February 27, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

Numbers 8 - God instructed Moses to set the lampstand in the Holy Place to give light on all the objects there.  Then He ordered Moses to have all the Levites cleansed and prepared for service.  They were chosen by God in place of all the first born of Israel.  They would assist Aaron and his two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar in their duties in the Tabernacle.  This was especially necessary since the death of Nadab and Abihu when they offered strange incense before the Lord.  The Levites had a special responsibility to perform and they were to live dedicated lives to God as they served.

Numbers 9 - As the second year came while Israel was camped at Sinai they were to hold the celebration of the Passover at the appropriate time.  When some men had been defiled by a corpse, they were told to celebrate the Passover one month later.  God reminded the people to keep their eyes on His cloudy pillar in the daytime and the pillar of fire at night.  That would assure them of God's presence but also would be used to signal the times they were to resume their journey.  For us today our times of prayer with the Lord and obeying His Word gives us the guidance we need each day.

Numbers 10 - God gave the people the practical instruction of making trumpets to be used in giving the appropriate signals to the people of Israel in a way they all could hear.  The trumpets were to be used in this manner as well as in warfare and in their various celebrations.  By verse 11 of this chapter the people of Israel were instructed and led by God to leave Sinai and begin their march toward the borders of the Promised Land.  Each tribe moved in order of their encampment and the Levitical families disassembled the Tabernacle and moved in their place amongst the tribes.  Moses asked Hobab, the son of Moses' father-in-law, to journey with them and give them practical advice along the way.  The Lord clearly led the people in their journeys.