Numbers 7

Day 46

Well my Valentine was a sweetie and the day was hit! :)   I got a deluxe pedicure, a manicure AND a massage...all in the form of gift certificates! WOW!! Day of beauty here I come!!!   Papa Jerry offered to take JJ for the whole day to hang out with him even too!   Dusty and I just hung around the house spending time together.  He asked if I wanted to watch the 2nd Chronicles of Narnia.  Oh sure...why not!?  I sit down on the sofa ready for a 2 hour movie and he puts in the DVD and next thing I know I'm watching a "movie" that Dusty made of pictures of just me and him and then the kids!   In the background of the DVD was our song "When you say nothing at all"  You know.... "the smile on your face lets me know that you love me....."  He played that same song while he proposed to me.  Then when that song was over and the sweet pics were still playing, and tears were streaming down my face, the song "My Valentine" started playing.  It was the best of them all!  It was perfect!  If I could figure out how to post the DVD on here I would!  He did soooo good! I gave him a docker for his iphone and cables to connect to our TV with....now everything on his iphone can be played and seen on a TV!  He thought he was getting it for Christmas...I made him wait because I had to get the cables that went with it! Then we ate dinner and went to the ball game and our team won district!! Yea!  Thank you, honey, for being a sweet  and thoughtful and loving valentine.  Everyday is Valentine's day with you! :)  

Chapter 7  Were you surprised that it was only one chapter to read today?!  Were you then also surprised that that one chapter has 89 verses?!  LOL!  I do have t o point out...and why, I'm not real sure, without doing too much research, but read verse one real carefully.  It says "on the day when Moses finished setting up the tabernacle....."   That took place clear back in Exodus.  So I find that interesting....the short version of the commentary says the time frame and the chronology has befuddled ancient and modern interpreters. So there....we are in good company. We don't know why we've stepped back in time to do this.  Just go with it.....its the Word of God. :)

Verse 10-88 are an extensive account of the gifts presented by each tribal leader over a 12 day period.  The gifts are identical: (grain offering) 1 silver plate, 1 silver basin; incense in 1 gold dish; (burnt offering) 1 bull, 1 ram, 1 male lamb (1 year old); sin offering is 1 male goat; fellowship/well-being offering -- 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, 5 male lambs one year old.  These are all dedicated to the priests on successive days as resources for the camp group and for the tabernacle.  Theologically, each tribe donates the same equal amount....regardless of the tribes size.  I think on the surface one would think how boring to make the same offering day after day for the 12 tribes.....but think about it differently.....we love celebrating Valentine's day every year, we love celebrating Christmas every year, we love celebrating our birthdays every year....imagine getting to do your favorite holiday for 12 days in a row...the love that would be showered down on you.......the love that you would feel from friends and family.....the love and grace you would feel from God......the humbleness you would feel after 12 days of being showered with the finest gifts and with love.......that's what they did!  Giving their best to God... for 12 days in a row, each taking their turn.  That's holiness I'd say!   This is an entire model of giving.  God didn't tell Moses to tell the people to do it....they just did it.  This wasn't a requirement!  No where does it say "The Lord said to Moses" to do this!  These were spontaneous gifts from the tribes.  No gift greater than selfless giving to the Lord...compelled to do it from the heart.  Giving at its best!  I read this quote, "The principal feature of giving is not that someone or other should receive something, but that the stream of life should continue to flow!"  

The bottom line....gifts prompt gifts!  Out of love, because of love!  OUr holiness to God is a gift....His holiness to us is a gift.  We give in order to give.....not just to receive.  And in the process, the stream of life --the holiness itself--becomes stronger!  NOt greater word for Valentine's Sunday.  Give out of love!