A reflection on the book of Numbers…

The burnt offering, atonement offerings,  offering for shelters, daily offerings, etc etc etc….The book of Numbers taught me about the many offerings the people were to give to God. For all kinds of things throughout the day, week, month and year. I reflect on my own life, and wonder what I really offer to God. Sure I try to be a good wife, mother, and friend. Serve and give when possible, but -I- don’t- give -with- abandon!

I realized I take for granted the sacrifice that Jesus made. Plain and simple. I go about my day often with no thought about how much time was consumed during the time of the Israelites fulfilling all of these offerings, and I’m concerned about my to do list which often has nothing to do with honoring God… the clothes I’m wearing, the car I drive, the school my daughter goes to, and how clean my house is.

Sure I listen to Christian music and read the bible – but I don’t humbly accept 99% of the time what Christ has really done for me.

Christ…, He fulfilled all of these obligations in the books of law. My head has been swimming these past few months with the do this -do that- do this- do that, and frankly I’ve been exhausted thinking about it, much less doing it! Where did these people find the time? God knew nobody could do ALL OF THESE THINGS- because we are so far from the perfection of God.

In chapter 28 I was tired from reading the requirements for the offerings. Every year we help our family friends butcher chickens. I know – this is a very Lindsey Ingalls Wilder of me – and this year we cleaned 48 chickens, and at the end of the day we were simply exhausted.  Now this is a once per year kind of thing- not a monthly or daily thing. The amount of work it takes to slaughter, and clean animals is just understated in the book of numbers!

I can’t imagine the stress the Israelites must have felt. I take for granted what Jesus has done for me and Numbers has pointed this graciously out.

I’ve been connecting my thoughts from these books with songs so often because I don’t exactly know how to verbalize how I feel. But this song really ties it true for me. After reading through the book of Numbers, and others with all of its laws, and regulations surrounding the offerings, I realized how much I need to offer myself up to God. Completely and with abandon. Back in the time of Numbers you had to physically produce offerings to the Lord and what does the Lord require of me now?

Walk humbly with your God. God isn’t asking me to slaughter animals, or bake bread, and offer up these aromas to Him – but to simply offer my heart to Him – let him Love me and love him in return!