Good morning all! I was reminded this morning, after receiving a lovely email from my daughter, how blessed I am. God has given me three wonderful children who love Him. The best thing is that all three of them know that God loves them and I can see God working in each of their lives to mold them into what He wants them to be. I thank Him every day for His wonderful blessings.
My excitement is building as I anticipate the birth of my first grandchild. He/She is not due until September, and the family lives in Portland, Oregon so we will be spending time immediately after the birth with them. Please pray for Ashley and Aaron as they become new parents. It is a huge responsibility both financially and spiritually. But God's timing is always perfect and this precious little one will be welcomed, nurtured and brought up to love God.
I would also ask that you pray for me. I have been experiencing some strange pains in my left leg and hip area. I will be making a Dr.'s apt. in the next week.

Numbers 8-11

Arrangement of the Lamps (8:1-4)
God had a plan for every aspect of the tabernacle to bring glory unto himself.
Everything was put in order just as God commanded it to be.
Cleansing and Dedication of the Levites (8:5-25)

The Second Passover (9:1-23)
Here, God reminds Moses, to remind the people to keep the passover, just as they had observed it the first time. If not their firstborn child would die. This shows just how seriously God wanted the people to keep His commandments and ordinances. This entire chapter is dedicated to reminding the people of this.

Two Silver Trumpets (10:1-10)
These trumpets were used to call the people to the tabernacle for meetings and worship, as well as calls to movement, or to march out into battle.
The sounding of both trumpets was a call to meeting or worship.
But if only one trumpet was blown it was a call to move or to go to battle, depending on the specific type of call.

Departure from Sinai (10:11-36)
It was time for them to move. If you remember, in earlier chapters, God had told the people who and how the tabernacle was to be packed up to move. He gave very specific instructions as to which tribes were responsible for every aspect of their journeying. In this chapter we see the process. The "cloud" is taken up from above the tabernacle (10:11) an indication from God that it was time for them to move. Then each tribe performed their specific duties; with the Levites taking up the tabernacle with the ark of the covenant going out before them for a three day journey (10:33).

The People Complain (11:1-15)
Well, here we go again. It's just like us today. God blesses and instead of being a nation of grateful followers, some choose to complain. Well, God takes this attitude of a lack of gratitude very seriously. In fact the Bible tells us in verse 1 that "...His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some..." The fear of the Lord is a wonderful thing. It will preserve us not only unto good works, but also physically. May we be a grateful nation, God has blessed and preserved us!! When the people ran to Moses, he prayed and God had mercy and quenched the fire (11:2). God was still supplying manna for the people. But, again, they become dissatisfied with it and crave the meat and vegetables that were abundant in Egypt. The complaints turned into lust and the lust into an act of disobedience. Egypt was their old life and God had granted them a new life, and the promise of a wonderful land waiting at the end of the journey. Isn't this a beautiful picture of our journey to the beautiful place He has prepared for us at the end of our earthly journey?

The Seventy Elders (11:16-30)
These Elders were chosen from among the people to help bear the burden the people were putting on Moses. The moaning, hungers and grumblings were beginning to be more than Moses could bear alone (11:1-17).
Moses chose seventy men from among the tribes and met with them and God at the tabernacle and God came in the cloud and spoke to Moses and filled the 70 men with the spirit of the Lord. (11:24-27).

The Lord Sends Quail (11:31-35)
The elders were chosen, filled with the spirit, and warning the people about the consequences for their ungrateful hearts. So, God sent quail, those that lusted for the old life in Egypt gave in to the temptation, captured the quail and as a consequence of their disobedience to God, they died. This is also a picture.
A picture of God's judgment on those who choose sin (death) over obedience (life) (11:31-34).

The Bible is very clear on this in other passages as well. In James 1:14-15, we see the progression of the consequences of sin. First there is temptation, then a drawing away from the truth, (through mans own lusts) then there is enticement, (Satan's work). Then when lust has conceived (the embryo is death), it brings forth the sin, and after the sin, death. You can see the same process in the garden of Eden; Eve was tempted, then lusted after the fruit, Satan stepped in and enticed her further. When Eve gave in to the enticement of Satan, her own lusts brought her to the decision to disobey God, partake of the fruit and sin. After she and Adam sinned, they were condemned to death, spiritually and the the process of physical death also began as they were ejected from the place of perfection (the garden) into the place of contamination (the world). But, praise the Lord, that was not the end of the story. We were rescued from our sin. God's son, through his obedience to the will of his Father, made a way of escape for us. Salvation through his blood. And now, we are on our journey toward the land that has been prepared for us. Some day at the end of this earthly journey, we will be in our promised land, with the one who gave himself for us. Keep looking up...it won't be long!!!