Numbers & Deuteronomy

Today is Monday, and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful day outside.  I'm looking forward to this week and seeing what God has in store for me.  I'm reading the last of Numbers and getting into Deuteronomy today. 1) RE-NUMBERED-In Num. 26:64 we see that the men of Israel, 20 years old and upward, were again numbered.  They were first numbered when they were around Mt. Sinai in Numbers 1:45,46 and they numbered 603,550 men.  Now, adding women and children is where we come up with the 3 1/2 million figure so often discuss.  Keep in mind that this number does not include the Levites and their numbers.  But, in chapter 26:64 when they are again numbered, ONLY TWO, of the men first numbered are STILL ALIVE!!  (Joshua and Caleb)  In forty years, all of the first number of men have died off because of disobedience!!  Now they number 601,730.  They are a few thousand fewer because of so many dying in the wilderness.  2) THE MEANING OF WORDS-- Numbers 28:26-- Convocation (1. The act of calling or assembling by summons.) ; Servile- (1. Such as pertains to a servant or slave; slavish; mean; such as proceeds from dependence)  So, what this verse is saying is that on the seventh day they shall summons a meeting of everyone on the Sabbath, and that no work is to be done that would be done by a servant, slave, or employee.  It is to be a day of rest! 3) KEEP YOUR VOW- NumberS 30:2 "he shall not break his word".  When speaking of vows (promises) God's Word is clear... we are to be people who KEEP OUR WORD!!  No excuses for not keeping ones word.... IF we do not, we owe someone a very good explanation and must work out something with them to make up for our failure to keep our word. 4) ELEVEN DAY!!!  Yes, from Mt. Horeb to Kadesh-barnea was only eleven days!!  They stayed around Mt. Horeb (Sinai) for 40 days to get the 10 commandments, then Moses broke them when he saw the sin of the people, and then he went back up the mountain another 40 days, and then he came down and taught the people what the laws of God said, (Exodus 20) and then after staying there a great while, God said:  "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough..." Deut. 2:3  BUT, from here to Kadesh-barnea was only a 11 day journey.  There they camped for 40 days for the spies to look over the land, and now they could have gone over and conquered the land of Canaan, but.... they did not and wandered 40 years in the wilderness until the whole generation was killed off!!!  What a cost to procrastinate!!!   5) IN THE MIDDLE- Deuteronomy 5:5 "I stood between the LORD and you"  This is what Moses told the Israelites...  WOW!!  What a position God gave to him... what a responsibility.  Now, as a pastor, I don't have that position, but I do have a position of preaching and teaching the Word of God and that is a great honor and responsibility as well. Well, just a few thoughts for today... It's great reading God's Word and getting such great truths from it every day!!  Love you.... Pastor Mike Mutchler