58 - Miriam and Aaron goes home to be with the Lord.

Kathleen's thoughts.

Numbers 18,19.20,21,33

Death of Aaron by James Tissot

Once again the Israelites are grumbling and have no water they complained about the vegitation Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. God gives instruction for them to assemble the people and to take their staffs to the rock and Moses hits the rock and water flows.

Burning of the red Heifer is a sin offering.

Miriam dies and is buried in Kadesh.

The Lord told Moses to take Aaron's son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. Remove Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron will be gathered to his people and die there.

So Moses did as the Lord commanded, and the climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. After Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

Imagine knowing when you walk up the mountain you going to die. Ummm

The community and the whole house of Israel mourned for 30 days.

Eleazar son of Aaron became priest in the place of Aaron.

blessings

58 - Red Heifer

Moses Strikes the Rock
James Tissot 1902

Chareen's Thoughts:

• In yesterdays reading we learned that the Levites did not inherit land but were given the tithe as their payment for their service in the tabernacle. Today's reading starts off telling the Levites to tithe on tithe.
• The Lord gives instruction to burn a red heifer and use it's ashes to make purification water for those who are unclean.  His instructions for its use are quite specific.
• Miriam dies in Kadesh and is buried.
• The people once again revert to their habit of complaint and unbelief in Meribah. Aaron and Moses go before the Lord and He instructs them to speak to the rock before the assembly so that the Lords holiness would be known but Aaron and Moses disobey the Lord and strike the rock twice to bring forth water.  Hence the name Meribah.
• The consequence of Aaron and Moses disobedience is that the Lord says that neither of them shall enter the promised land.
• At this point in Moses life he is blessed with grand children.
• Israel continued their journey to Mount Hor.  Along the way the Edomites refused them passage along the King's highway.
• At Mount Hor the Lord instructs Moses, Aaron and Aarons son Eleazar to ascend the mountain and pass on the office of High Priest.  It is here that Aaron died he was 123 years old and it had been 40 years since the Israelites had departed from Egypt. The whole house of Israel mourned the death of Aaron for 30 days.

 I often wonder why Moses chose to disobey the Lord and strike the rock rather than speak to it.  This man of God who walked before the Lord, who saw His form who often interceded for the people of Israel.  One of my frustrations too with this story is the consequence the Lord gave him of denying him entry to the Promised Land after all that he had done.  One day while meditating on this I realised that Moses did set foot in the Promised land.  He saw the fulfilment of the Lords promises.  He stood their with the very son of the Most High God.

Blessings
Chareen

For Further Reading:

• The Mystery of the Red Heiffer: Divine Promise of Purity over at The Temple Institute.
• Red Heifer over at Wikipedia.
• Audio A Red Heifer is Alive and well in Israel over at Israel National News
• The Red Heifer over at Great Dreams.
• Red Heifer born in Israel over at The Temple Institute. (Photographs)
• Complete video on Red Heifer teaching from The Temple Institute.

57 - I am your portion and your inheritance

Chareen's Thoughts:

The death of Korah, Dathan & Abiram.

• Today's reading started with the story of Korah, Dathan and Abiram who rebelled against the leadership of Aaron and Moses. 
• The Lord then calls them and their 250 followers to appear before Him in the morning.  The Lord decided they needed to die for their sin but Aaron and Moses interceded for the crowd.
• The Lord then said that Korah, Dathan and Abiram will die by the land swollowing them and their families. Their deaths were a sign of God's choice of Aaron and Moses as leaders.
• The Lord sent a holy fire to consume the 250 followers of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.
• It intrigued me that the very next day after witnessing the Lord dealing with jealsousy and insurrection the congregation grumbled and complained about Moses and blamed him for the deaths of the others. 
• The Lords anger burned against them and He sent a plague to consume Israel.  Aaron makes an atonement offering and the plague is halted. 14 700 died in addition to Korah and the others.
• You then see the patience and love of the Lord as He chooses to prove that He has chosen Aaron.  He asks for a staff from each house in Israel with the name of the leader of each tribe.
• The rods were placed in the tent of meeting. And the next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and brought forth buds and produced blossoms and yielded [ripe] almonds. Numbers 17:8 
•  The Lord once again confirms the Levitical responsibilites to the people.  

These are two verses that stood out to me today: And the Lord said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in the land [of the Israelites], neither shall you have any part among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites. Numbers 18:20 and And, behold, I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance in return for their service which they serve, the [menial] service of the Tent of Meeting. Numbers 18:21
This second verse stood out because often times people grumble and complain about the tithe being used to pay the pastor or staff of a church but the Lord Himself declares that is what it's for !
Blessings
Chareen

45 - The book of Leviticus is the book of law

Kathleen's thoughts

Leviticus 1,6,7,17

These scriptures today are about the laws given to Moses to Aaron and his sons about the sin offerings and the atonement for the priests and the Israelites.

Leviticus 16... Moses was told by God that Aaron is not allowed to come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

Verse 34 This is to be a permanent statute for you to make atonement for the Israelites once a year because of all their sins.

Leviticus 17... 10. Anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who live among them who eats any blood. I will turn against that person who eats blood, 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood. and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement...Therefore I say to the Israelites; None of you and no foreigner who lives among you may eat blood.

Leviticus 1:9 A fire offering is a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

One thing I have noticed through these scriptures is that God is very clear on cleanliness especially when the Priest enter the Tent and holy place. The garments that were used in the tent of meeting never left that area the Priest had to take their garments off. Because it was holy unto the Lord.

The five main Levitical offerings

1. Burnt offering = dedication

2. Grain offering = Thanksgiving

3. Fellowship offering = Fellowship

4. Sin offering = Cleansing

5. Restitution offering = Reconciliation

Blessings

45 - It must not go out

Chareen's Thoughts

• Today's reading starts with The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. Leviticus 16:2 as I read these words I realised the privilege we have living in New Testament times where it says Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].Hebrews 4:16
• Atonement (the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ. ) Once a year Aaron was to make an atonement sacrifice. There is a specific day once a year set aside for atonement Lev 23: 26-28
• Lev 16:27 The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up and this is what it says in explanation for us in the New Testament: For when the blood of animals is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin, the victims' bodies are burned outside the limits of the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered and died outside the [city's] gate in order that He might purify and consecrate the people through [the shedding of] His own blood and set them apart as holy [for God]. Let us then go forth [from all that would prevent us] to Him outside the camp [at Calvary], bearing the contempt and abuse and shame with Him. Heb 13: 11-13
• Lev 16: 29 This is to be a permanent statute for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you are to practice self-denial and do no work, ...  practice self denial, much to think about.  What do we do to practice self denial ??
• Why blood for atonement ? Leviticus 17:11 For the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life [which it represents]. 
•  The Lord required: burnt offerings Lev 1, grain offerings Lev 2, sin offerings Lev 3, Sin Offering Lev 4, restitution offering Lev 5, ordination offering and fellowship sacrifice.

Lev 1:12-13 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.The fire of fellowship and restitution must not go out.  Fellowship is an important part of our Christian walk with our Heavenly Father.  As I read this I realised the importance of daily fellowship with the Father.  It needs to continually burn within us. 
Blessings
Chareen

For Further Reading:

• One Year Bible Blog
•  

44 - The priestly ministry begins

Kathleen's thoughts

Numbers 3,7 & 26 Leviticus 7,8,9,10

Can you imagine hearing God's voice when walking into the Holy of Hollies. Numbers 7:89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. He spoke to him that way.

God's instructions of consecrating and anointing Aaron and sons took place and so the ministry of the priests take place.

The disobedience of Aarons sons Nadab and Abihu decided to do their own ritual by taking their own fire pan, put fire in it, placed incense on it and presented unauthorized fire before the Lord which he had not commanded. Then flames leaped from the Lord's presence and burned them to death before the Lord. Leviticus 10:3 This is what the Lord meant when He said; I will show My holiness to those who are near Me, and I will reveal My glory before all the people.

Aaron must have been heart broken for in scripture Lev: 10:3 It says But Aaron remained silent.

Then instructions were given to Aaron by Moses that Eleazar and Ithamar. Do not let your hair hang loose and do not tear you garments or else you would die.

They were also instructed not to go outside the tent of meeting they would die because the Lord's anointing oil is on you. So they obeyed Moses.

Blessings

26 - The Israelites and forgotten past in Egypt.

Kathleen’s thoughts

Exodus 1 -4

The Israelites increased rapidly, multiplied and became numerous. The new king who did not know of Joseph noticed the rapid increase and became uneasy and rebelled against the Hebrews dealing with them ruthlessly.

Going to Numbers 26: 59 Amrams wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, born to Levi, in Egypt. She bore to Amram; Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.

Even in those days they had midwives and the king of Egypt gave instructions to them to kill every Hebrew male that is born but can leave the females to live. They feared God and did not carry out his command and when he found this out that they were still increasing in number. The king called the midwives and they said that the Hebrew woman by the time they got to them they had given birth already. So he gave instructions to have every boy child killed.

A man from the Levi family married a Levite woman and she became pregnant and hid the baby boy him for three months. Eventually she could not hide him any longer she put him in a basket coated with asphalt and pitch and placed him in the reeds at the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what happens to him.

Baby is rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter God’s plan at work here as this precious baby is handed over to his mother to nurse until he is weened and was promised wages to do so,

When the child grew up the mother returned him to the Pharaoh’s daughter and she named him Moses.

Moses grows up and was walking around the work place when he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Moses strikes him and he is dead. When the Pharaoh heard this he wanted to kill Moses. Moses fled to Midian and sat down by a well.

Moses marries sipporah and she gave birth to a son named Gershom, meaning ‘I have become a stranger in a foreign land.

God hears Israel’s groaning because of their difficult labour

Angel appears to Moses through the burning bush. God speaks to Moses about the Jews and he wants to rescue them and He has chosen Moses to do this. Moses has fears about dealing with Pharaoh and God tell him He is with him

God show the many miracles from the staff he carries turning it into a snake. Then Moses said Lord I cannot speak I stutter. God gives Aaron to him to be his spokesperson. He was also given instruction to carry the staff.

Blessings

Kathleen.