Sunday 28th July
Read Psalm 67
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 Psalm begins with “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us”. Great, wonderful, we’d all like God to shine on us like that. However, it is not for the self-regarding motive that might be behind it. On the contrary the second verse tells us why the Psalmist prays this way – “so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations”
When God is good to us, we should let others know, let them know to whom we give thanks and praise in our lives.
“May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him” (V7) Amen.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday Numbers 4:1-49
When the tabernacle and its contents were to be moved everyone had a special role to perform. Aaron and his sons as priests were the ones to prepare the innermost elements of the Tabernacle including the covering of the Ark and the Table of the presence and the various dishes and bowls used in their priestly service. As well as cloth coverings the top covering tachash which was a waterproof skin which was possibly that of the dugong (or sea horse) which was plentiful around the waters around Arabia.
Eleazar, now the senior son of Aaron was to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and its furnishings and would instruct the Kohathites as to what to do but the Kohathites were not to be allowed into the central part of the sanctuary.
The Gershonite clan of the Levites were to carry all the curtains and soft furnishings of the tabernacle under the direction of Aaron. The Merarite clan of the Levites were to be the ‘heavy lifters’ of the Levites, they were to carry the wooden frames and structure of the tabernacle including all the tent pegs, ropes and general equipment belonging to the tabernacle. Aaron would instruct them in what they were to do.
At v49 we find that “at the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry. If we look at this example as a template for the Church in later years we should take note of the diverse use of people and that the service of God was not something to be done by one or two people. Yes, some roles such as that of teaching and leading will be for some but everyone will have a role and duty to perform.
The New International Bible heads up this chapter “The Purity of the Camp” and starts with a command to Moses to send out of the camp any with a zub (discharge or flow) and any with a tsara (often translated as leprosy but more likely any skin disease possibly flaky). Different reasons are often given but I suppose it indicates something wrong with the body, not as it should be.
At v5 we see a different kind of illness but this time in the body politic. Any wrongs against a neighbour must be put right by restitution because any wrong done is a wrong against God (v5)
From 11-31 we have a lengthy section on the jealousy of a husband who suspects his wife of adultery. A detailed procedure is spelt out which involves the priest, offerings and oaths taken with the result being the acquittal of the woman or a curse being applied. If we think of this in its context in the chapter it seems to be about purity within the camp. False witness against a woman was either to be substantiated or departed from because allowing such in the camp would be polluting (fast forward to Annanias and Saphirra in Acts 5). The question is often asked about the male side of such liaisons and that is dealt with in Deut 22:22-27 where male adultery is due a death penalty. Here the subject is testing the allegation. Adultery is against the sixth commandment whoever is involved but false allegation against a wife is perhaps more difficult to prove.
Impurity in the camp is not just physical impurity but spiritual impurity as well and is to be dealt with. In the Church it is not just embezzling money that is wrong and polluting, so is ill will between members though sometimes that can have a blind eye turned to it.
In chapter 6 we are introduced to the Nazirite which has nothing to do with Nazareth where Jesus came from or with the word Nazarene. The Nazirite was someone who took a special vow consecrating himself or herself to God for a period. What the vow may have been we do not know but these details are to do with what must be done for the vow. In the book of Acts we find Paul taking a vow when he is back at the Temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:21-26).
The vow involved a period of abstinence from certain things the conclusion of it involved offerings to God given through the priest. The growth of the hair indicated a length of time that the vow would be for.
Christians down the ages have been used to special times or periods of dedication to God involving departures from the norm – best known being Lent although the old Scottish practice of the communion season would be another. However individuals may make a special time of prayer and fasting which is to do with restricting oneself in respect and honour of God. A husband or wife might do something for their partner which involves departing from their usual or normal way of going about their life, this gives a pattern of what one might do in devotion to God.
Thursday Numbers 6:22-27
These few verses at the close of the chapter are amongst the most precious in the Bible and have been used in services down the years in many different branches of the Church. It is God’s instruction to Moses to tell the Aaron and his sons how they are to bless the people of Israel. In some ways it is like an Old Testament “Lord’s Prayer” although it is a special prayer for the people of Israel
Inasmuch as it is the Lord who gives the instruction, the blessing is seen as coming from him. In Churches of Scotland it was often sung after the baptism of children and it is indeed a suitable blessing over them as over others too.
“The Lord bless you and keep you” (v24) is a prayer of protection meaning that whatever the course of life may be may God be with you.
“The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you” (v25). The face of God signifies his attention and warmth. If you ever se a child in its mother’s arms who wants Mum’s attention you may see the little hand go up to turn her face towards him. This is what this blessing is about.
“The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (v26). If God turns his face away from his people it means he withholds his attention and blessing. This prayer is that if the people have sinned and lost the favour of God it seeks the face of God again to bring blessing and peace.
God says to Moses that in this way they will put the Name of God on the people. One of the privileges of being a minister leading a service of worship is to pronounce a benediction (which means a “speaking good”) on the congregation before they make their way home.
To all who read these notes these verses are my prayer for you all.
At the dedication of the tabernacle the leaders of the tribes brought gifts for the work of the tabernacle and they were given to the Levites for that work.
After that the leaders brought offerings for the dedication of the sanctuary starting at v12 to v83. In case you are wondering whether there was any difference in the offerings, you can skip over them because all the offerings are identical, indicating the equality of all the tribes before God.
At the end of the chapter, when Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice of God speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the Ark of the covenant. This was the way God spoke to him.
There are of course multiple ideas of what the ark looked like, this is only one, but the voice of God is said to come from the kaporet or mercy seat, being the cover of the ark.
Saturday Numbers 8:1-26
The Lampstand was next which was made of pure gold and designed to light the Holy Place where the priests went about their work. Only once a year did the Hight Priest go behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies where the Ark was to sprinkle blood on the Day of Atonement.
The Levites are then set apart for the work they are to do. In v13 it says that the Levites are presented as a ‘wave offering’ to the Lord. This kind of offering which may have been waved in the sense of movement forwards then backwards seen as a special gift to the Lord. The Levites were given specially to the Lord and received back again for his service. Verses 16-19 give the reason for the choosing of the Levites instead of the firstborn of every woman.
