Today’s reading includes Numbers 6:1-7:89 , Mark 12:38-13:13, Psalm 49:1-20, Proverbs 10:27-28.

As I read Numbers 6:22-28, my heart was joyful and my mind traveled down memory lane.  This is the prayer we have prayed over our children at night for many, many years.  I touch their heads with each phrase and the young ones fight over who gets the last line, so we have to say “give you peace” twice. It is a priestly blessing–words of affirmation and words of promise.  It my daily prayer for my children.  Let’s look at it together.

²² The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²³ Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,

²⁴ The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

We have said these words over our children for many years, but it was only recently that I took time to read the next verse, verse 27.

²⁷ So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

I didn’t realize that in saying this priestly prayer over them, I was actually putting the Lord’s Name upon them.  Think about it for a moment.  When a couple gets married, the bride usually takes the name of the groom.  We know that scripture declares that we, the Church, is the bride and Christ is the groom. We take His Name.

For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

                                                                                    Isaiah 54:5

And maybe an even better example of this is adoption.  We have adopted two children from China.  When they were in China, they bore the name of their situation.  All orphans are given a name, but the last name is an abbreviation of the city in which they were abandoned.  So, all orphans in the city have the same last name, forever identifying them as orphans.  They could not have escaped that lot in life, even after they were grown, if they had stayed there.  When we adopted them, we gave them our name. They are and forever will be Berrys. They will never again be identified as orphans for they bear our name, which tells the world they are a part of our family.  As wonderful as this is, how much more glorious is our adoption into the family of God.

¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba!^[a] Father!”

                                                                                    Romans 8:15

When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, as our Bridegroom, when we are adopted into the family of God, we receive a new name.  We are no longer identified by our past, we are identified as a child of God.  He puts His Name upon us.  And what a mighty powerful name that is!  Praise him this day that He is willing to give us His Name.  May we live a life worthy of that beautiful Name!

Today’s reading includes Numbers 4:1-5:31, Mark 12:18-37, Psalm 48:1-14, Proverbs 10:26.

We are now several chapters into the book of Numbers and before we get too far into it, I think we should stop and think about its purpose.  The author was Moses and he is one of the main characters, as well.  The book is called Numbers for the simple reason that it numbers the people on their journey in the wilderness.  It is a very detailed account of the numbers of the tribes and the people within the tribes.  It is a very detailed account of their journey through the wilderness, as well.  Numbers are important to the Lord.  We have talked much about the holy numbers we see repeated over and over throughout scripture, as well as the symbolism within those numbers.  In detailed accounts of numbering throughout the book of Numbers (and throughout the entire Bible), one must realize that our God is a God of detail.  All the details and all the numbers matter to him.  He speaks to the group as a whole, but He also always speaks to the individual.  The numbers represent details and they represent individuals—both of which are very important to the Lord.

Where else do we see evidence that our God is a God of numbers and a God of details?

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

                                                                                    Psalm 90:12

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

                                                                                    Psalm 147:4

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

                                                                                    Luke 12:6-7

 ‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.

                                                                                    Leviticus 26:9

In the coming days, we will read through a lot of numbers.  Most of these will not make sense to us.  Most will not have a spiritual impact on us.  But what can have a spiritual impact on us as we read these seemingly unimportant details is the things we can learn about the character of God through these details.  He is a God of details.  He cares deeply about the details of your life.  He does not grow weary with the intimate details of your life.  He does not get confused by them, either.  Nothing and no one is beyond His grasp and His care.

Today’s reading includes Numbers 2:1-3:51 , Mark 11:27-12:17, Psalm 47:1-9, Proverbs 10:24-25.

Today we have moved on into a new book of the Bible.  For the next 20 days we will read through Numbers.  But today, I am still reflecting on the last verses of Leviticus.  How does it all end?  All the commandments and rules and instructions which were given to Moses on Mount Sinai finally came to a conclusion, and the very last verse of the book of Leviticus said this:

³⁴ These are the commands that the Lord gave through Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

                                                                                                Leviticus 27: 34

What do we see in this simple last statement?  The commander-in-chief was God Himself.  He gave these to the people through Moses.  This last verse was more of a statement of reiteration.  It is like concluding an important speech with:  “There you go.  That’s it.  I have said what I needed to say.”

And what was the next to the last verse of Leviticus, the one that preceded this conclusion statement?  It was as follows:

³³ You may not pick and choose between good and bad animals, and you may not substitute one for another. But if you do exchange one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy and cannot be bought back.”

                                                                                    Leviticus 27:33

That verse made me pause and think.  The last words of instructions usually have great importance.  When my children leave the house I often shout out the door some final words of importance: “I love you!  Wear your seatbelt!”  or “Don’t forget who you are and Whose you are!”  And the one they really roll their eyes at: “Make good choices!”

So, let’s look at God’s parting words to Moses (for the people) before he left Mount Sinai.  These are the points that stuck out to me.

You may not substitute one for another.  They had just been told to count off every tenth animal from their herds and flocks and set them apart for the Lord as holy, which ultimately meant they were set apart to be killed as a sacrifice.  And then it says not to pick and choose between good and bad animals and that they could not substitute.  These words reminded me that I am not an adequate sacrifice for another.  I can stand in the gap and pray like crazy, but I am not capable of saving someone.  I am not an adequate sacrifice.

But if you do exchange one animal for another… This is an escape clause that God graciously added, which hints at an exchange, a substitution to come.

But if you do exchange one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy… This hints at a powerful truth.  How can we be made holy?  Only through the shed blood, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.  Jesus took on our sins, he carried them for us, all of the sins of the world were placed on His holy head as our scapegoat, our substitute.  That fact did not make Him unholy.  He was the only Substitute who could carry our sins and remain holy Himself, while at the same time make us holy in the process of substitution.

…both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy and cannot be bought back… This was in reference to the fact that in the Year of Jubilee, everything returned to its original owner.  But in this case, the animal and its substitute would never be bought back or returned to its original owner.  And in these simple words, my heart rejoices.  I am not going back to the way I was before.  I am not returning to a life of worldliness.  I can and will remain holy, not of my own efforts or good works, but because My Substitute made me holy and nothing can take that away from me.  Praise God!

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

                                                                                                John 10:27-30

Today’s reading includes Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54, Mark 11:1-26, Psalm 46:1-11, and Proverbs 10:23.  As I read through the assigned reading, I asked the Lord if there was anything I needed to see in this sea of information.  Specifically, I saw the “dedication” written over and over.  If you dedicate a house to the Lord; If someone dedicates to the Lord a piece of his family property… The details were in relation to buying things back after the Year of Jubilee.  The value of property, livestock, and land revolved around how close it was to the next Year of Jubilee.  Because property and slaves were “freed” during the Year of Jubilee, the value of it changed according to how close it was to the time they had to give it up.  What freedom that must have been knowing that they could not “hang on” to things.

One verse that caught my attention is found in Leviticus 27:28

“However, anything specially set apart for the Lord—whether a person, an animal, or family property—must never be sold or bought back.  Anything devoted in this way has been set apart as holy, and it belongs to the Lord.”

In the previous verses the word used is dedicated, but in this passage the word is “devoted”—specially set apart for the Lord.  Dedicating something is very special and meaningful. Devoting something is even deeper, more meaningful.  Dedicating is like holding something up and saying I want you to have a part of this, be a part of this.  Devoting something is like holding it up and saying I want you to have all of this, be in total control.  Look at some verses which utilize this deep word, “devote”.

Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God.

Psalm 86:2

I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

Psalm 119:45

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Matthew 6:22

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2

We can dedicate ourselves to God, but it is much better to devote ourselves to God.  Being devoted to God will bring about a holiness that may falter if we are simply dedicated.  The word dedicate alludes to a one-time announcement; being devoted alludes to an on-going, never ending work.  To be devoted is to be set apart.  Being set apart can be lonely.  It is walking the extra mile, going further distance.  It is seeking until you find, loving no matter what, taking up and carrying our cross, no matter how heavy.  And one more thing about being devoted… we can’t take it back.  We can’t change our mind or decide it’s too hard.

I want to be devoted.  I want to go the extra mile, seek with all my heart, and move closer and closer to my Lord each day.  Let’s not just dedicate ourselves to Him, let’s devote ourselves to Him.  Today and every day.