The purpose of Leviticus is to
serve as a handbook for priests
and Levites outlining their duties
in worship as well as a guidebook
of holy living for the Hebrews.
And Numbers tells the story of
how Israel prepared to enter the
promised land, how they sinned
and were punished, and how
they prepared to try again.
On Monday, we learn from Lev 16
that Jesus Paid It All Atoning Sins.
On Tuesday, we learn fr Lev 18/19
that Holy God Changes Us.
On Wed, we learn from Num 6
that the Lord Blesses You.
On Thursday, we learn fr Num 11
that God Cares for the Weary.
On Friday, we learn from Num 14
that the Lord Abounds In Mercy.
On Saturday, we learn fr Num 21/23
about the Lord who Keeps Promises.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For Jesus paid it all Atoning sins.
and that Holy God Changes Us;
For Abba Father Cares for the weary
and that He Abounds in Mercy;
For the Lord loves to Bless us
and that He Keeps promises.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
As the Israelites march to Canaan, they defeat three enemies: the Canaanites, Amorites & Bashanites. But on the heels of victory they
suffer defeat at the hands of a
persistent foe: constant grumbling.
And God sends fiery serpents
to chasten His rebellious nation.
The threat of Israel’s advance
prompts neighbouring pagan nations
to hire Balaam to bring a curse upon
God’s people. But instead of curse, Balaam delivers a sweeping witness to the glorious future of Israel.
Lord, we’ll Respect & Honour You: Speak to the rock before their eyes & it will yield water. So Moses took the rod & said: You Rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock? Then Moses…struck the rock twice with his rod and water came out… The Lord spoke to Moses:
Because you did not…hallow Me…
you shall Not bring this assembly
into the land (Num 20:8-12). The people came to Moses & said: We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away… So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said: Make a snake & put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live (Num 21:7-9).
God is not human, that He should lie,
not a human being, that He should
change His mind. Does He speak
and then not act? Does He promise
and not fulfill? (Num 23:18-19).
Holy Spirit, help me be gracious & Careful with my words when under pressure or when I am frustrated. Help me not to trust and rely on past experience of doing things.
Help me instead to listen carefully
to what God said and respond in
faith by obeying His instructions. Help me Honor Father as holy God in Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Lord Jesus, I look to You as Saviour and to what You accomplished on the cross as guarantee of my salvation. Thank You Lord for paying the ultimate price for my sin. Forgive me Lord if I have spoken against You in any way, or have been motivated by fear and doubt. I come to You in Faith, believing that You’ll hear & answer my prayer. . Help me to always Obey You. Amen.
Abba, when Israelites complained against You God and rebelled against Moses, that led to disaster. Help us to Be Careful when under difficult and confusing situations. Help us to Beware Grumbling and Bitterness but focus on blessings. Help us to Respect U & be careful with words when under pressure. Help us trust You and Obey Your Instructions; for You keep promises,
for You are a faithful God. Amen.
Following the Lord’s instructions,
Moses selects one rep from each
of the 12 tribes to form a scouting
party. Their assignment: to spy out
the defenses of the land and bring
back a sample of the produce.
The 12 return with a divided report!
Ten see only the obstacles while
two see opportunities. The nation
disheartened & faithless, threatens
to stone Moses and return to Egypt
rather than face what lies ahead.
As a result, God condemns that
unbelieving generation to forty
years wandering the wilderness.
Lord, we’ll Choose Faith Not Doubt:
Joshua and Caleb said: The land
we explored is a wonderful land!
The Lord will bring us safely into that
land and give it to us… Do not rebel
against the Lord (Num 14:6-9).
The Lord said to Moses: How long
will these people treat me with
contempt? Will they never believe
Me, even after all the miraculous
signs I’ve done among them (v11).
Moses said… As You’ve spoken: The
Lord is longsuffering and abundant
in mercy, forgiving iniquity…
Pardon the iniquity of this people
I pray according to the greatness
of Your mercy… Then the Lord said:
I have forgiven them as you asked.
Because these men who have seen
My glory and signs… have put Me to
the test 10 times & have not heeded
My voice, they shall not see the land
which I swore to their fathers(18-23)
Lord, open my spiritual eyes to
see those exceedingly good things
that You have laid in my path.
Forgive me Lord for focusing
on the problems around me.
Help me keep my eyes on You and
the purpose You’ve put before me.
May I go forth in faith, not in fear,
so that I don’t miss Your blessings
each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lord, it is so easy to let our hearts
be affected by negativity; and treat
You in contempt by not obeying You.
I confess having inclination to live
by sight and not by faith; so Lord
help me reverse that tendency.
I purpose to hang on to Your word,
even when it may contradict the
circumstance; for I want to believe
in You more & more. In Jesus’ name.
Lord, Moses in his intercession for
the Israelites, appeal to Your mercy
and long-suffering & You relented.
But then the unbelieving Israelites
couldn’t enter the Promised Land.
Lord of Mercy and Longsuffering,
Help us not treat U with Contempt;
Help us Not to Doubt You; and
Help us see You thru Eyes of Faith.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
The time has come for the final
journey to Canaan. After a special
celebration of the Passover, the
people watch as the pillar of cloud
begins to move. It’s time to march!
But the thrill of expectation soon
gives way to tedium of travel. And
Moses is faced with numerous
problems: complaints about travel
conditions and food, longings for
the good old days in Egypt, greedy
hoarding of the quail God supplies
and jealousy by Miriam and Aaron
toward his position of leadership.
In spite of the difficulties, the
people finally arrive at Kadesh-
Barnea, on the doorstep of Canaan!
Lord, we need Your Encouragement:
The foreigners who were travelling
with the Israelites began to crave
the good things of Egypt. And the
Israelites also began to complain:
Oh for some meat! We remember
the fish we used to eat in Egypt. And
we had all the cucumbers, melons,
leeks, onions and garlic we wanted.
But now our appetites are gone.
All we… see is manna(Num 11:4-9).
Moses heard the people weeping…
So Moses said to the Lord: Why
have You afflicted Your servant?
And why have… You have laid the
burden of all these people on me?
I’m not able to bear all these people
alone because the burden is too
heavy for me. If You treat me like
this, plse kill me here & now (v10-15)
So the Lord said: Gather 70 elders…
They will help you carry the burden
of the people so that you will not
have to carry it alone (v16-17).
Father God, help us not to grumble
by directing our attention on the
right things. Help us to be careful
not to let dissatisfaction reigns
when our attention shifts fr what
we have to what we don’t have.
We purpose to Be Thankful for
what God has given us & not allow
our unfulfilled desires to cause
us to forget Your gifts. Amen.
Father, like Moses our feelings
can give way, when unreasonable
murmuring get the better of us.
Like Moses we can be burdened
and glad that You God knew it
and graciously provided relief.
Relieved that though Moses prayed
amiss, You gracefully responded to
the prayer of a discouraged heart.
Help us Father learn how to rest in
the Lord; who is our All in all. Amen.
Father, I lift to You the areas of
my life that are overwhelming.
I’ve not come to You to complain,
but rather to seek Your help.
Where I have tried to handle
everything in my own strength
instead of depending on You,
I sincerely ask Your forgiveness.
I pray You Lord to enable me to
rise above the challenges. Amen.
At Mount Sinai, Israelites received
specific directions for their life-
style in the new land God would
give to them. A census was taken
& the 2nd Passover was celebrated,
marking one year of freedom
from slavery in Egypt. Three weeks
before the people leave Sinai
for the last leg of journey to Canaan,
Moses received commands from
God to cleanse the people & prepare
them to enter the Promised Land.
They must be free from immorality
and jealousy; they must understand
the binding nature of vows made
to God; the Levites must realize
the sacred nature of their calling.
Lord, we’ll Consecrate to You &
Be Your Instrument of Blessing:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses
saying… When a man or woman
consecrates… to take a vow of
a Nazirite, to separate himself
to the Lord, he shall separate
himself from wine… He shall not
make himself unclean… All the
days of his separation he shall
be holy to the Lord (Num 6:1-8).
Speak to Aaron and his sons saying:
This is the way you shall bless
the children of Israel. Say to them:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine
upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord (show you His favour)
and give you peace (v23-26).
Lord, my few experiences drinking
liquor as a youth convinced me
it did not taste nice and had a
negative effect on my emotions.
Biblical warnings on strong drink
also provide inspiration to avoid it.
But there are other areas Lord
that need Your help in moulding.
Whatever is preventing me from
consecrating fully to You Lord and
seeing only You, provide me the
strength I need to set it aside. Amen.
Lord, what a really good God
You are to bless us, smile on us,
extend grace to us, show us Your
favour and give us Your peace.
We know that we stand under
the stream of Your abundant
blessing only because Jesus
plunged Himself under Your wrath.
We rejoice Lord in Your unfailing
love and mercy, and we ask that
You increase our love for You. Amen.
Lord, I realize a blessing can create
a pathway into someone’s life
for fullness, completeness,
abundance and well-being.
May my tongue Lord be an
instrument of Your shalom.
May I impart Your goodness
to others through my words.
May Your Spirit inhabit those
words in mighty power. Amen.
God provides Israel with laws
governing personal conduct and
purity in relation to the family, the
community and society in general.
As obedience is His main concern,
He requires violators be disciplined.
God’s strict guidelines for living
reflect His desire that His people
be holy for I the Lord am holy.
Privilege often carries with it
responsibility; and in the case of
Israel’s priests, the responsibilities
of serving a holy God become
quite demanding. The priests
must avoid defilement which
others might ordinarily experience.
Lord, we’ll Not Defile but Be Holy:
According to the doings of the
land of Canaan, you shall not do;
nor shall u walk in their ordinances..
So you shall keep My ordinance,
so that you do not commit any of
these abominable customs; and
that you do Not Defile yourselves; I
am the Lord your God (Lev18:3-30)
Speak to all the congregation of
the children of Israel & say to them
You Shall Be Holy, for I the Lord
your God am holy… You shall not
take revenge Not Bear any Grudge
but you shall love your neighbour
as yourself: I’m the Lord (L19:2,18).
Father God, You forbid us to do
certain things for You want to keep
us from self-destruction. And You
command us to do other acts for
You know what we need to flourish.
Help us when drawn to forbidden
activity to remember that it may lead
to suffering & separation from God.
Help us when a good act seems
inconvenient to remember that You
God has the best plan for us. Amen.
Lord, I acknowledge that there are hurts caused to me by people. But I do not want to hold on to these or seek revenge. So I release those who have hurt me to You. I purpose not to seek repayment through my coldness, or through my words or through actions. Rather I will seek to redeem this relationship with wisdom and with Your empowerment. Amen.
Father, I worship Your greatness & goodness and praise Your holiness. Even as I worship You Lord,
may Your holiness rub off on me.
Help me take on the beauty of Your
holiness as I spend time with You. Enable me to become a bit more
like You so that Your holiness
will make me truly whole. Amen.
The great Day of Atonement
observed each year was Israel’s
most significant act of worship.
On that day, the nation gathered
to watch in expectation as the high
priest entered the Holy of Holies
with the blood Atonement which
would cover the sins of the entire
nation for another year. Because
blood was the central ingredient
in Israel’s national and personal
forgiveness, God prohibited the
use of blood for any purpose
other than sacrifice to Him.
Lord, we’re grateful for Your Grace:
Aaron shall take the two goats and
present them before the Lord… Then
he shall cast lots for the two goats:
Aaron shall bring the goat on which
the Lord’s lot fell & offer it as a sin
offering. But the goat on which the
lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be
presented alive…to make atonement
upon it and to let it go as the scape-
goat into the wilderness(Lev16:7-10)
In the seventh month on the tenth
day of the month, you shall… do
no work at all… For on that day, the
priest shall make atonement for you
to cleanse you, that you may be
clean from all your sins (v29-30).
Come now & let us reason together…
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool (Isa 1:18) Amen
Lord Jesus, Thank You for paying the price for my sins so that I don’t have to. Because of You I have been reconciled to God, and I will never be separated from Him again. Help me to extend to others the love and forgiveness You have given to me. Teach me ways I can show my gratitude to You for all that You have done for me. Amen.
Lord, Thank You that You do not see my sins, rather You see me righteous because of the work of Your precious son, Jesus Christ. Thanks for Your lovingkindness and for Your grace of forgiveness of sins. Help me reason with You & really appreciate Your love and mercy. Help me follow the Holy Spirit so that I will remain obedient. Help me have deep gratitude to You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.
Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone, Can change the leper’s spots And melt the heart of stone. Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. For nothing good have I Whereby Thy grace to claim; I’ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb. Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Amen.
The Lord My Banner Jehovah Nissi (The Lord Covers & Protects Us)
“God My Banner” is a worship song
written by Chris Tomlin, and first
released in 2018. The song is
inspired by Exodus 17 event where
Moses, Joshua and the Israelites
engaged in battle agst Amalekites.
As long as Moses held up his hands,
Israelites were winning the battle.
The lyrics reflect the idea that God is
our banner, our victory and strength
in the midst of battles. It emphasises
the importance to rely on God’s
power and presence to overcome
the challenges in our lives.
Praise be Jehovah Nissi My Banner:
Now Amalek came and fought with
Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said
to Joshua: Choose some men and…
fight with Amalek…I will stand on top
of the hill with rod of God(Ex17:8-9)
So, Joshua fought with Amalek
while Moses, Aaron and Hur
went up to the top of the hill.
And so it was, when Moses held
up his hand that Israel prevailed
and when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed. But Moses’
hands became heavy. Aaron and
Hur supported his hands and his
hands were steady (Ex 17:10–12)
So Joshua defeated Amelek…
Then the Lord said: Write this for
a memorial… And Moses built an
altar and called its name: The LORD
Is My Banner Jehovah Nissi (v13-15)
Lord, at Rephidim we witness
the power of prayer amid the
fluctuations of the battle field.
Moses the intercessor on the
mountain came to experience
that the weaponless hand of prayer
was more powerful than the armies.
Help us Lord even as we fight
the good fight in the marketplace
that we not neglect to lift our
hands to You for help. Amen.
Lord Jehovah Nissi, I worship You
for being the banner over my life.
When I face trials and troubles,
I can look to You to cover me.
You have said that in the world
I will face tribulation but that
You have overcome the world!
Thank You for being my banner
and for helping me to move forward
and let the past be the past. Amen.
Jehovah Nissi, You are my banner;
and without You the storms of life
come upon me and overwhelm me.
You are good and You are strong;
and I ask You to help translate
that knowledge into my emotions.
Then I will feel secure and at peace
in the midst of life’s storms even as
I look to You Jehovah Nissi as my
banner and my strong arm. Amen.
The purpose of Exodus is to record
the events of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and development as
a nation. Exodus is thus the book
of redemption from bondage
to Pharaoh into a covenant
relationship with God. From Egypt
to Sinai, Israel learns of the
might and power of God and the importance of national worship.
On Monday, we learn from Ex 7
that All Sufficient God Meets Needs.
On Tuesday, we learn from Ex 9
that God Gives Purpose In Life.
On Wed, we learn from Ex 15
about Jehovah Rapha Our Healer.
On Thursday, we learn from Ex 17
that the Lord Covers & Protects.
On Friday, we learn from Ex 31
about the Lord who Sanctifies.
On Saturday, we learn from Ex 40
on Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who adore You:
For All Sufficient God Meets Needs
and God Gives Purpose In Life;
For Jehovah Rapha is our healer,
and the Lord Covers and Protects;
For the Lord Sanctfies us and
the Great Jehovah Guides us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah (God Shows the Direction)
The Welsh hymnwriter William
Williams (1717-1791) compared
the Christian life to the Israelites’
trek through the wilderness.
We may not know the route
by which God is leading us, but
we humbly count on His guidance.
For 43 years William preached
and sang throughout Wales.
And according to one writer,
William sang Wales into piety.
Lord, we purpose to Follow You:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses…
On the first day of the first month
you shall set up the tabernacle of
the tent of the meeting (Ex 40:1-2)
Then you shall bring Aaron and his
sons to the door of the tabernacle
and wash them with water…
Moses proceeded to do
everything as the Lord
had commanded(12-16).
Then the cloud covered Tabernacle
and the glory of the Lord filled
the Tabernacle… Whenever the
cloud lifted from the Tabernacle,
the people of Israel would set
out on their journey, following it.
But if the cloud did not rise,
they remained where they were
until it lifted (Exodus 40:34-37).
Lord, we note when the Israelites were following God in wilderness, they waited until the cloud rose and led them; sometimes long beyond their own comfort level. That isn’t easy to do, but it’s an exercise of faith and listening. God want us to ask and wait; and wait some more until we’ve heard. Grant us Lord the grace of faith to wait upon You so that You will renew our strength. In Jesus’ name.
Lord, tell me everything that
I need to know so that I can get
to Your work & eternal perspective.
Reveal destructive tendencies to
enable informed decision making.
Reveal the assignments so that
I can plan engagement strategy.
I am eager to understand the facts
and ensuing wisdom that will enable
me honour You with my life. Amen.
Lord, I submit my every step to You; the one who is in controI. I invite You to direct my path preferably with my awareness. Give me Lord understanding when I need it; and give me trust when I don’t understand. Lead me into the land of promise which You have designed for me. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
