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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. You are listening to A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. And today we're talking through numbers, chapters 25 through 27. What's going on in these chapters, Scott?
- [00:16]
B
All right. Yesterday was our Balaam episode and how we talked about how instead of cursing the people of Israel like he had been hired to do, he instead blessed them. But, you know, and I previewed today's episode a little bit. But even though Balaam realizes he can't curse the Israelites, he does recognize he can still bring harm to them. He's not mentioned in chapter 25, but numbers 31, which we haven't got to yet in Revelation 2, say that it was Balaam's doing to get the Israelites to commit sexual immorality with the Moabite women and worship their gods, which we read about in today's chapters. And so they are harmed by Balaam still. And Psalm 106, 29 talks about this moment. It says that they angered the Lord with their deeds and a plague broke out against them. And so, situated as the Israelites are on the edge of the promised land, they're ready to go in. There's a warning here. Like the people they're called to do battle with in the land of Canaan, they worship false gods and they commit sexual immorality, a whole host of other sins. And I think this is a warning to them. There's going to be a lot of opportunities for them moving forward, for them to repeat this sin or something like it. And yet they get a powerful reminder here of the consequences of such sin. And so only if they're faithful to God will they prosper.
- [01:34]
A
So we see this take place, and then naturally we go into a census, because numbers is doing what numbers does, right?
- [01:42]
B
Numbers is going to. Numbers, yeah. So we had that census way back in chapter one, which was, like we said, for the purpose of determining who would be fighting against the Canaanites. But, you know, again, because of Israel's sin, that generation died off. So there's a need for a new census. These are the people who are going to go into the land and conquer it. And again, you know, it's not fun to read. Shall we? Let's admit that. But this is another demonstration, I think, of God's grace, like after. After everything we've seen Israel do so far in this book, in the wilderness, he's preparing them to enter the land he promised them by. By ordering the census. And I think another example of God's kindness is in him promising to raise up a new leader. Joshua for them after Mose. Moses request, I think, is really moving to me because these people have given Moses so much grief throughout these books. They don't ever seem to tell him, hey, thanks for leading us. It's really cool that you're doing this. That never happens, that we read about. But Moses is still concerned about them, and so he prays that God would not leave them without a shepherd when he dies. And so God has Moses commission Joshua for leadership.
- [02:53]
A
Yeah, we see some really cool moments there, for sure. So what do we take away from these chapters? Can these apply to our lives today?
- [03:03]
B
There's a paragraph in today's study that I especially enjoyed which talks about how God is faithful to remain with his people. And there's this phrase that was repeated in the paragraph even when he remains. So it gives these different scenarios even when he remains. And that stood out to me because I think it's so easy when we sin, at least for me, to think that's it, God's had it. This is the last straw. He's done with me. And maybe we even have earthly relationships that have reinforced that insecurity, like people who've seen our faults and left. God sees our faults and God stays, which I think is so beautiful. God will judge sin. And chapter 25 is very clear on that. But Scripture is also quite clear that God will never turn away a repentant heart. And a repentant heart is always welcome in his arms. And so one thing that stood out to me is, I think it'd be a helpful exercise even for listeners, just to kind of give your own example of even when God remained, even when I did this thing, even when I failed to do this thing, God remains. Like, what would that look like for you personally?
- [04:17]
A
Yeah, that's a great challenge. I love that. I think what I'm taking away from these chapters, I don't think at this point we can say that how far the Israelites have come has been at all because of their own efforts. Right. They have at times been obedient to God, but they've faced many struggles. And so it's clearly been God's faithfulness to his promises that has gotten them to where they are. And that's just a reminder for me in my own life that God's promise to redeem me, his promise that I will be with him one day in eternity, those aren't hinging on my ability to make those come to pass. They are fully dependent on God's faithfulness to his promises. And so I see God's faithfulness. You have that like, even when you know. And so maybe I'm even applying your even when statement a little bit to my own life. But a great thing to reflect on here in these chapters of numbers. And we'll be back tomorrow. Just a few more episodes before we wrap up this book. Awesome.
- [05:20]
C
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- [05:41]
B
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