February 18, 2022: Day 38 – Numbers 28-31 and I Corinthians 9-10

We continue our journey through Numbers.  We see whole series of commandments on what the sacrifices ought to look like and when they need to be made.  Chapter 29 continues that thought and puts it in the perspective of Moses merely repeating what the Lord had commanded him, he passes on to those around him.  Chapter 30 we see the directives geared to women who make vows for fasting or other situations and when they are able to be upheld.  If the husband, or the father for an unmarried woman, hears of her vows he can acknowledge them in silence.  If he speaks up and objects at the time that the vow is made then it is null and void.  Basically, you can’t object down the road if you figure out it is harming you.  You knew she had made the vow and said nothing about it, now you have to live with it.

Chapter 31 takes us to God reaping vengeance against the Midianites and sending his troops into a victory against them.  He is not thrilled that after their victory they only killed the men and kept all of the women alive.  He attributes the following after false gods to the men being with the pagan women and they influencing them to follow false gods.  Remember when we talked about the marriages in Italy to non-Protestants and how that weakened the faith lines.  So, as a result, God commands that all of the married Midianite women be put to death.  Now, not a solution that I would have chosen, but then again I am not God, so we have that…

We jump to Corinthians and here Paul makes a case for offerings going to cover the work of those who are proclaiming the Gospel.  He spends quite a bit of time defending himself and laying out his resume in regards to his faithfulness and how he has worked so hard for the sake of the Gospel.  When we get to chapter 10 we see repeated the very important line in vs.23 where we read: “All things are lawful but not all things are beneficial.  All things are lawful but not all things build up.”  

I will leave you with the verse that is also very powerful in this Scripture that can be our calling card in all times of our life.  Look at vs.31:  So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.