Day 78: Faithfulness and Fear

Numbers 23, 24, 25 and Mark 16

Numbers switches from a talking donkey to God speaking directly to Balaam about God’s faithfulness to the people of Israel. God will not abandon them, even when, as we learn their faithfulness is in question. In Mark we see the faithful women going to the tomb and being filled with fear.

Numbers 23

Balaam is asked by Balak to curse the people of Israel. God, however has other plans. Balaam shows faithfulness to God by sharing God’s word even at great personal risk. He gives two oracles that proclaim God’s favor for the Israelites.

When do people ask you to deny God or ask you to go against God’s purposes?

Numbers 24

This time Balaam’s preparations for speaking with God are different. The sacrifices are still ordered, but Balaam does not approach God thinking he can coerce God into cursing the Israelites. He returns with words that Balak does not want to hear.

These words in favor of Israel anger Balak and he sends Balaam on his way without any of the promised rewards/payment for his speaking with God. Balaam then warns that no one will crush the Israelites because the Lord is with them. After Balaam leaves, Balak leaves dejected as well.

Numbers 25

In this chapter we get a glimpse of the lack of faithfulness on the part of some of the people of Israel. God here tells Moses that all who have brought the religion of the Midianites into the people should be impaled. This word impaled can mean crucified or exposed. Moses does not make a public gathering, he tells the chiefs that these individuals are to be executed. But we have no language suggesting this was carried out by Moses or the chiefs.

Then we zoom in more closely and are told the story of one man taking a Midianite wife with Moses’ full knowledge and Moses does not stop it from occurring. It needs to be stated here that Moses himself had married a Midianite woman, so not all of Israel held the idea of intermarriage to be a bad thing.

This passage is really used as a way to elevate Aaron’s family, aka the priesthood, over Moses and his family. This is one of the times you see the priestly sector trying to step into the role of leadership in all things, not just worship.

We are told that the people are wailing at the tent of meeting. We then learn it is because of a plague that is seen as God’s judgement against Moses’ inaction. Elaezar is praised for killing the man and his wife and credited with ending the plague that killed 25,000.

Mark 16

The resurrection account in Mark 16 is unique. The women, three named here Mary, Mary mother of Joses and Salome, come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. They worry over the size of the stone. They are met by a young man, some say it might be the same young man who ran naked from the garden of Gethsemane, not an angel. He tells them of the risen Lord. The women are terrified and said nothing to anyone. The women here would be the first to actually keep the Messianic secret pushed throughout the gospel of Mark. Only we know that they told someone, or else we would not have an account of the event!

The other endings of Mark were added later by communities that had been influenced by other Christians and letters or perhaps even other Gospels. These endings are in line with what has become fairly “orthodox” Christian thoughts surrounding the events following the resurrection of Christ.

Day 58: Food as Holy Offering and Receiving Holy Food

Leviticus 8, 9, 10 and Mark 6:30-56

Leviticus today talks about the ordination of Aaron and his sons while relying heavily on the topic of food. Where and when to eat holy offerings specifically. Mark talks to us about holy food in a completely different manner.

Leviticus 8

This section begins the actual carrying out of the statements God has made to Moses concerning the ordination of Aaron’s sons. I find it particularly interesting that the prophet, Moses, is so obviously held in higher authority than even the head priest, Aaron. The fact that this is noted in a priestly document is surprising food for thought. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the leadership/priests of Jesus’ day were not so keen on him. They did not want to be under a prophet’s authority.

Of note in the account of offerings is that the most holy offerings, such as ordination, could only be eaten by a priest within the sacred sanctuary court. The priestly portions however of other sacrifices could be taken home and eaten by the family in any clean place.

By the way, did you catch our favorite number 7 once more? Seven days for ordination rites to be complete.

Leviticus 9

Now that Aaron is ordained he steps up and begins actually leading the sacrifices that Moses has done previously. The fire from the Lord that burns the offering is a sign that the Lord will be with the people in a very visible way, through fire and cloud.

Leviticus 10

Aaron’s sons offered unholy fire before the altar of the Lord. This caused the Lord to send out fire to kill them in front of the altar. I cannot begin to imagine this. And we talk about worship wars now.

Aaron is silent, he does not complain after two of his sons are killed. Unlike the people of Israel on the whole, Aaron is willing to accept good and judgement at the hands of God, apparently. Or he was afraid that the fire would consume him as well.

God speaks to Aaron directly here and talks with him about the importance of being sober when in the presence of the Lord and the tabernacle. This is still genuinely good advice for anyone leading a worship service.

Mark 6:30-56

Jesus is with his disciples and acknowledges that they need some time away after their going out into the world to perform healings and other signs and wonders. I can identify with the need for rest, for a break, for time in an isolated place.

The crowds however, find them, as they usually do. Jesus has compassion on them and teaches for a long time. It is getting to be dinner time and the disciples tell Jesus to send the people away to get food. Jesus says “You give them food.”

Initially this is a shocking statement to me. How does Jesus expect them to feed a crowd that large without a caterer or at the very least food trucks? But then I remember that these men had been out in the world performing miracles already. If you could heal leprosy, why would you not be able to figure out bread?

Jesus is exasperated by their lack of faith, and asks them to count the food present. Five Loaves and 2 Fish are brought forward. Jesus has them sit down in groups of 50 and 100, then he blesses the food and has the disciples begin handing it out.

I’ve often called this the first potluck meal. I do not for a second believe that no one in that crowd had any supplies or food stuffs. I think that in a society of scarcity there would have been very few who were willing to offer up those resources. But when they are set down in smaller groups, groups where you are faced with the reality of the hungry faces of your neighbor, I believe you are more likely to share even what little you have.

I do not believe that how the miracle occurred, because getting food insecure individuals to share is miraculous, in anyway diminishes the miracle or Jesus’ capability to perform such signs and wonders. He could have turned the dirt in front of them to an all you can eat fish and bread buffet. The point to me is that even a small amount of faith goes a very long way.

Day 49: Instructions for Worship and Jesus Heals

Exodus 27, 28 and Mark 1:23-45

These passages continue to teach the Israelites how to worship. Jesus in Mark shows people the power of God.

Exodus 27

Here we find more instructions for worship. These have to do with the courtyard that is to surround the Tabernacle, the place for worship, and with the things to be kept in the bounds of the worship space.

Worship of God was a new thing to the Israelites who had been kept a slaves and not allowed to worship with freedom. Step by step God is offering ways to set themselves apart in their worship.

How are we set apart in our worship?

Artist interpretation of Priestly Robes

Exodus 28

God gives instructions here on clothing for worship, specifically the priests clothing for worship. There is mention that God gave tailors specific wisdom about how to make these unique garments. This helps us to see that worship does not only involve the priests, but without the gifts of all of God’s people, worship is incomplete.

Mark 1:23-45

Jesus is walking around with his disciples on the Sabbath. He casts out an evil spirit. He then goes and heals Simon’s mother-in-law and she gets us and serves, also on the Sabbath. This is where the grumbling against Jesus begins.

Jesus becomes popular and moves on from that place throughout Galilee. The Spirit of God cannot be kept in one place. He heals people because he is moved by compassion.

One particular man is cleansed from Leprosy by Jesus’ touch. Jesus tells him to go quietly to the priest and be declared clean, but the man goes out into the streets sharing his good news. Jesus can then no longer enter anyplace openly and becomes an outsider, having to stay in the lonely places outside of towns.

Even then people flock to go outside, where Jesus is. Jesus will not let the evil spirits he casts out speak because they know his identity and in Mark, Jesus tries to keep his identity as the Messiah quiet.

Day 44: Manna and Murder

Exodus 16, 17, 18 and Matthew 27: 1-26

These chapters give us the story of Manna from heaven and Murder of the king of heaven and earth. They are an odd paring, but they show how humans can mistake manna, something holy and other, for something that needs to be destroyed or murdered.

Exodus 16:

The whole of the assembly of Israelites grumble against Moses and Aaron. How quick we are to complain to our leaders! Moses points out to them that they are really complaining to God. But in God’s mercy, God tells them they will receive meat and twilight and bread in the morning. The camp is overrun with quail at twilight and in the morning a strange substance is left after the dew. The people call it manna, meaning what is it. God gives specific instructions to gather only enough for each person and no more or less. Those who gathered more manna than they should, when it was weighed, found it was the amount allowed. Those who gathered less than their share found that the manna was just the amount required per person.

God told the people to only take the manna they needed for each day. Anything kept would spoil so it could not be saved or horded. On the day before the Sabbath they could gather twice as much to save for the next day. God fed them this way for forty years!!!

Exodus 17

Again the people grumble and complain against the Lord. Even though God has miraculously provided food every day, twice a day, the people complain that they do not have enough water. God sends Moses to a rock in Horeb which he strikes with his staff. The rock pours out fresh water. God has provided Manna, meat and now water.

I think some of Moses’ frustration with the people begins to show here, as illuminated by the name he gives this rock fountain. He calls it Massah and Meribah, which mean testing and quarreling. I think it is meant to remind people every time they get water that even though they tested God and quarreled, God provided. Perhaps they need to remember God’s provisions! (Perhaps we do as well!)

This chapter also shows us a battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, a nomadic warring tribe. Joshua is told to take a group of men to fight them while Moses goes to the top of a hill to watch and to hold his hands up. As long as his hands are held high, the Israelites win, but once he lowers his hands the tide turns. Aaron and Hur help Moses keep his arms up. It is important for us to help our leaders as they do what they are called to do. We need to be their support system.

Exodus 18:

Jethro returns Moses’ wife and son’ to him. There is a great feast and an air of celebration with this visit. I admire Jethro and Moses’ relationship. They do not spend time walking around like puffed up roosters, trying to jockey for position or prominence. Instead they seem to recognize that they can learn from one another.

Jethro becomes a believer in the one true God. Moses gains much needed administrative and management skills.

By spreading the workload Moses not only frees himself up to do other important tasks, he also spreads the teachings of God among the people and gives them shared responsibilities for what occurs. We are not to do everything on our own. We are not functioning as we should as a people of faith if we are not sharing leadership, responsibility and love with one another and our neighbors.

Matthew 27:1-26

As the sun rises the religious leaders decide to put Jesus to death. They turn him over to Pilate, the Roman governor. Upon hearing this, Judas tries to back out of his betrayal, he wants to return the money he has been given and renege on his accusations. The leaders refuse to accept his funds and he throws them on the floor and goes out to hang himself.

Sometimes we cannot stop what we have put in motion. It is wise to think through things before we act.

When they have received the money the leaders made an odd statement. They call it “blood money.” That phrase is usually associated with turning over an innocent person. By this comment they seem to be admitting to plotting to murder and innocent man.

Pilate does not want to turn Jesus over to be killed. His conscious seems to tell him Jesus is innocent. Pilate’s wife tells him to have nothing to do with Jesus because of a dream she has had. Yet Pilate offers the people an exchange. Jesus or Barabbas. The innocent man or the actual rebellion leader. The crowd cries out for Barabbas to be saved and for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate seems surprised, but working within any government I don’t see how he could be shocked when people make bad choices. Ultimately it is Pilate’s fear of the crowd that leads him to release a known criminal and to hand Jesus over, after flogging him for good measure.