Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Numbers 17
Set – Numbers 17; Mark 4
Go! – Numbers 17-18; Psalms 29; Mark 4
Numbers 17
1The Eternal One continued.Eternal One (to Moses): 2-3 Tell the Israelites that you’ll need twelve staffs—one for each of the extended families. Engrave on each one the respective leader’s name. (Aaron’s name should be on the Levi family’s staff.) 4 Bring the staff of each of them into the congregation tent and lay them in front of My tablets of witness with you in the place where I meet you. 5 I will indicate the person whom I choose by making his particular staff grow shoots and leaves. This will end once and for all any complaints about your leadership.
6-7 Moses passed these instructions on to the Israelites, and they all agreed to do it. They each gave their staffs as leaders representing their extended families with Aaron’s staff among them. Then Moses placed them before the Eternal One in the tent of the congregation and before the covenant. 8 The next day, when Moses went into the tent where the covenant was kept, it was obvious that Aaron of the Levite family was God’s choice. Aaron’s staff had grown not only little buds, but it had actually flowered and developed fully-ripened almonds. 9 Moses carried the staffs out of the Eternal’s presence, showed them to the congregation, and redistributed them to the twelve leaders.
Eternal One (to Moses): 10 Return Aaron’s staff to the tent and place it in front of the covenant, to serve as a reminder of whom I’ve chosen to lead this people. Let it be a warning to any who would question or undermine your leadership. I have made My choice clear and will kill anyone who persists in challenging it.
11 So Moses returned Aaron’s staff to the tent just as the Eternal told him to do.
Israelites (to Moses): 12 We’re going to die! We will be destroyed! 13 If anyone comes close to the tent where the Eternal One is supposed to meet with us, then he’ll die. Will we all die, then?
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Why would anyone be foolish enough to question My authority? All you need to do is look up at the sky and that should end all questions about who’s in charge. If it’s daytime, ask yourself who can create a sun and keep it in place? Only Me. Who can form the mountains in the distance or keep the oceans within their boundaries? Only Me. Who grow an oak tree from an acorn or a beautiful flower from a tiny seed? Me again. Who makes the rain to water the earth and replenish the streams, rivers, and lakes to nourish the land? That’s Me.
No one can do the things I do, and I do them without even thinking about them. You don’t even think about them because they just happen. I set them in place and they go one day after day and year after year. Like gravity, weather, the seasons, you don’t think about them, they just happen. But how do you think they happen? I put them in place before the world began.
Let there be no question in your mind, I am in control of this world. I hold the ultimate authority over all that happens. Do I let bad things happen? Yes, as a result of the flawed state of humankind. The consequences of sin have changed My creation significantly and everyone alive shares responsibility for the marred state of the world. However, it is still Mine and I will return physically to reclaim it.
The other eleven tribes questioned My decision to put the Levites in charge of leading this new theocracy I formed through My servant, Moses. They should have known I would do something to show My pick. The consequences for those against Me probably seem harsh to you. But in the early days of this fledgling nation, I needed them to understand Moses was the man I put in charge. So I did the spectacular to prove a point. I took a plain staff and let it grow at high speed until it blossomed and bore fruit – overnight. Easy for Me. A first class miracle for all who observed it.
The story is recorded to let you know I chose Moses and Aaron to lead My new nation to the land I promised to give them. It’s also recorded to let you know I’m still in charge. My position hasn’t changed. Take My word for it.
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