Numbering the Call

I'm moving on into Numbers (another of the sarcastic "oh, what fun" books). But as you'll see, there are parallels to modern day.

In reading the first part of Numbers, it is important to get your outlook right. Sure, you could view it as "just a record of history". However, I think that there is much more to be learned from this book than how many men were counted off head by head, every male twenty years and older who was able to fight in the army, registered by clans and families of the tribe of Simeon. As you read, imagine being Moses, Aaron, one of the Levites, or any of the other tribe members.

Read Numbers 1-3.

So, in imagining that you were one of the above people in the book, how would you respond? You don't know much about the world around you. The words of God come from the mouth of one man, who yes, has done some amazing things (led you out of Egypt and through the wilderness of Sinai)...and who is this God character anyway?

When God spoke to Moses for the first time in this book he said, "Number the congregation of..." "You and Aaron are to register"

Later, in Chapter 3, he says, "Bring forward the Levi and present them to Aaron so they can help him. They shall work for him and the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of The Dwelling."

You may be thinking, "woohoo, big deal."

But this is big stuff. God is putting out some serious calls here. Think of Noah, building a ridiculously big boat. This God person keeps asking people to step out of their comfort zone and to take on some mammoth projects. What nerve.

Guess what...God hasn't stopped doing that. It's just that most of us have stopped listening. We don't believe that what I call the "burning bush syndrome" can happen. We tell ourselves that God doesn't actually talk to people anymore and if he did, it would be so awe-inspiring, that we couldn't miss His sign.

That's what many Jewish people thought before Jesus came, and that's still how it's viewed today. Because God is something greater than we can fathom, we believe that he will always show himself in wonderfully amazing ways. Yet, this is the same God who chose to come to us by the means of a little, helpless baby. And saved us by the life and death of a condemned man.

When will we wake up?

When will we realize that we can't put God in a box? Will we ever stop trying to dominate the conversations we have with God?

It's time we shut up and listen. Oh, I'm including me in this too.

God is talking to us in very real ways. Our problem comes in that when we pray (often for the first time in a while), we don't "experience" God and we feel like we've been abandoned. We say, what is the point? If I'm not connecting with God, why should I continue to pray.

They are called spiritual disciplines for a reason. Yes, they get you into a habit of praying. But it takes time and repetition to feel close to God. Do you think you can understand the world through one session of meditation?

We are so used to instant gratification that when we don't get what we want, when we want it, we give up. These are the times when we most need to press on. These are the times when we most need to pray. These are the times when we most need someone around who will help lead us to God.

And although we feel like we're alone in this, we really all have these moments of doubt and questioning. Cheer up, you've got a lot of friends who have or are going through the same thing. At least 603,550 in all of the tribes of Israel.