Daily Devotions
God's View of Worship
Reading for February 9th: Numbers 5-8
On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it... the chiefs of Israel... approached and brought their offerings... They brought them before the tabernacle.
Numbers 7:1-3
Numbers seven is the longest chapter in the Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses), and second only to Psalm 119 as the longest chapter in the Bible.
This chapter takes us back in time, before even the military census in chapter one to what happened right after Moses finished the tabernacle. The leaders of the twelve tribes (the same ones listed in Num 2) brought their offerings for the tabernacle. This is spread out over twelve days, one tribal leader's gift for each day.
A couple of important lessons we learn from this chapter:
1. Every gift brought to God is an offering before the Lord. The animals and grain offerings were obviously used for the dedication of the altar as sacrifices, but so were all of the plates, basins, and dishes used to hold the food. We need to think not only of the obvious parts of our lives as worship (singing, prayer, Bible study) but of the other "secular" parts of our lives as well. For example, going to work can be viewed as worship to God (Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-25).
2. Every gift is recognized by God. This chapter would have been much shorter if Moses had just summarized and said, "All twelve leaders brought the same gifts each day." But he didn't. That's because each day's gift was important to God. God is never bored with worship. While the seventh chapter of Numbers may be monotonous to us (and we may be tempted to skip over it), the events of that chapter weren't boring to God. He was just as interested on the twelfth day as he was on the first. And so it is with us: "God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do." (Heb 6:10)
Father, we want to present every part, every moment, and every circumstance in our lives as worship to you. May we seek to offer the best we have and work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
