Reading: Numbers 7
That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their
fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were
over them that were numbered, offered:(Num. 7:2).
Reading through Chapter 7 of the Book of Numbers can
sometimes seem monotonous. The bulk of the chapter—12
paragraphs—all contain the exact same information. The only
differences in the paragraphs are the first and last lines. The
former states the day and the tribal leader presenting the offering;
the latter restates the name of the giver. We have likely
all been guilty of reading through this chapter and shaking
our heads at its unconventional arrangement. At some point,
we’ve all mused to ourselves that it would have made much
more sense to say, “Princes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and
L each brought 1,2,3.’’ Yet, we must remember that nothing in
the Word of God was written casually. No chapters or verses
can be chalked up to a tired writer or an unobservant editor.
God had a reason He wanted everything written out this way,
and it is now up to us to prayerfully read and, with the help of
the Holy Spirit, discern the lesson He has given us. Before delving into the text, picture in your mind the procession
of tribal leaders arriving in heavily laden wagons surrounded
by a vast array of beasts of burden and sacrificial animals. Get a
feel for how massive a display this was. This was the sight that
greeted Moses at the end of the day on which the Tabernacle
was consecrated to God. The princes of Israel, who were the
leaders from each tribe except the tribe of Levi, had come with
spontaneous offerings to God for the support of the Tabernacle,
the priests, and the Levites (Num. 7:1-3). How proud he must
have felt to have been a member of that nation at that moment!
Instead of exhibiting jealousy because they and their people
hadn’t been chosen to serve the Lord directly, they dug deep
into their resources and willingly provided support for those
who had been. After consulting with the Lord (7:4-6), Moses accepted their
gifts in His name and distributed them amongst the Levites
according to need based on their assigned service to God.
Following the distribution of the gifts for service, each prince revealed that he had brought with him an offering for the dedication
of the altar. The Lord’s response to this offering gives
us the key to unlock one of the most significant lessons in this
chapter. And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer
their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating
of the altar (7:11). Instead of having their gifts brought up en masse and offering
a general “thank you” to the group, God chose to acknowledge
each individual separately. To God, the twelfth man to offer One
golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense (7:80) was every
bit as deserving of His attention as the first man who offered
One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense (7:14). Every offering that we bring to God, when given freely
from a generous heart, is considered by Him to be infinitely
precious. While our individual offerings may seem small and
insignificant when measured next to, for instance, a corporate
charity donation, God does not see it that way. When we, at
long last, are allowed the privilege to draw near to His throne,
we will discover that all gifts given for His glory have received
equal recognition in His eyes. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to
give every man according as his work shall be(Rev. 22:12). Thought For Today:Always be sure, when giving to God, that
you have given “everything” you can, not “only” what you can. Christ Revealed:Through the voluntary offerings of the leaders which
were sufficient to meet the needs (Num. 7). Jesus gave His life to meet our
every need. My God shall supply all your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). Word Studies:7:13 charger = large dish; meat = grain, meal, cereal. Pray For Pathway Printer:Pollock Printing, Nashville TN • Government
Official: Gov. Brad Little (ID)• Country: Saudi Arabia (27,345,986)
Mid East • Major Language: Arabic • Christian worship services for foreign
personnel are tolerated, but those who seek to convert Muslims to
Christianity face persecution • 100% Muslim • Prayer Suggestion: Lift
up your heart to God in prayer (Lam. 3:41). Optional ReadingLuke 2