"The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar at the time it was anointed. They each placed their gifts before the altar."
Numbers 7:10
Numbers 7:10
My Take Aways
Something Old:
Numbers 7:89
I love hearing the voice of God.
Something New:
Numbers 7
Each tribe brought the same offerings.
Something to Do:
Ask God what I need to bring to Him as an offering for the Dedication Day of my temple.
Sunday School Lesson
I drew a triangle on the board and labeled the top God, bottom right "Me", and bottom left Jesus.
God
Exodus 29:45-46
Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the LORD their God.
live
shakan (shaw-kan`) Strong's 7931
to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside
Jesus
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
dwell
skenoo (skay-no`-0) Strong's 4636
to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abid (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent) to dwell
Me
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in your, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.
temple
naos (nah-os`) Strong's 3485
used of the temple of Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (in classical Greek it used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of gold was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure)
27 Comments:
Morgen, thank you for your digging into the "atonement" cover Or "Mercy" seat! Great stuff!
Wendy, thank you for challenging us to think about our offering for the dedication of our temple; ourselves. I know that during the comments last week, people were wondering what they should give up for Lent. About three years ago, I started giving up bad habits, and taking on good habits. Last year, I began fasting on the first day of every month. It was a powerful thing and it helped me to hear God and His will for me. Towards the end of the year, I stopped doing this, but I think I will renew my commitment to fast once a month again this year. There are some good resources about fasting. I will just post my favorites;
http://www.spirithome.com/fasting.html
http://www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm
My new today; each tribe brought the same offering. I also noted that there were 12 tribes including Ephraim and Manasseh and excluding Levi (with Joseph divided in 2) - just as was foretold in Genesis 49.
I wish you all a good day and a good start to a new week! I am looking forward to another wonderful week of learning new nuggets!
Karen, Basel
WOW! I am refreshed and ready for a new week! I can't wait to listen to your vlog again, Wendy! There is so much you added to our reading and I really want to pray about the message and be open to the teaching of the Lord this morning and throughout His day. It puts a smile on my face and I prepares me for another day. I wish everyone a great day!
Bethany
Ahhh...school vacation week here in New England. I look forward to having more time for reading and reflection.
I found the cloud covering the Tabernacle to be a fascinating concept. When the cloud moved, the people of Israel obediently moved. How comforting it must have been for them to be able to see the cloud during the day, and the fire-lit cloud at night, and KNOW that God was with them. It brought to my mind the image of small churches with their beautiful spires, built by the Pilgrims who embarked on a long journey to the New World to worship God as they felt they should. The spire was there for all to see, a visual reminder that God was with them. As I travel on my own spiritual journey, learning to worship God and conduct my life according to His will, what visible sign can I erect? Today I think I will put something on my kitchen windowsill, since I spend so much time at my kitchen sink (don't we all) as my reminder that God is with me.
Peace,
Michelle
It has been awhile since committing - been keeping up with the reading at least and video posts!
Most of this was new. I did find it interesting that each tribe brought the same offereing. In the previous readings I also like how the Israelites did "just as the Lord had commanded him."
Why were the Levites separated from the other tribes- "So Moses took the wagons and four oxen and presented them to the Levite."
Michelle - love the image of the spires and the markers we can have as visual reminders.
We have had several new things in our lives over the last serveral months. It makes me think of that daily renewal we can have each day as we pick up our cross. That journey that newness brings - the touch, the feel, and the smell. We can have that feeling of newness each day as we dedicate our temple to the One and Only!
Have a great Monday!
Meredith in OK
It should of said it has been awhile since commenting!
Good Morning & Happy Monday!
1)heard in a new way; Numbers 7:1-83 Each tribe was to give the same dedication offerings. Each tribe is equal in the sight of the Lord. They each has the same ability to come before the Lord. There is a a fairness in all of this that one tribe wasn't better or had more honor before the Lord. None of the tribes could boast of having a better offering their brothers. All are equal before God.
2)did not know; Numbers 7:12-88 all the animals are males.
3)nugget; We each have opportunities to come before the Lord. My gifts to or from the Lord isn't better or less then someone else. To stop comparing & to focus on what I am doing in the Lord.
Blessings & Peace Mary
Wendy, thank you for the vlog!
I am behind on posting, but PTL, not behind on reading. The past week has been so crazy and there just didn't seem to be enough time in the day.
Karen, I love the idea of setting aside a specific day of each month to surrender to God in that way. A convenant with Him. Thanks so much for that idea. I hope you don't mind me stealing a page out of your book.;-)
So glad to be back this morning!
Morning~
Thank you Wendy for your lesson!
Something Old: I remember thinking how tender God was when He told Moses, “Receive their gifts, and use these oxen and wagons for transporting the Tabernacle” (Numbers 7:4). Rather than have to carry the heavy loads He arranged for them to receive oxen! He takes care of our every need.
Something New: I noticed how each one of the offerings from the leaders were exactly the same. I almost wanted to skim-read. Each gift was identical. Each leader was recognized by name for his gift. Then, it hit me: every gift and act of service to our Father is remembered.
Something to Do: To not forget that God, El Roi, not only sees what we give, but, He is looking to see that the receiver of the gift uses it for His glory.
EnJOY today dear friends, Lori
PS Leslie~ I’m taking Beth’s new class on, The Tabernacle (It was her first Bible Study ever, and she recently redid it). This week she had us do the “first” drawing-I’m so eager to see how she will pull it all together. The anticipation! Morgon~loved what you shared with us, too! I noticed the lid, the cover, the atonement cover and you helped me get it! I learn visually too, and drawing it and labeling it w/ the different names has helped me. I keep referring to it to see what they are talking about and where it is located! The location to every single item is so important.
Karen~Thank you for sharing with us re: fasting. and...glad to have you back Danielle! I've missed your comments!
New: I had been wondering how the priests would be able to tear down, carry and then set up this elaborate Tabernacle. So glad to see there were 6 carts and 12 oxen to pull those carts. Just think of the 75 lb. gold lampstands they had to carry on their shoulders though! It amazed me that they would pack it all up for maybe just one night of traveling and then have to set it all back up again! And they did this for 40 years! The LORD was really training them in unquestioning obedience.
My take-away: How often do I question what the LORD wants me to do? A Lot!!! hmmm I need to think about how to change this.
Cindy
Michelle - the Levites were set aside as the priests and the ones to handle the temple - no one could touch the Ark of the Covenant unless they were a Levite.
Today I noticed God's "exactness". Each tribe gave exactly the same thing. No one was more special to God than another. Jealousy was avoided.
How much work was involved in setting up, taking down and moving the temple - sometimes daily. Do I do the work I need to do with my temple? Help me Lord.
Morgen
Karen, I've been noticing, too, how we're reading all about the honor and respect given to the Ark just as we're heading into the Lenten season! It definitely is helping to keep me focused on preparing. Thanks for sharing your resources!
Jeanne, thanks for the reference from Matthew. :-)
Grace and Peace, thanks for the list of commentaries. That is very helpful.
What jumped out at me today - and has for the past few days - is the total dedication, honor, and respect that these people were giving to God. They weren't holding anything back - time, talents, gifts, materials, etc - they gave it all. The dwelling place of the Lord was to be the absolute most special and to have the best of everything. I keep comparing it to churches today. Our bodies and our hearts are His temple now, and we're not called to dip everything in molten gold, but do we get too cavelier with our worship? Our heart is the most important thing, and we can clothe that in jeans or in a suit, and it's not the outside appearance that matters to God; but are we WILLING and EAGER to give Him our very best? Do we take the time to go the extra mile, to give our pew or our folding chair the reverence that it deserves as belonging to God? As we're nearing the end of our search for a new church home, the differences in appearance have been as striking to me as the styles of worship. Makes me think that maybe we should all have the opportunity to visit a church full of grandeur at least occasionally, even if not at our regular worship time, just to jar our hearts into remembering just how awesome and worthy of reverence our God is.
Good morning, all. A very rare day for me today. I have the house all to myself! DH is working (no holiday for them), and DS is at my in-laws. I'm doing laundry as we speak and planning on going to the Christian bookstore later with my 50% off coupon to buy (I hope) another commentary. Maybe catch up on some of the books I have bought in the last few weeks. (See? I told y'all I'm a great starter, not so much a great finisher.)
Wendy,
Consecrating our Holy of Holies for God. My temple needs some major overhaul and deep cleaning. Oh and the comment re blood to the ear, thumb and foot are from Jon Courson.
Karen, I will be checking out your links. Thank you for sharing them.
Michelle, the consecration of the Levites happened on page 169, scripture reference is Ex. 32:28 - 29 after the golden calf incident.
Question to the ladies doing the Beth Moore study. Is this an individual study or part of a group study? I haven't done any of hers. Which one would you recommend? Thanks in advance!
Today's study brought two things to light:
1. God pays attention to what we give and He takes note of it even if what we bring Him is identical to what someone else brought. He did not just say, "On the 2nd day, Nethanel son of Zuar, brought the same thing." He honored each offering. How awesome is that? God notices every little thing we bring Him. Jon Courson said that Numbers 7 is the 2nd longest chapter in the bible, behind Psalm 119. "So the longest chapter in the Bible deals with the Word. The second longest chapter deals with giving." Then he went on to talk about tithing - time, money, resources.
The other thing Courson brought to my attention is in the beginning of Ex 7, the giving of the wagons and the oxen. Moses was directed to give 2 wagons and 4 oxen to the Gershonites, 4 wagons and 8 oxens for the Merarites, and none to the Kohathites. He said our society tends to put a high premium on fairness. Sometimes we have a tendency to ask, "How come she got 4 wagons and I did not? That is so unfair!" When we get to Numbers 4 on 2/28, we will see the duties of each tribes and note that the wagons were given according to their service. The Merarites were called to bear twice as great a burden, so it made sense that they get twice the oxen. "They have obligations that you and I don't understand. God is fair. With those wagons come added responsibilities and burdens because to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48)." The Kohathites were on foot, carrying upon their shoulders the furniture of the tabernacle which speaks of intimacy, of close proximity. "Maybe I don't have 4 wagons, not even 2. Maybe I'm on foot because the Lord knows that having the position or possessions others have will result in a deeper intimacy than if there were oxen and wagons rumbling about."
This is so true. I know a dear lady at church. She lost everything - big house, husband, job, even her children weren't speaking to her. But you know what, she told me last night that these were distractions for her. She used to say she did not have time to read the bible, or go to church because of her stuff. Now she has all the time to read, study and serve at church. Her relationship to her children are restored. Her prayer life is stronger. She said the other day she was at a Borders and met a lady and they spoke for 3 hours. In the end, the lady ended up blessing my friend with a book. BTW, the lady said she had no idea why God led her to the bookstore in the first place since she lived an hour away but this lady obeyed and ended up blessing my friend. How awesome is our God?
Well, I have rambled on long enough. Have a blessed day, everyone!
Wendy, thank you for your Sunday School lesson...I've written it down on a post-it and will expound on it in my journal for later :)
What a reminder, as others have commented, that our bodies are a temple...a Holy of Holies. Wow, should really make me stop and think about how I treat that!
A take-away that I got from yesterday's reading was in the actual setting up of the Tabernacle...they began with the inside and worked their way out. It reminded me that sometimes I put too much attention to the outside and it's the inside I need to work on...that Holy of Holies again.
We're trying to get around in 6" of snow here in Louisville and it's pretty and all, but I'm ready for some warm weather.
I've taken the Beth Moore study...A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place and really enjoyed how she tied the OT to the NT and how Christ is seen and present in all of it.
Wendy, thank you for all your time...Happy Monday!
Hi all,
Here we see the instructions of the Lord for transporting the Ark Of the Covenant in chapter 7. The Levite tribe, division of Kohathite,were to carry it with the poles on their shoulders, not on a cart.
Later, David doesn't remember this in 2 Sam.6 when he tries to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem. He uses a new cart instead. As a result, Uzzah dies when touching the Ark as it starts sliding off the cart.
Finally, David finds out why this happened. He had a "New Cart Religion." He disobey God.
New ways are not always what please the Lord. Good intentions and new things don't always make it right. The old time religion required prayer, repentance, accountability, praises,
surrender, and committment. We are still required to carry the gospel (the Ark is Christ)to the world. I want to learn from David's mistake.
This came to my mind today after reading the scripture.
Lord, what would you have me sacrifice as an offering unto You today?
Praise the Lord for His mercy and unfailing love.
Linda from Ark.
Grace & Peace~
I have done the Beth Moore Studies in group situations at local church facilities. The way we do it is we meet for 2 hours. We discuss homework first, and then we watch Beth on the video where she teaches a lesson. There is a work book and usually there are 5 lessons/week. The individual studies are usually 9 weeks long.
Each one will change you-I promise. Favorites of mine -that's hard because they have all been special in their own way, but I've loved:
*Believing God-Experiencing a fresh Explosion of faith (!!!!!)
*Living Beyond Yourself Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit (!!!!!)
You can do these individually too (Brandee has done this) :)
Lori
Grace and Peace-
You can do Beth's study of Living
Beyond Yourself on line and it is excellent--one of my favorites. Have done it more than once. Go to Lifeway.com, then to Beth Moore, and Bible Studies. Hope this helps!
Hey GIG,
Well, our snow/rain forecast turned to just a COLD rain...no snow in Eden,NC. We're near the northern Va line.
New:
I didn't catch on instantly to the fact that each of the gifts were identical until the third tribe reading.;) ;) I still read each description because Wendy says to do so ;) and M.Henry states: "There are no idle words in scripture," and I personally know from teaching for 31 years that repetition is a great learning tool.
I was especially interested in the fact that the offerings were: burnt, sin, and peace. I didn't get the sin offering, so I used M.Henry.: Even though it is a time of joy and rejoicing, still there in the midst of their sacrifices, we find a sin-offering. "Since in our best services we are conscious to ourselves that there is a mixture of sin, it is fit that there should be even in our most joyful services, a mixture of repentance. In all our approaches to God, we must, by faith, have an eye to Christ as the great sin-offering, and make mention of Him."
**** Is this saying that Christ Himself was the Great Sin- offering for us ????? Help, please, someone, am I understanding this statement correctly??
Also from M.Henry:
Nahshon, leader of the tribe of Judah offered first~Christ came from the first tribe of Judah, and then the rest. Thus in the dedication of souls to God, every man is presented in his own order.
***Can someone who has some insight/wisdom on this statement elaborate for me.....again.:)
Thanks, Wendy, I copied down the SS material.
My to do: To know that what I do on a daily basis for the Lord will be accepted as an offering to Him.
I want my smallest offering
( "grain offerings of choice flour...") to be just as pleasing to Him as my best offering (the silver and gold).
May God bless each of us as we give our offerings,
Jeanne,NC
Well, PTL for all of your comments and Wendy's vlog and Sunday School info! Y'all, I started reading this and truly struggled to get through!I have always dreaded Numbers because of this! But, after reading and listening to God speaking through you, I am going to go back and reread what I painfully skimmed through earlier! Sweet blessings to you all!
Hugs!
Susan
Grace-and -Peace, Beth Moore studies are really good and I have participated in a number of them too with our Women's Bible Study group at church. Some of my favorites are:
* Breaking free
* A woman's heart (Building the Tabernacle)
* A Heart Like His (story of David)
and
* To Live is Christ (the Ministry of Paul).
All are great! I also gave my mother The Beloved Disciple (story of John) which she did as an individual study. I never did that one.
Good luck to you! You will be blessed which ever one you choose!
Karen
I too thought after a couple of the tribes offering being the same, "this is like the geneology in earlier reading" but remembered Wendy (thank you Wendy) saying that just to bear with it and read it all. I loved the comment by Grace & Peace that God acknowledges every offering, even if it is like someone elses. It is still precious to God. He doesn't look at it like "Sara gave the same thing that Mary gave". Thank you Grace & Peace for your insight and sharing. It really helped me.
Ladies, thank you for the recommendations for the Beth Moore studies. I have written them all down and will be using my Amazon gift cards to order some. Thanks, also to Anonymous for the online version. I have some down time in between my Koinonia classes so I will definitely check out her website. You ladies are amazing! Thank you!
Grace and Peace, I have done Believing God and Living Beyond Yourself on my own and I got as much out of them that way as I did some I did as a group. Esther is also wonderful and so is Breaking Free. She is a WONDERFUL teacher!
Not much time to comment today ladies, but made lots of notes. Will is home sick and hubby is working from home because of the snow.
You all have a blessed night. "See" you tomorrow GIGs :)
Jeanne - I believe you are understanding the statement correctly. Yes, Jesus is the great sin-offering for us all.
Your second question (I by no means have any special insight) but I'm just understanding it as it reads: Christ showed us the way to God first - and thru Him and by His example we fall in line behind Him...as God calls each of us to Him.????
Morgen
Brandee,
Thanks!
I pray that your little one gets better soon. It's so hard when they're sick. ((HUGS))
This comment has been removed by the author.
Morgen, thank you so much for taking the time to help me make sense of my question. It makes sense now~ I love this study as each GIG is so willing to help one another.
I too have done the B.Moore studies:
"Believing God" and "Breaking Free" with a group of women at church at 8:00 a.m. before SS started, so our time to share was limited. I lead a youth study with a "A Heart like His"; they loved it. I had been working on "Beloved Disciple" after having read her book on John.
I loved those studies, but I have NEVER enjoyed and learned from those times of study -with others and on my own-as much as I have with our Bible Study we are doing with Wendy!!! I honestly mean that---I just believe that...THE CLOUD HAS SETTLED DOWN OVER US AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS FILLING OUR TABERNACLE!!!!
PTL,
Jeanne
All I can say is "Wow!" You all are so gifted from the Lord in the way you interpret the Word. I really struggled with todays's reading but after reading your comments I too will go back and re-read what I struggled to skim through today! Wendy, thank you for the time & effort you put forth each day to help us all better understand God's Word and thank you to those of you who diligently post your thoughts each day. I must be honest and tell you that I haven't kept up with my reading every day but I am trying. After reading today's comments I have a new outlook on what I have to look forward to each day by being faithful to my commitment to read the word daily and come here to this blog and put what I read into practice and to learn & grow in my faith. This has truly been a blessing to me today! Thank you again and may God bless each of you!
Kristie in NC
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