Archive | January, 2011

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Even as a young girl, Moses’ sister Miriam possessed a wisdom far beyond her years. When Pharoah’s daughter found baby Moses floating down the river in a basket, it was Miriam who suggested a Hebrew nursemaid, reuniting mother and son. Then, when God parted the Red Sea and destroyed their enemies, it was Miriam who [...]

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Enviest Thou For My Sake?

Toward the end of Numbers 11, Moses has had his little rant and feels good about his job again, especially after recruiting seventy elders to share the workload. This means no more late dinners and working til the wee hours for Moses. The seventy men share more than just the responsibility of leadership — they [...]

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Are You Giving God Gratitude or Attitude?

We open Numbers 11 to find God’s people complaining about the menu. Here is God calling His people to move forward into the Promised Land and here they are, after experiencing his daily provision for more than a year, complaining to high heaven about having to eat manna every day. Reminiscing about the good times [...]

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The Teddy Bear Project

Just a quick update regarding missions. I will be leaving for Calcutta on March 8th to work with Calcutta Mercy Ministries’ Project Rhino, where more than 850 children are being supported, educated and cared for. As part of the Volunteer Teachers’ Program, I will be working with children at one of six learning centres. I’ll [...]

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The Greater Good

Although Numbers 11 is an apparent continuation of Chapter 10, there is an unmistakable shift in mood. While God begins moving His people toward the Promised Land, something unexpected occurs: their focus suddenly shifts into reverse as they allow themselves to entertain fond memories of Egypt. It’s been just enough time to forget how bad [...]

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Divine Guidance

In chapters 9 and 10 of Numbers, we witness a strange phenomenon. God is directing His people with absolute perfect precision and clarity. And just to make sure there are no questions, He uses something ordinary in an extraordinary way to confirm His will. Just as He led the Hebrews out of Egypt with a [...]

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God is Pleased

Continuing the story just one month after the close of Exodus, the book of Numbers tracks the journey from Mount Sinai through the wilderness to end short at the Jordan River. ETA 39 years, for what should have been an 11-day trip. Sounds like a traveller’s nightmare. According to Charles Ryrie, the Hebrew title of [...]

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God’s Shovel is Bigger

Leviticus ends as abruptly as it started with laws concerning obedience, vows and tithes. God gives His people an overview of the lesson at hand. Obedience = blessing. Disobedience = problems. When obedience = problems, then God will take care of it. If that isn’t clear enough, He goes on to explain in detail what [...]

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