Today’s passage: Numbers 7
Helpful thoughts:
- The first several chapters in Numbers are not given in chronological order. The beginning of Numbers is written in thematic order. Now, in chapter 7, we go back to about a month before what we read in the beginning of the book to see how the nation of Israel came together to provide what was needed to establish the workings and worship of the tabernacle.
- The gifts came to the tabernacle on twelve successive days, one for each tribe. All the gifts from each tribe were brought by their chief and all the gifts were identical. Each tribe and all the tribes were communicating their shared responsibility and commitment to the worship of the Lord and, subsequently, provision for the Levites in their service.
Questions to consider:
- Which tribe went first in these donations? What are we continuing to learn about the place of this tribe in Israel?
- With all that was given by the nation brought to the tabernacle, what does the end of the chapter show the people were receiving? What was God graciously giving to the people?
- Do we bring a bunch of gifts and offerings to the Lord to get Him to speak to us or to earn his blessing? Or, did the Lord speak to us through His Word and therefore it is right to bring offerings and gifts? How does having the right perspective keep our worship truly worship and not a bartering system?