Mon.’s Devo - Jesus - Welcomed by the Seers

Read: Numbers 26:1-51; Luke 2:36-52; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15 The plague finally subsided and God told Moses and Eleazar to record the names of all the men who could go to war, twenty years and older. We are given a list of all the tribes and the names of the clans and the number of their warriors. Reuben had lost quite a few in the plague because his men were the ones who conspired with Korah against Moses. It lets us know that some of Korah’s sons survived the plague. *** All of the tribe’s numbers were up from the last census of the warriors in Numbers 1, except the tribe of Ephraim which was 8,000 less. The total number was 1,770 less than the first count. *** In Luke, the prophetess, Anna was from the tribe of Asher. She had lost her husband seven years after they married and had never remarried. She was now 84 years old and never left the Temple. She stayed day and night praying and fasting and worshiping the Lord. She walked up as Simeon was talking to Mary and confirmed that the one they had been waiting to rescue Jerusalem had come. *** Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Jesus was now twelve years old and considered a man. He would now follow his father in his business. Jesus accompanied his parents like always, but this year when they started their journey back home, he stayed behind. *** When Mary and Joseph realized Jesus wasn’t with them, they went back to find him. They were worried sick until they found him, three days later, in the Temple talking to the elders and teachers of the law. He was astounding them with his questions and answers. *** When Mary asked Jesus why he had done this to them, he answered that they should have known he would be about his father’s business. Jesus’ father was God. They didn’t understand and brought him home to follow Joseph in his business. At the right time. Jesus entered into the business of his heavenly father. *** I can’t help but see the wisdom of God not to let him grow up in the Temple. Some of the men he talked to as a child were the very ones who made it their goal to kill him later. It was not their doctrine he needed to learn, but that of his parents. *** Lord, thank you for your wisdom and your perfect will. May it be done in our lives, in our cities, and in the nations.