Numbers 14-15, Psalm 90

I have a highlighter that I keep with my Bible, and I use it when a certain verse or passage jumps out at me. When I find myself lingering on a particular verse, I'll highlight it and make a note. I haven't used my highlighter in quite a long time. Since the beginning of Exodus actually. But this day's reading had me using my highlighter again.

Numbers 14 describes the event of the people rebelling against God. Remember in Numbers 13, the 12 leaders of the tribes of Israel went into Canaan to see what the Israelites would have to face. And they found other peoples in the land, and 10 of the tribe leaders were scared. They didn't believe they could overthrow these peoples, and they spread negativity throughout the Israelites so that they wouldn't have to invade. Joshua and Caleb were the only two tribal leaders to have faith in the Lord, and they tried their hardest to convince the people of Israel to have faith, too.

Numbers 1-13

The Books of Numbers is exactly what it says it is - a book of numbers. Chapter 1 begins with a census of the Israelites, and the subsequent chapters are just more and more numbers. So far, I'm seeing that Numbers is all about logistics. How the Israelites, in a very mathematical way, managed their camp. Who was responsible for what. Which tribes were to camp next to each other. When the camp moved, the order in which the tribes would leave camp. There's not much else to say other than it's all about the numbers.

We still get a little bit in the way of rules and regulations - how the Israelites are to govern themselves. But all in all, it's about the numbers of the nation of Israel. But with its dullness, I still kinda like the Book of Numbers. We're given a much more concrete idea of what Israel looked like before entering Canaan. We get a clearer picture of everyone's responsibilities. I've always kinda liked logistics. I enjoy planning things. I enjoy finding logical ways to solve puzzles or to make the seemingly impossible, possible. Numbers indulges that side of me.

Leviticus 19-27

Today I finished the Book of Leviticus, which means I've now read four books of the Bible - Genesis, Job, Exodus, and Leviticus. I started reading the Bible seven and a half months ago, and I'm proud of myself for continuing with it all this time. This has been something I've wanted to do for several years, and I'm glad that I've finally started this journey.

In these last chapters of Leviticus, the chapter that sticks out to me most is Leviticus 22 - particularly the section entitled "Unacceptable Sacrifices." Y'all know that I keep up with an additional commentary website along with my readings, and I've kept repeating what that commentary says in my posts here on A Coffee Date with God - that Christians need not be bound by Mosaic law. And though I've struggled somewhat with accepting that thought due to the fact that I haven't read any of the New Testament, I'm still reading with that idea in mind.

But even though Believers don't necessarily need to worry with Mosaic law, the introspective side of me is convinced that there are plenty of lessons to be learned from the Israelites. There are still relevant messages within the laws and rules and regulations that God gave to the Israelites. And in Leviticus 22 I happened upon a lesson all on my own. This lesson isn't necessarily new news. I've known it pretty much my whole life, but one of the reasons I'm reading the Bible is to understand the religious teachings I've been fed all growing up for myself. I want to see where they are located in God's Word; I want to read Biblical stories and understand their messages first hand. I want to, in a sense, discover them for myself. (Or I guess "rediscover" might be a more literal way to put it.)