March 19, Day 78 – One Event, Expressed Two Ways
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
Numbers 7 is all about faithfulness, consecration, and dedication. Today in verses 1-65, we see that Moses “finished setting up the tabernacle, anointed it, and consecrated it and all its furnishings” (verse 1). After this, the Israelites “brought gifts before the LORD” Who instructed Moses to “accept these gifts from the people” (verses 3-5). The gifts from each tribe are identified – mostly oxen and wagons for the Gershonites and the Merarites – to sustain the needs of the tabernacle and its service. The Kohathites received no oxen or wagons because they were required to shoulder the furnishings and the most holy things (cf., Numbers 4:4 and 4:15). Here, the gifts are recorded in detail because God notices what we give. He takes a special interest in what we do, what we give, how we live, where we go, and with whom we spend our time. It’s important that we understand that our Creator – the God of this vast universe – faithfully takes a personal interest in us and exercises special care over us. This truth should drive our consecration and our dedication – and these should cause us willingly to be faithful to Him.
In Psalm 35:1-10, David calls out to the Lord for help when he is under attack from adversaries who “sought his life” (verse 4). I cannot say for certain that anyone has ever “sought my life,” so I have no idea what this might feel like. Nevertheless, I believe this activity is certainly true of Satan – he “seeks our lives” and wants to possess and destroy us. Thus, potentially in this life, we face a harmful enemy much worse than any human attacker, so I am deeply thankful that we have a God Who offers us His kind of protection and the knowledge that He promises us to “come to our aid” (verse 2). This Psalm infers that God’s care for David was so complete that anyone who opposed David was equally an enemy of God. I cannot imagine how anyone could knowingly stand against, resist, or refuse to surrender to an all-powerful, merciful Creator-God Who loves and forgives His creatures! No wonder David could say, “my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in His salvation. My whole being will exclaim, ‘Who is like you, LORD?’”
In Luke 2:21-40, we see that the infant Jesus is presented in the temple on His eighth day. Luke celebrates the perseverance of Simeon and Anna’s faith – two old Israelites who waited patiently for many years to see the Lord. Luke records that, Simeon, “who was righteous and devout, had been waiting “for the consolation of Israel” (verse 25), and that “the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (verse 26). Here, Simeon takes the child in his arms, praises God, blesses Him, and His parents - He even blesses us – proclaiming “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (verse 32). He also speaks prophetically of the “falling and rising of many in Israel” and shares a painful prophecy to Mary. Then, we read about the old, widowed Anna – who was eighty-four years old and gave thanks to God – speaking “about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem” (verse 38). Each of these old, faithful Israelites was looking forward to the same future event expressed in two different ways – the consolation of Israel and the redemption of Jerusalem. The child they were then holding in their arms would be the One Who would make this event a future reality.
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