Nu. 2-4: on micromanagement

       Numbers 2 gives the layout of the tribes’ camps about the tabernacle.

       Numbers 3:1-14 introduces the census of the Levites, with a reference to Nadab and Abihu. [I’ll come back to that.] Because all the firstborn belong to God, the Levites will replace the firstborn of all the tribes of Israel.

       Numbers 3:13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

       Moses counts the Levites, every male of one month old or older. There aren’t enough Levites to cover all of the firstborn of Israel, so they collect money from the tribes to cover them. This is given to Aaron and his sons per God’s command.

       A few days ago, I wrote about when God says “if.” To get at the heart of scripture, to see God’s heart, character and motivation, I recommend you also take note of other specific words when God says them. Two more are “because” and “lest.” God says "because" in 3:13. Did you find “lest” in chapter 4? If you have a different translation, you will have to look harder for key concepts like “lest.” You’ll have to think of do/don’t do…or else. If you use a Strong’s concordance (I highly recommend), you can look up “lest,” find the verse in the concordance and then look it up in your translation. All right, I’ll tell you.

       Numbers 4:18-20 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden: But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

       [More on the Kohathites later.]
       I was impressed by something in chapters 3-4. Talk about micromanagement! As a rule, I don’t like being micromanaged. As I think about it, it occurs to me that maybe I dislike it so much because I might possibly have that tendency. I’m blessed right now to have two bosses that aren’t micromanagers. They trust me to do my job. You have no idea how freeing it is to be trusted as competent. When you don't have to keep answering for every action, you can actually act!

       Having said that, why is God micromanaging? Is it possible that God didn’t trust the Levites to do their jobs? Ouch! God knows the past; He knows the future.

       Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

       It follows that God knows how far Israel would fall, so He is careful to give such detail, lest people die. [To borrow from C.S. Lewis' concept, Aslan is not a tame lion.]
Therefore: Man micromanages=could be bad. God micromanages=bad sign but good intent!

       Which brings me to Nadab and Abihu.

Opening the Old Testament.

In our Wednesday night small group, there was a large portion of people who said they have trouble "getting into" the Old Testament. I have a different perspective, not because I am a stupendous scholar, but God in His goodness has made much of it real to me.

Some background: When I was seven, I decided I was going to read the Bible cover to cover. I didn't know whether anyone had actually read it, so I wanted to be the first to have done so. At first I read it sporadically. I often lost my place and must have re-read Numbers a dozen times. Then, by the time I was in 6th or 7th grade, I started reading it earnestly. I read two chapters every day. If I missed a day, I read five chapters the next. (It was an arbitrary number, but it motivated me to keep on track.) By the time I was in ninth or tenth grade, I had done it! Cover to cover. I didn't understand all of it, but I had done it. Then I started over. And I did it again. And again. Each time, I learned more, understood more.

I also attribute my love of the OT to my name. Growing up named Miriam, I had my name mispronounced almost every way imaginable. But there was One (besides my family) who knew my name intimately. It was there in Exodus 15 and elsewhere.
God knew my name! To my childhood mind, that meant God was probably Jewish and could say it perfectly. (I love when people with non-English accents pronounce my name: it sounds so perfect!)

Now, there are many excellent works out there about the Bible. What's different about my opinion? I don't have much of a sales pitch for you. I've read the book, I love to write, I am able to pull gems out of almost any scripture, I have a good command of Strong's Concordance. I'm also a nurse with experience in infection control. That means Leviticus is an amazing work about staying healthy in a world full of ickiness (both physically and spiritually). I was raised by very civic-minded parents who helped me see the social implications of the Old Testament law, from not muzzling the ox who treads grain to not moving a property marker.

So there you have it. May the Word unfold like a flower before you and bless you with its sweetness.