May 9, 2023

God is a God of Redemption

Numbers 8

Cat Reagan
Tuesday's Devo

May 9, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

May 9, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

May 9, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

May 9, 2023

Big Idea

God reveals the way and His will through His Word.

Key Verse | Numbers 8:17-18

"For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel."

Numbers 8

The Seven Lamps

1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” 3 And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. 4 And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing of the Levites

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10 When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD. 12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15 And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17 For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement of the Levites

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they 1 8:24 Hebrew he; also verses 25, 26 shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister 2 8:26 Hebrew He ministers to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

Footnotes

[1] 8:24 Hebrew he; also verses 25, 26
[2] 8:26 Hebrew He ministers

Numbers 8:25 - "Retirement at 50??"

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Numbers 8

Partying, alcohol, and chasing success were much of what marked my early adult years. Meanwhile, if someone asked, I would have been quick to respond with confidence that I was a Christian. Despite the fact I had grown up around the church, I looked just like my friends who had no faith at all. After I hit "rock bottom," and through the influence of faithful mentors, the Holy Spirit convicted me of sin and gave me a new desire to fully surrender to Him! With a new heart change and daily devotion, it was clear that God was setting me apart from my old ways to begin living for His kingdom!

In Numbers 8, we see God choosing the Levite tribe to be consecrated or set apart specifically for the work of the tabernacle. Because this place would house the presence of God, various rituals of physical washing were required of the people of Israel to have God dwell in their camp. These Old Testament rituals serve as a picture of the spiritual cleansing to be a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) in the New Testament.

As the Levites were consecrated for the work of the tabernacle, we, as believers in Christ, are set apart for holiness and the work of God's church. In Christ, we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9).

God's Word reminds us that even though we are part of His priesthood, we still sin and need to put off sin and seek cleansing through confession of sin and the work of the Holy Spirit. "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." (2 Timothy 2:21)

Although you aren't going to catch me doing any ceremonial "cleansing" in the ways we read about in Numbers 8, we must pursue holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit and cleansing today through confession to God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)   

This month's memory verse

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

– Philippians 2:3-4

Discussion Questions

1. What about your life sets you apart as a Christ follower?

2. What does it mean for you to pursue holiness? What does it look like in your daily life?

3. What is one thing you can ask the Lord to cleanse you of this week so that the Holy Spirit can restore or deepen the harmony of your fellowship with God and use you as "a vessel for honorable use" (2 Timothy 2:21)?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

MS

Michael Sisson

Re: Num 8:4 The menorah is also called the “Lamp of G-d” and is a type of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus; see 1Sam 3:3; Jn 8:12) According to the Talmud, the menorah was solid gold, measuring seventeen "handbreadths" tall (≈ 5.25’) and weighing roughly 100 lbs. For a deeper dive into the details and symbolism of the Tabernacle’s menorah, see the following Hebrew For Christians article. https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Behaalotkha/Menorah/menorah.html Re: Num 8:16-19 See Jer 33:18
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Hugh Stephenson

Good morning Cat! Love your devo and your back story. Same story for me, just a few decades earlier. Also love your verse references. Great way to support your story. Q1. Viewed by others- devoting daily, serving in ministry, discipling others, seeking to live out Genesis 2:26 and Ephesians 5:25. Known by me - being drawn to news stories and ESPN, ministry fatigue, isolating, conflict with Amy. Q2. The core is God’s Word, Spirit and People. Fed by healthy doses of worship music. Covered in prayer for help in the intense battles in the spiritual realm, (Ephesians 6:10-20). Q3. In the last year or so I have been in a super stressful season. I have fallen back into the unhealthy coping mechanism of gluttony. In that, I have not been a "a vessel for honorable use"; more of a “vessel for unhealthy food”.
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Hugh Stephenson

Lamps and Levites
 I love this “reminder” from the notes. “The important point is that the seven lamps ... give light in front of the lampstand, that is, that their light shines on the table opposite it in the tabernacle (see The Tabernacle Tent) on which are 12 flat loaves of bread symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel (Ex. 25:23–30). Light reflects the glorious presence of God, so this arrangement of the furniture in the tabernacle is a REMINDER of God’s ongoing intention to bless the people of Israel (see notes on John 1:4– 5; 8:12).” This cleaning process & procedure seem very important given the red heifer and the burnt offering, https://www.gotquestions.org/burnt-offering.html “The Cleansing Procedure. The process of the cleansing ash (see note on vv. 1–10) has two phases: It involves sprinkling water (with some ash in it) on the affected person or tent on the third day after contamination and also on the seventh day. On the seventh day he must also bathe himself and wash his clothes. The sprinkling does not have to be done by a priest, just a clean person (vv. 18–19). Failure to carry out this rite is serious: it defiles the tabernacle, and that person shall be cut off (i.e., die; see notes on 9:6–14; 15:30–31; see also 19:13, 20). Hebrews 9:13–14 notes that the blood of Christ is even more effective in its cleansing power: it will purify the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. These regulations were intended for Israel; now that Christ has come, Christians do not need purification rites such as these.”
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Hugh Stephenson

Why is this so important? What does God want me to learn? My thoughts- Gods holiness and purity prevent me from approaching Him. The cleansing of the priests allows them to intercede for me. This “water of purification” is made by taking the most important animal, a bull, and sacrificing it in a burnt offer ring. Water of lustration https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/water-of-purification/ In that offering everything is burnt completely. No residual for anything or anyone. Then the ash of this most important sacrifice is mixed with water so that it can purify the priests. For me, I see the cycle I learned in re:gen as a huge step to purification- CONFESSION REPENTANCE FORGIVENESS AMENDS RECONCILIATION RESTORATION I see the direction pointing to Jesus as the ultimate most important sacrifice. It is his blood poured out for me that cleanses me as clean as these priests. Then I can walk with Him and and abide in Him. Then, my body is suitable to be God’s temple. Then, the Holy Spirit will dwell with/in me. Then, Joy, (John 15:10-11), Peace, (Philippians 4:6-7), and Rest, (Matthew 11:28-30) are available to me. Then, I can live out Exodus 19:6, Psalm 51:10, Proverbs 4:23, and Matthew 16:15. Then, I am able to answer His call to Proclaim, (Psalm 71:18), Witness, (Acts 1:8), and Teach, (Matthew 28:19-20).
CL

Chris Landry

Thanks for your story, Cat. Enjoy Ethiopia this summer. Tell David and his sweet wife hello for me. I assume they're still the in-country leaders. Re: Your Story Amazing what happens when we humble ourselves and yield to the Spirit's call instead of the "siren call" of the world (success, stuff, influence, status, etc). I needed this reminder today. Also, I appreciated the reminder of Romans 12:1 as today's purification and picture of sacrifice. My family is bringing twins into the world today so I'll be out of pocket for a minute (on commenting) but I'll be journeying along with you all. Prayers appreciated. :)
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Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Cat! My heart was caught by the Lord's statement that the firstborn were His, and the Levites were His. I love the idea of Him stamping people with "MINE!" And it reminds me of Abraham Kuyper's classic statement, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” Love love love that! But I also love the scriptural foundation for reveling in the personal fact that God calls us, the church corporately and me personally, *His*: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD..." (1 Peter 2:9) God looks at US and says, "You are Mine." I love that He says in His word, "You are precious and honored in My sight, and I love you. . ." (Isaiah 43:4). Those words were written to the nation of Israel, but they are true of us as well. In John 17:23, Jesus told His Father, "You have loved [believers] even as You have loved Me." Since the Son is precious, honored and loved by the Father, and He loves us the same way, we can rest in that marvelous, life-changing truth!
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Michael Scaman

God is 'holy, holy, holy' by nature. Other things are holy by proximity and His redemptive work. Holiness is a communicable attribute of God rubbing off on us more and more us as part of the new birth and sanctification with better pleasures and better treasures, and 'without holiness no one can see the Lord'. John Piper says 'Glory is holiness gone public" 'holy, holy, holy is the Lord God the whole earth is full of His glory" say the cherubim. Man was made in God's image to reflect and reflect on the glory of God. Reflecting on God in thoughts and words is one aspect of holiness. This includes thinking on things above, having better pleasures and better treasures, right worship and right living. Even right fighting in a God ordained struggle between old and new natures, putting to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit. Piper makes an analogy, about the importance of holiness. My short summary: walking into heaven is exceedingly far better than walking out of hell. A grace that not only pardons but also empowers, forgives sin but also kills our sin., not just canceled sin but overcome sin. Holiness is commanded not optional. The only sin you can conquer in this life is a forgiven sin. John Piper's T4G message Christ Died to Make Us Holy: And Why Some Preachers Avoid It https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQDRdC0h1mM
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Amy Lowther

1. What sets me apart as a Christ follower is that I am frequently found going to service every Sunday. What also sets me apart as a Christ follower is that I am sincere in everything I do. 2. It means believing in God and Jesus. It means practicing their values everyday every chance I can. It looks like me supporting and helping coworkers and friends. It also includes being a good communicator with coworkers and friends. 3. The Lord can help me continue to use God’s guidance as I find a new job and not lose sleep over it.