Sunday 18th August
Read Psalm 70
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
This short Psalm is a plea to God for salvation from enemies who want to take the good name or the life of David. There are people who want to bring shame on David possibly by finding things out about him that could bring shame on him. They are those who say “Aha, aha”, pointing their fingers at him. Have you ever had that kind of experience? People who don’t wish you well and would love it if you came tumbling down because of something in your life. It isn’t pleasant is it?
David wants those who desire his ruin to have their own lives turned back in disgrace but he wants all who seek God to rejoice and be glad in him. Those who long for God’s saving help ought to be able to say after his divine help, “The Lord is great!” However David isn’t there yet for he says “As for me I am poor and needy, come quickly to me, O God”. He knows God is his deliverer but finishes his petition with “Lord, don’t delay”. If you feel in similar situations, pray the same and wait, for God hears those who seek him.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday Numbers 15:37-41
The end of the chapter introduces an item of dress that has an interesting purpose. The apron-like garment that was worn around the hips and loins of the Hebrew man was to have tassels of blue cord on the corners. The blue signified aristocracy although in their case it was to indicate the presence of God and particularly of God’s law.
As the man walked he would find those tassels always gently knocking against him and that was designed to remind him of God’s law as he went about his work. “You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes” (v39). You will often see present day Jews wearing a Kippah, o small head cap which is a similar reminder that God is over them and sees all that they do. Physical reminders of who we are and who it is that we serve is a useful thing for us all.
Tuesday Numbers 16:1-40
This chapter tells the tale of the rebellion under Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Korah was a Levite, Dathan and Abiram, Reubenites but together, with 250 Israelite leaders, they came to oppose Moses and Aaron telling them that they had gone too far in their leadership because the whole Israelite community was holy, not just them.
Moses, who we were told earlier was a most humble man, fell down on his face in sorrow at this evidence of pride on the part of these people. He knew that God had called him and Aaron but he didn’t argue with them but arranged for God to show his will in this by calling for a gathering the next day. On that day the rebels were to put burning coals of incense in censers, symbolic of the prayers of the men before God, and God would show who he had chosen. He told the Levites who had been given special privilege over the people by being the carriers of the Ark and attendants at the tabernacle services that they had gone too far in raising themselves up in this way. They were like elders in the Church wanting to put the minister in his place. The end result in the appearance of God in the cloud over the tent brought fiery judgment on Korah and his Levite followers, Dathan and Abiram and their families were swallowed up by the earth.
Note that in all this, Moses prayed to God to have mercy on all the people and not to sweep them all away. He had a great shepherdly care for the flock God had given him to look after even when their rebellion deserved no peace or pardon.
No, we are not finished with grumbling. The day after the death of Korah and his allies, Dathan and Abiram, the people rose up and accused Moses and Aaron of ‘killing the Lord’s people’. What a cheek, however it betrays a lack of understanding of God and his servant, Moses. Presumably the people must have seen something of the death of these apostate people but put it down to Moses because they thought he had control over the God who lived in this cloud. How far from the truth this was they were about to find out as a plague struck them, the answer of the Lord.
It is not uncommon for people to blame the minister of God’s Word for saying something that comes from that Word. However we should note the response of Moses which was not one of criticism or self defence but of humility and prayer. God said to Moses to get away from this people for he would put an end to them, but Moses, through Aaron, seeking to make atonement for the people with fire from the altar along with the incense of prayer, held back the judgment of God on the people. It reminds us of the New Testament teaching of Jesus to bless enemies.
Because of the constant grumbling of the people against the leadership of Moses and Aaron God told Moses to gather leaders from the 12 tribes of Israel and make 12 staffs to represent them. The name of Aaron was on the staff of the Levites.
The staffs were placed in the tent of meeting before the Ark of the covenant and in the morning Aaron’s staff had budded and produced fruit while none of the others had. This was a symbol to all the tribes of God’s choice of Aaron as High Priest and of Moses and Aaron as God’s chosen leaders.
The people got the message as the concluding verses tell although they over-react saying “Are we all going to die?” The answer is No but they ought to heed Moses and Aaron’s leadership.
This chapter is about the duties of the priests and Levites which God lays out for Aaron and his sons to take note of. The role of a priest is to act as an intermediary between God and the people and it is a very special privilege and he wants the Levites to realise this and to attend to their duties with care.
Perhaps the first thing that strikes us is the fierceness of the strictures. The Levites were to help the priests in their work but must steer clear of the Holy Place in the centre of the Tent for that was specially for the role of the priests. Should they cross that boundary they would die, also Aaron and his sons were to take care of the sanctuary or else the wrath of God would fall on the Israelites. The reason we find it strange is because we fail to understand the holiness of God and the consequent great gulf there is between us and him. If it weren’t that we were taught and heeded the dangers of radiation we would wonder why we ought not to go near it but because we DO know it we keep well clear. Unprotected we would die before the holiness of God; He who stood in for us on the cross shows us we have no protection apart from him against the fearsomeness of sin, yet in his resurrection its power is lost, and wrapped up in him we are protected and saved as God’s angel of death descends. Its action being seen in the Passover which the priests enacted in the Sanctuary atonement.
Notice what God says to Aaron – “I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift” (V7). The gift we have in Christ as our High Priest is always to be remembered and is so in the sacrament of communion in his body and blood.
Saturday Numbers 18:8-32
God now addresses Aaron and tells him that he is putting him in charge of all the holy offerings. They are offerings to God but he allows proportions of the offerings to be granted to Aaron and his sons because the Levites had no portion in the new land by which they could make a living for themselves so they are supported by the people’s offerings, a part of which God designates for them.
The practice of the community of God’s people supporting those who serve them in God’s service was continued in the New Testament as well (e.g. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18). The word ‘tithe’ or tenth is mentioned in that the giving of the people and the priests was to be defined as a tenth and although given to Aaron, he himself must give a tenth of the offerings to the Lord (v28). The Old Testament tenth has been often used in the Christian Church as a guid for what one should give of one’s income and it still remains a good guide however as C.S. Lewis once said, “the only safe rule is to give more than one can afford”. At any rate what we plan to give is to be seen as holy to the Lord and not as something that we can play with for our own ends.
