Month: February 2024

The numbers don’t lie!

Another census! I don’t know about you, but reading through lists of Bible names isn’t a big highlight for me. Yet, I usually find a highlight in the list of names! Today’s reading is no exception. Let’s compare the numbers from both the first and second censuses. 

  • Census 1: The total number was 603,550. (Numbers 1:46, NLT) (Total number of men able to go to war.)
  • Census 2: In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730. (Numbers 26:51 NLT)

The numbers are almost the same! Wow! Thirty-eight years ago, Israel stood at the border and told Moses they would not enter the promised land. God basically said, “Okay, I’ll take you up on that; you will not enter the promised land.” For thirty-eight years, Israel wandered in the wilderness, and the numbers don’t lie; they are not better off for their unbelief! In fact, only two people, including Moses, remain from the original census. 

Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, “They will all die in the wilderness.” Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (Numbers 26:64–65, NLT)

So, what’s the highlight here? Faith is where the victory is at! Not unbelief! In other words, obediently moving forward with God’s plan is far better than resisting and wandering in unbelief. 

Sure, Israel gave excuses for not trusting and obeying God. Thirty-eight years ago, they said the cities were fortified, the giants would tear their children apart, and the enemy was too strong. Well, all this time later, none of that has changed, and Israel isn’t any bigger, scarier, or stronger, either. Talk about a waste of thirty-eight years! And that is the point: there is no advantage in unbelief! The numbers don’t lie!

The highlight? Rejoice! Faith is the victory! In other words, love God, obey God, believe God! Stop the wandering; start the overcoming!

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3–5, NLT)

Thanks for joining me in my adventure to read the Bible chronologically! Today’s post comes from Numbers 26-27. Tomorrow, I will be reading Numbers 28-30.

No scheme of man!

Today’s reading is a powerful reminder that the enemy does not sleep! With Israel camped next to Moab on the border of the promised land, the enemy is scheming. Moab is in full panic mode!

Balak, king of Moab, prepares for battle by hiring Balaam to first curse Israel. Balak thinks this will give him an advantage in battle. Balaam, well, he’s quite the package; he comes complete with a talking donkey! He, too, is an expert schemer. The schemers are planning to thwart God!

What’s interesting is how carefully the king of Moab has studied Israel. Balak takes Balaam to three places overlooking Israel where he might pronounce a curse.

The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.(Numbers 22:41, NLT)

Then King Balak told him, “Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!” (Numbers 23:13, NLT)

Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.” (Numbers 23:27, NLT)

Though God thwarted these attempts to curse Israel, what do we see? While Israel is camped on the border of Canaan, enjoying victory, the enemy is not resting. They are scheming, watching, and probing.

Does this sound familiar to those of us who believe? It reminds me of what the Apostle Peter wrote…

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NLT)

Yes, the reality is we have an enemy that does not rest. He is scheming, watching, and probing. But this reminds me of another reality. While we must be watchful, we need not be fearful!

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. (John 10:27–29, NLT)

Rejoice! We are not the ones in panic mode! Will there be persecution in the Christian life? Yes. Will we be tempted and tried? Yes. Is there turmoil in the world? Yes. Is the Devil desperate? Yes. Are the wicked raging against God? Yes. Will we be overcome?

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8:37, NLT)

Again, oh my soul, rejoice! No scheme of the Devil or man can overcome our God!

Thanks for joining me in my adventure to read the Bible chronologically!

  • Today’s post comes from Numbers 23-25.
  • Tomorrow, I will be reading Numbers 26-27.

A nation on the move!

Israel is not standing still! They are on the move! Forty years of wandering, dying, and remolding are ending. Though they struggle with temptations like the previous generation, their composure differs. Israel is on the move, moving on to a new chapter in their history! Standing tall in the reading today is the theme of victory!

With new levels come new devils! Yes, Israel is on the move, but so are Israel’s enemies. Israel is attacked three times in these two chapters. In the first battle, the enemy heard of Israel’s progress and attacked. In the second battle, Israel requested to pass through Amorite territory. The Amorites attacked. In the third battle, seeing the progress of Israel, the king of Bashan attacked. Three times, the enemy initiated the struggle, but God gave victory! Guess where Israel is camped now? They are just east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho!

During these times of attack, God told Israel something amazing!

The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land….” (Numbers 21:34, NLT)

Israel’s biggest threat was fear, not the enemy. Wow!

In our Christian walk with God, we, like Israel, have an enemy. When we are on the move with God, we, too, can expect opposition. Our enemy, however, is not flesh and blood. Our enemy may oppose us through people, but people are not the enemy.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, NLT)

Our enemy is not greater than God! Because of this, victory should stand tall in our lives! Believer, be not afraid! I like how the Psalmist put it into words for the rest of us…

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. (Psalm 27:1–3, NLT)

Thanks for joining me in my adventure to read the Bible chronologically! Today’s post comes from Numbers 21-22. Tomorrow, I will be reading Numbers 23-25.

New era, same great God!

In my morning chronological Bible reading, thirty-eight years pass between Numbers, chapters 19 and 20. The generation that rebelled against God died. They did not enter the promised land, as God said. The time of Israel’s wandering is coming to an end. A new era is dawning! A new, younger generation is following Moses. Notice something about this second generation.

There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!” (Numbers 20:2–5, NLT)

Does this sound familiar? It certainly sounds familiar to Moses! He and they heard their parents say these same things. Unbelief is sticky! It can stick around for generations! But the goodness of God is sticky, too!

“You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” (Numbers 20:8, NLT)

God provides water from a rock! Sound familiar? Notice what the Apostle Paul writes about this rock in 1 Corinthians 10:4, …and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. As we pass from the Old Testament into the New, what did Jesus proclaim to all those who thirst?

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” (John 7:37–38, ESV)

Yes, it is a new era with the same thirsty sinners and the same amazing thirst-quenching God! As believers, let’s rejoice in the faithfulness and goodness of our God…stripping off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. (Hebrews 12:1–2, NLT)

Thanks for joining me in my adventure to read the Bible chronologically! Today’s post comes from Numbers 18-20. Tomorrow, I will be reading Numbers 21-22.

Atonement comes alive!

Israel is a mess! Today’s reading details a conspiracy and rebellion. Accusations abound. Discontentment and turmoil infect the camp. There’s a showdown between Moses and Aaron and the rebels. The earth opens up and swallows the ringleaders. Fire from God and a plague break forth among the people. There is death. Graciously, Moses and Aaron stood between God’s judgment and the people twice. Notice one of these times…

And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord. The Lord’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.” Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. (Numbers 16:46–48, NLT)

These verses picture a soul-enriching truth for us! God is righteous in His judgment against sin. Moses and Aaron are gracious in their plan to intercede and spare the people from God’s righteous judgment. Moses and Aaron could have refrained; these people were against them! But Aaron, the high priest, risks his life to purify the people and atone for their sins. Atonement comes alive in the Bible!

This is an amazing picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross! Our sins are a grand conspiracy and rebellion against God. We are guilty. God is righteous to judge us! But the grace of God appeared to all of us through Jesus, His Son. Jesus took our judgment upon Himself, atoning for our sins with His blood, which was shed on the cross. His death took our death! Therefore, His resurrection is our resurrection! His life is our life! God made a way for us to come to Him and escape judgment!

But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. (Hebrews 7:24–26, NLT)

Believer, rejoice today that you are no longer under condemnation! In Christ, you have passed from death to life! Jesus is your Saviour…what a good, good God we have!

Thanks for joining me in my adventure to read the Bible chronologically! Today’s post comes from Numbers 16-17, Psalm 90. Tomorrow, I will be reading Numbers 18-20.