I was reading yesterday and today, and both days I noticed something interesting (and profound, for me). In Number 1:5, YHWH tells Moshe (Moses) “These are the men to take with you: …” He then proceeds to name specifically each of the men that He wants. What’s the big deal? He knows them by name! For some reason this hit a little deeper today. There are hundreds of thousands of Israelites, and YHWH knew exactly which ones He wanted to go with Moshe! He didn’t say vaguely, “Take with you the leaders of the clans.” No, He called them out by name. The people of Israel weren’t just nameless masses to Him. And we aren’t either. There may be billions of people on this planet, but Yeshua and YHHW know me by name and He doesn’t just call out for that woman in that state who does… He calls me Amanda. And that is amazing! The second part of that is in Numbers 4:32. YHWH told Moshe to assign each specific person (each person by name) a load. YHWH knows our names, and He has specific tasks or loads for us to carry out. I think that is awesome! It’s so easy to think of YHWH as so big that He can’t possibly know all the little details. Those things He must surely delegate to others. But, no! Even the details like giving us a task by name are His choices and His desires for us! Hallelujah!
Numbers 27:23 and he laid his hands upon him, and commissioned him as the LORD directed through Moses. Two interesting things stuck me with this verse. 1. Moses laid his hands on Joshua as God has directed him previously, passing some of his authority on to him. It’s interesting to me that the word hands also means, metaphorically, strength and power. So, the laying on of hands is metaphorically (and sometimes literally) the transfer or conveyance of strength and power from one person to another. In this case it was so Joshua could lead Israel into the Promised Land with authority. But we also see this with people who are healed. 2. The last part of this verse doesn’t say what it seems to. In the Hebrew that I looked at on the Blue Letter Bible site, there is no word that says through. The word is hand. So it actually says something like as the Yehovah commanded the hand of Mosheh. It’s interesting. I don’t know if it’s important, but it’s weird what they change. And, as always I wonder if I’m totally off because I don’t understand the grammatical structure of the language (I understand it mentally, but I can’t read Hebrew so that knowledge is kind of useless). Anyway, I don’t know what I’m supposed to learn from this. It’s interesting, but what’s the application? Obviously, Moses wasn’t too proud or too power-hungry to relinquish control to another when it was his time to die (in fact, he was the one who told God that someone needed to be appointed in his place so that Israel would have a shepherd). Maybe it’s a reminder that there’s a time to step down out of power and let others take over. Again, I don’t know how that applies to me as I have very little power, except as a mom… but perhaps in that case it’s a reminder that there comes a time when I need to step back and let my boys be men and allow other me to speak into their lives. Not yet, since they’re both under 3, but eventually.
Numbers 21:8 Then the LORD said to Moses, ” [fn] Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live. My first thought when I read this verse was about the serpent. Why would God create something that could easily become an idol? My second thought was, “Why is serpent italicized?” And my last thought was that it’s not about the serpent, it’s about obedience. Generally italicized words mean that they aren’t present in the original text or there’s some question about them. The word used in the text is “seraph” which can mean a fiery serpent or it can mean a being like the seraphim. I’m not sure why it’s in italics since it seems to be in the text. So, that aside, my thinking it, it’s not about what’s on the pole, it’s about whether or not I look. If I put a toy car on a pole and told you that if you looked at is after being bitten by a snake you’d be healed, you’d probably think I was nuts and laugh. You’d probably run to get your first aid kit. But it’s such a simple fix. Will you go and look? Being obedient means life. Being skeptical means death. Do I obey even when it seems weird or silly? Or do I shake my head and walk away? I don’t have to understand to believe. That’s the hardest part for me, since I tend to be such a Greek thinker. But that’s not how God works. Obedience is an expression of my faith in God. Do I trust Him to do what He says? Do I trust Him to be what He says? Do I trust His character and love? Do I obey?
Numbers 16:45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. Twice in as many days God was going to eliminate the Israelites for rising up against Moses and questioning his authority from God. Yet each time Moses interceded for the people. Sometimes he begged God to be merciful because he didn’t want the nations to think that God couldn’t bring His people to the land He had promised, thereby allowing the nations to think God was weak. Sometimes he just acted on behalf of all the people who weren’t involved in the uprising. But, it’s interesting to me that even in the face of harsh criticism and danger, Moses was compassionate and forgiving. Only once did he become angry, and that was after several men blamed him as the reason why they were condemned to wander in the desert until all the men over 20 had died (clearly they forgot that it was their fault). Honestly, he probably felt a little of what God might feel when we blame Him for things that are obviously our fault. Anyway, twice Moses stood between God and the people of Israel. The first time the men who sided with Korah were consumed by the earth. The second time 14,700 were consumed by plague before Aaron could take the censor of the Lord and stand in the path of death. There are times when I am every bit as stubborn and stupid and ridiculous as the people of Israel were in this passage. I blame God for things that I did. I refuse to forgive other people and forget to repent of the disobedience I do. And yet, by the grace of God and the blood of Yeshua, I am not completely destroyed. My guilt is removed so God will not strike me down. I still must face the consequences of my actions though, especially since that’s part of how things work (that cause/effect thing). Do I learn from these times? Or do I turn around and blame other people? Do I blame God? Sometimes, yes. To all three.
Numbers 13:16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. “What’s in a name? A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet!” These famous words, uttered by Juliet on her balcony may be true of a rose, but in Hebrew culture, a name was important and signified something about a person. So, I find it interesting that Moses renames Joshua. Hoshea (Joshua’s given name) means salvation. But Moses changes it to Joshua (which means The Lord is my salvation). His name is changed before they go in and scout out the land. It’s almost like Moses knew there would be trouble. Naming also implies ownership or control over something. Adam named the animals, demonstrating his superiority over them and fulfilling God’s purpose for him to take dominion over the creatures of the land. He calls his wife Woman (Ishshah) – it’s not her name, it’s who she is. When he does finally give her a name, signifying his taking of control from her and now ruling over her (no forgiveness here), he names her after her greatest failure (Havah, which means snake). If you’re interested in the role of the woman as an ezer and on the whole issue of “The Fall” you should listen to Skip Moen’s series on Genesis, as well as his series on the Biblical Worldview. It’s really interesting! Anyway, God renames people when something significant has happened (Abram is renamed because of the promise, I think; and Jacob is renamed after wrestling with God). But in this case, it’s Moses who names, and nothing significant (that I know of) has happened. I wonder why Moses renamed Hoshea? Did he know that all the scouts would come back with a negative report? Did getting a new name change something about Joshua inside? Did Moses already see seeds of leadership in Hoshea and realize he would be a good successor? I’m sure there’s significance in the fact that Moses changes his name’s meaning from simply salvation to the Lord is my salvation. Certainly it was a reflection on the fact that God had brought them out of the desert and was about to show them the land He had promised them generations ago. Very interesting, and I wish I knew more. But I can’t quite afford a whole library of the books I want to read right now… So, for the moment, I’ll trust that God knows, and maybe one day I will, too.
Numbers 12: 3-8 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.…6And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” Miriam and Aaron had questioned Moses’ relationship with God because he had married a non-Jewish woman (he did this after leaving Egypt and prior to the “burning bush” incident). An interesting point is made here. First, if Moses did indeed write Numbers, then he was making these points about himself… which must have felt a little awkward. But anyway, God tells Miriam and Aaron that Moses is the most faithful servant in His house. When God speaks to prophets He comes in dreams, visions, and riddles. But when God speaks to Moses it’s clear and face to face. Clearly they had a remarkable and special relationship! You’d think having that kind of relationship, one that no one else had, would make Moses proud of his position and “rank” with God. But, no, Moses was the meekest man alive. Meek in Hebrew doesn’t mean just humble. It implies that he had power but had chosen not to use it in order to submit to another. Moses was meek because he clearly had the ear of God and God had granted him power, but he chose not to use it to lord over others. Instead, he “domesticated” it. He submitted himself to God’s will, only using his gifts as God chose. He was probably also keenly aware of how insignificant man is in relationship to God’s power and might, especially since he literally saw God’s form on a regular basis. He knew that no matter how unique his relationship with God may be, he was completely undeserving. Why does it matter? Well, if I have any power, it should be submitted to God and His will, instead of being used to further my goals and ambitions. And I should continually remember that it is by GRACE alone that I am allowed in the presence of the Almighty God. Pretty tough lessons to learn. But, I think that the more I am able to do that, the closer I will be to the heart of God. And that’s where I want to be.
Numbers 11:26 But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but had not gone out unto the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. The people of Israel wanted meat to eat and were complaining about it to Moses. Moses was tired of their whining and complained about the burden of being responsible for all the people. God agreed and told him to gather together 70 elders who would share the burden with him. He did as God said, but two men didn’t make it to the meeting (maybe they had to stay in camp to “watch” the people). Interestingly, when God’s Spirit rested on the elders who had assembled, it also found the men who weren’t there and rested on them. They prophesied in the same manner as those who had met Moses to receive the responsibility of the people. Sometimes we’re not where we should be, but God can find us no matter where we are. And just because we’re left behind in camp doesn’t mean that God won’t use us. His Spirit found these two men and filled them, despite their location. Another interesting thing to point out in this story is that it’s about the people “lusting” for the things they had or the things that others had. Ultimately it made God mad, especially after all the things He’d done (like giving them manna and keeping them alive as they fled from Egypt), and He caused a plague to kill many of them. The other day some friends of mine were telling me about this home they had just purchased for an insanely small amount of money. And I admit, I was jealous. I would love to be able to have a place of my own, especially when the market it so low and home prices aren’t ridiculously unaffordable. It’s easy to get frustrated and lust after those things which aren’t mine. BUT, as I spoke my frustration to God, I remember all the ways I am incredibly blessed. I have a place to live that is comfortable and clean and affordable (free, which is all we really can afford until the boys get out of daycare). My mom’s generosity in this is amazing. And I remember that they are older than I am and have had more time to get life sorted out. They’re on a different path than I am as well. There’s a plan and a purpose for each thing in life. There are lessons to be learned at every stage along the way. I don’t want to forget the blessings God’s given me and to complain about the things I don’t have. Sometimes that’s hard, but I believe He understands. I’m thankful that He’s so patient with me!