SOAP 03/01/2014 Numbers 29:32

Today's reading: Numbers 28, 29; Mark 8

S) "³² ‘Then on the seventh day: seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;"

Numbers 29:32  (NASB)

O) This verse, embarrassingly, caught me off guard; I feel like I should have seen it coming. There was a countdown during this feast. On the first day, there were 13 bulls offered. The second day, 12 bulls. So on and so forth. Then, on the seventh day, 7 bulls are offered. There is symbolism in much of the Bible that the number 7 represents holy completion or divine purity, like when we are told to forgive 70 times 7, or when the Bible says the Word of God is pure, like gold refined 7 times (Ps. 12:6), or that God rested on the 7th day. So, I was particularly struck by this timing and planning from God, to have 7 bulls sacrificed on the 7th day of this feast.

A) It feels nerdy to say, but this just really seemed beautiful to me. Remembering these examples of God's planning and timing, will give me faith and patience when I look out to my future. God is purposeful and organized and beautiful.

P) Father, thank You for showing this small beauty to me. Open my eyes to see more of these wonders, and reveal to me the perfect planning You have in my own life, according to Your will. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/28/2014 Numbers 24:1

Today's reading: Numbers 24, 25, 26, 27; 1 Corinthians 13

S) "¹ When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness."

Numbers 24:1  (NASB)

O) This is the epitome of submission to the LORD. When Balaam saw that something pleased Him, he changed his behavior accordingly. There is no deep meaning or hidden secret to this. Balaam had a habit, a routine, of doing things a certain way. But, when God showed him His will, he ditched his habits.

A) Easier said than done; I need to change my behavior according to God's will, which is usually determined through the written Word of God. It all starts with a humble and obedient heart. I need to determine ahead of time, that whatever He says, I will do.

P) Father, I am Yours. I choose obedience to Your will above all else. Show me the errors of my ways, and help me change my habits according to Your will. I concede that You know what is best, and I humbly submit to whatever that is. I want my life and my obedience to please You, LORD. Thank You for mercy when I have been disobedient, and thank You for grace to still use my imperfect efforts. Continue to shape me into the man You designed. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/27/2014 Numbers 21:6-8

Today's reading: Numbers 21, 22, 23; Mark 6, 7

S) "⁶ The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. ⁷ So the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.' And Moses interceded for the people. ⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.'"

Numbers 21:6-8 (NASB)

O) When I read this passage, the first thing I thought was, "DRAGONS!" After my fantasies and passion about biblically represented "mythical" creatures subsided, the second thing I thought was, "This seems dangerously close to idolatry." As I really started to ponder that, I was reminded of the phrase, "Worship the Creator, not the creation." That's really what this passage is about, I think. On the surface level, it's included in Numbers because it was a historical event. But, why God let it happen in the first place, may very well have been to differentiate that a solution can be created, but the solution should still not be worshiped. We are to worship no one else and nothing else, even when a solution comes (by God) through another. Even if that "other," is a dragon.

A) When I was just a kid, my mom explained to me that, even if a person created something, God created that person, and so He still deserves the credit. Ultimately, that's what I have to remember in the world around me. There are very real solutions to problems I may face. I cannot begin to think that ibuprofen is the reason my toothache goes away, and therefore attribute credit to a perishable thing. Even drawing it closer to people, my employer gives me a paycheck, which solves the problem of paying rent. But, I cannot begin to view my employer as my provider - God gives me ability and favor in the sight of men; He is my Provider.

P) Father, I want to see the world around me as You would have me see it. In everything, I will give You the credit that only You deserve. Remind me that misplaced worship can come in many different forms, and remind me that You are the Creator of all things. In everything I do, everything I have, I will give You credit at all times. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/26/2014 Numbers 20:12

Today's reading: Numbers 19, 20; Psalm 28; Mark 5

S) "¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'"

Numbers 20:12 (NASB)

O) I was really trying to break this down, what exactly was Moses's sin. What we see here, is a break from precedent. In previous cases, like Numbers 11:23-24, Moses was careful to tell the people exactly what The LORD spoke to him. I think that's why, in most cases, the Bible doesn't explicitly say what Moses's words were, since it would have been redundant. Instead, Moses used the phrase, "The LORD spoke to Moses, saying," and then Moses would simply proceed with the exact quote of The LORD. In fact, in Numbers it is used 53 times! But here, in Numbers 20, Moses goes off script between verses 8 and 11. This reminds me of my entry on 11/03/2011 regarding Simon Peter's denial. I'm not sure Moses realized in the moment, that how he reacted was actually disregarding the holiness of The LORD. His anger at the Israelites, coupled with some amount of disbelief, manifested in Moses not quoting The LORD. What's especially important to note, is that Moses was still obedient in his actions. But God cares about our heart.

A) I'm afraid I've done this. I've tried to be obedient without following God's explicit instructions, usually out of pride - generally thinking I can just "wing" something. Perhaps the most important element of exact obedience, and it's drawn from this verse as well, is in quoting the written Word of God. When I am referring to God, His will, or commands to righteousness, I need to be especially careful to bring it back to the Word, and not simply make statements off the cuff. From leading my wife, to educating my children, to counseling others. I need to ensure that I am, not only going to the Word for direction, but quoting the Word for instruction, as directly as I can, with as little of my own opinions as possible. Essentially, I don't want to get in the way of God's Word.

P) Father, continue to humble me, whatever it takes. Let me always take a back seat to the Your holiness, and the divinity and perfection of Your Word. No matter what, Father, do not let me ever get in front of Your Word. I choose to make You sovereign in every way, and to defer to You in every way. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/25/2014 Numbers 18:20

Today's reading: Numbers 17, 18; Psalm 29; Mark 4

S) "²⁰ Then the Lord said to Aaron, 'You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.'"

Numbers 18:20 (NASB)

O) I know the command itself is specific to Aaron and his offspring (see vv. Numbers 18:8-19 for more context), but the bigger theme to this is wrapped up by the last line of the verse above. As Christians, we are now priests ourselves (Isa 61:6, Isa 66:21, 1Pet 2:5, Rev 1:6), but this verse is also specific to the Promised Land. Despite those differences in specification, one thing still holds true from this verse. In our relationship with The LORD, His desire is to be our portion and our inheritence.

A) I often get sucked into a culture trap of thinking that I am the provider for my family. My wife hasn't been employed somewhere since our oldest child was born, and we're not looking to change that anytime soon. Since then, I have sometimes felt the burden as the sole income for the family. It is a constant struggle for me to refocus that I am no responsible for generating an inheritence for my family. I sometimes feel a pressure to save for, and then buy, a house. I know that there are myriad, logically, financial benefits to owning a home. Ultimately, though, buying a house out of fear (of man, of failure, or any other) is a terrible reaction to a lack of faith. There are many calamities that could arise, and no house could save me. There are struggles that could come, and owning my house (even outright, with no mortgage) would be useless. Ultimately, it is The LORD who provides. It is The LORD who saves. It is The LORD who secures.

P) Father, help me to refocus my mind and heart on You and You alone, LORD.  I want You to truly be my heart's only desire. Give me the faith and trust needed to chase You and abandon all other desires. Take fear from me, God. Let me view You with a different perspective, to value You as my literal inheritence and my only portion. You are worthy of my single-minded devotion. You are worthy to be chased. You are worthy of my devotion and desire. Everyday, help me to pick up my cross and follow You, seeking first Your Kingdom and righteousness. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/24/2014 Numbers 15:37-41

Today's reading: Numbers 14, 15, 16; Mark 3

S) "³⁷ The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, ^38 'Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. ³⁹ It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, ⁴⁰ so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. ⁴¹ I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God.'"

Numbers 15:37-41 (NASB)

O) It's amazing to me how inept we are to remember. Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites are commanded various rituals to help them remember The LORD, but still they forget. It's interesting to me that God sees this weakness and puts into place practices like the one above. He wants us to overcome our deficiencies. He recognizes that we have trouble remembering His commandments, so He invents a solution for us. Over and over again, He sets us up to succeed. At the time of this command, there were only so many people who could read, and even fewer people had access to anything that was written. This verse serves as a great example of how blessed I am to be born when I was. Still, God provides a way for the people to remind themselves of what Moses is teaching them.

A) I could implement this exact set up. I could use some blue yarn and tie it to clothes, somehow. I mean, I don't wear robes, but I could fashion something to attach to my clothes. I could also wear specific jewelry. I could get a tattoo. There are a lot of physical applications I could explore to help me remember ordinances from The LORD. Ultimately, however, I have the Bible itself. It's not a bad idea to make use of some other form of reminder, but I think that, in terms of a physical reminder, nothing will ever top the actual Bible. So, then it becomes a matter of really keeping my Bible with me. Because of the digital age, with apps and web access, I have gotten away from the practice of physically carrying my Bible. I'm afraid that the prevalence of the digital Bible has taken it to a sort of "out of sight, out of mind" place, so that I'm not thinking of The Word at all, unless I'm actually reading it off of a screen. I think it's time for me to make better use of my Bible case, and start packing my actual Bible with me on a daily basis.

P) Father, I am so thankful for Your written Word. I feel like I treasure the Bible, but I want it to be more than feelings, more than intention. Let me be bold about carrying my Bible with me. Let it be a physical reminder of Your commands, even when I'm not reading it. Change my heart, so that I am manifestly valuing my Bible more and more with each passing day. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/23/2014 Psalm 90:17

Today's reading: Numbers 12, 13; Psalm 90; Mark 2

S) "17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:17 (NASB)

O) There are a few things to consider, whatever the verse(s) we're reading. We must always be mindful that we are never taking a verse out of its context, especially while journaling about  single verse out of a passage. Also, we need to be mindful of what we expect from a verse (I'll address both of those in my Application). We should also always be mindful of any footnotes and references in our Bible. For this verse, the footnote says that the word, "confirm" is more literally translated as, "give permanence to."

A) The context of this verse (the last in the chapter) does not make it clear, to what work Moses is referring. For myself, however, I chose this verse because of the spirit behind it and the model of it as a prayer. In my life, I have seen God's provision and faithfulness, through the jobs that I've had, in tremendous and miraculous ways. When I was between jobs (which propelled me toward ministry), this verse was shown to me. Through many uncertainties and trials, moves and job changes, I have prayed this verse several times. Obviously, God has not given me a permanent career, but He has made one thing clear. Inasmuch as, that I even have work to do, and that I will not be left in unemployment, He has been faithful to establish work for my hands. He has put His favor upon me. I still pray this verse, and often share it with others.

P) Father, Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon me; And confirm for me the work of my hands; Yes, confirm the work of my hands. Thank You for being faithful and gracious to me. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.