“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord show His face to thee, and have mercy on thee. The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.”
A prayer, a blessing, compassion in the Old Testament—Numbers, Chapter 6!
Sometimes in life when we do the work, challenge our thinking patterns and trust God, approach old material with an open mind, an open heart and with a sense of presence, that this is our only and only life here on earth, the words, the facts penetrate us with a new story, a new opportunity!
The Lord’s countenance—approval or favor; encouragement; moral support; appearance, especially the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance; the face; visage; calm facial expression; composure.
I see a compassionate God, don’t you?
Yes, evil things happen in the world but God doesn’t orchestrate them to torture us, the Devil does and God is always there to give us comfort and peace of mind if we so believe in the resurrection of Christ and ourselves.
Numbers tell the story of the Exodus and Leviticus in more quantifiable terms.
All twelve princes of the twelve tribes of Israel basically gave the same offering at the dedication of the tabernacle in the day when it was consecrated—according to the weight of the sanctuary; a little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense—among the gifts. These things were offered in the dedication of the altar, when it was anointed.
Expectations and procedures are more clearly defined in Numbers.
Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shall purify them, according to this rite:
And when the Levites are before the Lord, the children of Israel shall put their hands upon them.
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel, both of men and of beasts, are mine.
What does that mean? Are the first born of each family called to be a minister?
That being purified they might go into the tabernacle of the covenant to do their services before Aaron and his sons.
This is the law of the Levites
And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve and they shall be the ministers of the brethren in the tabernacle of the covenant, to keep the things that are committed to their care, but not to do the works.
Early retirement of Levite priests? Much different today!
Let the children of Israel make the phase (Passover) in its due time.
But if any man is clean, and was not on a journey, and did not make the phase (Passover), that soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he offered not the sacrifice to the Lord in due season: he shall bear his sin.
So now, in Numbers, the children of Israel, having received God’s blessing and commandments through Moses at Mount Sanai are ready, actually being told by God, that it is time to move onward to the Promise Land with their portable tabernacle.
So it was always: by day the cloud covered it, and by night as it were the appearance of fire. By the word of the Lord they pitched their tents, and by his word they marched: and kept the watches of the Lord according to his commandment by the hand of Moses.
If you go forth to war out of your land against the enemies that fight against you, you shall sound aloud with trumpets, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, that you may be delivered out of the hands of your enemies.
That they may be a remembrance of your God.
We are going towards the place which the Lord will give us; come with us, that we may do thee good; for the Lord hath promised good things to Israel.
I will not go with thee, but I will return to my country, wherein I was born.
So they marched from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them.
Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face. And when it was set down, he said: Retune, O Lord, to the multitude of the host of Israel.
With a prayer, God is Leading His Children Home to the Promise Land.
Day 47: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; With a Prayer, God is Leading His Children Home to the Promise Land.
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Numbers Chapters 6-10
Bible Notes:
This Book is so called, because it begins with a census of the Hebrew nations.
It describes their departure from Mount Sinai, their journey to Moab, and gives various rules for distribution of the Promised Land.
Numbers Chapter 6: Duties of the Nazarites; Consecration of Nazarites; Formula of the priestly blessing.
When a man, or a woman, shall make a vow to be sanctified, and will consecrate themselves to the Lord, they shall abstain from wine, and from every thing that may make a man drunk.
Nor shall they eat grapes either fresh or dried.
They shall eat nothing that cometh of the vineyard, from the raisin even to the kernel.
He shall be holy, and let the hair of his head grow,
This is the law of consecration. When the days which he had determined by vow shall be expired.
Then shall the hair of the consecration of the Nazarite, be shaven off before the door of the tabernacle of the covenant: and he shall take his hair, and lay it upon the fire, which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord show His face to thee, and have mercy on thee. The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.
Countenance—approval or favor; encouragement; moral support; appearance, especially the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance; the face; visage; calm facial expression; composure.
Numbers Chapter 7: Dedication of the tabernacle; Offering of Nahasson, Nathanael, Eliab, Elisar, Salamiel, Eliasaph, Elisama, Gamaliel, Abidan, Ahiezer, Phegiel, Ahira; Totals of the offerings of the princes (12); God speaks to Moses from the propitiatory.
The princes of Israel and the heads of the families, in every tribe, who were the rulers of them who had been numbered, offered their gifts before the Lord…
And thou shalt deliver them to the Levites according to the order of their ministry
According to their necessity
According to their offices and service
But to the sons of Caath he gave no wagons or oxen because they serve in the sanctuary and carry their burdens upon their own shoulders.
Let each of the princes one day after another offer their gifts for the dedication of the altar.
Nahasson, the son of Aminadab of the tribe of Juda
Nathanael, the son of Suar, prince of the tribe of Issachar
Eliab, the prince of the sons of Zabulon, Eliab the son of Helon
Elisur, the prince of the sons of Ruben, Elisur the son of Sedeur
Salamiel, the prince of the sons of Simeon, Salamiel the son of Surisaddai
Eliasaph, the prince of the sons of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Duel
Elisama, the prince of the sons of Ephraim, Elisama the son of Ammiud
Gamaliel, the prince of the sons of Manasses, Gamaliel the son of Phadassur
Abidan, the prince of the sons of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gedeon
Ahiezar, the prince of the sons of Dan, Ahiezar the son of Ammisaddai
Phegiel, the prince of the sons of Aser, Phegiel the son of Ochran
Ahira, the prince of the sons of Nephtali, Ahiraa the sons of Enan
According to the weight of the sanctuary
A little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense
All twelve princes of the twelve tribes of Israel basically gave the same offering at the dedication of the tabernacle In the day when it was consecrated—according to the weight of the sanctuary; a little mortar of gold weighing ten sicles full of incense—among the gifts.
In the day when it was consecrated
These things were offered in the dedication of the altar, when it was anointed.
Numbers Chapter 8: The golden candlestick; Ordination of the Levites; Age required for Levitical service.
Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shall purify them, according to this rite:
And let them shave all the hairs of their flesh
And when the Levites are before the Lord, the children of Israel shall put their hands upon them.
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel, both of men and of beasts, are mine.
First born of family are God’s, called to ministry?
That being purified they might go into the tabernacle of the covenant to do their services before Aaron and his sons.
This is the law of the Levites
And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve and they shall be the ministers of the brethren in the tabernacle of the covenant, to keep the things that are committed to their care, but not to do the works.
Numbers Chapter 9: Commandment to celebrate the Pasch; An alternate Pasch is permitted; A cloud and a fire over the tabernacle.
Let the children of Israel make the phase in its due time.
We are unclean by the occasion of the soul of man.
But if any man is clean, and was not on a journey, and did not make the phase, that soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he offered not the sacrifice to the Lord in due season: he shall bear his sin.
So it was always: by day the cloud covered it, and by night as it were the appearance of fire.
The children of Israel kept the watches of the Lord
By the word of the Lord they pitched their tents, and by his word they marched: and kept the watches of the Lord according to his commandment by the hand of Moses.
Pasch—the Jewish festival of Passover; Easter
Numbers Chapter 10: The silver trumpets; Israelites move from Sinai to Pharan; Moses asks Hobab to be the guide; Moses’ prayer.
When the trumpets shall sound for a march
The sons of Aaron the priest shall sound the trumpets
If you go forth to war out of your land against the enemies that fight against you, you shall sound aloud with trumpets, and there shall be a remembrance of you before the Lord your God, that you may be delivered out of the hands of your enemies.
That they may be a remembrance of your God.
And the children of Israel marched by their troops from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Pharan.
And the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set forward, bearing it.
Then the Caathites also marched carrying the sanctuary.
We are going towards the place which the Lord will give us; come with us, that we may do thee good; for the Lord hath promised good things to Israel.
I will not go with thee, but I will return to my country, wherein I was born.
So they marched from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them…
Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face. And when it was set down, he said: Retune, O Lord, to the multitude of the host of Israel.
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