Sat.’s Devo - Camping and Marching

Read: Numbers 2:1-3:51; Mark 11:27-12:17; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:24-25 The tribes of Israel camped and marched under their tribe’s banner in a certain order. They were divided into four groups. Judah was the leader of the first group with Issachar and Zebulun after them. They camped east of the tabernacle. Reuben led the second group which camped to the south of the tabernacle. Simeon and Gad were in this group. Ephraim led his group third and they camped west of the tabernacle. They included Manasseh and Benjamin. The last group was led by Dan and they camped north of the tabernacle. They included Asher and Naphtali. From heaven’s view, they made the form of the cross. Judah’s group had the most so they were the bottom of the cross. Ephraim’s group had the lest and they made the top of the cross and the other two on the north and south end had close to the same amount, making the sides of the cross. The Levites marched in the middle carrying the Ark and the tabernacle. The fighting men of the tribes were all counted and recorded but God counted the Levites from the age of one month old. The Levites were divided into three division also: the Gershonites, Kohathites and Merarites. They had different jobs pertaining to the Tabernacle. The Levites now were to take the place of the first born of Israel. There were not enough so they paid five pieces of silver for each as redemption price. The Levites stood for the remnant that would make up the Body of Christ - the redeemed ones that were bought with a price. The rest of the people stood for the masses of people in the field waiting to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus. In John, the teachers of religious law and elders came to him and asked him whose authority was he doing such things. In other words, who was his leader. Jesus knew they were trying to trick him so he turned it back on them. He asked them if John’s authority came from heaven or humans. Now, they were caught. They chose not to answer so he chose not to answer their question. Instead, Jesus gave them a parable with the answer in it. They were the wicked tennant farmers that God had given charge over his law. They had killed all of God’s messengers in the past and now they were planning to kill the master’s son. He told them what God would do in response to this. He would come and kill all of them and lease his vineyard to others. This shut them up and they left. Later, other leaders on Herod’s payroll came up and tried to trick Jesus. They asked him about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus saw right through their deception and told them to give to Caesar what was owed to Caesar and to God what was owed to God. This shut them up also. Lord, thank you that you have an answer to every situation. You are never caught off-guard or confused. Help us to have that same discernment that we would know how to answer hard questions. Thank you for wisdom.