KINGDOM PREPARATION (Part Two)
KINGDOM PREPARATION
(Part Two)
Forty Daily Devotionals
From Numbers 18-36
(Based on the NKJV)
Seminole Baptist Church
3330 Mission Road
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Daily Reading Schedule
Day / Scripture Reading / Check / Day / Scripture Reading / Check1 / Numbers 18:1-16 / 21 / Numbers 29:1-11
2 / Numbers 18:17-32 / 22 / Numbers 29:12-25
3 / Numbers 19:1-22 / 23 / Numbers 29:26-40
4 / Numbers 20:1-13 / 24 / Numbers 30:1-16
5 / Numbers 20:14-29 / 25 / Numbers 31:1-13
6 / Numbers 21:1-16 / 26 / Numbers 31:14-27
7 / Numbers 21:17-35 / 27 / Numbers 32:1-15
8 / Numbers 22:1-20 / 28 / Numbers 31:41-54
9 / Numbers 22:21-41 / 29 / Numbers 32:1-15
10 / Numbers 23:1-15 / 30 / Numbers 32:16-27
11 / Numbers 23:16-30 / 31 / Numbers 32:28-42
12 / Numbers 24:1-25 / 32 / Numbers 33:1-14
13 / Numbers 25:1-18 / 33 / Numbers 33:15-39
14 / Numbers 26:1-17 / 34 / Numbers 33:40-56
15 / Numbers 26:18-32 / 35 / Numbers 34:1-15
16 / Numbers 26:33-47 / 36 / Numbers 34:16-29
17 / Numbers 26:48-65 / 37 / Numbers 35:1-8
18 / Numbers 27:1-23 / 38 / Numbers 35:9-21
19 / Numbers 28:1-17 / 39 / Numbers 35:22-34
20 / Numbers 28:18-31 / 40 / Numbers 36:1-13
Scripture Reading: Numbers 18:1-16 / DAY 1
Focus Verses: Numbers 18:1-2
An Awesome Responsibility
The information contained in today’s Scripture reading follows the dreadful rebellion recorded earlier in chapters 16 & 17 and instructs the priests on how to avoid similar tragedies in the future. God reviewed with Aaron the awesome responsibility that came with being a spiritual leader among His people by reminding him that he, and the priests, would be accountable for any “iniquity” (inappropriate actions by unauthorized individuals) against the sanctuary (the offering areas and the inner buildings of the tabernacle). Even the Levites were limited in their access to certain areas of the tabernacle. Not all of the Levites were priests, but they all served as assistants to the priests. The Levites’ responsibilities mirrored those of the priests but did not include the handling of the tabernacle furnishings and their utensils or the offering of the sacrifices at the altar. Verse 5 of today’s reading clearly states that God intended that only Aaron and his sons would “attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar” and then explains why these restrictions should be honored by adding, “that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel.” That final statement explained why Aaron was to limit the work of the holy things to only the appropriate and authorized people. As a result of Korah’s accusations that Moses and Aaron were wrong to limit the work of the tabernacle to only certain individuals and that everyone should be allowed to do the work of the priesthood, many of his followers perished (16:3 and 32).
Prayer Emphasis:
- Kingdom Preparation includes many lessons about prevention. Pray that we all would be content with the role that God has designed for us in His church. Avoid being envious of the calling of others by being involved in the calling that God has placed on your own life.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 18:17-32 / DAY 2
Focus Verses: Numbers 18:23-24
Some Awesome Rewards
Today’s focus verses indicate that God was quick to remind Aaron and the priests that those who accepted awesome responsibilities for God could expect awesome rewards from God! Though the tribe of Levi was to receive no physical inheritance of land, their material needs would be met through the tithes and offerings of the people. In return for their dedicated service, the priests and the Levites would receive, from Him, a portion of the offerings that were presented in the worship services. I emphasize “from Him” because yesterday we read where God told Aaron that “I have given them as a portion to you and your sons,” (verse 8) and then repeated the same to him again in verse 11. Today we read where God reminded him of that fact again in verses 19, 21, and 24. After saying all of this to Aaron (see verse 1) God spoke to Moses (see verse 25) and told him to remind the priests and Levites that they were to tithe on that which they received from the tithes of the people. The words of verse 30 reminded those anointed and appointed men that they were to give “the best of it” to the Lord. The final verses of this chapter state that, after honoring God with the best of it, the priests and Levites were free to live on the rest of it!
Prayer Emphasis:
- Kingdom Preparation includes many lessons about provision. Notice that God did not limit His words to Moses and Aaron to just the spiritualresponsibilities of the priests, but included specific instructions as to the materialrewards that were to come to them as a result of their services.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 19:1-22 / DAY 3
Focus Verses: All of them!
The Laws of Purification
Because of the importance that the teachings found in Numbers 19 play in our Kingdom Preparation, I have suggested that “all of them” be considered as our focus verses for today! Contact with the dead was to be considered a contaminating experience because of physical death’s association with spiritual death (Genesis 2:17 and Romans 6:23). Therefore, God gave some careful instructions for the spiritual purification of those who came into contact with dead bodies. Although the cleansing efforts that are described here were to become a ceremonial necessity, they were prescribed to remind us of our continual need to be cleansed from sin. As such, the offerings that are discussed here are not presented as a remedy for sin but a reminder that sin can continue to bring contamination to God’s people. Notice that these offerings are to be made “outside the camp” (verse 3). Through this, God is reminding us that there is no place “within the camp” for the devastation that sin can bring to His people. These offerings were made to the Lord and for the people. Verse 9 mentions “the water of purification.” Since water is so closely associated with God’s Word, we understand that we must be constantly in the Word if we are to be the kind of servants that God desires us to be. The blood is a reminder that our deliverance (salvation) is found only in the Sacrifice of His Son and the water is a reminder of our daily cleansing (for service) that can only be found in God’s Word.
Prayer Emphasis:
- Read Hebrews 10:4 and be reminded that it was impossible for the offering of animal sacrifices to take away our sins. Then read Ephesians 5:26 to see our need for daily washing in the Word! Kingdom Preparation teaches us that we need to be constantly cleansed by spending time in daily Bible reading.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 20:1-13 / DAY 4
Focus Verse: Numbers 20:2
“No Water!”
Today’s verses remind us again of how important the “water” (The Word) is to God’s people. The response of the people to the lack of water is a strong indication of how important God’s Word is to the very existence of His people. When “there was no water for the congregation” the people feared for their very lives. When there was no adequate supply of water, the people became fearful and began to question their ability to survive in the wilderness. God gave Moses some specific instructions on how He planned to supply this much needed water (verse 8) but later, in verse 10, we see Moses and Aaron making a very presumptuous statement when they asked “Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” God’s command to Moses and Aaron was that they were to “speak” to the rock that had been previously smitten so that He might “bring water” forth for the people. However well-intentioned God’s servants might have been, they were acting well beyond their personal authority when they assumed that they could make a provision that could only be found in Christ, the “Smitten Rock,” Who alone has the power to provide the spiritual needs of God’s people.
Prayer Emphasis:
- Recognize your personal responsibility to find spiritual refreshment by “speaking” with the Lord in the ways that He has commanded us. Commit time to daily prayer and Bible reading and you will find all you need to continue in your journey toward God’s perfect will for your life.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 20:14-29 / DAY 5
Focus Verses: Numbers 20:14 & 17
A Change of Course
Moses desired to take the people on a straight course to the Promised Land by going through the land of Edom. He appealed to Edom as a “brother” (verse 14) because the Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s own brother (Genesis 36:6-8). It is obvious that Edom was aware of the people of Israel and the place from which they had come because Moses told him that, “You know all the hardship that has befallen us.” However, the descendants of Esau carried with them the grudge that Esau had once held against Jacob long after Esau had reconciled to his brother, Jacob. As a result, they refused to allow Israel to pass through their land even after Moses promised to compensate them for any water that the people used for their nourishment and the watering of their flocks. Verse 20 tells a very sad story when it reminds us that Edom not only said, “You shall not pass through” but also “came out against them (Israel) with many men and with a strong hand.” Because of a long-standing and already forgiven grudge, God’s people were “turned away” (verse 21) from a shorter and safer course and had to take another route toward the Promised Land. One of the most valuable lessons contained in our own Kingdom Preparation is found in our learning to forgive and forget the problems of the past in order to assist our brothers and sisters in their pursuit of God’s plan for their lives.
Prayer Emphasis:
- Practice forgiveness on a daily basis. Refuse to hold grudges and deny anyone the kind of Christian fellowship that is necessary for their spiritual walk. Learn that Kingdom Preparation can either be helped or hindered by our willingness to forgive and forget!
Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:1-16 / DAY 6
Focus Verse: Numbers 21:4
Dealing with Discouragement
Today’s focus verse reminds us that the path to Kingdom Preparation is not without its pitfalls and problems. After “the king of Arad...heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim...he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners” (verse 1). This was an action that this king and his people would ultimately regret. It resulted in God delivering these people into the hands of Israel and allowing their cities to be “utterly destroyed” to the point that “the name of that place was called Hormah” (verse 3). “Hormah” literally means “utter destruction.” It is important to note that, even in victory, spiritual warfare can bring “discouragement” (verse 4) to God’s people and that discouragement can lead to “division” among God’s people (verse 5a). This division led to “discussions” that were less than admirable (verse 5b) and “devastation” from the hand of the Lord in the form of fiery serpents (verse 6). Kingdom Preparation causes us to see that discouragement can lead to our personal walk being hindered in a way far greater than we might imagine. Immediately after God’s people confessed their error by stating “we have sinned” (verse 6) God sent “deliverance” to His people by commanding Moses to, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole” and by healing all that had been bitten by the serpent of discouragement as they looked to God for relief (verses 8-9). If there is no other lesson from this story, it is that it is far better to look to Christ than it is to look at people.
Prayer Emphasis:
- Remember that it was the willingness to look in faith upon the serpent on the pole that delivered the people and not the actual serpent itself. Kingdom Preparation provides for deliverance from any and all distractions and discouragement through obedience to God’s commands.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:17-35 / DAY 7
Focus Verses: Numbers 21:24 & 25
The Defeat of Sihon and Og
Yesterday’s Scripture included a reference to the “Book of the Wars of the LORD” (verse 14). This is the only reference to this book in the Bible, but it demands at least some mention and explanation. Most scholars believe this to be a historical record of Israel’s various wars and victories over their enemies. For whatever reason, this book was not preserved and the only remnants that seem to remain of it are the brief words that are recorded for us here in Numbers. As was the case with the Edomites, Moses first sought permission to pass through the land of the Amorites (verse 22) only to have his diplomatic actions once again rejected (verse 23). When “Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory...and gathered all his people together and went out against Israel” (verse 23) he met with the same kind of defeat that the king of Edom and his people met when they attempted to wage war against God’s armies. Such was also the case with “Og” who was the “king of Basham” (verse 33). It is important to note that God told Moses that He had already “delivered (past tense) him into your hand” (verse 34) before any battle was ever fought! Kingdom Preparation finds that the path that God leads His people to follow may not always be the path of least resistance. However, when we faithfully follow His leadership, He sees to it that no one can stand before us or stop us from accomplishing His will.
Prayer Emphasis:
- Seek to avoid unnecessary battles, but be willing to fight when others demand that you be obedient to them rather than to God. Refuse to allow opposition to keep you from accomplishing God’s perfect plan for your life. Give all the credit for every spiritual victory to God!
Scripture Reading: Numbers 22:1-20 / DAY 8
Focus Verse: Numbers 22:5
Meet Balaam
Today’s focus verse contains the first mention of Balaam that is found in the Bible. He will be mentioned an additional 51 times in Numbers and another 10 times throughout the remainder of the Bible, including 3 mentions in the New Testament. When Balak of Moab saw what the armies of Israel had done to the Amorites, he and his people became “sick with dread because of the children of Israel” (verse 3). Balak “sent messengers to Balaam” (verse 5) asking him to “please come at once” and to “curse” the people of Israel for him (verse 6). Balaam was from Pethor where there was a group of seers and prophets whom people believed had the ability to pronounce blessings or curses upon people (see verse 6). Balaam was what was referred to as “a prophet for hire” in those days and verse 7 mentions “the diviner’s fee” that they took with them when they went to meet with him. When we read verse 8, we can see that Balaam certainly knew how to “sound” religious when he advised his clients to, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me.” Prophets such as Balaam had a very universal approach to religious things and kept themselves aware of all religions and their “gods.” However, he was about to meet with “The God” and not just “a god,” so things were going to prove to be different than he had anticipated in that he was only going to be allowed to do exactly what God told him to do (verse 20)!
Prayer Emphasis:
- Kingdom Preparation includes lessons on how to determine whether a person is considered to be a true or false prophet. Be prepared to meet people who speak about God without fully adhering to His Word. Learn to distinguish God’s commands from the advice of men.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 22:21-41 / DAY 9
Focus Verse: Numbers 22:31
A Donkey and an Angel
Today’s verses include one of the most interesting and discussed stories in the Bible. Even non-Christians and non-churched people are familiar with the story of Balaam and his “talking donkey.” In yesterday’s verses we saw that, after first commanding Balaam not to take Balak and his people on as clients, the Lord then offered to put Balaam to work for Him. Eventually, this man (Balaam) who had told Balak that there wasn’t enough money in the world to get him to work for him against God and His people was soon to be representing God before the Moabites! God must have known something about the duplicity of Balaam’s heart, because even after refusing to go with the men to Balak, the Bible states that “he went, and the Angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him” (verse 22). It is obvious that the donkey could see this Angel even if Balaam could not! Three times Balaam tried to get the donkey to move forward, and even though Balaam became physically abusive, the donkey refused to move forward against the Angel of the LORD. After the third time Balaam struck the poor beast, the LORD allowed the donkey to speak and ask Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” (I am not sure what is more impressive, the fact that the donkey could speak or the fact that the donkey could count!) Balaam entered into a conversation with the donkey and soon found that beast making a donkey out of him! Eventually the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes and allowed him to see what had been so obvious to the donkey and to see that the actions of his disobedient donkey had actually spared his life!