Seder 124/125: Numbers 28-29---Israel's Worship in the Promised Land

 Numbers 28-29 continue to look ahead to Israel's settlement in the Promised Land.  These chapters describe Israel's corporate worship in the land, including all of the corporate sacrifices for a typical year.  Through this worship calendar, Israel could be in continual fellowship with God, maintaining a close relationship.  The daily morning and evening sacrifices (28:1-8) symbolized the constant, continuing nature of that relationship.  

Over the course of a year, at least 113 bulls, 32 rams, and 1086 lambs would be sacrificed.  Implicit here is God's promise of blessing.  In order for Israel to offer these animals, God would need to provide them.  

During the Feast of Tabernacles (Num 29:12-34), a total of 70 bulls would be offered, perhaps symbolizing Israel's outreach to the nations and God's plan to use Israel to save all nations.

In addition to the corporate sacrifices, there would be a number of personal sacrifices (29:39).  The annual Passover sacrifices fell into this category, for example, as did firstfruits offerings.  These were also an essential part of Israel's worship.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on November 19, 2022, Rob Wilson described Israel's corporate and individual worship and how they were intertwined.    

Seder 124: Numbers 27---Appointing the Next Leader of Israel

 Knowing that he would not be going into the Promised Land, Moses in the final months of his life tried to do as much as possible to prepare the Israelites for future success.  Concerned more about Israel's future than his own, he asked God, "Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that that congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd" (Nu 27:16-17).

God's response was to instruct Moses to anoint Joshua as his successor (verses 18-23).  Joshua would not have quite the "face-to-face" relationship with God that Moses had (see Num 12:6-8), but God would be working with him closely.

It was surely no surprise to Moses that Joshua, his longtime assistant, would be Israel's next leader.  Joshua was one of only a few from the older Exodus generation still alive (Num 26:65).  He is described in Nu 27:18 as "a man in whom is the Spirit", and in Deut 34:9 as "full of the spirit of wisdom."  God would not be working with Israel through a dynasty, but through leaders who were people of faith.

Are Nu 27:18 and Deut 34:9 saying that Joshua was led by the Holy Spirit?  I believe the answer to this question is "yes."  In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on November 12, 2022, Kyle Kettering observed that Christian theology has too often downplayed the extent of the work of the Holy Spirit before the Pentecost event in Acts 2.  (Sometimes this can result from misinterpreting passages like John 7:39.)  Certainly the work of the Spirit has increased through history, but the Spirit has been active from the beginning.  

Kyle related a midrashic tradition about the meaning of Moses' request in Nu 27:16-17.   According to this tradition, Moses was asking God for a new leader who would, like God, understand each person's spirit and be able to work with everyone.  God replies that he'll show Moses all the future leaders, the prophets and judges.  Moses sees, though, that the only one who will understand every spirit will be Messiah, who will have "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord" (Isa 11:2).

The Gospel of Mark shows that Jesus, following in Moses' footsteps, was concerned that the people of Israel have a good shepherd to lead them (Mk 6:34).  Through the Spirit described in Isa 11:2, he taught the people.  

Kyle explained that in both Jewish and Christian tradition, those who follow God in believing loyalty ared led by the Holy Spirit.  One who is led by the Spirit 

• exhibits the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
• puts the practices of the old nature to death (Rom 8:13).
• enjoys a close connection to the Father (Rom 8:15).
• lives a brave and powerful existence (2 Tim 1:7).

Jesus embodies all of these things and has modeled for us a life by the Spirit.

Seder 124: Psalm 143---A Humble Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance

 Psalm 143 is one of a group of seven "penitential psalms" grouped together in Christian tradition---the others are 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130.  We see why it has been placed in this group in the first two verses, where the psalmist (traditionally David) appeals to God's mercy and faithfulness and then prays, "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you."

Verse 2 expresses a truth affirmed throughout the Bible, the fact that no one is sinless.  When Paul asserts that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23), he joins a long line of biblical writers.  For example:  

Proverbs 20:9:  "Who can say, `I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin'?"

Ecclesiastes 7:20: "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins."

Psalm 130:3:  "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"

Mal 3:2:  "But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?"

1 Kings 8:46:  "If they sin against you---for there is no one who does not sin..."

The psalmist feels persecuted, discouraged, and alone.  He thinks about God's great works of redemption, and hopes for God's quck intervention in his own situation (vv 3-6).  

His prayer includes 

• request for deliverance and rescue.
• expression of confidence in God.
• a request for guidance.  He desires to do what is right.
• an appeal to God's faithfulness to his people, and for justice to be done with regard to his tormentors.

Overall he humbly submits to God, asking for both deliverance and guidance.