God Speaks
The Israelites Take a Census and Arrange the Tribes As They Encamp
Verse of the Day: “So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their stanards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.” (Numbers 2:34 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Numbers 1-2:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Numbers 1
1. The LORD God is not just some cold, hard metallic idol or far off disinterested force: He is involved with His people and assigns their leaders by name.
2. People are to follow their leaders (tribal, clans, and families) as they follow God (in this case represented by the tabernacle and the ark of God carried by the Levites).
Numbers 2
1. The LORD God is highly organized and practical.
2. People are best served as they function within families, clans, and tribes. This way the needs of individuals are known and tended to while maintaining order and unity.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Numbers 1-2?
Dear LORD, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thank You that You specialize in bringing order out of chaos. You established the order of command and responsibility among the Israelites. This flow of accountability went from both the top (You) down and from the bottom (individuals) up. Is that why later You held whole families accountable for the actions of one person as with Achan? Please help me to honor those You have placed in authority from my parents, to teachers, to police officers, to business owners and employers, to government leaders at various levels; however, help me also to have the integrity and courage to hold them accountable when they are disobeying Your commands. May we both individually and collectively strive to honor You and bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Numbers 1-2? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will honor my father and/or husband as head of our family, celebrating Father’s Day throughout the year.
- I will pray daily for my pastor and other leaders in my church (and myself) to depend on the Holy Spirit to help them to remain faithful to God and His Word in their day-to-day interactions.
- I will learn the names of my local, state (or provincial), and national leaders and pray for them on a regular basis.
- I will actively support Godfearing leaders who are running for public office and pray for them to have wisdom, integrity, and courage to do what is right.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.