Numbers

What a great VBS we had last night!  God was so good to bring such a large crowd on the opening night.  It was a blessing.  The children loved it and our people once again went all out! I'm in Numbers today, and here is a thought or two: 1) THE LEVITES WERE A GIFT- In Numbers 8:17-19, it explains that when God smote the firstborn of Egypt, that night He sanctified all of the firstborn children of Israel for Himself.  He goes on to say that He took the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.  So, instead of taking the firstborn of every tribe... God took a tribe... the Levites.  Now, verse 19 says that "I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel..."   Not only were the Levites a gift, but the Israelites had to take care of them as they served the tabernacle and made atonement for the children of Israel.  In verse 20, it says  "... did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them."   God told them to take care of them and they did.  Now, in the New Testament, it says that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.  So again, the church takes care of the God called men and women who serve in a local church on a full or part-time basis.  2) ELDAD AND MEDAD- Spirit-Filled Laymen!  In Numbers chapter 11, we see that seventy men of the elders were taken around the tabernacle, and "the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto he seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease."  But... two men remained in the congregation that were not around the tabernacle among the seventy men, and they too were filled with the spirit that rested upon Moses, and they prophesied in the camp among the people.  Well, there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp".  Now, Joshua told Moses to "forbid them".  But Moses said:  "Enviest thou for my sake?  would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"  So... Eldad and Medad were spirit filled laymen preaching forth the Word of God and His praises!  NOW.... we all have the Holy Spirit of God in us as believers, and we too ought to be preaching and praising!! Well, so much for today, I sure enjoyed just writing about these two things, but there were so many others that blessed my heart as well.  May God bless you! Pastor Mike Mutchler