It was not enough to be a true-born Israelite, a man must be able to show his descent. The genealogical tables were kept with the greatest care; and there was a holy pride in being able to vindicate the claim of having the blood of the patriarchs in the veins.

It is a blessed thing to be sure that we have passed from death unto life, and are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. True, our eternal destiny does not hinge on it. Many will doubtless be saved at last, who have spent their lives between hope and fear. But it is very needful for our comfort and growth in grace to be able to declare our pedigree, and to know that we have been translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son.

The Gospel of John was written that we might believe; the Epistle that we might know. But many seek this knowledge in the wrong way, and are exposed to endless questionings. They try to discover the date, place, or experience in the past, when they were incorporated into the Divine family; and because they cannot point to these, they imagine that they are still outside. Now for every one that has had a definite experience of the new birth, there are perhaps a score who entered the Divine family almost as a sailor passes the line of the Equator. Yet it is possible for you to know that you are born again, though you may not be able to tell your birthday.

If you are trusting Jesus, if the Spirit witnesses with your spirit that God is your Father, if you are full of a holy fear of grieving Him, if you are becoming like Him, if you love the brethren — you may certainly declare yourself his child.

Numbers 2:2-34
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Children of Israel shall pitch every man by his own standard. (r.v.)

Our God is a God of order; and it was needful for the order of the camp, whether at rest or on the march, that each man should know his place, and keep to it. But though there were different standards and positions, there was one center, the ark, and one host of redeemed men.

Each believer has an appointed place in the great army of God. It is indicated by the voice of God, and by the circumstances of our life; and it should be jealously retained. Repeatedly the Apostle bade his converts abide in the calling wherein they were called. Yours may be towards the bleak north of difficulty, or the warm south of privilege — in the home, the country parish, or the difficult foreign post. But, on the whole, you should stay where you are; unless the Captain of our salvation moves you by some unmistakable indication of his will. The apostle Paul ever lived in such dependence on the Holy Spirit for guidance, and for the unfolding of the Divine purpose, that from some apparently trivial circumstance he would “gather” the movements of the pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night. And interval there was none between his apprehension of the Divine purpose and his endeavor to strike his tent and follow wherever it might lead (Acts 16:6–7).

The main point with us all is to face the ark, to which the doors of all the tents looked, so that we may ever catch the first symptom of the movement of the cloud. On the whole, we do best to pitch and fight under our own standards. There is a closer bond of brotherhood possible between those who think alike. But whilst we are positive in what we affirm for ourselves, let us not deny that other standards represent necessary aspects of the common faith.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 2:31

Numbers 3:45
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Take the Levites instead.

Each firstborn son was God’s. On the day of the Exodus, as the firstborn of Egypt were stricken, so the firstborn of Israel were hallowed. God claimed the right of their service in his Temple, to serve there as priests and attendants. But instead of them, He accepted the whole tribe of Levi; and for the overplus of firstborn sons above the number of Levites, He accepted redemption money, which went to maintain Aaron and his family. Thus, each firstborn son was represented, either by a substitute, or by a money payment.

An Appeal to Parents. — Would it not be a blessed custom if, in all our churches, the firstborn child was, in a special sense, regarded as God’s, and trained for some branch of his holy service in the home and foreign field? What a blessing would rest on our homes if this were the custom! It would lead to very definite prayer, that the young soul might be truly converted and led to realize the parents’ ideal.

An Appeal to firstborn Children. — Either go yourself into the service of God, at home or abroad, or send a substitute. Consider yourself under obligation to do some special work for Christ and his Church. And if you cannot, earn money to support your representative. This is laying up treasure in heaven.

An Appeal to Families. — Why should not each Christian family become a missionary society, sending one of its members forth in the name of the rest, who should bind themselves solemnly to “hold the ropes;” and thus obey the Master’s parting commission, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”?

Numbers 4:19
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Every one to his service and to his burden.

Is this what the Apostle referred to when he said that every man should bear his own burden? There are burdens which we cannot share or depute, to bear which we need special grace, and must continually seek the aid of the Divine Spirit.

The burden of our own existence. — Each of us must give an account of himself to God. We were created for a specific purpose; and our failure to fulfil it cannot be settled on another. God will require each man’s soul of himself. “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (see note Romans 14:12). You have a charge to keep, a soul to save, and a God to glorify.

The burden of our life-work. — What makest thou in the world? The Maker of all waits for thee to enter his great workshop and become his apprentice and co-worker. To be an idler, or an absentee, will land thee in inevitable disgrace. The appointed place cannot be left vacant, and thy tools untouched, save at thy grave peril.

The burden of the souls of others. — We are our brothers’ keepers, liable at any moment to be called upon to give an account of how they fare; and we cannot rid ourselves of this responsibility by annual donations or subscriptions to charitable or missionary institutions.

The burden of daily intercession. — Jesus bears the burdens of his people as He intercedes for them in heaven; and there is a sense in which we are called to bear up his hands in this holy service. We must consider the work of daily prayer for his Church, for sufferers, and for the world, as part of the burden of the Lord, allotted to us because we are members of his body.

Numbers 5:3
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Without the camp,... in the midst whereof I dwell.

What a sublime conception! — God dwelt with his people. The Tabernacle was his tent amongst theirs; the cloudy pillar was his ensign. To attack them was to come into collision with Him. All the expense and anxiety of the march rested on his shoulders, as the care of a family of young children on a father. How needful it was that nothing should be permitted which could grieve or offend Him!

What the camp of Israel was in those long-ago days, the Church is now. It is the host of the redeemed, the representative of God, the pilgrimage of the saints. Amongst his people God still walks, and dwells, and tabernacles. Their griefs, conflicts, and experiences, are shared by their ever-present Almighty Friend.

The presence of God in the Church is by the Holy Spirit. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). He is with her and in her as the Body of which the risen Lord is Head. When the one Advocate went up, the other came down; when the Second Person in the Holy Trinity ascended to his throne, the Third Person came down to perpetuate his work in the world, through the Church. “He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

How careful should we be in the ordering of our church-life, as well as of our individual lives, so that there may be nothing to offend Him! “What will the Holy Spirit think of this?” should be always our first inquiry. We must walk in the paracletism of the Holy Ghost, if we would be edified and multiplied, as were the churches throughout Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria (Acts 9:31).

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 6:4

Numbers 6:12
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The former days shall be void. (r.v.)

How solemn is the suggestion of these words! If the separation of the Nazarite were broken in upon by his sudden contact with death, he might start afresh; but all the days that preceded that untoward event would go for nothing — they would not be counted.

How many days in our life have been made void! Days in which we have learned no new lesson of God; have had no access into his presence; have done no kind and helpful act; have spoken no loving, tender word. It is all-important that even our days of rest from active engagements should be days of learning deeper lessons, of vision, and of reception from the fulness of God.

Each day comes to us fresh from God, like soft metal, waiting to be stamped with our inscription; or like a piece of yielding clay, to be molded in to some shape of beauty or use. Each morning the slate is brought for us to write on; the canvas on which we may paint. But too often we miss our opportunity, and a blurred, marred, confused result is all we have to show.

If you would avoid this, let God plan each day; follow the guidance of his Spirit; do all you touch with your might and for his glory; put away all known sin, and be separate from evil; in everything learn to submit to his dealings, and to commit yourself to his faithful keeping. Then each day will have something to keep in charge, and resemble a chalice filled to its brim with holy service. We must ever remember that “every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 6:24

Numbers 7:89
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Moses ... heard the voice speaking unto him,... and He spake unto him.

The meaning of this verse seems to be that when Moses went into the Holy Place to speak with God he became conscious of the Divine voice, that opened out to him the thoughts and purposes of God in such a way that he was caught up on the current and borne back to God.

This is the true conception of prayer. We often go to God with our thoughts and desires, and having uttered them we go our way. We do not wait long enough to see the cherubim and the light of the Shechinah, or hear the Divine voice. Thus our prayers fail of their answer. We do not ask what is according to the will and mind of our Heavenly Father; and the heavens seem like brass. We have not because we ask not, or because we ask amiss. We must ask in faith, nothing wavering.

The true conception of prayer is that it originates in the purpose of God, and passes from the Father to the Son, who is also the Head and Representative of his people. From Jesus it is brought into our hearts by the blessed Spirit, who unites the Head with each member of the mystical body; and from the saints it returns to the source from which it came.

If, then, we would pray aright, we should wait before God until the Holy Spirit suggests what we should pray for, and indeed begins to plead within us for the saints. Silence, solitude, waiting before God; the return to God of his own thoughts; the being burdened with the weighty matters that lie heavily on the heart of Jesus — such is the noblest kind of prayer. It is those who wait upon the Lord that renew their strength, that mount up with wings as eagles; that run and are not weary, that walk and are not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

Numbers 8:11, 13, 15, 21
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Aaron offered them for a wave offering. (r.v.)

This is interesting and instructive. The Levites were substituted for the firstborn of Israel. They were first separated from the rest of the people, cleansed, sprinkled, shaven, and finally presented to the Lord by the act of Aaron, who, according to the Hebrew word, waved them before the Lord. This waving must, of course, have been done in symbol and figure. But it was not enough that they were thus waved, they had thereafter to go in to do their service. In other words, they were called to realize actually that which was their position and standing in the sight of God.

There is a precise analogy in all this to the work which the Lord Jesus has accomplished for us all. He said, “I consecrate Myself, that they also may be consecrated.” When He offered Himself without spot to God, to do his Father’s will, though it cost Him the agony of Calvary, the heavenly Aaron waved us before God to be his. We were separated by his most precious death, that we should be wholly for God. But what is ours in the great deed of Christ, must become ours by our own choice and deed. We must go in to do the service for which we have been chosen and set apart by the Holy Ghost.

This can only be through the grace of the blessed Spirit. Ask Him to realize in you the purposes of God: trust Him to keep you trusting: each morning say, “Holy Spirit, I rely on Thee to keep me in the current of the Divine purpose.” Then dare to go forth to do the day’s duties, believing that you may be always engaged in God’s holy service; that in everything, whether you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.

Our Daily Bread Numbers 9:15-23 To Work Or to Wait?

Numbers 9:19
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

When the cloud tarried.

This was the supreme test of obedience. It was comparatively easy to strike the tents, when the fleecy folds of the cloud were slowly gathered from off the Tabernacle, and it floated majestically before the host. Change is always delightful; and there was excitement and interest in the route, the scenery, the locality of the next halting-place. But, ah, the tarrying! Sometimes the cloud tarried for two days, or a month, or a year; then, however uninviting and sultry the location, however trying to flesh and blood, however irksome to the impatient disposition, however perilously exposed to danger — there was no option but to remain encamped. The Psalmist says, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” And what He has done for the Old Testament saints He will do for believers throughout all ages.

Still, God often keeps us waiting. Face to face with threatening foes, in the midst of alarms, encircled by perils, beneath the impending rock. May we not go? Is it not time to strike our tent? Have we not suffered to the point of utter collapse? May we not exchange the glare and heat for green pastures and still waters? There is no answer. The cloud tarries, and we must remain, though sure of manna, rock-water, shelter, and defence. God never keeps us at a post without assuring us of his presence, and sending us daily supplies.

Wait, domestic servant, before you give notice! Young man, do not be in a hurry to make a change! Minister remain at your post! Until the cloud clearly moves, you must tarry (Numbers 9:8). Wait, then, thy Lord’s good pleasure! He will be in plenty of time!

Numbers 10:32
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

What good so ever the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee. (r.v.)

Hobab was a Gentile by race, but he was invited to fellowship with Israel in all the blessings of their covenant. Moses reckoned that Israel was called to a stewardship of the manifold blessings of their lot. Whatever good was entrusted to them, they were called upon to distribute and pass on. As the Lord did them good, they would do Hobab good; making him, Gentile though he were, a fellow-heir, a fellow-member of the body, and a fellow-partaker of the promises of God (see note Ephesians 3:6).

We get by giving. — If the river-bed were to hoard up its waters, they would become stagnant and noisome. It is only in parting with them that it receives constant supplies from the crystal fountainhead. So, if we keep God’s good things to ourselves, we make it impossible to receive more. You cannot put more water into a full glass. But as we part with them we get more and better. Distribute five loaves, and you have twelve baskets of fragments.

We learn by teaching. — To stay in a class till you shall feel fully educated, is to miss one prime means of education. There is no way of discovering what we do not know, and getting grounded in what we do, like that of imparting what we have learned to others. Would you learn, teach. Would you grow in grace, tell of the grace which has saved you.

We keep what we give away. — Hoard your money, and you lose it. Give it away, and it is caught in bags that wax not old, and stored beyond the reach of moth or thief. “There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth only to want” (Proverbs 11:24). This is folly to the worldling, but sober fact to the child of the King.

Our Daily Bread Numbers 11:1-9 Tired Of Manna?

Our Daily Bread Numbers 11:1-10 Are You A Complainer?

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 11:11

Numbers 11:1-17
Today in the Word

The Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. - Isaiah 30:18a

TODAY IN THE WORD
The final event at the Ringling Brothers’ Circus was always the high-wire act of the Flying Wallendas. The finale consisted of a four-level pyramid formation. The Wallendas kept audiences holding their breath with this daring feat. One evening, however, young Dede Wallenda, part of the pyramid’s bottom row, began to wobble. He cried out, “I cannot hold on any longer!” As he fell, the entire pyramid collapsed. Several of his brothers were crippled for life, and one died.
As he led the people, Moses must have feared that he too might collapse. Today’s passage, however, shows that Moses took this intense pressure to the Lord . . . and the Lord provided a safety net.

After the golden calf incident, the Lord renewed His covenant with the people, and the tabernacle was filled with His glory. Things seemed to be looking up. The opening chapters of Numbers show the original generation preparing to enter the Promised Land. After being dedicated, the people went forth from Sinai (Num. 10). Yet no sooner were the Israelites on the road again, that they began to grumble and complain.

First, they complained about the hardships of travelling (v. 1). In His anger, the Lord sent forth a fire on the outskirts of their camp. The people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the Lord. Then, the people complained about not having any meat to eat. In their ingratitude, they callously recalled the “good old days” in Egypt.

We can almost hear the clamor clanging in Moses’ ears! But the Lord’s anger, not the people’s complaining, really troubled Moses. So once again, Moses cried out to the Lord about such obstinate people. Moses already knew that he had the Lord’s favor (see yesterday’s study), but in his spiritual and emotional exhaustion, it seemed better to have the Lord simply end his life than to continue on with these people!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps you can identify with Moses. Sooner or later, all of us experience times of spiritual exhaustion and despair

Our Daily Bread Numbers 11:6 Boring?

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 11:23

Numbers 11:27-29
Dr. Woodrow Kroll
Back to the Bible

Zealous for What?

How easy it is to misplace our zeal. Around 1420 A.D., "golfe" or "the Gouf" became so popular that King James II of Scotland feared the pastime placed the country at risk in its ongoing war with England. He reasoned that his men were spending too much time chasing the "golfe" ball and too little time practicing archery. Consequently the king persuaded his government to pass an act of parliament banning "golfe." Obviously, his zeal was misplaced, not to mention ineffective.

Joshua also had a misplaced zeal. As the assistant to Moses, he considered it his responsibility to make sure his master's power and influence were not threatened. Since part of Moses' authority stemmed from the fact that God spoke through him, the thought of others prophesying or speaking for the Lord disturbed Joshua. In his enthusiasm to protect his master's position, he was ready to hinder the proclamation of God's Word.

Over the centuries, God has used many instruments to proclaim His Word. Sometimes these instruments possessed questionable motives. The apostle Paul noted that some "preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely" (Phil. 1:16). His conclusion? "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice" (v. 18).

Our zeal must primarily focus on the message, not the messenger. If the Word of God is being faithfully proclaimed, let's rejoice. God sometimes chooses the least likely to speak for Him. If someone is not a true spokesman for Him, God will take care of that. We need not worry.

Be zealous for the message; God will judge the messenger.

Numbers 11:29
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets! (r.v.)

This one saying proves the incomparable greatness of Moses’ character. Little souls are monopolists. They like to be good and gifted, because it gives them a kind of superiority to others; but they dislike to see a leveling-up process at work by which the Eldads and Medads are lifted to stand by their side.

This was the mistake of Joshua. — When he heard that Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp, he said, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” But he was immature, a saint in the process of manufacture, and smitten with jealousy, for the sake of his master and friend.

This was the complaint of John’s disciples, when they saw the crowds ebbing away from their great teacher.

This was the quarrel of the Pharisees, that Jesus made religion so cheap and accessible to all, that even the publicans and sinners received his priceless wares.

But when a man is really great and good, he longs that all should be as he is, and better; he takes a deep delight in the spread of vital godliness; he is glad when others are endowed with greater gifts than himself, that they may make the Gospel better known than he could ever do; he is content to decrease, if Christ may only increase; he is willing that affliction should be added to his bonds, if only Christ way be magnified; he prays that the Lord would put his Spirit on all his people. This is very unnatural to any of us; but God, the Holy Spirit, waits to baptize us even into this, and to make the glory of God the object of our life. Make haste, O blessed Paraclete, and do this for me!

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 12:1

Our Daily Bread Numbers 12:1 Jealousy or zeal?

Our Daily Bread Numbers 12:1 The Friction of Jealousy

Numbers 12:7-8
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

My servant Moses is faithful:… with him will I speak mouth to mouth.

The meekest of men was vindicated by God Himself. He held his peace, but his Almighty Friend spoke up for him. It is thus that the meek inherit the earth and rejoice themselves in the abundance of peace. Oh, keep still, ye afflicted and tormented souls, God will not let you be trodden underfoot, if only you commit your cause to Him, and are faithful in all that He has committed to you.

“That good thing keep which was committed to you: He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.” (see note 2 Timothy 1:12) (Click the precious hymn I Know Whom I Have Believed, Fanny Crosby's less well known hymn ’Tis Summer in My Heart)

Notice to what faithfulness leads! The vision of God is not given to great intellectual ability or mental gift; but to those who as servants are faithful in the administration of God’s Household, and the performance of such duties as are entrusted to them by the Great Householder. Such are they that enjoy the face-to-face fellowship, and the mouth-to-mouth speech.

These words about Moses are quoted in Hebrews 3 (see note Hebrews 3:5), as though it was pleasant to the Holy Spirit to commemorate in all ages the faithfulness of him servants: and there is this further thought added, that the Household is one, and that all dispensations are included in its precincts. “Whose house are we.” It is inspiring to know that we are in the same house with Moses, and may have the same blessing. Are God’s dealings with you in dark speeches, in mysterious and perplexing enigmas? Be patient and faithful in well-doing: He is but testing you, and soon He will say, I have called you not servants, but friends; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but all things I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you.

Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33
Today in the Word

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? - Jeremiah 32:27

TODAY IN THE WORD
There's a reason that most television documentaries about important historical events mix narrative from the participants with flashbacks to the events. Reliving the moment as it happened and then hearing about its importance from those who were there are powerful ways to get a message across. That's what we hope to do on a smaller scale over the next ten days or so. We want to weave Moses' narrative in Deuteronomy with flashbacks to the events he spoke of, so we can better appreciate the message that God's Word has for us today.

Today is our first historical flashback. Numbers 13 takes us back in time almost forty years before what is recorded in Deuteronomy 1. This story is one of the pivotal points in biblical history. Israel had made the 11-day, 150-mile march from Mount Sinai to the edge of the Promised Land at Kadesh Barnea. All that remained was to enter the land and take possession.

The decision to send twelve spies into Canaan was apparently the people's idea, one that Moses (Deut. 1:22-23) and God agreed to (Num. 13:1-2). God gave the specific command that one man be selected from each tribe. By the way, note the quiet inclusion of Caleb and 'Hoshea,' or Joshua, on that list (Num. 13:6, 8).

Moses gave the spies very specific instructions on the facts and impressions he wanted them to bring back (vv. 17-20). The men did their job even bringing back a cluster of grapes from Canaan that was so big two men had to carry it on a pole between them.

The report that the spies brought to Moses started out fine. They told about a 'good land' (Deut. 1:25) that 'flow[s] with milk and honey!' (Num. 13: 27). That shouldn't have surprised anyone. After all, their generous and loving God had prepared this land for His people.

But then came the bad news, at least according to ten of the spies: in a nutshell, the people and the walled cities of Canaan were too big for a band of Israelite shepherd-nomads to handle.

Caleb tried to deliver a positive minority report on behalf of himself and Joshua, but their voices were drowned out by the other spies. The people opted for disobedience, forfeited God's blessing, and brought a death sentence upon themselves.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Are you 'conquered' today, or are you a conqueror? There's a world of difference between the two. The Israelites were beaten exactly at the point where God was ready to give them victory. When He calls us to do something, the obstacles aren't really the issue. Is God asking you to do something that seems impossible? If He is in it, even giants and walls cannot keep you from being more than a conqueror in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:37).

Numbers 13:1-14:38
Today in the Word

And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. - Numbers 14:9

TODAY IN THE WORD
Andrew Jackson knew what it took to face military and political battles. He recognized the power of a leader's convictions when he said, “One man with courage makes a majority.” Today's reading would amend that quote slightly to say, “One man with God makes a majority.” The people of Israel should have taken the land of Canaan shortly after the spies returned in today's reading, but the entire nation was swayed by the opinions of ten men.

All the spies confirmed the good news, that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey (13:27). They even showed the impressive fruit that the Promised Land yielded. The bad news: the ten cowardly spies sowed seeds of fear among the people by focusing on the size and strength of the land's inhabitants.

Joshua and Caleb were alone in their desire to enter the land, and indeed it was Caleb who was the most outspoken (13:30; 14:24). The people ignored these men of courage and instead cast their votes with the men of grasshopper-sized faith. The only men they were willing to attack were Joshua and Caleb.

In the book of Joshua, strength and courage were characteristics God demanded of Joshua. The rest of today's reading helps us see why. Instead of enjoying the fruit of God's promises, the Israelites' weakness and fear brought about God's judgment, although it was tempered by His gracious answer to Moses' plea for mercy (14:19). As a result, Joshua and Caleb were the only spies who lived to see another day (14:37). The vote among the spies quickly became a unanimous 2-0 in favor of obeying God.

Chapter 13 holds a footnote that is important to God's plan for Israel and the rest of the world. Verse 16 notes that Moses actually chose the name Joshua for this hero of faith; it means: “God brings salvation.” God used Joshua to bring salvation to the people of Israel by delivering them into the land He promised. That earthly salvation symbolizes the eternal salvation that God brings to us through the One who bore the same name—Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Israelites had seen the glory of God and witnessed miracle after miracle. But when they got a secondhand account about some big, bad men, they regretted that God had brought them out of the unfriendly confines of Egypt. If you've put your faith in Christ, you've witnessed the greatest miracle of all through the Holy Spirit—eternal communion with our glorious God! Don't lose sight of that when the problems of this world threaten to discourage you.

Our Daily Bread Numbers 13:17-33 Only a Scarecrow

Numbers 13:30-31
Ten to Two by Tony Beckett and Woodrow Kroll
Numbers 12-14, Mark 5:21-43
Back to the Bible

A children's chorus begins with the words, "Twelve men went to spy on Canaan, ten were bad, two were good." Can you name the two that were good? The answer, of course is, Caleb and Joshua. But can you name any of the others?

A speaker I knew would at times get out his wallet and offer to pay a dollar for each of those names a person could recall. He never gave away a single bill. As he put away his wallet with all its dollar bills intact, he would say, "We remember the people who stand for God, but not the ones who don't."

Joshua and Caleb stood for God. Shammua, Shaphat, Igal and the others did not. Their collective voices drowned out the faith of the other two. It was not just a matter of a majority vote but of rebellion. When the people decided not to do what God wanted, it was a rebellion that resulted in 40 years of wandering plus the death of all but the younger generation.

But Joshua and Caleb were spared. They ultimately entered the Promised Land.

The lesson is clear: stand for God-whatever the numbers.

There are probably times you do not stand boldly. Perhaps today something will happen and you will have to make a choice either to speak up or be silent. Stand up for Jesus.

Numbers 13:33
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

There is a good deal of talk in this chapter about giants and fenced cities. But the way of speaking about them was very different on the part of the ten, and on that of the two. The ten said:

“The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.”  (Numbers 13:29)

But the two said:

“Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

They saw the same spectacles in their survey of the land; but the result in the one case was panic, in the other confidence and peace. What made the difference? It lay in this, that the ten spies compared themselves with the giants, whilst the two compared the giants with God.

"The Lord is with us, fear them not.” (Numbers 14:9)

Faith looks away from the greatness of her difficulty to the greatness of her God.

“If considered in itself, it is dear that this difficulty is too great for me to combat; but it is nothing to my God. The wall is too solid and high for me; but before God’s touch it will fall down like cardboard. These ropes are stout; but before God they are only as tow before flame. I will not consider the man that shall die, and the son of man that shall be made as grass; but will look away resolutely to my Maker, who made heaven and earth, and who can still the roaring of the sea.”

Do you want a fearless faith, be careful not to measure the comparative forces of yourself and others; but remember that God is working for you to will and do of his own good pleasure. If He is for you, who can be against you? When compared with Primrose Hill, Snowdon is high; but where is it when compared with the Himalayas?  (See related studies Fear, How to Handle It )

Numbers 13:33
Streams in the Desert
"There we saw the giants"

Yes, they saw the giants, but Caleb and Joshua saw God! Those who doubt say, "We be not able to go up." Those who believe say, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able."

Giants stand for great difficulties; and giants are stalking everywhere. They are in our families, in our churches, in our social life, in our own hearts; and we must overcome them or they will eat us up, as these men of old said of the giants of Canaan.

The men of faith said, "They are bread for us; we will eat them up." In other words, "We will be stronger by overcoming them than if there had been no giants to overcome."

Now the fact is, unless we have the overcoming faith we shall be eaten up, consumed by the giants in our path. Let us have the spirit of faith that these men of faith had, and see God, and He will take care of the difficulties. --Selected

It is when we are in the way of duty that we find giants. It was when Israel was going forward that the, giants appeared. When they turned back into the wilderness they found none.

There is a prevalent idea that the power of God in a human life should lift us above all trials and conflicts. The fact is, the power of God always brings a conflict and a struggle. One would have thought that on his great missionary journey to Rome, Paul would have been carried by some mighty providence above the power of storms and tempests and enemies. But, on the contrary, it was one long, hard fight with persecuting Jews, with wild tempests, with venomous vipers and all the powers of earth and hell, and at last he was saved, as it seemed, by the narrowest margin, and had to swim ashore at Malta on a piece of wreckage and barely escape a watery grave.

Was that like a God of infinite power? Yes, just like Him. And so Paul tells us that when he took the Lord Jesus Christ as the life of his body, a severe conflict immediately came; indeed, a conflict that never ended, a pressure that was persistent, but out of which he always emerged victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ.

The language in which he describes this is most graphic. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifested in our body."

What a ceaseless, strenuous struggle! It is impossible to express in English the forcible language of the original. There are five pictures in succession. In the first, the idea is crowding enemies pressing in from every side, and yet not crushing him because the police of heaven cleared the way just wide enough for him to get through. The literal translation would be, "We are crowded on every side, but not crushed."

The second picture is that of one whose way seems utterly closed and yet he has pressed through; there is light enough to show him the next step. The Revised Version translates it, "Perplexed but not unto despair." Rotherham still more literally renders it, "Without a way, but not without a by-way."

The third figure is that of an enemy in hot pursuit while the divine Defender still stands by, and he is not left alone. Again we adopt the fine rendering of Rotherham, "Pursued but not abandoned."

The fourth figure is still more vivid and dramatic. The enemy has overtaken him, has struck him, has knocked him down. But it is not a fatal blow; he is able to rise again. It might be translated, "Overthrown but not overcome."

Once more the figure advances, and now it seems to be even death itself, "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." But he does not die, for "the life also of Jesus" now comes to his aid and he lives in the life of another until his life work is done.

The reason so many fail in this experience of divine healing is because they expect to have it all without a struggle, and when the conflict comes and the battle wages long, they become discouraged and surrender. God has nothing worth having that is easy. There are no cheap goods in the heavenly market. Our redemption cost all that God had to give, and everything worth having is expensive. Hard places are the very school of faith and character, and if we are to rise over mere human strength and prove the power of life divine in these mortal bodies, it must be through a process of conflict that may well be called the birth travail of a new life. It is the old figure of the bush that burned, but was not consumed, or of the Vision in the house of the Interpreter of the flame that would not expire, notwithstanding the fact that the demon ceaselessly poured water on it, because in the background stood an angel ever pouring oil and keeping the flame aglow.

No, dear suffering child of God, you cannot fail if only you dare to believe, to stand fast and refuse to be overcome. --Tract.

Our Daily Bread Numbers 14:1-11 Thorns Or Roses?

Our Daily Bread Numbers 14:1-4, 11-23 Rearview Mirror

Numbers 14:1-10
Today in the Word

The Lord is slow to anger. . . . Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished. - numbers 14:18

TODAY IN THE WORD
Whenever the subject of our society's growing violence comes up, it is usually suggested that one way to solve the problem is to start holding people accountable for their actions. What's amazing in these discussions is that this seems like a radically new idea to some people something they had never thought of before.

Well, holding people accountable for their actions may be a novel idea in the 1990s, but it's the only program that God has ever had. It follows that if obedience to God brings blessing, then disobedience brings punishment. That's the inescapable lesson of Numbers 14, summarized in today's key verse.

Yesterday we read Moses' recap of the way Israel reacted to the fear-producing report of the ten spies. The great lawgiver had pulled no punches, portraying the people as unwilling, rebellious, grumbling, accusing, fearful, and completely lacking in trust. It was not a pretty picture.

There is nothing in Numbers 14 to contradict Moses' judgment. The people bewailed their terrible fate, grumbling against God and His representatives Moses and Aaron. And when Caleb and Joshua tried to rally the nation to believe God and go forward, the people held a quick committee meeting and took a vote to stone those courageous men!

It seems that this threat was the last bitter taste of rebellion and unbelief God would endure. Immediately, He appeared at the tabernacle in His glory, a signal that it was time to settle some accounts.

Tomorrow and Sunday we will see how God's fierce anger was poured out on Israel. All of the rebellious grumblers would be punished for their astonishing lack of faith in the God who had delivered them from Egypt. Not one guilty party would escape.

One key portion of this generation's judgment came from the people's own lips. They fretted over the fact that their children would fall prey to their enemies because God had brought them to the edge of Canaan only to let them die (v. 3).

So God said in effect: 'Are you afraid I will let your children become captives? Then I will show My power by preserving your little ones while you perish in the desert.'

TODAY ALONG THE WAY Studies on the results of disobedience are not usually pleasant or comforting. But they can have positive benefits if we will hear and heed the message.

One thing that got the Israelites into trouble was their faulty, and incredibly short, spiritual memory. Somehow they forgot what God had done for them, so their trust in Him faded quickly. Why not refresh your spiritual memory today by rehearsing God's goodness to you during this year? Better yet, share these thoughts with your family, friends, or roommates.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 14:2

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 14:11

Our Daily Bread Numbers 14:26-35 So Near And Yet So Far

Numbers 14:11-16, 26-38
Today in the Word

Without faith it is impossible to please God. - Hebrews 11:6

TODAY IN THE WORD
When families get together on long summer evenings, it's not unusual for someone to start telling stories. Children like to hear about how their parents and grandparents got into trouble when they were young. Somehow, acts of mischief from forty or fifty years ago don't sound so bad around a family cookout in the backyard. Such stories can even be funny if told the right way.

Moses probably spent some long evenings with the Israelites there on the east side of the Jordan River, delivering the messages that form the Book of Deuteronomy. He had a story to tell the people about their parents, but it wasn't a harmless tale of youthful mischief. The exodus generation had provoked the anger of Almighty God.

We're back to the historical section of this biblical documentary focusing on obedience and blessing. Yesterday we read Moses' brief summary of God's anger toward Israel. Today's verses take us back to the scene itself forty years earlier.

Israel's great liberator and lawgiver had said, 'When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry' (Deut. 1:34).

How angry was God? Angry enough to consider wiping Israel off the map and beginning over again with Moses! Angry enough to declare that an entire generation would fall in the desert. And angry enough to judge the ten spies who brought back the report that caused the people to cower in fear on the edge of Canaan.

These are the consequences of disobedience the very opposite of the blessings that come from obedience. God said that Israel would learn what it was like to have Him against them (Num. 14:34), an experience none of us would want to repeat.

But we can't leave this passage without also noting that God mentioned Caleb and Joshua by name two men who obeyed and reaped God's blessing.

You have to love what God said about Caleb. This man had 'a different spirit' and followed God 'wholeheartedly' (v. 24). God promised Caleb his place in the Promised Land, and Caleb's descendants also benefited from his obedience and faith. Two men out of an entire nation was not a very good percentage, but God never overlooks those who please Him.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In verse 30, God said He had sworn 'with uplifted hand' to give the land of Canaan to His people. He would simply give it to a later generation, since the earlier one had proved unworthy.

Here's that truth we talked about yesterday: Human disobedience and lack of faith do not alter God's eternal plan. Think about that for a few minutes, and you'll want to praise God for His sovereign purpose and power. He is still firmly in control of His creation. On this Lord's day, let's thank Him for that reassuring truth

Numbers 14:13
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Egyptians shall hear it.

What a noble concern for the credit of God! Here was a great opportunity for Moses. God was testing him by the proposal, that, the entire nation of Israel being cut off as a judgment for their repeated shortcomings and transgressions, Moses should become the slip or stock of the Hebrew race: “I will disinherit them, and make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.” This was not the settled purpose of God; but a suggestion to test his servant, who would not entertain it for a moment. All thought of the honor to be done to himself was submerged in his great eagerness for the Divine credit.

“The Egyptians shall hear it: the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able....”

The Egyptians are always around us, watching and listening. They can only judge of God by our behavior and the course of our experience: and are only too ready to catch up anything which they may interpret to the discrediting of the Eternal. How careful we should be in all our life and conversation so that the ungodly may have, not lower, but loftier conceptions of our God. (See notes Colossians 4:5; 4:6; cf Ephesians 4:29)

When tempted to anything which is not perfectly noble and honorable; when inclined to murmur and complain of God’s dealings with you (see note Philippians 2:14); when an opportunity comes, as it did to Moses, to make gain at the expense of others; then remember the name of God (see Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower: Summary), and the urgency of need that exists, to maintain it unsullied and untarnished. We should be restrained by a double fear: first, lest we should grieve God; second, lest the Egyptians should have a handle against Him, and should be prejudiced against religion.

Numbers 14:39-45; Deuteronomy 1:41-46
Today in the Word

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. - Proverbs 14:12

TODAY IN THE WORD
As supreme commander of the Allied invasion of Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower was faced with a decision that held potentially overwhelming consequences. He had to decide whether to change the date of the D-Day invasion at the last minute or to let it proceed. Of the decision, Eisenhower later wrote: 'I knew I did not have the required wisdom. . . . I asked God to give me the wisdom. I yielded myself to Him. I surrendered myself. And He gave me clear guidance. He gave me insight to see what was right, and He gave me courage to make my decision.'

The Israelites could have benefited from a similar attitude of humility on the part of their military commander(s). Someone made the decision to go into battle in the hill country of southern Canaan in defiance of the Lord and the nation paid the price of defeat and humiliation.

Today we're considering both this historical account and Moses' later reflection on it. This is a classic case of rebellion and disobedience, and then the insincere repentance that marks those who want to avoid the results of their actions.

We know Israel's bitter weeping wasn't coming from repentant hearts for two reasons. First, the people admitted their sin only after God had rejected them. Second, the Lord turned a deaf ear to their cries He never turns away those who come to Him in sincerity and genuine brokenness.

The two accounts we read today give different details of the story, although either one is enough to tell us what happened and why. Moses said the people refused to listen and acted in 'arrogance' in trying to undo the damage of their disobedience (Deut. 1:43).

There are two key elements in Numbers 14 that tell us that the army of Israel was heading into a disaster. 'Neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord's covenant moved from the camp' (v. 44). Both God's appointed leader and the symbol of His presence and covenant promises were absent when the troops went up to fight.

The people came back again beaten and in tears, but God once more turned a deaf ear. Their rebellion had crossed the line, and God had pronounced judgment. This is a lesson we can't afford to forget if we want God's blessing.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many people say 'I'm sorry' after they get into trouble. This kind of after-the-fact confession is a trademark of our culture. But God honors only one kind of confession: sincere sorrow and repentance for sin. Trying to do 'damage control' doesn't get us anywhere with Him. Has the Holy Spirit brought to your attention a need for confession? Seek God's promised forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9), and you'll put yourself in line for His blessing by your obedience.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 15:25

Our Daily Bread Numbers 15:37-41 The Color Of Blue

Our Daily Bread Numbers 15:38 Holy Blue (Very convicting!)

Numbers 15:38
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

A cord of blue. (r.v.)

Throughout their generations the Israelites were bidden to wear it. It is the symbol of depth, of love, of Heaven. The azure sky, the glacier-rift, the deep lake, the far horizon, the eye of the hopeful, buoyant, tender nature — all tell the same story of deep and constant love, which mirrors below God’s heaven of love above. Therefore to wear this cord of blue was to be kept in mind of the eternal and unseen. No outward symbol is needed by us. The very best, after awhile, becomes time and commonplace. We get so accustomed to it that it ceases to stir our thoughts. But if we will entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He will teach us all things, and keep us always in mind. He is the blessed Remembrancer, whose mission is to bring Christ to our thought and keep Him there, the prominent object of our soul’s vision.

The object of this cord of blue was to restrain the people from going about “after their own heart and their own eyes.” We need to be kept from the same, that we may walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. In our resolutions, our energies, our acts of consecration, our Christian activities, we are all too apt to go at the dictates of our heart and eyes. May God forgive us! It has been the source of our perpetual failure and defeat. There is a more excellent way. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to keep the blue cord of the Christ — memory ever before our gaze, that we may become utterly absorbed in his beauty and glory, in doing his will, and in executing his commands. Let us seek to be bound to our Master, who is Love, by that same cord, that we may never for a moment forget the demands of the unseen and eternal.

Related Resource: Holiness Quotes

"Put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners... that you may remember... and be holy for your God." --Numbers 15:38,40

Related Devotional: Holy Blue: In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it. Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn’t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. The Lord wants His people to keep themselves separated from the filth of this world at all cost. In (Nu 15:38,40) the Lord told the Jews to put a blue thread on the borders of their clothes. When they saw the blue, they were to remember God's holy purpose for their lives and to keep a distance from sin. Do we remind ourselves often of our high and holy purpose for living? The best way to live in the world is to live above it.- Henry G Bosch (Our Daily Bread, 4/21/97) (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Our Daily Bread Numbers 16 Passing Judgment

Numbers 16:5
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Lord will show who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto Him.

It was on these words that the Psalmist founded his exclamation,

“Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee.” (Psalm 65:4 - see Spurgeon's note or see "Related Devotional by Spurgeon" immediately following)

This is what we all need. We often endeavor to approach unto God, but meet with many disappointments. Thomas Welsh said, on one occasion, that he had been wrestling to obtain access from six in the morning until nine! There is something better. If you are his, you may humbly count on God to cause you to come near; believing his promise: “Draw nigh to God, and God will draw nigh to you.”

In your morning prayer, or at any other time which you set apart for devotion, let this be the cry of your soul: “My God, cause me to come near.” When for long you have been dwelling afar off, and the distance threatens to become chronic or permanent, let this again be your petition: “Cause me to come near.” And throughout the rush of daily life, let your dependence be on Him who alone can cause you to come near so that you may dwell in his courts.

But God cannot do this unless the soul is utterly surrendered to be his; for “if we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” We must be unanchored and unbeached if the tide is to bear us on its bosom. We must be free from the touch of other hands if we are to respond to his. We must sit loosely by the things of the earth to feel the drawing of heaven. This is, in part, the meaning of holiness. “Who are his, and who is holy?” Those who have experienced separation to God and sin. Give us this, O Lord; then draw us near to Thyself, and we will run after Thee!

Related Devotional from Spurgeon: Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee. After cleansing comes benediction, and truly this is a very rich one. It comprehends both election, effectual calling, access, acceptance, and sonship. First, we are chosen of God, according to the good pleasure of his will, and this alone is blessedness. Then, since we cannot and will not come to God of ourselves, he works graciously in us, and attracts us powerfully; he subdues our unwillingness, and removes our inability by the almighty workings of his transforming grace. This also is no slight blessedness. Furthermore, we, by his divine drawings, are made nigh by the blood of his Son, and brought near by his spirit, into intimate fellowship; so that we have access with boldness, and are no longer as those who are afar off by wicked works: here also is unrivalled blessedness. To crown all, we do not come nigh in peril of dire destruction, as Nadab and Abihu did, but we approach as chosen and accepted ones, to become dwellers in the divine household: this is heaped up blessedness, vast beyond conception. But dwelling in the house we are treated as sons, for the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the son abideth ever. Behold what manner of love and blessedness the Father has bestowed upon us that we may dwell in his house, and go no more out for ever. Happy men who dwell at home with God. May both writer and reader be such men.

That he may dwell in thy courts. Acceptance leads to abiding: God does not make a temporary choice, or give and take; his gifts and calling are without repentance. He who is once admitted to God's courts shall inhabit them for ever; he shall be

"No more a stranger or a guest,
But like a child at home."

Permanence gives preciousness. Terminating blessings are but half blessings. To dwell in the courts of the Great King is to be ennobled; to dwell there for ever is to be emparadised: yet such is the portion of every man whom God has chosen and caused to approach unto him, though once his iniquities prevailed against him.

Numbers 17:5
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud. (r.v.)

There was deep significance in this method of indicating the man of God’s choice. Too many have taken God’s election as referring exclusively to their enjoyment of God’s grace and their preservation to his heavenly kingdom. Here we are taught that one of its chief results will be, and must be — buds, blossoms, and fruit. “The rod of Aaron budded and bloomed, blossomed and bare ripe almonds.” It would almost seem that spring, summer, and autumn; the promise, maturity, and fruit — were simultaneously present in that marvellous rod. So should it be in those who have been chosen in Christ to be holy.

The bud of spring. — There is a perennial freshness in the true saint. He may be old in years, but his leaf is green with vernal tenderness, and there are the budding promises of richer and better things than he has yet attained. The youths faint, and are weary; but he renews his strength. The outward man decayeth, but the inward renews his youth like an eagle’s.

The blossom of early summer. — There is exquisite beauty in the blossom of orchard and garden. No painter has ever yet learned God’s secret of mixing his colors. Such is the beauty of the character of the believer. Men say involuntarily, “How attractive, how beautiful!”
The fruit of autumn. — That we should bear fruit is the end of Christ in our redemption and discipline. We can only do it in fellowship with Himself. He must bear it through us. “From Me is thy fruit found.” “I have chosen you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit (see word study on fruit = Karpos) should remain.”

Numbers 18:20-24; Deuteronomy 18:1-2
Today in the Word

I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. - Numbers 18:20

TODAY IN THE WORD
The life of George Mueller is a picture of complete dependence upon the Lord. Burdened by the plight of England’s numerous orphans, Mueller opened a children’s home in Bristol in 1836. So sure was Mueller of God’s ability to provide all the material needs of the orphanage, he resolved to bring every need to the Lord in prayer. For the remaining 68 years of his life, the Bristol children’s home, as well as others built later, were completely run by faith. Some of these homes continue to operate today. In many respects, the Levites were to have been a similar “object lesson,” illustrating to the rest of the nation a life completely dependent upon the Lord. A little background is helpful here.

Early on, the Levites had been set apart for the priestly office (Ex. 32:26–29). The direct descendents of Aaron were priests, while the remaining descendents of Levi assisted them. Together the priests and Levites were entrusted with teaching the Law, maintaining the sanctuary, and offering sacrifices--in short, they were to foster and ensure proper worship.

When the promised land was allotted, a portion was given to each of the tribes of Israel (Nu. 26:52–56)--each tribe, that is, except the Levites (Nu 18:20; Deut. 18:1). Although the Levites were not to receive land, they were to receive the tithes (Nu 18:21, 24) and offerings (Deut. 18:1) from the people, and special cities (Num. 35:28).

Most importantly, however, the “inheritance” of the Levites was God Himself (Num. 18:20; Deut. 18:2). Thus the Lord used the Levites as a picture of several important spiritual realities.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God still uses tithes to provide for those set apart in a special way for His service. Although we’re all in His service, some are called to ministries in which they are dependent upon the body of Christ for their support.

Numbers 18:20
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

I am thy Portion and thine Inheritance. (r.v.)

We are God’s portion, and He is ours. The Lord’s portion is his people; Israel is the lot of his inheritance; and He says to the soul, I am thy Portion and thine Inheritance. We, with all we have, for God; and God, with all He has, for us. “Heirs of God.” (see note Romans 8:17)

We are like settlers on the fringe of their estate. — The emigrant to the Far West has a plot of land allotted to him: but how little does he know of its contents! — There may be coal, or iron-ore, or rivers full of fish, or a rich soil; he settles on the outskirts, but every year he pushes his fences further back to take in more of the land, which is all his, but it is not yet brought into use, or under cultivation. So each year we should increase in the knowledge of what God is, and of what He is willing to be to us. Not as though we were already perfect; but we follow on to apprehend that for which we were apprehended, and to be filled full with his grace and heavenly benediction.

Our possession of God will largely depend on his possession of us. — There are some who wonder that God is so much more to others than to them. Is not the answer to be found in their withholding so much of what they might yield up to his occupation and use? If you would have all from God, you must give all to God. Your enjoyment of God will be in precise proportion to the deepening and widening consecration of your life.

Why should any of us be poor, or strengthless, or fearful, when all the Godhead is stored in Jesus, and awaits our appropriation? Go up and possess his infinite continent that flows with milk and honey; watered by the rain of heaven; and rich in treasure.

Numbers 19:17
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

For the unclean, they shall take ashes. (r.v.)

It was very easy to become unclean without realizing it. To touch a corpse, to be in the same room as the dead, to stumble over a grave, was enough to defile the Israelite, and excommunicate him from the Tabernacle with its holy rites. Could anything more graphically set forth the contagiousness of sin? We cannot be in contact with those who are dead in trespasses and sins, or breathe air defiled by their filthy speech, or read books which contain their thoughts, without suffering in some way by it.

This is the reason why, at the end of the day, we often feel unable to pray, or hold fellowship with God: we are excluded from the Most Holy Place, because of this defilement. Indeed, there is only one way of escaping it, and that is in being covered, hermetically sealed, by the Spirit of God. “In whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption” (see note Ephesians 4:30 - (Click word study on redemption - apolutrosis) (See also Spurgeon's sermons Particular Redemption, see Spurgeon's other sermons Plenteous Redemption, Full Redemption; Redemption Through Blood, the Gracious Forgiveness of Sins; Bought With a Price) (Click similar thought by John Piper)

For this reason also, we should perpetually seek fresh cleansing in the precious blood of Christ. He is represented in this heifer without spot, slain in its prime, whose ashes were mingled in running water to testify their perpetual efficacy and freshness. If the ashes of an heifer availed for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse our consciences! Ask perpetually for the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, that you may have access with confidence into the Most Holy Place. The red heifer of Numbers answers to John 13. Let us apply the ashes and the water of purification to each other. Jesus said: “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Our Daily Bread Numbers 20:1-13 Danger: Explosives

Numbers 20:1-13
Today in the Word

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. - Luke 12:48

TODAY IN THE WORD
Among the many legends that surround the life of Abraham Lincoln is
the story of how Lincoln, as a young attorney, was defending a man accused of murder. Lincoln's defense was that the man had been provoked and that under enough strain any person could be driven to a desperate act. The prosecutor disdained Lincoln's suggestion, but the story holds that during the trial Lincoln so severely goaded his opponent that in a rage, the prosecutor grabbed the unloaded gun on exhibit and tried to shoot Lincoln.

True or not, the story illustrates a point. Part of our sinful humanity is our proneness to react angrily when provoked. This is sinful because we are still responsible for what we do, even when provoked. Still, most of us know what it's like to be pushed beyond our endurance.

Moses succumbed to the same pressure the day he struck a rock at Kadesh and provided water for the grumbling Israelites whom he had led for forty years.

It may not be obvious from the text, but this story takes place not at the beginning of Israel's forty-year trek in the desert, but near the end. The 'first month' was the first month of the fortieth year after the nation had refused to enter Canaan and was commanded by God to turn back into the desert.

This means the event we read about today and Moses' mention of it in Deut. 1:37 were not that far apart. On this occasion the nation again passed through Kadesh, which was normally a well-watered area. But it was dry now, and so a familiar scene began to unfold. The people complained, Moses went before the Lord, and the Lord provided an answer.

But in the process of dealing with God's people, Moses lost his temper. He called them rebels and furiously struck the rock twice, although God had told him to speak to the rock. The water came out anyway because God is gracious, but Moses lost the blessing he had anticipated for many years entrance into Canaan.

Why the harsh sentence? Today's verse helps to explain the Lord's response. Moses was the leader of the covenant community. He carried the Lord's authority, so when Moses angrily asked, 'Must we [Moses and Aaron] bring you water out of this rock?' (Num. 20:10), he dishonored God in the sight of His people.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Moses' failure at Kadesh reminds us that our ultimate confidence must be in God, not in people. We can praise God for every spiritual leader He puts in our lives. But we cannot expect anyone else to carry us spiritually, even though our tendency sometimes is to cling too tightly to those who are around us. Are you depending on someone you admire for the spiritual strength that only God can give you? This is worth thinking about.

Numbers 20:8, 11
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Speak ye to the rock; ... and Moses smote the rock twice.

What a miracle of grace is here! Nothing could have been more explicit than the Divine command that Moses should, on this occasion, simply speak to the rock. We cannot fathom the deep reason; perhaps it was because the Spiritual Rock of our salvation could not be smitten by the soldier’s spear twice. “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” (Click Scripture chain & chart on Christ, the Rock, the Stone = would make a great Sunday School lesson!)

Moreover, we are taught to wait on God each time we perform duties which appear similar, for the ways in which they should be performed may vary widely. It is clear, whatever the reason, that Moses was to speak, not smite.

However, he grievously disobeyed; largely, probably, because he could not believe that mere speech would suffice for the miracle. He thought that he must do something to aid God, not realizing how slight a part man’s is in the Divine esteem. No flesh may glory in his presence. God must be all in all. We must believe that a word is enough; and that God will do the rest.

But, in spite of his irritation, disobedience, and unbelief, the water gushed out. The sin of the servant did not annul the love and faithfulness of God. “If we believe not, He remaineth faithful.” It is a sweet lesson. We are worthless and unprofitable servants; we fail to believe and obey. But God’s grace flows over the bank, and inundates the wilderness with crystal streams. The Psalmist says the waters did not trickle, they gushed out. (see KJV of Psalm 78:20 - Spurgeon's note; Psalm 105:41 - Spurgeon's note) Oh, miracle of Divine faithfulness!  But Moses himself had to pay the penalty in later years. Disobedience in God’s servants cannot be condoned. In proportion to the saintliness of their character is the rigor of their punishment.

Our Daily Bread Numbers 20:12,24 A Bitter Attitude

Numbers 20:14-21
Today in the Word

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. - Romans 12:17

TODAY IN THE WORD
It takes a lot of grace to restrain ourselves when provoked or threatened for no reason at all. The human desire for revenge is so strong that the ability to show restraint is one indication that God is at work in a person's life.

The people of God showed remarkable restraint when the king of Edom refused a request from 'brother Israel' to pass through his land. God had warned Moses that the Edomites would be afraid when Israel showed up (Deut. 2:4).

Perhaps the leader of Esau's descendants feared that the Israelites would deplete their water supply. That area was not known for an abundance of rainfall. Or maybe he figured that, given the history of Esau's animosity toward Jacob, the Israelites' request was merely an excuse for them to invade and conquer Edom.

For whatever reason, Israel's offer to stay on the main road through Edom and pay for anything the people ate or drank was refused in a pretty nasty way. Edom's defiance must have been hard to take after Moses had sent messengers to the king with a plea for permission based on Israel's former slavery in Egypt and decades of hardship in the desert.

But Edom's king was not moved by the Israelites' troubles. After he issued a warning along with a show of force, Israel backed off in obedience to God's command (Deut. 2:5).

It's true God had already warned Israel that any attack against Edom would be unsuccessful. But that does not negate the nation's obedience in turning away from Edom's provocation, even though Edom's denial of permission to pass through had made Israel's journey a little harder.

Besides, it wasn't as if the Israelites were about to die in the desert without Edom's help. The people had an infinitely greater Helper on their side, the Lord Almighty.

By yielding in the face of Edom's armed defiance, Moses and the people were demonstrating their reliance upon God. When God is our Provider and Protector, we don't have to respond to every provocation or annoyance that comes our way.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul says we need to forego revenge because vengeance is God's job, not ours (Rom. 12:19). However, that doesn't mean we may step aside and say, 'OK, God, let him have it!' Paul said we are to do good toward our enemies so that they may be brought to repentance by our acts of love (Rom. 12:20). Our calling is to overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). Is there someone at work, at home, or in your church, who needs your kindness even if such kindness is undeserved? You may not be able to pull that off by yourself, but God can give you the grace to do it. Talk to Him about it, and then obey!

Numbers 21:4-9
Today in the Word

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. - John 3:14

TODAY IN THE WORD
Blood transfusions save lives. The American Association of Blood Banks reports that about 40,000 units of blood are needed on any given day. Four million patients receive about 23 million units of blood annually.

Who receives these transfusions? Accident victims, people undergoing surgery, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer, and other diseases. For these people, a blood transfusion is often the difference between life and death!

In today’s reading, the Israelites needed a spiritual “blood transfusion.” Their sinful and rebellious attitude had shown itself in impatience concerning a detour, complaints about hardships, ingratitude for manna, and a lack of faith in God’s leader, Moses. This faithlessness resulted in a deadly plague of snakes which were killing the people.

The Israelites repented and asked Moses to intercede for them. God’s response required them to show their repentance by a simple act of faith. Moses made a bronze serpent, and lifted it up on a pole. To be healed, people had to look at the serpent. If they didn’t believe God’s words, they wouldn’t look up and would therefore die. Only through faith could they be saved.

This episode from Exodus prefigures Christ’s sacrifice (Jn. 3:14-15). Those who believed Moses and looked to the serpent were healed. Similarly, those who believe God and look to Christ receive eternal life. God offered His only Son as the sacrifice for sin (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:32).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Like a blood transfusion, or like the bronze serpent in today’s reading, faith in Jesus Christ makes the difference between life and death...for eternity.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 21:8; Numbers 21:17

Numbers 21:17
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Spring up, O well!

This was a sweet song. It must have been a stirring scene, when Israel, in its thousands, sang forth this command to the waters that were under the earth, to show themselves, with the musical accompaniment of the gushing rill.

Spring up, O well, in our hearts. — Too long has the soil been arid and bare. A great drought has smitten it, and devoured every green thing. The flowers wither, the fruit falls. But Jesus promised to open in believing hearts a well, the waters of which should spring up unto eternal life. Not a stagnant pool, but a spring. Not a failing Cherith, but a perennial Siloam. Let that promise be realized in us here, and now; and if we have permitted rubbish to accumulate, or the weeds to grow rank, may we have grace to put them away, that there may be a clear course for the living water to flow through us and refresh the lives of all with whom we come in contact.

Spring up, O well, in the Church of God. — This is a petition with which we may enter the place of worship where we meet God’s people. Spring up, O well, today! With this petition, we may plead for distant mission stations, and for the entire Church. Jesus dug the well with the staff of his cross; but we wish that the Spirit, who is as a fountain of living water, fed from eternity and returning to its source, may spring up within it with greater volume and force.

Spring up, O well, in the world. — It is weary with sorrow and sin. Too far and long have the desert sands swept their devastations. Hasten the millennial day, when springs shall break out in the desert and wildernesses shall blossom as the rose!

Numbers 21:21-35
Today in the Word

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. - Proverbs 21:1

TODAY IN THE WORD
John Huss was a Czech reformer who died more than 100 years before Martin  Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Huss pastored in Prague and spoke out against church abuses while faithfully preaching God's Word. A council was called to deal with the issues at hand, and Huss attended with a letter promising his safety. But when Huss arrived he was arrested, tried, convicted as a heretic, and burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.

In reality, though, John Huss was the victor and not the victim. His courageous stand for truth later inspired Luther to carry out many of the reforms for which Huss had given his life. Since God has the last word in the affairs of nations, the final verdict on a situation isn't always immediately obvious. When God moves His hand those who appear to be the winners can end up the losers.

Consider the Amorite king named Sihon. He had attacked and defeated Moab, stealing the land of these descendants of Lot. That act of aggression tells us all we need to know about Sihon, because God had established the borders of Moab and had warned Israel not to antagonize the people.

The Amorites had even composed a poem celebrating Sihon's victory (vv. 27-29) an arrogant ode that Moses then turned against Sihon after Israel had defeated and destroyed his kingdom.

The defeat of Sihon and then of Og, king of Bashan, were important milestones in the history of Israel. Tomorrow we will study Moses' review of these battles in Deuteronomy chapters 2 and 3.

But today we make our final trip back into the Book of Numbers to read the historical account. Israel was making its way along the east side of the Jordan River in preparation for the invasion and conquest of Canaan. As the nation approached Amorite country, Israel made Sihon the same peaceful offer it had made to Edom and Moab.

But Sihon arrogantly refused passage to Israel. When he attacked God's people without reason, he was destroyed. Og had no better sense, doing the same thing and suffering the same fate. Sihon thought he was in control when he defeated Moab, and he figured it would be no problem to add Israel to his 'trophy room.' But God overruled this pagan ruler.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's lesson teaches us that while obeying God brings blessing, the blessing may not always be immediately apparent. Even though Israel was being attacked for seemingly no reason, God in His sovereignty gave Israel victory in battle.

That's why it is always too early to give up or to become discouraged in your Christian life. God can turn what seem like blisters into blessings. The writer of Hebrews says: 'You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised' (Heb. 10:36). Why not commit this important verse to memory today?

Numbers 22:22
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Angel of the LORD: ... for an adversary against him.

The Angel of Jehovah is often referred to as a very present help, and as encamping round about those that fear God; but here, as an adversary with a drawn sword. When we serve God his sword is for us, as for Joshua at Jericho; but when we turn as here from his way to our crooked paths, it is drawn against us. That which seems to be full of menace is, when we look deeper, an angel force seeking to stay our further progress toward destruction.

Look for the Angel with his drawn sword in every pain of body, anxiety of circumstance, or suffering of mind. You were intent on pursuing your own way, and obtaining the rewards of unrighteousness, when suddenly you were stayed in your course. Another step would have brought you to the edge of the precipice; but you were suddenly arrested by that which forbade advance. Do not curse the hindering obstacle. Beneath it is God’s gentlest angel, endeavoring to turn you from your evil purpose; and though his sword may be drawn against you, yet he is but keeping you from taking that step which might result in lifelong regret.

Too often our eyes are holden. We fret and chafe against God’s kindest providence. Our anger is kindled at the ass which sees the angel, and thrusts herself against the wall. Let this day be one of humble searching of heart. Try to learn the reason why God has frustrated your plans, and blocked your progress. Ask for the opened eyes. Be sure that there is mercy in every broken plan. He sees the end from the beginning. Bow your head, and acquiesce in his appointments. Fall on your face, and bless Him whose kindliest angels sometimes assume the roughest disguise.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 23:9

Numbers 23:20
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Balaam would have reversed the blessing into a curse, had he been able. Large rewards were depending on his doing so. But he was restrained. The current of blessing was running too strong for him to stem: the music was too overpowering for him to alter the air. Is not this also the despair of Satan? God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, and he cannot reverse them.

The blessing of adoption. — (see notes Romans 8:15, Romans 8:23) When the soul believes in Jesus, it is adopted into the family of God; the new life begins to throb within; it is constituted an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ (John 1:12). This position is irreversible. We may be tempted and overthrown, we may go for a season into the far country, we may even bring the family-name into contempt; but Satan cannot untie the knot with which God has bound us to Himself.

The blessing of acceptance in the Beloved. — We are in Him, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (see note Ephesians 1:4), risen and ascended and seated in Him in the heavenlies (see note Ephesians 2:6); and as our God views us in Jesus, He cannot behold iniquity or see perverseness in Him, and He accepts and blesses us as his well-beloved. This, too, is irreversible by the arts and machinations of the great Accuser (see note Revelation 12:10).

The blessing of the covenant. — (see New Covenant in the Old Testament) (Why the New is Better) (Abrahamic vs Old vs New) God has taken as to be a people for his own possession. His name is named on us, his character is implicated in our ultimate deliverance from evil, and glorification. If we could be cast away, He would suffer irreparable dishonor. Therefore, though Satan do his utmost to discredit us, as he did the patriarch Job, he cannot reverse the covenant in which God and we are for ever and indissolubly joined.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 23:23

Numbers 23:23; Proverbs 3:5-10
Today in the Word

See what God has done! - Numbers 23:23b

TODAY IN THE WORD
Most of us are not amazed to see someone walking along talking on a cell phone. If we’re visiting someone and need to make a phone call, we naturally assume that our host will have a phone.

Today we take phones, faxes, and e-mails for granted. It’s hard to think of a time when these things didn’t exist. Some people might even have forgotten the name of the individual who launched the age of telecommunications by inventing the telegraph, Samuel F. B. Morse. Even more people may not realize that the first message communicated electronically was a verse from Scripture!

After a series of set-backs, both personally and professionally, Morse stumbled upon the idea of using electromagnetism to transmit human communication. At first many people laughed. At last he was able to secure some money from Congress to build a telegraph line between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. And the first message that Morse sent, in Morse Code, was the following: “What hath God wrought!” (Num. 23:23).

Morse chose this verse because he wanted all the glory for his new invention to go to God. Throughout his life, Morse seemed to have been directed by the truths contained in Proverbs 3. Centuries before Morse was born, King Solomon urged, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (v. 5). If one would acknowledge the Lord in everything, God would provide direction is life. The truth of this was well-illustrated by the content of Samuel Morse’s first telegraph!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The book 101 Bible Verses That Changed the World (see Sept. 9) contains this from Morse’s journal about using Numbers 23:23 for the first telegraphic message: “No words could have been selected more expressive of the disposition of my own mind at that time than these: to ascribe all the honor to whom it truly belongs.”

Numbers 24:2
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Spirit of God came upon him.

This is a solemn warning for us all. Balaam said truly, but he perished miserably. He heard the words of God, and saw the vision of the Almighty; but because he loved the wages of unrighteousness, and taught Balak to cast the stumbling-block of licentiousness before the children of Israel, he was slain in battle by the people whom he had blamed. He wished to die the death of the righteous, but was overtaken in that of the apostate. How near we may come to the gates of salvation, and yet perish miserably without!

Distinguish between unction and union — Hooper, the greatest of English divines, says: “We are not to confuse the grace of union with the grace of unction.” It is possible to be united to the Lord Jesus in regeneration, without receiving the enduement of the Holy Spirit for service; and it is possible, like Saul, to be anointed for high office, without being truly regenerate. Official position may be worthily filled, and yet the heart be all awry.

Distinguish between gift and grace. — We may be able to speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have the gift of prayer, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and yet be without love. The most gifted souls are by no means the most gracious. Desire earnestly the greater gifts, if you will; but be very sure that your heart is established with grace.

Distinguish between vision and realization. — To see the fair land from afar, as Balaam did, is not enough; we must place our foot down on its soil, and go into it to possess. It is not enough to have an intellectual appreciation of the blessed life and the way to enter it; not enough to extol or proclaim it. We must make it ours by humility and faith.

Numbers 24:15-19
Today in the Word

A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. - Numbers 24:17

TODAY IN THE WORD
Archaeologists working in the Euphrates Valley made a remarkable discovery in 1933. They unearthed a large ancient city called Mari. Over the next few decades thousands of newly discovered clay tablets helped shed light on cultures as far back as the times of the biblical patriarchs. Mari was home to a large cult of pagan prophets and seers who sold their services. These prophets allegedly had the power to pronounce curses on their victims.

This fact from the ancient world helps to explain the actions of the pagan prophet Balaam, and why God used this evil prophet to utter one of the Old Testament’s great Messianic prophecies. It’s a fascinating story of God’s power to overcome any opposition to the fulfillment of His Word.

Balaam, the prophet “for hire,” was from Pethor (Num. 22:5), which was probably near Mari. He was hired by Balak, the fearful king of Moab, to curse Israel after Moab watched Israel defeat enemy after enemy (Num. 22:1-6). Balaam took Balak’s money and ran to a nearby hill to curse Israel, despite God’s warning.

The prophecy in today’s reading was the fourth in a series of oracles Balaam spoke, each prophesying blessing instead of cursing for Israel. Balaam began by confessing that knowledge comes only from the true God, a confession that ultimately did Balaam little good. He later fell under God’s judgment (Num. 31:8).

But here Balaam spoke what God wanted him to say, and prophesied the coming of someone in Israel who would hold the scepter of kingship.

This “ruler” would also execute God’s judgment on Moab and Edom. These nations were the descendants of Esau and thus related to Israel, but they had made themselves the enemies of God’s people.

We believe Jesus the Messiah is the only figure who can fulfill the prophecy of Balaam. The Messiah is clearly seen in the Old Testament as a ruler who wields His scepter with total authority. Prophets also revealed that He came to suffer as well as to reign.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Balaam is another reminder of the fact that God can use any person, or any circumstance, to accomplish His purposes.  It’s usually easy for us to believe this truth when we read about it in Scripture. But accepting it is usually much harder when we confront a difficult person or an especially frustrating situation. Who or what would be at the top of your “trial list” today? Turn your concerns or fears about it into a prayer, asking God for the patience to be faithful while He works out His purpose through your trial.

Numbers 25:3
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Israel joined himself unto Baal-Peor.

The margin of the Revised Version gives the alternative, yoked. The people were attracted by the charms of the women of Moab; but what they entered for pleasure, became clasped on them as a yoke. “Every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin” (John 8:34, r.v.).
Sin is slavery. — The drunkard loathes his chains, vows not to yield again; but sinks deeper into the mire with every ineffectual struggle. The libertine is bound with passions, his heart is a dungeon, his conscience a scourge. We are promised pleasure and gratification; but when once the syrens have prevailed and got us in their power, they cast off their disguise, and work their horrid will.

The only deliverance is through the anointed priest. — Phinehas interposed, and he was Aaron’s grandson, on whom the anointing oil rested. And this illustrates a remarkable expression in Isaiah 10:27, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” Is not that the anointing of the Holy Ghost? It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can be made free with the freedom of the Son of God. Where He is there is liberty. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.”

We must die to the sin that enchained us. — There could be no half-measures. Phinehas took a spear. Whatever the cursed thing is which has crept in to enslave, it must be slain before the Lord. Is there same secret evil in your soul, eating out its strength? Ask the Faithful High Priest to deal with it, that your soul may cast off its bondage, and rise into the liberty of the sons of God.

Numbers 26:52-56; Deuteronomy 19:14
Today in the Word

Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong. - Proverbs 23:10–11

TODAY IN THE WORD
Most little children have a highly developed understanding of fairness, particularly with regard to allotted portions of dessert! The concept that each individual is entitled to an equal share of the cake rarely needs to be explained or reviewed. Deep down, there is the awareness that life is governed by certain inalienable rules. When these rules are properly adhered to (meaning that everyone gets the same sized piece of cake) dessert time goes pretty well; real (or perceived) disregard to these rules results in discord.

Equitable distribution is also important to God, as today’s passage shows. Numbers 26 records the second census taken prior to entering the land. The first census was a military one taken in preparation for the land’s conquest. Between that census and the one recorded here, however, was a sad series of disobedient actions that eventually wiped out the original generation that had been led out of Egypt (Num. 26:63–65).

The census recorded in today’s passage was taken in preparation of the division of the promised land. Like the first census, this one occurred prior to the actual occupation of the land. An entire disobedient, unbelieving generation had to be rooted out, but God was faithful to His promise to give the land to Abraham’s descendents.

The allotment of the promised land was based on the needs of each tribe--larger tribes received more land, smaller ones received less land (v. 54). The actual allotment was carried out by lot. This process may have involved specially marked stones that were thrown, much like dice (Num. 33:54). The use of lots was an ancient means of entrusting the final outcome of decisions or distribution of land into God’s hands. Although the land was divided according to tribes’ needs, its ultimate distribution was under God’s control.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Moving boundary markers directly defied God’s wisdom in distribution. Although we probably haven’t moved any ancient stones lately, we may have defied God’s wisdom by coveting what God has given to others, such as natural talents and abilities, spiritual gifts, a loving spouse, or a good family

Numbers 26:65
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

There was not left a man of them.

Twice Moses numbered the people: on the first occasion Aaron was his colleague, at the beginning of the forty years; on the second occasion Eleazar, and this was at the end of the wanderings, on the threshold of Canaan. But only two had survived, Joshua and Caleb, because only they followed the Lord. God deals with a nation by dealing with individuals. He misses no one.

His love misses none. — The little sick child put her hand outside the coverlet before falling asleep, in the hope that the Good Shepherd would notice it, and not miss her, as He passed down the hospital ward. But there is no need to fear his missing us, whose eyes are like a flame of fire, bringing the light with which they see. He tasted death for every man; He seeks each missing sheep, each lost coin. “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

His Spirit misses none. — If thou hast faith as a grain of mustard seed, it will attract his notice. If thou yieldest thyself to his Spirit, though thy lung be weak and diseased, He will fill it. If thou desirest to be endued with the gift of Pentecost, it will fall upon thy head, though thou art as obscure as the shepherd-psalmist of old.

Death and judgment miss none. — On each of these unbelieving men the Divine sentence was executed. One or two might linger, as autumn leaves on the topmost boughs of stripped trees; but ultimately they shared the fate of their companions. Unless Christ come first, our turn will come. In Adam all die. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. Each was born alone, must die alone, and alone give an account to the King. Prepare, my soul, to meet Him!

Numbers 27:1-11; 36:1-13
Today in the Word

With righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. - Isaiah 11:4

TODAY IN THE WORD
James B. Duke, who made a fortune in tobacco, textiles, and hydroelectric power, was committed to philanthropic causes. When he died in 1925, his estate, valued in the hundreds of millions, went to his only child, Doris, who carried on the family tradition of charity by giving away over $400 million.

Apart from the staggering sums of money, the fact that James Duke left his money to his daughter should not be surprising--after all it’s generally assumed that an inheritance will pass to an individual’s offspring, even if that offspring is female.

In ancient Israel, however, inheritances normally passed to sons, who provided for their sisters until they married. Today’s passage records a surprising new development. A certain man, Zelophehad, died with no sons, but five daughters. Fearful that their family’s share in the promised land would be jeopardized by the absence of male heirs, these five daughters brought their case before Moses (Num. 27:1–3).

It’s clear that Moses took the daughters’ appeal seriously, for he brought it before the Lord, who then “ruled” that the daughters had a right to inherit. Additionally, a new order of succession for inheritance was established (Num. 27:8–11). This “case law” was important, because in ancient Israel the family name was integrally linked to its property. If the inheritance were to pass out of the family, the family name was threatened (v. 4).

Numbers 36 emphasizes how important it was to keep the land within the tribe to whom it had been given. To prevent the land from passing out of the family through marriage, a new stipulation was added to Numbers 27--inheriting daughters were to marry within their own tribe (36:6).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s passage shows that God protects justice, especially in cases where individuals might be overlooked.

Our Daily Bread Numbers 27:12-23 Change Of Leaders

Our Daily Bread Numbers 27:15-23 Going Out & Coming In

Numbers 27:21
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in.

The emphasis is on the word his. Moses had asked God to indicate a successor to lead out and bring in the people. But Jehovah drew a distinction. Joshua was to receive the Divine direction from Eleazar, the priest, who should enquire of the Lord; and at his word, i.e., God’s word through Eleazar, the people were to go out and come in.

Our goings-out should be determined by the Word of God. — We never waste time when we stand before the true Priest, who has the Urim of Divine direction, especially when we are considering some call to duty. Very often we have gone out at the instigation of pride, or emulation, or fussy activity; we have gone out because others have done so, and we were eager not to be left behind. Under these circumstances the out-goings of our mornings have not been made to rejoice; we have encountered disappointment and defeat. When we go forth at God’s bidding, He becomes absolutely responsible; otherwise we pierce ourselves through with many sorrows, and bring discredit on the cause we would fain serve.

Our comings-in must be determined by the Word of God. — When we should come in to rest, to pray, to fill again our souls with his Spirit, to suffer in secret, or to die, must be left to the determination of his will. It is easier to go out than to come in. Activity is pleasanter than passivity; the stir and rush of the world preferable to lying still to suffer. But our times are in his hand, and as soon as we recognize the decisions of the Urim in the appointments of Divine Providence, the speedier shall we be at peace. It we are fully surrendered to God, both our going-out and our coming-in shall be ordered aright by his Spirit.

Numbers 28:2
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

My food. (r.v.)

God speaks as though He fed, through the sacrificial flame, on the offerings of his people. There can be no doubt that the obedience of the blessed Lord to the death of the cross was very satisfying to the hunger of the Father’s heart (Ephesians 5:2); and there is a sense in which our prayers and praises, the offering of ourselves in consecration, the gifts we lay before Him, are, when laid upon the altar of Christ, very pleasing to God. They are his food (Hebrews 13:15–16).

We often speak of ourselves as hungering for God. Do we sufficiently realize that He hungers for our love, our whole-hearted devotion, our fellowship with Him? May it not sometimes act as an incentive to prayer, to reflect that we may be passing from our chamber in the morning leaving God’s desire unsatisfied? He was longing for the uplifting of our soul in devotion and praise which was not forthcoming. Still, as of old, in the morning the hungry Lord comes to seek fruit on his trees. Too often there is nothing but leaves. Too seldom does He have the opportunity of saying: “I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey.”

If we really loved Jesus, we should be eager to give Him food in our prayers, and yearnings, and activities; and we should long with intense desire for Him to be satisfied, though we were not primarily concerned in spreading his banqueting table. It were enough for us to know that his hunger was feeding on the love of saints, or on the joy of new converts, though we were not the medium of the one or the other. Oh for this unselfish love for Jesus, which looks at things from his standpoint, altogether irrespective of ourselves!

Numbers 29:1, 7, 12, 35
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Ye shall do no servile work.

There was a good deal of work to be done, but it was not servile work. Throughout the seventh month, the work centered around the Tabernacle and the service of God, rather than around the tents and occupations of Israel as at other times. The same distinction is clearly made by the Apostle; our faith and salvation are not of works, lest any man should boast; but we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works (see notes Ephesians 2:9; 2:10).

Do not work up to the Cross, but down from it. — We must come empty-handed to the Cross, and receive forgiveness and eternal life; but these will immediately begin to vindicate their presence in the fruits of righteousness. None work like those who have been saved by the grace of God — but their work is not servile work; not that of slaves, but of sons. Many confuse these, trying to work for salvation, instead of receiving it first and then working.

Do not work up to union with Christ, but from it. — We cannot unite ourselves to the true Vine by any activity of ours; our only resort is to lay ourselves at the feet of the great Husbandman, that He may graft us into living union with Jesus. When once that union is consummated, through our yielded nature, the Root begins to pour his mighty energy. Fruit-bearing is not servile work; but easy, natural, blessed.

Do not work up to Pentecost, but out from it. — We cannot win the gift of the blessed Paraclete. No tears, prayers, agonies of soul, can purchase it. It must be received by a single act of faith. But when once He is in us in his fulness, then tears, and prayers. and strivings for the salvation of men flow out without effort. But there is no servility, no strain no restraint, save that of love.

Numbers 30:5, 8, 12
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Lord shall forgive her.

If the father or husband disallowed the vow a woman made, it would not stand, nor would she be held responsible for its fulfillment. God would not keep her to a promise which was hindered from execution by causes over which she had no control. This is a profound principle.

You may feel that a certain step is required of you by Christ; that indeed you are bound by your allegiance to Him to take it; nay, you have already promised Him that you will take it; but, suddenly and most unexpectedly, you are prevented from taking it. The express prohibition of those who have a right to determine your action, or the verdict of the physician, or the evident call of duty in another direction, makes it needful for you to relinquish your project. What then: is God grieved and angry? Not so; He understands the whole of the case perfectly, and accepts your will for the deed, and bids you go in peace. This, however, does not affect matters in which conscience is clear in demanding or prohibiting a certain line of conduct.

Sometimes God’s silence is consent. You made your solemn dedication in His holy presence: there was no answering voice, or rush of emotion, or witnessing seal; He held his peace from day to day. But in that silence He established all your vows, all your bonds. If parents capriciously forbid their children carrying out solemn resolutions and vows, the burden of blame must rest on their shoulders. They must render their account to God, and give answer for their action. It will go hard with those who put needless hindrances and obstacles in their brothers pathway.

Numbers 31:23
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire.

The great aim of this enactment was to render these articles ceremonially clean. They had been in the use of the Midianites, and required cleansing, before they could be appropriated by Israel. But the cleansing processes were to be determined by their texture. Fire for what would stand fire; water for what could not stand fire.

We must be thoroughly cleansed. — If a man will purge himself, he shall be a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master’s use. Not cleverness, but cleanliness, is the prime condition of service. Jesus will not put throne-water into impure and polluted receptacles. What fellowship hath Christ with Belial?

We shall not be passed through fire, unless we can stand it. — Our faith is too precious to God to be exposed to risk. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we are able, lest we be discouraged, and make shipwreck. If, then you are called at this time to pass through an unusually searching ordeal, be sure that your Heavenly Father knows that you can endure it. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

We must go through water, if not through fire. — The law provided also that “all that abideth not the fire, ye shall make go through the water.” The one is negative, the other positive; the first appertains to John the Baptist, the second to the Holy Spirit. The latter is the best; but be thankful, if you cannot endure it, that there is a discipline more tempered and gentle, which will yet render you meet for the handling of the Holy Savior.

C H Spurgeon Devotional - Numbers 32:6

Numbers 32:23
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

Be sure your sin will find you out.

Sin is like the boomerang of the savage, it comes back on the hand that has launched it forth. The brethren accused Joseph of being a spy, and cast him into the pit; and on the same charge they were cast into prison. King David committed adultery and murder; so Absalom requited him. The Jews crucified the blessed Lord; and they were impaled around Jerusalem till room and wood for their crosses failed.

There is a Divine order in society. God has so constituted the world, that as man deals with his neighbour, so he is dealt with. The consequence does not always follow immediately. There is often a long interval between the lightning flash and the thunder-peal. The sentence against an evil work is not executed suddenly. But though God’s mills grind slowly, they do grind, and to powder. It is impossible to deceive God; for it is his immutable law, “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).

When sin comes to find you out, like a sleuthhound on the track of the criminal, be sure that it finds you in Jesus. “That I maybe found in Him.” Nothing will avail to intercept the awful execution of sin’s vengeance, except the blood and righteousness of Jesus. Put Him between you and your sins, between you and your past, between you and the penalty of a broken law. Be sure that only when the blood of Jesus speaks for you through earth and heaven, there can be a cutting off of sin’s terrible entail.

Numbers 33:9
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

They journeyed from Marah and came unto Elim: and in Elim.... (r.v.)

In his enumeration of the halting places of Israel, Moses mentions Marsh and Elim. In the case of the former, he does not dwell on the murmuring of the people over the bitter stream: but in the case of Elim, he loves to dilate on the twelve springs of water, and the three-score and ten palm trees, under which they pitched. Years of weary travel had not obliterated the memory of the refreshment afforded by those seventy palms.

We should remember the blessings of the past. — God has so made as that we soon forget pain; but memory is willing to keep the fresco-pictures of sunny scenes unobliterated upon the walls of her galleries. Thus we may encourage our faith and comfort our hearts, by musing on the hand of the Lord which has been upon us for good. You have had many hard tracks of desert sand to traverse; but never forget those three-score and ten palm trees. Let their gracious shade and fruit still refresh you. And remember that God will restore them, whenever needed. If not, you can always find your palm trees and wells in Himself.

God does not remember the sins of the past. — There is no word of their murmurings, either at Marsh or Rephidim. It is thus that God deals with us. “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” When God forgives, He forgets. He erases the record from his book, and deals with us as though no sin had been committed. When we get to heaven and study the way-book, we shall find all the deeds of love and self-denial carefully recorded, though we have forgotten them; and all the sins blotted out, though we remember them.

Numbers 34:13
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

This is the land which ye shall inherit. (r.v.)

It is important that we should know the limits and possibilities of our lives. We must beat the bounds, first to know how far we may go; and secondly where we must stop, in our inheritance.

How far we go. — It is our privilege to know God and the hope of his calling, and the riches of the glory of his indwelling in our hearts, and the power of the Resurrection throbbing within us, lifting us to share the risen life of Jesus. Day by day we may be kept from yielding to known sin; day by day, though keenly conscious of temptation, we may be more than conquerors; day by day, the Holy Spirit may work in us perfect love towards God and man, to the limit of our light; day by day the Lord Jesus may be more perfectly formed within us.

Where we must stop. — We may expect to be blameless, but not faultless, till He present us to Himself to be delivered from temptation, but not freed from its assaults: to be kept in perfect peace, but not secured from the pressure of adversity: to be dead to sin and self, but not daring to say that either is dead within us: to be delivered from this present evil world, as to spirit and temper, though still called to inhabit it as its salt and light. Take possession of every inch of God-given territory in Jesus, but beware of going beyond it.

It is a solemn question to all who have been appointed leaders in God’s hosts, whether they are rightly dividing their heritage. We must hold back nothing that is profitable: nor must we shun to declare the whole counsel of God. Let our Preaching and teaching include all God’s provision for his children.

Numbers 35:1-8
Today in the Word

Joshua 21:1-42

The towns you give the Levites . . . are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe. - Numbers 35:8

TODAY IN THE WORD
A proverb about courage attributed to Aesop reads, “It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.” The Levites were not afforded that luxury. One might think that the priests of Israel, the Levites, would have been set apart and isolated from the other tribes of Israel, but God didn't plan it that way. They weren't a safe distance away from the people they were supposed to lead spiritually, and as God's handpicked representatives, they were to be close to the Almighty as well.

Several times throughout Joshua we've been reminded that the Levites' inheritance was the Lord Himself; serving Him was their reward. But they still needed a place to live. God provided for them in a unique way, bringing provision from every other tribe in Israel. Consulting a map will show that the Levites were spread so evenly across the land that no one was very far from a city of priests.

This wasn't a last-minute decision. God commanded Moses that the land be shared with the priests in this way. The book of Numbers describes the parameters for the Levite cities, and they include generously sized pastures around each one. God didn't overlook His priests; He was determined to show His provision to them in a way that creatively taught the truth of God with unforgettable permanence and profound symbolism.

God's pattern for sustaining the priests had always been for the people to support them according to each one's possessions and income. The distribution of Levite cities was no different. God commanded the larger territories to yield more cities and the smaller to give up less. This fair and wise method provided ample space for the Levites and even distribution of priests throughout the land. It also rooted all of the tribes in the truth that the land was given to them by God and should be shared generously with His servants.

Six of the Levite cities also became the cities of refuge we read about yesterday. It's interesting to note that God chose priests to be a symbol of protection in times of trouble. “City of refuge” may sound like a military term, but it's men of faith, not weapon-bearing warriors, who provide asylum from vengeance.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY As salt and light in the world, we can't be satisfied living a safe distance from the world.

God has placed you in a position to be a spiritual leader to those around you. Stay close to Him through your personal time with God, and make the most of your place in the world so that the spiritually needy can come to you for help. The Lord will be with you; don't fear those who don't believe. God is greater than the world, and He can give you victory over your own flaws and fears.

Numbers 35:9-34
Today in the Word

Read: Joshua 20:1-9; Numbers 35:9-34

Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land. - Numbers 35:33

TODAY IN THE WORD
Through his character Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tells us that courage is more than brashly ignoring danger. He writes, “It is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when it is close upon you.” That bit of wisdom applies quite well to the crux of today's reading in a couple of different ways.

For the nation as a whole, it would have been foolish to deny the possibility of tragic deaths, either accidental or malicious, especially now that the people were spread out across a wide array of settlements. Without a plan to handle such a situation, the Promised Land could have closely resembled the chaos of the American Old West. God in His foresight provided Israel with a justice system that would apply to the whole land and could help see to it that patience and truth would prevail over irrational rage.

The quote also applies to the person who causes a death—it would be doubly foolish to think that no punishment would come as a result of costing a man his life. A man in that position no longer needs courage; he needs protection.

The passage in Numbers gives us a more detailed account of the philosophy of justice for murder, and it's much different than what we're used to today. When evaluating the incident, at least two witnesses needed to testify about the death (v. 30); in our society, one eyewitness can be evidence for conviction.

If the accused was convicted of murder, a relative of the victim was permitted to avenge the murder by taking the life of the guilty person (v. 19). Even if he was deemed innocent of malicious, intentional murder, causing a death was still a serious offense, and the offender couldn't leave the city of refuge until the death of the high priest without fearing for his life (vv. 26-28).

We may wonder at this, but God wanted to stress that all life is valuable, and there is punishment for murder and consequences even for accidents. Yet God still demonstrates His mercy by instituting protections in the legal system and by providing cities of refuge.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Hopefully the specifics of today's reading don't come into play in your life any time soon, but there's an important truth in the text that applies to all of us. God places tremendous value on human life. He would do anything to save a life, but He can't ignore justice to do it. Jesus died on the cross to save us, suffering the penalty that sin imposed on all mankind. We need to value human life in the same way; tell someone the good news today. Introduce them to the refuge of grace.

Numbers 35:9-34a
Today in the Word

With the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. - 2 Chronicles 19:7b

TODAY IN THE WORD
“An earthly power doth then show likest God’s when mercy seasons justice,” wrote William Shakespeare in his famous play The Merchant of Venice. This idea, expressed at a pivotal moment of the play, conveys a truth about the relationship between justice and mercy that is rarely grasped in our day-to-day lives. We often think of God’s justice and His mercy as two separate and distinct functions. But in reality, mercy is a property of God’s justice; it “seasons” God’s justice.

In today’s look at the Mosaic Law, we see how God’s desire to maintain proper relationships between men, the land, and Himself prompts Him to establish cities of refuge. As He made clear in His covenant with Noah (Gen. 9), God holds life sacred and demands an accounting for all deaths. A family member was responsible to avenge the death of his kin according to biblical law. This strict rule was based on the importance of the land: “Blood-shed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it” (v. 33).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The city of refuge didn’t restore even the accidental murderer to the community. Neither does the time prisoners spend in jail now restore their places in the community. Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship says that offenders do not simply need rehabilitation, they require regeneration of a sinful heart. This ministry strives for such renewal by serving inmates and their families in the name of Christ. You can help them by doing anything from writing a letter to buying a Christmas toy.

Numbers 35:25, 28, 32
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The Death of the High Priest.

One after another they passed away. They were not able to continue by reason of death. Their offices, and garments, and ministry, passed from each in turn, as from Aaron, whom Moses stripped with his own hands on Nebo. But their death only brings into greater prominence the encouraging contrast in the case of our blessed Lord, who ever liveth, and hath, therefore, an unchangeable priesthood.

Christ ever lives: what an encouragement to the penitent! — All that He ever was, He is; all that He ever did for others, He is willing to do for thee. The records of his earthly life, with his tenderness for those who were out of the way, are leaves and specimen pages of the diary of his life. Therefore, there need be no hesitation in applying to Him.

Christ ever lives: what a blessing to the saint! — “I am He that liveth.” He bent over his fainting apostle, and said in effect, You remember what I was when you leant on my bosom, followed Me to the shore on which I had prepared your repast, and assured you of my never-altering affection. I am all that still; through death I have come to a life which can never decay; because I live, ye shall live also. Let us rest our souls on this sweet word — from his heart there will ever stream to us rivers of incorruptible life. Let us keep all the channels of our being open towards the fountain of eternal life, that there may be no stint or restraint to our reception.

Christ ever lives: what a warning to the Church! — There is no need, therefore, of the human priest to transact matters between man and God. The Son is Priest and King in his own house, in the power of an endless life; and human mediators are no more necessary than flickering night-lights at noon.

Numbers 36:2
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

The inheritance of Zelophehad unto his daughters.

From the earliest, the germ-principle of the emancipation of woman, and her right to stand on an equality with man, is recognized in Scripture. These women were heiresses in their own right, and might marry as they thought best. Christianity in this respect, as in so many others, is the fulfillment of the Divine thought in the older dispensation. Ruth was the prototype of Mary of Bethany; Rahab of the Syrophenician woman; Hagar of Lydia.

The inheritance of woman in the nature of Christ. — There are certain qualities in the Sun of Man peculiarly adapted for the heart of woman. Tenderness for her many tears — “Woman, why weepest thou? “Sympathy in her quest for a love that will not fail — “Mary.” An answer to her many questions — “Woman, believe Me.” Strength for her clinging weakness — “Forbid her not.” Hope for her despair — “If thou couldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.” O woman, remember Him who is the counterpart of thy need, and offers thee Himself. “The same is my sister.”