Welcome to the love and context podcast engaging in unscripted conversations with your hosts Ben and Spencer
Whether you're tuning in from your car your office your home or anywhere in between we are so happy to have you join us today
Our mission is simple to explore the Bible through a powerful lens of love
Together will uncover fresh insights and gain deeper understandings of how we can love God and love the people in our everyday lives
So buckle up and join us on the spiritual journey as we discover timeless wisdom
That is just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago without further ado. Let's dive right in
Welcome to the love and context podcast. I'm Spencer not Ben. I'm Ben and I'm not Spencer
Yeah, glad you're listening with us today. We are going to be continuing through the book of numbers y'all excited
I know I am Ben always makes fun of me because he's like your excited voice doesn't sound that excited
I'm like it does not you're right, but I am excited. I mean you're basically like, oh, I'm so excited about what's coming up
I can hurt the contain my am excited. Yeah, I am
So if you haven't read numbers seven through ten pause the podcast go do that. Yeah
Yeah, and I think this is one of the last sections that we're gonna be talking through before we kind of get into like I've told
You and coming up we said buckle others and hard stories in here. This is one of the last sections that we have before
We start getting into heart some hard stories. Yeah, right
Yeah, so in seven through ten, by the way, if you haven't pods podcast and gonna read that it's time to do that
It is it said this in a while, but there's new fangled technology
You can pause a podcast and go read the Bible first and then come back here
You can and I also in our show notes I linked going over to the Bible project
I think if you watch the read scripture from the Bible project with the whole book of numbers
It's actually gonna be really helpful to to get the whole context of the book. Yeah
All right. So when the chapter seven starts up and it says that they have opened up the tabernacle, right?
And so then the people are coming and they're bringing
Offerings at the tabernacle and they're bringing these gifts or bringing offerings of worship to dedicate to the temple and to the altar
Right. Yep, because it's being used at the beginning
There's two words that show up here repeatedly that I think is worth noting because they're words that are very familiar to us in our modern
context
The first word is this word Masa? It's a verb which means to anoint
The definition of this word is to smear or spread across
Now the first place that word shows up in Scripture is actually in Genesis 31 13 where God says
He's the god of Bethel where Jacob poured or smeared oil on the stone marker or anointed the stone marker
Remember, this is the stone that he laid his head on. Yes late because apparently that's what you do in the desert
Yeah, real comfy pillows there. Yeah, you know those those commercials for like the pillow cube, huh?
It's not as comfortable as a pillow cube not a sponsor. How do you know?
Assuming somebody out there probably somebody who listens to this uses a pillow cube
You go ahead and just send us a message and you let you go get a rock and tell us if the rock or the pillow cube
Is more comfortable. Mm-hmm. It's probably a rock. There's this idea. It actually comes from spread across
So the idea behind this idea of anointing it actually plays into our second word
Anointing by implication is to consecrate or to separate out
In other words, you are marking something that is going to be separated for something right?
So kodas which is also a verb means to consecrate sanctify dedicate to make holy
Set apart for something now these two words show up repeatedly as anointing and
consecrating throughout this section of Scripture
Kodas the first place that it shows up in scriptures in the creation narrative where God declares the seventh day. Holy he consecrates it
He sanctifies it he dedicates it. He makes it holy
Yes
Now we've talked about holy quite a few times and I really think it's one of those words that I think is wildly misunderstood
So in the modern context like Spencer, what are you deal with a lot of youth?
Yeah, so a lot of youth when they hear the word holy, what is the representation of what this word means?
perfect unattainable
Can't happen solemn. Yeah
Yeah, right like boring boring is another way that I've heard it described by teen by teenagers, right?
it's really just that idea of like well you're talking about perfection and I'm not gonna obtain that because there's
No way that's gonna happen
Especially in context of teenagers where so many of them are coming from broken homes and poor whole lives nowadays, right?
One the whole thing with being holy if you actually ascribe it to being like solemn or revered
I think those things can be encompassing and but I would be very cautious with saying that God's
Boring, you know because God is not boring. He's dynamic and super interesting and does way cooler stuff than we do
Yeah, I mean he literally speaks universes into existence. That's pretty cool. Yeah. Yeah
He split an ocean into two oceans so that they could walk across dry land. Yeah all sorts of stuff
Yeah
And it's it's interesting because so this idea of holy we want to really reframe this as set apart or different than everything else
So they're setting apart the two verbs is you're anointing something
In other words, you are marking it and it's a verb
It's something that you're marking and then you have this kodas this verb which means to set apart
You're actually moving it from where it is and setting it apart from everything else. Yeah
That whole set apart notion ties into the New Testament
Testament when people who are starting to follow Jesus after his life death the resurrection
They are doing things that set them apart from the culture of the day, right?
They're they're actually echoing what God was establishing in Leviticus. Mm-hmm with his people saying hey, you're gonna live in a way
That's countercultural. You're not going to like in Leviticus. You're not going to sacrifice your children, right?
You're not going to carve into your arms as a form of worship
Yeah, and then you fast forward to the Roman era like you're not going to offer a pinch of incense to Caesar before trade
Yeah, it's the same. It's the same concept that's happening in the New Testament
It's just instead of the sacrificial system being in place Christ had fulfilled all of Torah because he was Torah made flesh
Right, right. In other words, he gives the example of how to actually walk that out in communion with God. Yep, exactly
We're we've talked about and we brushed on it briefly
But this idea that Jesus came to fulfill and then do away with the law is not accurate
Mm-hmm. Now there is a different call for Jews and Gentiles right with there's that whole thing
We talked about relations this works with the law and so there's different requirements on how we're supposed to put this
Kingdom on display. Yeah, how you put the kingdom on display is how you're holy
How are you different than everybody else around you which I think is a very good challenge for Gentiles, right?
Yeah, like so the Jews had a very specific way if you are a practicing Jew today that follows Jesus
You have a very practical way. You don't wear blended fabrics
You wear tassels on the end of your row you observe Shabbat on a religious in a religious way
Like you have very tangible ways you put God on display and then you have some non tangible ways
Of course by the way that you love people and all those different things too, but Gentiles we don't necessarily have these tangible ways
So what are the actual tangible ways that we put God on display that we show that we trust this story?
Yeah, right. You can actually find that in the end of Romans chapter 3. Yeah
Because Romans chapter 3 talks about God's faithfulness Christ's punishment and you get to the end of Romans 3 and
This is just a couple verses says after all is God the God of Jews only isn't he the God of the Gentiles?
Of course
He is there is only one God who makes people right with himself by faith whether it's Jew or Gentile
Well, then if we emphasize faith does that mean we can forget about the law? Of course not in
In fact only when we have faith do we truly fulfilled the law?
Right one and and so we don't want to get we've talked about that a little bit when we were doing Leviticus
So we don't want to get to off the rails
But like understand being holy and we were gonna keep coming back to this because I think we're probably gonna spend some time
Going through either Romans or Galatians to talk about more in depth after we're done with our get our series
So both of these words that show up anointing and consecrating
They're both words of action the in other words their words that modify the noun. That's how language works, right?
Both anointing and consecrations are words of action meaning they aren't the thing they are what is done with the thing
Yes. Now the reason I point that out is because in modern understanding we were like anointing consecrate
We talked about all these things, but what are you anointing and consecrating, right? Yeah
So it's not just you anoint and consecrate you actually there is they're meant to modify
The noun which is the person place thing or idea, right?
So then in this section they actually go into what are they consecrating?
What are they anointing and it lists all the tribes all these leaders and all these other people that brought gifts of worship and adoration
And what they were what they actually brought to God
And worship and adoration and there's a couple of different offerings mentioned here in this chapter
And we talked about a few of these there's the burnt offering
Yeah
Yeah, we did talk about a few of these burnt offering if you remember Leviticus
This is an act of worship committing to follow after God and His righteousness
Now we just got to reiterate a little bit when we're talking offerings
We're not just talking about sin offering right like that's often what we hear about in the church context today is like
Oh, well, there was offer there are sacrifices just so that forgiveness of sin. I was like no there's actually
Multiple types of offerings for me. I'm a different occasions. The vast majority were not actually sin related. Yeah, they were
There's actually only one that really really is tying directly. Yeah that yeah ties directly to sin
So burnt offering is the first one that's mentioned here, which is an act of worship
Alright, it's saying hey
I am going to strive after God to be with God be in relationship with God and strive after his righteousness
And on a very practical sense you think about like, okay
Well, why is that connecting you to the righteousness of God? Okay, when you burn something it rises up and ancient understanding
Where is God he's above you? Yep, right? He's in the heavens
Another one that's mentioned that is in this section of scripture in numbers is the fellowship or the peace offering and its connection between
Humanity and God right this particular offering usually involves a meal of a sort
Either eaten with another person or in the presence of God. Yeah, right. This has come up a number of times
This was in Leviticus 10
This was in or sorry, I think it was a little like it's nine where they were eating before
Aaron was good to go into the temple, right? Yeah, and
Then last one is one that is called a sin offering as this is an offering having to do with
ritualistic purity
That would have made sense as the tabernacle has just been completed and they're preparing to enact use for it
They're enacting ritual purification when you're a doctor. You should wash your hands before you actually operate, right?
And at least I hope they would so do I before you go and do that. We're not saying you're disease-ridden
But at the same time you should probably wash your hands before you stick your hands in someone's guts
Yeah, right, right. This is ritualistic purity and it's not necessarily that they're full of sin
But this is to reconnect them with the nature of God. That's the whole thing about the sin offering now if you are
Struggling a little bit with this and you're just joining us for the first time go back to our Levitical episode about the sacrificial system
So in the middle of all this at the tail end of these offerings
There's this really cool thing that happens in chapter 7 in verse 89. And yes, it goes all the way to 89
We had a discussion. That's a lot of verses in one chapter
It says when Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord
He heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony
From between the two cherubim. He spoke to him in that way
Okay. So first off, let's just talk about how cool that is. Yeah, okay
So one of the things I've had conversations with people about nowadays is they say well God doesn't speak audibly. Okay
Well right here in the Bible. He definitely does he does he still does and yeah, and I'd say that he doesn't always speak audibly
But where does he always speak audibly in Scripture nor does he always speak audibly in Scripture exactly
But there are points in Scripture where it's very clear that God spoke audibly
Mm-hmm, right and I don't believe that his nature changed between the Old Testament and the New Testament and the modern day
And if you believe that I feel like you might be arguing with Scripture itself
Right, you would be arguing a scripture itself. I'm not even gonna say that you might be
So this is really cool I want to talk about some rabbinic conversation that actually happens in Torah around this okay, so a
Torah itself. That's the first five books of the Bible. The rabbis are gonna talk about Torah in a lot of different ways
They're gonna call it the bread of life the the tree of life a lot of injury imagery that connects it back to the Garden of Eden
So I want to talk about what's actually happening here really quickly in this in this statement
this 789
Restoration of relationship through spoken communication because God is literally speaking with humanity again
Yeah, because the last time we saw God in the garden
He was walking with them in the cool of the evening the ruach of the evening the spirit of the evening
So it's ours already trying to connect you back to like God is reestablishing what happened in the garden
He's reestablishing relationship with humanity in the way that it's supposed to be so what is actually inside of the ark?
Well, there's the bread. Yep, right. There's Torah. Yep right now
It's actually represented by the Ten Commandments, right tap sound words money
Yeah, ten words and it's not yet happening, but it will come up before we're out of this book
But Aaron's staff is gonna be in there. Yeah, right after it buds
There are two cherubim that are facing each other
So where else have we seen two cherubim facing each other the entrance of Eden?
Yeah
There are two angels that are there one represented by a sword and another one by an angel right that are there guarding
The entrance to Eden some of you are gonna be like oh why to like there's a lot of reasons
I'm not gonna get into it right now. Otherwise, there's gonna be an hour and a half episode
So what's actually happening here? God's reestablishing this connection that he's lost since Eden. He's continuing his story
Through the people of Israel now you tried to get ahead of me. So let's talk about Jesus
Yeah, Ben just so you know this happens often where Ben's like, okay, I'm setting up a context and I'm like, all right
Let's talk here. He's like no not yet. Not yet. I'm not there yet. Yeah, this happens all the time
If we have points were like a b c d he's like a c b d e f z
We had exactly that's how you do it. That's how you do it. Ben's like no, that's not how you do that
So let's talk about Jesus here. So Jesus makes some claims here that we have to understand
So when we're understanding the context of the Ark of the Covenant, we have the bread and we have Torah we have Aaron's staff
Okay, those are Aaron's staff soon gonna be in there
Okay, Jesus makes a statement saying that he is the bread that came from heaven which is not only gonna be manna
Uh-huh, but also what's in the ark? Yep, which is all yep
And then statements also made in the beginning of John that he is the word. Mm-hmm
He's the one was the word. He's Torah made flesh
All right, and then there's also the statement made that he is the high priest in the order of Melchizedek
Well, who's the high priest in Israel?
Aaron and his staff is represented in the covenant itself. Yeah, so Jesus in these statements
These are very intentional because he's saying hey, I recognize
The Ark of the Covenant what is in there? That's a place where God spoke from and so here
I'm going to say that I am the embodiment of that
Yeah, which is crazy because then Jesus is the one who made the covenant
It's crazy because then Jesus says I'm a representation of the Father what he says I say on earth
Yep, right. So God has been speaking from between the two cherubim and now the cherubim made flesh
Yeah, right the Torah made flesh the bread they came from heaven the high priest in the order of Melchizedek is now walking and talking
Among you guess what God is actually there speaking with you
Yes, and it's not an accident and if you miss that you're gonna miss some really cool stuff
That's being alluded to and so like oftentimes when we view these like we view these as like
Oh, well, Jesus saying I'm the bread that came from heaven and we're like, oh, he's the nourishment. Yes. Yes. Yes
Absolutely, but he's also alluding back to the fact that he is Torah made flesh very rarely does a rabbi waste one
Analogy uses it to connect to like six different ideas. Yeah
So you got at least see that moving forward
One of the reasons that we bring these up is because as we go into the New Testament as we as believers go and walk
Out our love in context. It's gonna be really important that we understand what Jesus is actually representing, right?
Yeah, what part of the story that Jesus is actually walking into?
We actually had a email question and I thought it was actually a really good question
Somebody sent us and it's not gonna show up in our Q&A
So I wanted to just met something here because it's connected what we're talking about
They asked they understood the context part. But what what heart of love are we hoping to establish?
Inside of this because they've always viewed the Bible as being written to them. Yeah now on a very broad level
I want to establish that's absolutely true. Yes, the Bible is absolutely written for you
It just wasn't necessarily written to you because you weren't a turn-of-the-century Jew
Yes
It was it wasn't written for the Jews in the time of Jesus
It was over for the Jews in the time of Abraham
Huh, even the Jews in the time of Jesus have to interpret through the Abrahamic lens. Yes
Yeah through the mosaic lens, right because you got to contextualize the time period. Yeah, absolutely
You do and the question of how does this like draws closer into love understand in the context of Scripture?
It actually draws us closer to the heart of God and the heart of God is love
Yeah, what our hope is under uncovering this context is not that it changes what you believe it got God
But that it makes the nature of God more true to you. Yes, that's our hope
Yeah, and when you start viewing it and we talked about this a while back on the podcast
But when you start viewing God as a God of love and not a God of anger
Mm-hmm. It changes your whole perspective
because oftentimes in church will view God as a God of anger in the Old Testament that I got a love in the New Testament and
At which point you have to ask like well, where did his nature change and the answer is his nature didn't change
So if his nature didn't change and he's a God of love in the New Testament
Which is fulfillment of the Old Testament and he has to be a God of love in the Old Testament, right?
Which then if I read something in the Old Testament
I struggle with it and then I need to actually wrestle with that and not just move on without thinking about it
Yes
I need to actually wrestle and say how does this fit into the knowledge that God is trying to promote love of him and love of
Your neighbor. Yeah, I just think that is a really cool
Connection about the speaking from between the covenant like I always love it in the Old Testament where it talks about God speaking
Yeah, there's a story in next week's podcast. So we're gonna be talking about where God does this really cool stuff
Again, it has that would do with the division of the spirit and I can't wait to get to that
There's a there's just a number of stories and numbers that I love. Yeah
So jumping over to eight and nine, there's a few things that are worth noting here
Okay, they prepare these lamps now this references back to Exodus where they're supposed to refill the oil and trim the wicks so that
The lamps never go out. Yeah, so here you have the Lord saying to Moses give Aaron these instructions and
He gives them these instructions to set up the lamps and get them lit, right?
Exactly. The light lit flame is supposed to be the face of God in the place, right?
The presence of God in the place of course is represented by the cloud as well
But the flame is supposed to be like the face of God there. Yeah, right
And so you always want to keep those running because you know, you definitely don't watch your lamp to run out
Uh-huh, which incidentally might be important in a story that Jesus tells in the New Testament, which we'll get to at some point
Yeah, so they set up these lamps because now it's time for them to be lit. Yeah, they're getting going
Yeah, and then you get to the dedication or the consecration of the Levites
Yep
Now in this you get back to this idea of being holy right being set apart
If you do any reading about the Levites, you will realize that the Levites are very different than the rest of Israel
Yeah, they're part of Israel, but they are the priests who are supposed to build up priests
Yeah, so the Lord is saying we need to set the Levites apart
Yeah, and not every Levite is a priest like some Levites are just involved in the running of the temple
Yeah, and so we need to set them apart
And once again because their jobs will be to teach the kingdom how to be a kingdom of priests
Yeah, right. So you have to understand that you just gotta understand that yeah priest. We're going to Levi's
We're actually going to set you apart
You guys are gonna be really weird because you're gonna be at the center of our travels all the entire time
Picking up the temple moving in place to place
Teaching us all what it means to put God on display and have a restored relationship with God
Yeah, this is gonna be your job because we as a nation are supposed to do this
Yeah, and when they struggle to do that
So does the nation so in the Levi's dedication another thing to note is that it wasn't like oh, hey
Let's just bring the Levi's together. We'll talk about what that looks like
No, it actually says it actually says in chapter 8 verse 9 then assemble the whole community of Israel
With a lot of people. Yeah, so the dedication of the Levi's was like, hey
Everybody in this nation show up
This nation show up. Mm-hmm for this because you need to see who these people are that are going to help teach you how to
Put God's righteousness on display. Yeah
Yeah, I I love that. It's not just like hey
FYI we sent an email out let you know these guys set apart, right?
It's there's this new band bunch called the Levi's they're gonna oversee the priests
Yeah, which is the way bullet points on what they're gonna do. I
Do think it's actually important to note that when if your church is also setting people aside for ministry
Uh-huh. It show up. Yeah, even if you're not involved in the yeah the laying on the hands or whatever is happening at your church
Yeah, it's always being set aside for ministry. They're being sent out any of those things like show up. You're part of the family
Yeah, this whole idea that we talked about imbuing identity setting apart for ministry all these different things like you're also
Casting your identity with them as you're sending them out to be representatives of Christ to the world
Yeah, right like you we need to be part of this. There's a reason we're a family now
I think it's interesting that after they do this that they then go and celebrate Passover for the second time
Yep, right first time being in Egypt now
They're one year out and they're celebrating Passover again, which is really important because we've talked about in the ten words
What's the first commandment? I?
Am the Lord your God put no other gods before me. Yeah
I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt don't have any other gods
And if you don't remember that he's the God who brought you out of Egypt
You're probably gonna have some other gods here. They celebrate Passover
Before they're about to head out and actually go and do what they're supposed to do
They're reminded of where they come from. Mm-hmm
And they remember who brought them out and and who conquered their gods and who brought them to this place, right? Yeah
Inside now we need to remember where we came from
But not saying live like live where he came from I'm saying you need to remember though
Because you can't accurately articulate the story if you can't remember your past. Oh
100% yeah 100% you cannot articulate how Christ has changed your life
You're not gonna be able to articulate how he can change someone else's life
So you need to know your story?
Yeah, that's really good. I I think that it's it's really cool
They celebrate this the piece that comes after this that I think that we should talk about. Mm-hmm, right?
And it comes on the back end of chapter 9 and into 10. Mm-hmm
It starts in verse 15 and I'm just gonna read this I want to read 915 through 23
It says on the day the tabernacle the tent of the covenant law was set up the cloud covered it
From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire
This is how it continued to be the cloud cover it and a night. It looked like fire
Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent the Israelites set out whenever the cloud settled the Israelites
Encamped at the Lord's command the Israelites set out and at his command
They encamped as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle
They remained in camp when the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time
The Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out
Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days at the Lord's command
They would encamp and then at his command they would be set out sometimes the cloud only stayed only from evening till morning
And when it lifted in the morning, they set out whether by day or by night whenever the cloud lifted
They set out whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year
The Israelites would remain in the camp and not set out but when it lifted they would set out as the command Lord
Commanded they encamped and at the Lord's command they set out
They obeyed the Lord's command in accordance with his command through Moses and you hear the sound of the Lord's command
You hear that and you're like, yeah, we get it when the cloud was there. They stayed and when the cloud moved they went
If you got it, they wouldn't have to say it so many times. Mm-hmm
Because this is still what God is doing and we'll keep trying to move without the cloud
Yeah, and I love the imagery of the cloud and fire
Yeah
Because the cloud in the day provides shelter from the heat the fire at night provides heat
Mm-hmm in the cold
Because I don't know if you guys know this but the desert can get real hot
It also can get real cold at night. How many times we said that a lot a lot
The desert can get real hot. It can also get really cold
Yeah, so you have a cloud during day the day to cool it down. You have a fire at night to warm it up
Yeah, right. And so when you step outside of that, guess what?
Your protection from the elements is gone. Yeah
Yeah, right and God what he's doing is he's trying to draw you back say no, I'm right here
I want to provide shelter for you. I want to provide warmth for you
And it's not just it's not just the warmth and it's not just the cooling during the day
It also says that when they would go it talks about this in Deuteronomy when they would walk their shoes wouldn't wear out
Their clothes weren't wearing out
They got attacked by various creatures like because there's a lot of like dangerous things in the desert
Scorpions on the snakes and all those things we don't like. Mm-hmm, right?
And it says that they were protected from these the entire time that they're roaming because the cloud went with them
Yeah, which is once again gonna be very important when we come in to talk about this brown serpent, right?
It's a few weeks from now, but just keep that pin that in the back your head when you're protected by the cloud
Nothing else can get you. Yeah, you're protected from the cold. You're protected from the heat
You're protected from all the things that would attack you. Yeah, you still have to be in the desert
Yep, and you still have to trust. Yep
You're still getting your food each day from heaven and you still got to trust that you're getting led to water. Yeah
So, I mean, I don't want to say it's like devoid of faith because you absolutely have to walk in faith in the middle of a desert
Which I think is probably where people struggle maybe with understanding walking in the blessing of God
You can be incredibly blessed by God and still walk through the middle of chaos
I was thinking the story we talked about a few weeks ago where the people who went to my church and like their kid died in a car crash
Right? Yeah, like they were absolutely blessed by God. Uh-huh. It didn't mean that chaos didn't come to the door
Yeah, it just means in the middle of the chaos
They had a refuge now. It's so good. I think if there's something we can talk about chapter 10
They make the silver trumpets and then they actually set out. Yeah, they're actually going so that's what happens in chapter 10
But let's just stop here because I want to stop here and talk about this
modern church
Do we actually stay where God stays and go when God goes or do we do go and do what we think makes the most sense?
My personal experience
Happens to be the latter
In my life that I tend to rather than seeking what is God doing?
I try to go and figure out how to do for myself. Yeah with that said it can be really hard to sit still
In a desert like when God like there in that passage. It says whether it stayed a day a month or a year
Right. You're gonna set up camp for a year in one spot in the middle of the desert
Sometimes that happens in our lives. It can be really hard to stay
We can feel the need of like we have to move we have to go
But you might be in that spot where you're like actually I need to stay because the Lord hasn't moved yet
We have referenced this before it is just a it's just a quality piece of literature written by Henry Blackaby a long time ago
And it's called experiencing God. It's a study. We're gonna leave that again in the show notes
But I want to talk about his seven realities and just a couple of things that he talks about when you're learning to
Hear and do the will of God. Mm-hmm, right? The first reality is this God is always at work around you. Yeah
Like God's always doing something
Right. The second is that God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real
And personal. Yeah
God invites you to become involved with him in his work. Yeah
And God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible through prayer through circumstances and through the church to reveal himself his purposes and his ways. Yep
God's invitation for you is to work with him through the Bible through prayer through circumstances and through the church to reveal himself his purposes and his ways. Yep
God's invitation for you is to work with him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith
and action
You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what he's doing
And you come to know God by experience as you obey him and he accomplishes his work through you
Now these all line up with what's going on in Torah. God's speaking. God invites you
Yeah, uh, you have to choose are you going to make major adjustments?
Are you going to stay in Egypt where you're in slavery, but you know what's going to happen or are you going to walk into the desert?
Where you don't have any bread or water. Yeah
Are you going to follow God?
And choose to have him be your God or are you going to stay at the base of Sinai?
Yeah, are you going to follow the cloud?
Or are you going to see what God is doing? Yeah, because he's always working around you
Is he work where you are or is he moving on? Yeah, that's the important thing
Yeah, and are you with him when he's doing that?
I've heard it said people will make the statement. They're like well don't just stand there do something
And sometimes that is absolutely what you should do do something
Other times though. God is saying don't just do something stand there
Right, and it depends on what God is saying
You hit the nail on the head Spencer. You said during the day the cloud provides shade. Yeah, but during the night it provides warmth
So what that means is that the way that God interacts with you isn't always going to be the same even though his presence is yeah
And sometimes it's going to warn you and sometimes it's going to cool you sometimes. It's warmth when you're resting
Uh-huh, and sometimes it's cooling when you're moving. Yeah
Well, what does God want me to do? It's going to depend on what he's doing
Yeah, so what we should be doing is looking for Jesus and then adjusting to that. Yeah
Right. Yeah, what is Jesus doing? Where is he calling you?
Where is he in your life? And where is he moving you from?
Where is he moving you to because he's doing all of that all the time
The best thing we can ever teach people to do is see Jesus and follow after him. Yep
Right. He'll take care of the rest. He'll take care of the rest. Yeah
That's probably a good place for us to cut it and for today
We've enjoyed having you guys here and having this conversation like seriously look for God moving look for Jesus moving follow after him
Next week, we're gonna have pastor nick on as a special guest and we'll be doing a little bit of a
Talk about some of the other things going on in the next part portion of numbers
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Because we're getting into some very fun stories. Yeah. Thanks for joining us and until next time
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Everything I say is 100 coherent
Uh, you sound pretty excited
I'm super excited that you're here. That is my excited voice. Is it?
Let me do that whole thing again future ben. I'm sorry. You had to cut all this
It was written to the jews in the time of abraham you be quiet
I don't know how many belches I had to edit out. It was like 50. It's what it felt like. That's impressive. It's really impressive