March 1: Numbers 14-15, Psalm 90

March 1, Numbers 14-15, Ps 90

Numbers 14 - The Israelites rebel. Forgetting what the Lord has done - the people weep about their hardships and wish that they were back in Egypt. They said that they were afraid for the futures of their wives and kids, not trusting that God would provide and protect them. They even wanted a new leader, even though Moses has given his life to leading them and being an obedient Prophet of Yahweh. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly (a sign of mourning/weeping over their sins). Then Joshua and Caleb showed their true faith and leadership and reminded the people of how good the land was that God was promising to give them - and begged them to not rebel against God, as they were currently doing. Amazing leadership when the majority of people are going one way and for them to stand up against them - we need to be like Joshua and Caleb and fight for obedience to Yahweh (especially when its unpopular). Then we go down memory lane of the golden calf incident, and then we hear again about how God wants to wipe out the disobedient Israelites and Moses intercedes, for them again and God relents from His plan to wipe them out.

Then the Lord pronounces His judgements: First, The complainers are not going to enter into the Promised Land - ‘none of those who despised Me shall see it’. When we sin against God and don’t believe Him at His word, it shows that we despise Him! And their kids will be taken care of and enter the Promised Land (but not them). Second, all of the spies that lied about what they saw, died by a plague of the Lord (except for Joshua and Caleb, who stayed faithful in believing God and His Word). 

When Moses told the Israelites about what was going to happen, they now mourned and told Moses that they were going to go to the Promised Land. Moses told them that the Lord would not be with them if they attacked their enemies. But, in their arrogance and disobedience, they went anyway and lost in battle. Did you get that? They disobeyed by not wanting to go into the Promise Land, when they were suppose to. And then when they weren’t suppose to go into the Promise Land, they went anyways. Both times they showed their disobedience to God and chose their own way. Which ended up in death. 

Numbers 15  we transition into preparation for doing sacrifices when in the Promised Land. This is about the Ceremonial Law and how things were to be. As things will be different, as resources will be different. So God is preparing them for the next season. If one of the Israelites sin, the whole congregation has to pay for his or her sin with offerings. Our sins do affect other people.

Then we read about an Israelite who breaks the rules of Sabbath and works on it, and the congregation has to stone him, after they waited on the Lord for direction. God is a Holy God and set forth rules to protect us and also to remember Him. The congregation obeyed. 

We end the chapter with God telling Moses to put tassels on their garments to always remember God and follow Him, not follow themselves. This was part of the Civil Law, as it set the people apart from others, as was identified by their blue tassels. Even though today, we don’t have to wear blue tassels to remember the 10 Commandments, we are still remember the Commandments of God. And we are to remember God and His Laws because He is Holy, and not to whore after our desires - we are to remember where God has brought us.

Psalm 90. What, we are reading Psalms while in Numbers? Yes we are, because Moses wrote Psalm 90 as a prayer, and is a prayer of lament over the sins of the people. It is a prayer for the Israelites to get through what God was doing for them. The Israelites needed to embrace their covenant with God in order to fulfill what God was calling them to. Moses also mentions how our secret sins are in the light of God’s presence. We need to know that our secret sins are exposed before the Lord. Then Moses discusses the repercussions for sinning against a Holy God. Moses also addresses the brevity of human life and to not to forget it. Then Moses makes a request for God’s presence and favor in order for God’s plans to be established through them.

To sum it all up:

• Don’t be like the Israelites and take matters into your own hands - if you do, God may not be with you and you will suffer. We are to wait for Him and follow Him.
• We might not have to wear blue tassels on our clothes, to remember the 10 Commandments. But we are called to have the Commandments of God written in our minds and on our hearts. 
• Our sins affect others. Don’t buy the lie that your sins only affect you. In reality, they affect a lot more people then you would think. And remember there are no sins that are hidden from an all-seeing, all-knowing God. 
• We are to remember where God has brought us and worship Him for it.