the ruminations of aaron eberline

After reading Numbers 29 and 30 today all I am left with many confusing questions. Why are the sacrifices constantly being restated? Were the people not listening? What’s the point? As I ask these questions I remember what has happened in Numbers 27 where the mantle of leadership is transfered from Moses to Joshua. I am also reminded of Numbers 26 where the census was take again after the 40 years in the wilderness and there the was no one left who was numbered in the wilderness because God said, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” Only Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun were left from those who disbelieved and rebelled. These two stories of the change of leadership and the death of the people who rebelled in the wilderness help to give me a possible answer to my questions. There is new leadership and a new population of people who are being led into the promised land. It is not surprising to me that there is a restating of God’s commands because the people need to remember and follow His commands as they go forward into the promised land where dependance upon God is an absolute necessity. What is my promised land? Where is God reminding me to remember to depend upon Him and follow His commands? Is my promised land the eternal life that is mine in Jesus Christ? I am called to follow Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior as I sojourn here on earth. The best place for me to continue in my journey will be to grow in my knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and what he has done for me.

My last questions are from Numbers chapter 30. What are these vows that are being talked about? What kind of vow is made before God? Do we make vows before God today? In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus Christ speaks concerning vows and says that no oath should be made by either heaven for it is the throne of God or by earth because it is the footstool of His feet. In verse 37 Jesus says, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” Is a vow similar to when someone swears on something to do something? Did the Israelites swear on God as a way to reaffirm there desire to do something? Did people start using that casually like people say today, “I swear to god”? It could make sense because Jesus is exhorting me to make my word true where I say Yes or No and mean it. What things do I take casually that Jesus Christ would want me to change? Has there been any language that I use in my life that is not true but just a shallow statement? Lord search me and show me what there is that needs to change.