This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
NUMBERS
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
God instituted the Passover to be an annual feast. And God's intention was
6 And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
7 And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?
8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.
9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.
11 The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
Some were "unclean" at the appointed time and thus were unable to observe the Passover.
14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.
ANYONE who wants to observe God's commandments should not be turned away.
15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
23 At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
God's presence was shown by the "cloud" above the tabernacle. It was a cloud by day,
Please continue to follow along in Bible study with us.
CHAPTER 9
that they keep this ordinance "throughout their generations...for ever." (Exodus 12:14)
Now here, God reminds them to keep this special feast at the appropriate
time. What God reminds us to keep, we should keep with all diligence.
God has provided His Word (Bible) to be our guide for faith and the practice of our
faith (Deuteronomy 6:1-3, 4-9). And God reminds us time and again to follow
His Word. That means ALL of His Word. There's no way to LEARN God's Word
without reading and studying it.
When Moses received this question, he went to the Lord in prayer. And God appointed
another time. God is gracious. And He is gentle toward us when we are
trying to do the things He requires.
There's no real excuse for not heeding God's Word and doing as He commands. There are
plenty of times. When we are ill, or other circumstances prohibit our study; there
are plenty of other times!
One thing all people should remember: God's ordinances are HOLY. Therefore, a
person should carefully examine his heart to be sure he has asked God's forgiveness
for sin before he partakes of this holy bread (1Corinthians 11:28).
and a pillar of fire by night. This was evidence of God's presence every day for 42 years.
When the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the nation of Israel packed up and followed (vers 17).
When the cloud remained still, they "rested." (Verse 23)
When God is moving, we oughta move! Where God is working we oughta be busy!
Perhaps the lesson to us is this: we should be closely attuned to God's presence
in our lives. And we should surrender to His leadership in our lives.
Acts 2:1-3 tells of the New Testament age of God's presence.
Acts 2:38 teaches us that every true believer received God's presence.
In John 14:26, Jesus called His presence the "Comforter," or one who walks beside us.
And He is the one Who TEACHES us God's Word and helps us to REMEMBER God's Word.