sight of Your blessings and provision in my life, no matter my present circumstances. Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 11:33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people and He struck them with a severe plague.
Have a blessed day.
All we ever need…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 10:13 They set out, this first time, at the LORD’s command through Moses.
What strikes me in this chapter is the beautiful sense of order. This is a people who know who they are, who know Whose they are. They are prepared. They know their job. They know Whose voice to follow. They are ready.
Numbers 10:14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard….
But once again, commentary gives me pause. “One would be tempted to think that after such extensive preparation…the actual entering into the Promised Land would be easy. This was not the case.” How many times have I been guilty of asking “After all I’ve been through, Lord, it’s going to get easier, right?” But God doesn’t promise us easy. He promises His presence, His peace, His hope.
Numbers 10:18 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim went next, under their standard….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that while You don’t promise us easy, You promise us Yourself. That is all we ever need, Lord. Help us never forget that You are with us, and You are all we need. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 10:25 Finally, as the rear guard for all units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard….
Have a blessed day.
Jesus, Take the wheel…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 9:17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; whenever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.
I often joke that God needs to send me flashing neon directions so that there is no doubt in my mind of His will for me. But I wondered as I read this passage if God’s presence ever felt like a burden to the Israelites. Sometimes the cloud would settle for a while. Sometimes it would lift in less than a day. Did the Israelites ever mutter under their breath, “Would You just make up Your mind already?!?”
Numbers 9:18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at His command they encamped….
And this pondering forces me to look at the conditions of my own heart. It’s no secret that I love Jesus or that I have a death-grip on the steering wheel of my life. I want Him to give me direction and guidance, but I want to stay in control. Jesus, Help me.
Numbers 9:19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are in control of my life and that I need to yield to You. I know You created me as I am for a purpose, but I also know that I often get in Your way when I refuse to yield control. Help me. Guide me. Lead me. Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 9:23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD‘s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with His command through Moses.
Have a blessed day.