Rise Up & Walk – I'm Following Jesus

King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Chapters: Numbers 3-4
Message: Rise Up & Walk

Hello My Friend,

I have a confession to make, I use to dread coming to the Book of Numbers because of, well, all the numbers, but I am seeing it in a different light these days as I come to realize that there is great insight in the book. Not only is God merciful, He is longsuffering in that He gives all the opportunity to be saved. He will use the vilest of sinners and turn them into faithful servants, I should know after all, because I am one of them. Jesus said, [Luke 5:23,32 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.]

There is a verse that I always fall back on whenever I realize that I have failed God yet again, [Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.]. We are not perfect and never will be until we get to heaven, but those who are faithful to God rise up and walk, they move forward in the strength of Christ to do the things that He calls them to do. Why? Because God is merciful and longsuffering that as long as we are saved, willing, and repentant, He will keep using us. Now, if anyone understood the mercies of God and how He uses the vilest of sinners, and chooses them specifically for His work it is Aaron. He is the one who made the golden calf that the impatient fools demanded, and now he and his sons would be responsible for accepting the sacrifices of the people and offering them up to God. An account is given of Aaron and his sons, who would become priests, and every generation after them.

[Numbers 3:2-7,10,12 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father. 5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;]

[and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.] The Levites did not just start doing the work they were called to do, they too needed to be consecrated so they can do the work. No work done for God will be acceptable until we are saved. This is exactly why anyone who comes to Jesus that is not saved, proclaiming all their good works will be put to death, [Luke 13:26-27 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.]

Besides Moses and Aaron, Levi had three more sons, Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. Since Aaron and his sons were going to minster to God in the service inside the Tabernacle, God chose the rest of the Levites, broken down into three families, to be in charge of setting up, taking down, and transporting the Tabernacle. No one outside of the tribe of Levite was to go near one piece of the Tabernacle.

[Numbers 3:23,25,29,31,35-36,38 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof. 35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. 36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, 38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.]

[even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward,] Notice how they all encircled the Tabernacle, each group had their own duties, chosen specifically by God, He was at the center of all that they did. Christ must be in the center of all our work for God, if He is not, then nothing we do for Him will be acceptable, [II Timothy 2:11-13,15 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.]

After the Passover, when God set Israel free from Egypt, He declared that all the first born were His, after the fiasco with the golden calf He decided that He was only going to use the Levites to minister to Him regarding the Tabernacle. Since all the first born still belonged to Him He commanded the first born to pay redemption to the sons of Aaron for the service of the Tabernacle.

[Numbers 3:40-41,46-48 And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. 46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.]

[Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll,] Notice that, regardless of their age they all paid the same amount to be redeemed. There is only one payment for redemption for every soul, and that is Jesus Christ. All are the Lord’s by creation, but only true saved, born again Christians are his by redemption, [I Peter 1:17-19 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:]

The Church itself is called the church of the first born regardless of what rank they were born, meaning they were not bought with silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Christ., which is why no stranger can serve in His Church and live. Remember, it is Christ who chooses us to serve Him, He gives us specific duties within His Church. God chose the Kohathites for what I call the most hazardous duty, and that was to transport the holy things. This was a very important, and critical task as they were not allowed to physically touch these objects.

[Numbers 4:2-6,15 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3 From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: 5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 6 And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.]

[These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath] Each and every one of us are given a burden to carry in our walk with Christ, meaning a ministry that we are responsible to keep up with. It is not a burden that is grievous or we cannot handle, it is a burden that we will be able to commit to by the grace, and strength of Christ. Will we fail Him doing this? Yes, we will fall, get back, and fall, get back up. The just are going to fall, and then Jesus will tell us to rise up, and walk, over and over again. God will never use someone who thinks they are without sin, He uses the humble, those who admit they are sinners, and need Christ every day to get back up. The just falleth seven times and get back up, but it is not we ourselves who get us back up, it is Christ, [2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.]

Jesus Christ Magnified: [Numbers 3:47-48 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.]

Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your calling upon our lives, You do not take it lightly when You choose us, as You only choose those who willingly come to Your Son first. Then, as we walk with Your Son, You prepare us for the task that You will have us do. Some of us will serve You as preachers and teachers, while others will help out by encouraging and praying for them. We are not perfect, we fail You everyday, but you are merciful and longsuffering in that You continue to use us no matter how many times we trip and fall. You are the grace and strength to get us to rise up and walk each and every time. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your mercies and grace, the wisdom and knowledge to do the task You have called us to do, let us not become weary in well doing or attempt to do them in our own will. Let us trust that You know what You are doing and that we are capable of carrying the burden You have given us through Your grace and strength alone. I love You, Lord, and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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