In this 2-part series, we are discussing Numbers chapter 7 – a particularly long and tedious list of the offerings the Israelites brought for the dedication of the tabernacle about a year into their wilderness wanderings. In part 1, we considered the fact that detailed lists have their purposes, and when we study them, they aren’t always as boring as they can first appear.
Today, we will ponder the second thing I learned from Numbers chapter 7, which is that on this occasion, unlike many others that had gone before, there didn’t seem to be any squabbling amongst the Israelites, or any evidence of one tribe trying to outdo the other. As each of the 12 days passed, every tribe came before the Lord, and offered exactly the same gift. If you were a member of the last tribe, you would have had time to think up a better gift! You might have thought: ‘Come on! Let’s outdo our brothers! Let’s show we’re more zealous for the Lord, and we’re a better tribe because we’re bringing a bigger and better offering!’ Judah think they’re such a big and important tribe, but let’s show God we’re even more zealous!” But they didn’t do that. As each day passed, the tribal offerings were consistent.
Thinking back to Cane and Abel and considering What happened when they brought their gifts to God as told in Genesis chapter 4, we will recall that didn’t turn out so well. On this occasion, each of the brothers brought something different, and while the Lord accepted Abel’s offering, he did not look favourably upon Cain’s. (Genesis 4: 4-5.) I wonder, was Cane trying to outdo his brother by bringing the produce of his own hands, and in effect saying, ‘look what I can do, God!” where as Abel was offering back portions from the flocks God had given him as a sign of his gratitude. In any case, we know God doesn’t like pride, since it was what caused the fall of Satan in the first place, and many have suggested this is why he did not accept Cain’s gift. What we do know is that he saw the condition of Cain’s jealous and vengeful heart, since he warned: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4: 7.)
Nowadays, we don’t have tribes as such, but we have various Christian denominations. And I often hear a lot of pride amongst the different denominations because they think their way of doing things is better than everyone else’s. The Baptists may get puffed up because they emphasize full water baptism, unlike those Methodists and C of E people who only sprinkle the water over the forehead. Then, the Pentecostals might boast of being more spirit filled than other denominations, because they speak in tongues and emphasize the gifts. The church of England might feel their way of worshiping is more holy, because they follow a prescribed pattern, just as Israel did in their worship in the wilderness. Obviously, it’s not the same pattern, but they find the order of their way of worship comforting because it’s predictable. Then the free churches boast of their freedom. They aren’t weighed down by any denominational rules.
Do we think God is pleased with all this? There are some major issues we should stand up for, and things we can’t compromise, but other areas are down to personal preference. WE choose a worship style that suits our own personality. Some of us are quiet, some of us like something more bouncy. But isn’t that evidence of our creator God who didn’t create robots? He gave us the freedom to express our love and worship in whatever way fits the personality he gave us.
So, there’s no need to try and better or outdo one another. We are to be people marked by love, not competition. God wants and accepts all our different styles of worship, as long as it’s him who’s the object of our worship,, just as he accepted all those gifts brought over that 12-day period in Israel’s history.
Finally, in summing up, I think we’d agree that details are important to God. And these passages of scripture we tend to overlook because they’re not easy reading have so much to teach us if we do a little digging. I’m going to close by giving the best illustration of that I can find, taken from Numbers chapter 7 itself. Aside from psalm 119, I think this has to be one of the longest chapters in the Bible. Yet, if we overlook it, we’ll miss the amazing verse right at the end. Verse 89 says: “Whenever Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. The Lord spoke to him from there.” You may wonder why I think that’s amazing? For one thing, it tells us God actually spoke verbally to Moses! After all this gift giving and endless detail of the setting up of the tabernacle, we find God meeting with Moses and giving him specific directions. We know that happened because of what we read in the other books Moses wrote. Just pause and consider that; Almighty God is communicating with a sinful human being! Incredible! Equally exciting is the fact that I firmly believe that God wants to speak to you and me too, and one of the most powerful ways he’ll do so is through his word. Even through some of these passages that we find so difficult to read. That’s why it’s so important for us to read the whole Bible from cover to cover, not shying away from the tougher books. By all means receive help from a trusted Christian teacher, but never stop seeking the whole counsel of God as it is revealed in each of the 66 books of the Bible.