I should be grateful for all God has given me and make my offering with a thankful heart

The most important message I picked up from today’s readings overall is I should be grateful for all God has given me and make my offering with a thankful heart.

My primary takeaway from each of the passages was this:

• Numbers 17 & 18:  The end of the plague and the intercession of Aaron on the people’s behalf with Moses. Also, the institution of the tithe of the priests, taken from the tithes of the people. 
• Luke 23: Jesus goes before Pilate and Herod, and then Pilate again, and is sentenced to death. He carries his cross to Calvary, is crucified, mocked, dies, and is buried.
• Psalms 67: A song of praise and blessing for the harvest.
• Proverbs 5: A warning against adultery.

Today in Numbers we come to the end of the plague. Aaron intercedes with Moses on behalf of the people.

At the end of chapter 18, we also get details about how tithing is to be handled among the priests. The tithes of the people support the priesthood. This is the food they and their families eat. However, they are to tithe part of that to the chief priest, and the chief priest is to tithe part of what he receives to God. Paul talks about the practical aspects of tithing in I Corinthians 9:9 when he says, “For it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it about oxen that God is concerned?” Here in Numbers 18 we see how that was intended to play out.

In Luke we read about the end of Jesus’ life and ministry. He is tried, convicted, executed and buried. However, he continues his ministry to his last breath. He speaks to the women who are weeping and mourning him on his long walk to Calvary. Then he offers forgiveness to the repentant thief on the cross next to him. Finally, he commends his spirit to God and breathes his last.

After his death, Joseph of Arimathea collects his body and provides him with a tomb for burial. Then everyone dispersed to observe the Sabbath.

This is a heavy chapter, and there’s not much to say about it. I have always felt that this was a chapter (especially the end of it) to simply be taken in and contemplated. I often find myself wondering who I would be in the cast of characters who attended his crucifixion. Would I have followed at a distance? Would I have hidden? Who would you have been? Think about that and spend some time praying about it.

Today’s Psalm coincidentally fits with the last part of Numbers chapter 18, as it is a prayer of thanks for a bountiful harvest. That is what the tithe is supposed to represent: thanksgiving for all God has given us. It’s not supposed to feel like an obligation (although it is one). We are to offer our tithe with thanksgiving.

That’s what I got out of it. What did you get out of the readings today?

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This post is part of the series, “Read the Bible in a Year.”

To see other posts in this series, go to the Chronological Index of Read the Bible in a Year Posts.

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