Bibledoorajar: Power Vs. Greed

      At last the Lord had the people organized to move out dependent on Him. Scholars see the exact way that Judah moved them out differently(whether abreast or in single file). The book of Numbers simply says that they moved forward following the Ark under the Cloud. As they prepared to move, those mixed multitudes that had left Egypt with them were allowed to move toward the Promised Land as a part of the Nation as long as they wanted to be included and followed the Lord's commands. A prominent outsider still with the group was the father-in-law of Moses whose name was Jethro or as referred to in Numbers 10 as Hovav. Moses wanted him to go with the group and perhaps be a help to them as they were going to be camping in the desert. Scholars say they were three days away from the Promised Land at the time. When the Ark started forward and the Cloud was over them, Moses said:
"Arise, Lord! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!"
When the Ark stopped, Moses said:
"Return Lord of the many, many thousands of Israel!"
      It is a beautiful story of depending on God until reality hit and the people started complaining to the Lord about the hardships of group travel. The mixed multitude that the Lord had accepted began to miss a better life---- one that might be said to be easier but greedier. Their ingratitude made the Lord so angry that fire erupted around the outskirts of the camp. The people cried to Moses and he prayed. God allowed the fire to go out, but in order that the lesson be remembered, the place was called "burning".
      For a year I lived with and travelled with a missions group. We were from different cultures from all over the world. We all had chores and the chores were sometimes monotonous. And when assignments were made by leadership comparisons were sometimes made among the group. Some people on the outskirts began to complain and the next thing we knew we were all sitting under trees meditating on Proverbs that considered the shame of sluggards and praise for hard working ants!
       Proverbs 1:19 says, "So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners". Does this sound like "burning"? Do we ruin our lives because we get greedy? Jesus said that if we kept our view on the power within and His leadership, it would be best if we : "don't worry about your life---what you will eat or drink, or about your body---what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6) At the root of our greed is a sense of feeling deprived in some way. I think that is what upsets God so much; the thought that He would purposefully deprive His own. Take note self.
   

Bibledoorajar: The Power Within

     On the South was the encampment led by the tribe of Reuben, then Gad and then Simeon and they were to embark second. To the West was the tribe of Ephraim, then Manasseh and Benjamin who would move out third. And lastly moving out from the North was Dan, then Asher and Napthali. Within these surrounding tribal formations were the protectors of the Sanctuary and the servants of the priests (Levites). God spoke to Moses and told him to bring the tribe of Levi and have them stand before the High Priest whom they were to serve. They were to be sure that any and all things related to the service of the Tabernacle were performed properly. They also had many responsibilities detailed to perform when it was time to move. Holy things not handled properly could present problems. For instance, as an example, there had to be a means to perpetuate the continual burnt offering that could never go out. The holiest items were handled by the Kohathites, then the next holiest by the Gershonites and the least holy items were carried by the Mararites. The Levite families encamped around the Tabernacle on the West, South and North sides while the East side was the dwelling place of Aaron, Moses and their families.
     I live in a state where many people love to line dance. These " boot and scoot" lines attempt to dance synchronized steps in a straight line. Contact or relating to the person next to you is not required to have fun. The goal is to synchronize. I learned in Israel that the line dance would never work among the religious Jews. There, they link arms and dance in an unbroken circle. This unbroken circle recognizes the fact that Supernatural Power comes from within the circle just as it did with the Ark within the emcampment formation. The Jewish dancers we watched found joy in the Lord and in one another as they danced in unity before Him. As we Christians joined them in the dance there was a great joy and a sense of the miraculousness of it all.
     God works best through encircled people who sense the Power within that ensures justice for all. Those in the circle are challenged by God's laws, the keeping of which leads to blessings and supernatural protection. It was the duty of the Children of Israel to move in unity and when they did it well it brought them delight. And nothing is more delightful today than to come together with other Christians doing what is required but knowing it is what we want to do. It is both good and pleasant!

  " Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 

David--Psalms 133

Counted and Ready to Move Out

     After Moses and Aaron completed the census of the people, God had the priests and Levites counted. They were counted from one month old through the oldest age present. These, no matter what their age, would be a viable member of God's honor Guard and would be responsible for moving and maintaining His Tabernacle. Then God said:

"The Children of Israel shall encamp, each man by his banner according to the insignia of their father's household, at a distance surrounding the Tent of Meeting shall they encamp." Numbers 2

The people to camp to the front (east side from whence the light comes) of the Tent of Meeting were first the tribe of Judah then the tribe of Issachar followed by the tribe of Zebulun. These would be the first to journey. This combination of leadership involved the tribe that was the progenitor of the kings( Davidic line), the tribe that understood the times (1Chronicles 12) and the tribe of Zebulun who knew how to accumulate wealth. Each were anointed to know the special giftings God had given them. Judah, who moved out first, was the tribe of the Messiah, the Anointed One.  Issachar knew how to read the heaven-lies and when to announce the times of the solemn feasts as well as having a discerning sense about the times. They were students of the laws given by God. Behind them were the men of Zebulun whose wealth supported their advances and victories.

Jesus came to earth and founded His Church and we are the temple of the Living God. According to 1 Corinthians 12, we all have a position and an anointing to move in victory.

 "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

"Encamped along the hills of light...." Yates

Bibledoorajar: Numbered to Trust

"Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according
to their father's household, by number of the names, every male according to their head count." Numbers 1:2ff
      There is an honor that went with each Israeli standing before Moses and Aaron and giving his divinely inspired name. It was an "here I am" moment. I count. I have personal virtues because I am made in Your image. I can serve You, my God. I am worth something because in this instance I have been atoned with a half-shekel.  Leaders from each family group (tribal leaders) participated in the counting of his tribe. The leader would have been knowledgeable about each member under discussion. 'Ah, here is one of our young men at least 20 years of age and physically ready to assist with the taking of the land'. The first leader listed is Elizur serving for the tribe of Reuben. Elizur means " God is the Protector." The last leader on the list was Enan. His name means "Having eyes." What great leaders they were meant to be. God influenced the giving of names for them which reflected that Clouds of Glory would guide their way. They may have been born in sin, but obedience to the Torah could change those evil impulses for good. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is One God, and thou shall LOVE HIM..." It was never about do's and don'ts, although they were there, it was always about the obedient heart that loves Him and trusts Him.
      My maternal great grandfather is not listed in any American census. I can find his wife and her children (my grandmother) listed in the household  of her father in 1900. Further, my great grandfather's lineage does not seem to correlate with other Culpeppers who came to this land. Benjamin Franklin Culpepper is now listed in Culpepper information as a possible orphan associated with a lineage of Culpeppers. Family lore has him gone from home a lot after marriage. To this day, I know not whether he was of good character or bad. I know not if he loved God. But I do know this. His daughter, Ollie Culpepper McSheridan, was a good mother and a woman who loved God. She married a man who loved God and they served God together and they were there for the coming generations. They counted and I give them honor.