Preparing a People

[ There will be no additional study notes this week.]

October 10, 2009

Larry R Evans

Reflective Introduction

It has been said that “A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.” (Marcus Aurelius Antonius). Think about that a moment in the context of our lesson for this week. God in His infinite wisdom knew precisely what unbridled human nature is capable of doing. With this large desert-wandering congregation now freed from slavery, He sought to establish a sense of community among His people—a kind of community that would stick together in the coming promised land. Wolves would arise among the sheep. He knew that. He anticipated this happening so rules were created to protect the sheep though even then His rules were open to abuse. The family unit was the foundation for this new community yet it was the very object of attack. Infidelity and distrust within the family happened and still happens today. Is there any hope? The lesson today is full of hope because we see the hand of a loving God working ever so patiently to build relationships that would endure privation, hunger and strife from within and from without. Though not written in the context of a religious theme I found the following insightful:

“True community requires proximity; continual, direct contact and interaction between the people, place, and things of which it is composed. Throughout history, the fundamental building block, the quintessential community, has always been the family. It is there that the greatest nonmonetary exchange of value takes place. It is there that the most powerful nonmaterial values are created and exchanged. It is from that community, for better or worse, that all others are formed. The nonmonetary exchange of value is the very heart and soul of community, and community is the inescapable, essential element of civil society.” (Dee Hock in Birth of the Chaordic Age,p.43] True this is a bit heavy and quite philosophical but it is worth pondering in light of the kind of community God is seeking to prepare. Hock’s point about the family being the place where nonmonetary exchanges take place and are the ones that are most important should make us sit up ant take stock with the need to build deep and abiding relationships – at home and in the church.

Reflective Quiz

1. God’s rules for the people wandering in the desert were arbitrary by design to teach obedience to a people who were accustomed to living in slavery. [Num. 5:12] True or False?

2. When we sin against someone we confess our wrong and pay back what we may have taken or damaged the issue can then be put behind us. [Num.5:6-8] True or False?

3. When we sin against God we must confess and do more right than wrong as a consequence of forgiveness. [Col. 1;19,20; Rom. 7:21-8:4] True or False?

4. The gift of marriage is especially vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. [Gn.1:26-28; 3:8-13; Num. 5:11-31; Matt. 7:36-47] True or False?

5. Infidelity is the woman’s fault as can be seen in the judgment scene found in the book of Numbers when she is asked to drink water tainted with dirt. [Num.5:11-31] True or False?

6. A deep spiritual commitment was reserved for those from the tribe of Levi. [Num. 6:1-21] True or False?

7. In the midst of over a million worshippers, each individual was reminded that they personally mattered to God. [Num. 6:22-27] True or False?