Head-dibs

I hope you didn't look at your calendar but if you did, you would notice that today is Rosh Hashana. This holiday is one Israel’s calendar, one festival of three celebrated in the seventh month. Students of scripture would call this the “Feast of Trumpets.” Many today would call this “New Years” so if you need to “start over,” this is a great time to do it. Why wait for January 1? The Torah instructs (the book of Numbers, chapter 29) that this is a day of worship, sacrifice and suspension of labor. Such a time of refreshment intends that one literally stop whatever is keeping one busy and worship. Lay down the tools, get your fingers off the keyboard, gather with others who love the Lord and worship. Each time we worship, we do a spiritual “check”, make certain we keep clean before the Lord by confession and repentance. Are you clean before the Lord? How committed are you to the things of God? He gave us the best gift of Himself as the perfect sacrifice. Why not take this time...

A tightwad went shopping to find an inexpensive gift for a friend. In one shop, he spotted a vase which had been broken. He bought the broken vase (next to nothing in price) and asked the store to send it to his friend, who would assume the vase had been broken in transit. A few days later, a note arrived from the friend. "Many thanks for the vase," the note read, "and it was so thoughtful of you to wrap each piece separately!" Numbers 32:23 "you may be sure that your sin will find you out."

“ While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel .” (Numbers 25:1-3) Satan through the world has two ways to attack the godly: up front and with great stealth. Moab had tried already to come against Israel with arms, even with a professional cursor, but he enemy of Israel failed both fights. But they had another weapon that, in effect, exploded in the lap of Israel. While Moab could not stand against Israel in the open, they attacked in worship. Worship, of all places! Who ever thought of that tactic? Whoda thunk warfare could occur in worship . . . I’ve been hung up on this one set of verses all day because of the quiet way God is teaching me through His Holy Spirit. I just can’t get over the fact that the people have the presence of God in thei...

God sees everything. Proof of this is found in Numbers 7, where it is recorded the leaders of Israel all gave their offerings, one person representing each tribe. The detail is astounding—each offering is identical—and God noticed and inspired that each offering be recorded in each detail. Another wonderful sequence of events is in the following chapters. The Levites are brought before the people and are consecrated before the LORD then Israel celebrates the first Passover since the Exodus, not to forget an explanation of how the cloud directed the movements of the Israelites. While this is on my mind: we are getting ready to move again. Seems like we move a lot. But not as much as these people! Notice the text says that when the glory of the LORD went up, they moved! Sometimes they would be in one place for a few days, a couple of weeks, months or years! That last statement ought to make one think . . . does the writer know something everyone else does not, or is he writing in retrosp...