Howdy,
It has rolled back around to Sunday, and (incredibly) it’s already been awhile since of done a Sunday Scripture series post.
Again, I’ve gone to my ESV Bible app on my iPhone (ESV: English Standard Version—a tremendous translation and I’d highly recommend it) to pick a passage from my “FAVORITES”—favorited verses in the program.
Last time we kicked off the discussion with Exodus 19:5. Next on the list is Exodus 20:3, but that is either too obvious or too difficult: “‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’” I’ve leave that for another time.
The next one may be an error in having been marked as a favorite. What do you think? “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation for breaking camp’” (Numbers 10:1). I was thinking that unless you play the trumpet or hate camping there is no chance this is anyone’s favorite verse—until I thought about how amazing the part we overlook is: The LORD spoke to Moses. The Lord SPOKE to Mo. Holy smokes. That’s crazy. When you think about it, that’s crazy. You don’t have to make this verse your favorite verse (that’s a personal choice anyway, I realize) because many passages in Scripture have the introductory phrase, The Lord spoke to …
I notice those sometimes, and they blow me away.
I am going to un-“Favorites” this particular verse in my phone, but I am going to continue to thank God that He speaks to our world and individuals in it. Loved individuals. Persons.
Oh, wait … When I went to remove from favorites, the Numbers passage I quoted above is not verse one; it’s mostly verse two. Verse number one is only: ““The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,” … so, yes, that’s exactly why it’s favorited. The whole verse is only the magnificent and powerful and amazing and humbling idea and fact that God spoke to man. A man.
I’ll leave it in my Favs.
Sound good? I think so.
Moses was amazing by the way.
At least once to the envy of his siblings. “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses … And they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the LORD heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek [INSERTED NOTE: written by Mo, ironically, which should just make you smile], more than all people who were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, ‘Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.’ And the three of them came out. And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And He said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ [INSERT NOTE: hot seat question!] And the anger of the LORD was kindled abasing them” (Numbers 12:1-9).
The siblings story just keeps going, with deep consequences, but Moses prays for his sister. Humbly and lovingly seeking healing for one who has spoken against him. Speaking to God, because God speaks to him.
Have a happy Sunday.
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.
Word Count: 135,452 / On Pace: 146,300 / Year’s Goal: 200,000
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