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.
Know better; do better…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 5:1 “If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about….”
The Israelites were in Egypt for hundreds of years, living as slaves, but soaking up Egyptian culture nonetheless. When Moses went up on Mt Sinai for 40 days and nights, the Israelites were afraid he would not return. They pleaded with Aaron to make them a golden calf to go before them (Exodus 32). These were a struggling people, trying to get their feet under them, trying to figure out who they were outside of Egypt.
Leviticus 5:2 “If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty….”
I think that’s what all the rules, all the laws, all the specifications are about in Exodus and Leviticus—giving the Israelites specifics so that they can know better who they are and therefore do better as a people of faith. As Maya Angelou once said, “…when you know better, do better.”
Leviticus 5:17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that we are Yours. Help us to know better what it means to be Your beloved so that we can do better in that role. Help us to shine Your light for all to see. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 5:18 …”In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven.”
Have a blessed day.
Infinite, steadfast, and true…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 32:4a He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool….
Today’s reading and Aaron’s anointing as a priest of God reminds me of a saying I’ve seen on social media: “If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this: You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.” (~ Lisa Bevere) Aaron, who made a golden idol at the Israelites request back in chapter 32, is consecrated as a priest in chapter 40, along with his sons, continuing throughout their generations.
Exodus 40:13 “Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest.”
God loves us. He has a plan for us. He wants us to have a hand in His kingdom work. But even if we do everything wrong, He will not forsake us. He can redeem us. He can still use us in a powerful way. We can’t ruin His plans. We can’t outrun His love. We can’t make Him turn His back on us. But He will never ever force Himself on us. He waits for us to realize our need for Him and invite Him in, but He will never decline our invitation. Thank You, Jesus.
Exodus 40:14 “Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that Your love is infinite, steadfast, and true. Thank You that our stubborn, pig-headed actions, our bone-headed mistakes, our gross overconfidence in ourselves cannot ruin Your love for us. Thank You for pursuing us relentlessly and for loving us fiercely. Thank You for allowing us to choose you. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 40:15 “Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.”
Have a blessed day.
The little things…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 38:1 He made the alter of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.
Exodus 38 and 39 is a continuation of Exodus 37–the people are building and creating all that the LORD had commanded Moses, according to His exact specifications. Exodus 39:26 even talks about the decorations on the hem of the robe. This says to me that God absolutely cares about the details of our lives.
Exodus 39:5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue, and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Again, as in Exodus 36, I find this incredibly comforting instead of overwhelming. God cares about the details. He cares about the little things like bells and pomegranates around the hem of a robe. He cares about where I go, what I do, what I say, the choices I make. They matter. I matter. The details are important.
Exodus 39:26 …a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are a part of every aspect of my life, even the seemingly insignificant details. Thank You for that level of loving care. Help me, especially during those times where I feel insignificant myself, to remember that You care deeply about the details. The little things matter a great deal to You. I matter a great deal to You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 39:32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.
Have a blessed day.
The beautiful fierceness of His love…. (devo reflection)
Eph 3:16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….
One of the reflections I read in the mornings led me back to Eph 3 this morning, and I was struck with the beauty that is the prayer in Eph 3:16-21.
Eph 3:17a …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
May Christ strengthen you with the power of His Spirit through your inner being. May you, rooted and established in love, have the ability to grasp the magnitude and the depth and the beautiful fierceness of His love for you—no matter what.
Eph 3:17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Your all-encompassing, over-flowing, never-ending love for us. May we understand that nothing we can ever do will sever Your love for us, that You provided a way back to You through Your Son, that You will welcome us with open arms. Be our compass, our shield, our refuge. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Eph 3:18 …may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ….
Have a blessed day. I love you.
A matter of perspective…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 37:1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood.
I find it incredibly interesting that I read all the specifics today with a sense of comfort instead of the overwhelm I felt when God was giving the instructions and dimensions to Moses. Bezalel knew exactly how to build everything because God had been incredibly specific about how He wanted it.
Exodus 37:10 He also made the table of acacia wood.
Perhaps it has to do with my own personal comfort level. If you give me specifics about how you want something done, I can amaze you in the doing. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I’ve wrapped up first semester and that stress is no longer wearing on me. Regardless, it is a much needed reminder that my feelings are fickle and I should not trust them.
Exodus 37:11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are outside of my fickle feelings, that You care deeply about the details of my life, that Your care is a comfort and not a restriction. Thank You for pursuing me with Your steadfast love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 37:25 He made the alter of incense of acacia wood.
Have a blessed day. I love you.
The spirit of giving…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 36:3a And they received from Moses all the contributions that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary.
This past Christmas season, my church did something called “Live simply so that others may simply live.” We had the opportunity to “adopt” residents at a local memory care facility, donate sleeping bags and air mattresses for homeless youth in our area, and buy farm animals to send to those in foreign countries. So many ways to help others.
Exodus 36:3b They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning.
One of the neatest things to come from it, besides the overwhelming involvement and outpouring from our church community, was the stories of folks who talked to others about the opportunities. Many folks ended up bringing in donations that coworkers had given or talked about how others took the idea back to their own churches. It was definitely a season of giving.
Exodus 36:5 …”The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the freewill offerings that come pouring out when we align ourselves with Your will. Thank You for allowing us to live simply so that others may simply live. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 36:7 …for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
Have a blessed day. I love you.
Giving willingly…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 35:21 …and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD….
God knows the difference between a cheerful giver and a grudging one. He understands our thoughts and motivations. Even if we fool the world with our actions, God understands our motives. And He wants us to give willingly, whether we are giving of our time, our resources, or our talents.
Exodus 35:22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds….
Sadly, this is an area where I struggle mightily at times, mostly in the giving of my time. I am an extreme introvert. People often exhaust me, and I find renewal in solitude, so when an obligation—even the name bespeaks grudgingness—necessitates my time, I can often be quite grumpy about it. Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 35:26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun goat hair.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You have work for me to do, and that You call for me to give of my time, talents, and resources cheerfully. Help me to be a cheerful giver, LORD. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 35:29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.
Have a blessed day.
Grace in thy sight…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 34:9a “Lord…if I have found favor in Your eyes, then let the Lord go with us….”
Even before reading the commentary, I had identified Exodus 34:9 as one of the verses I wanted to use for today’s reflection. The commentary made it even more meaningful. KJV translates this verse as “…if now I have found grace in thy sight,…let my Lord…go among us…and pardon our iniquity and our sin….”
Exodus 34:9b “…Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
Moses knew the Israelites were a stiff-necked people. He was so angry at their disobedience while he was talking with God that he smashed the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. He could have asked God to exact justice, retribution, for their disobedience, but he asks for undeserved grace, for divine mercy instead. Thank You, Jesus.
Exodus 34:10a Then the LORD said, “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in the world….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your lavish grace and undeserved mercy instead of the judgement we deserve. Thank You for going with us, for pursuing us, even though we are a stiff-necked people. Help us to show ourselves and each other the same grace and mercy that You lavish so freely upon us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 34:10b “…The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.”
Have a blessed day.