Daily Morning Watch

Daily Devotional

Organizing the Camp

Numbers 2
May 12, 2022
Day 132
Now we see what God had in mind. All the members of each tribe were to have a particular place on the east, west, north, or south of the sanctuary. Can you think of reasons for this? God loves order, and also, He was seeking to rebuild a sense of tribal and national pride and self-respect in people who had been nothing but slaves for generations. How does it help you to feel healthy self-esteem, when you know who you are and where you belong?

Census

Numbers 1
May 11, 2022
Day 131
After a year of work and prayer, the tabernacle is complete, the priests are dedicated, and the book of law for the priests and Levites is finished. The tabernacle is covered with a visible sign of God’s presence—cloud by day, fire by night (Num 9:15-16). The first thing the people did (though it is not mentioned until Num. 9) was to keep the Passover. Then God told Moses to number the men over 20, able to go to war if necessary. The Levites were not to go to war; only to care for the tabernacle. We may wonder why this census was needed now, since there was no apparent threat, but it will become clear in our next chapter.

Blessings of Obedience

Leviticus 26
May 9, 2022
Day 129
The first part of this chapter outlines the blessings God promises to those who are faithful to His covenant. The second part outlines the extremely unpleasant consequences of disobedience. But it’s the third part which is perhaps the most moving: here, God promises that even when His children are so rebellious and disobedient that they are taken over by enemy nations, He will still love and seek to restore them. That’s a great God we have!

Holy Days

Leviticus 23
May 6, 2022
Day 126
This is a lovely chapter. Unlike those which are more for priests, this is a list of God’s holy days for everyone, which He says are “lasting ordinance(s) for generations to come, wherever you live.” Go through the list individually and list the reasons you can see for each one, the things they were meant to teach about God. Do you notice factors that have to do with society, justice, and care of the vulnerable? How can you put these principles to work in your own life?

Being Holy

Leviticus 22
May 5, 2022
Day 125
Right now, the whole priesthood and the sacrificial system are all new to the Israelites. Except for Nadab and Abihu, no one is taking it for granted. But God knows that people will become complacent after a while. Doing the rituals will be “just another day.” So, He makes instructions to remind people to keep His things sacred and maintain respect for the sacrifices—but most of all, for God. What can you take for your life from this chapter?

Horrible Sins

Leviticus 20
May 3, 2022
Day 123
Just as God has chosen to repeat and highlight certain of His commandments as being extra important, here He highlights some sins that are especially abhorrent. This is an ugly chapter to read. Idolatry is bad enough, but to burn your children to Molech is worse. Immorality is bad enough, but to steal each other’s spouses is worse. Cursing your own parents, using family members lustfully—these are terrible sins. Why? Because they destroy the people God loves so much. Israel is looked upon as an example of godliness. If the other nations see this kind of thing, what will they think of God?

Laws against Immorality

Leviticus 18
May 1, 2022
Day 121
If you read these two verses side-by-side, you can see that they interpret each other. What details can you learn about what it means to live by God’s laws and statutes by looking at the two together? Later, the Bible will say that we live by faith; here it says we live by God’s law. Do you think these are the same? If a person simply seeks to follow the list of rules, but doesn’t have faith in God’s grace, is that really living by God’s law of love? Naturally, if one is truly living by God’s law of love, one will be faithful and not immoral.

Outside Sacrifices

Leviticus 17
April 30, 2022
Day 120
The people still carry with them some memories of sacrifices to other false gods, and this chapter is intended to prevent them from doing those sacrifices. It may also represent people trying to create their own separate worship rituals or be their own priests. All are to come to the tabernacle to sacrifice only to God. The word translated “life” which is said to be in the blood can also be translated “soul.” Why do you think God forbids the eating of blood?

The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16
April 29, 2022
Day 119
This chapter describes the holiest feast of the year. Almost all the details of this Day contain symbols of Jesus sacrificing Himself to atone for us. For instance, the goat that is taken outside the camp and set free represents the devil, the one who is really responsible for all the sin that has engulfed this planet. If you are interested, you can read much more about this in Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 355-358.
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