Thurs.’s Devo - The Warriors

Read: Numbers 26:1-51; Luke 2:36-52; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15 After the plague killed 24,000 people, God told Moses and Eleazar to number the warriors in each tribe. They were all the men at least twenty who were fit and could go to war. Each tribe were numbered by clan. Judah had the largest number - 76,500 and Simeon, the smallest at 22,200. I found it interesting that one of the clans in the tribe of Zebulun had no sons but five of their daughters were mentioned. This is a list of warriors so they must have been part of the army. Also in the tribe of Asher, his daughter Sarah was mentioned as if she was counted in this number. Every tribe had its own characteristics and it was important which tribe you were from. It carried on into the New Testament where Anna was mentioned from the tribe of Asher. Asher means “happy”. Her father was Phanuel which means “the face of God”. Her father must have taught her how find her happiness in seeing into the face of God because as a prophetess, that was what she did. It was said of Anna that she had lost her husband after only seven years of marriage and had remained a widow ever since. She was now 84 and spent her days praying and fasting in the temple. When she saw Jesus, she knew he was the one they had been waiting for and told everyone who had been seeking God for a Messiah. Every year, Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. When Jesus was twelve they went as usual but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. When Mary and Joseph realized he was missing they went back looking for him. Three days later, they found him in the Temple sitting among the religious teachers listening to them and asking questions. They were amazed at his questions and even more amazed at his answers. Mary asked Jesus how he could do this to him and his answer was that he had to be about his father’s business. His father was God and his business was in the Temple. When a Jewish boy reaches the age of 12 they follow their father in their business and that was what Jesus was doing. Jesus followed them home to Nazareth and obeyed them. Jesus grew in his walk with the Lord. It says that he grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. Lord, may we seek your face and grow in wisdom and stature and favor with you and all people. May we be counted as your warriors.