Christian Mission Outreach

On Valentine’s Day, 2026, I was reading the Book of Numbers and appreciating God, amazed that He is the God of the Details. This Book shows His gift of administration, attending to so many things. God had already given the children of Israel many spiritual details to guide their lives so they could do things His way resulting in an enjoyment of their time on earth. And now God was attending to a multitude of practical physical things to guide them. He had a plan for Moses to execute and He was showing them their parts in it. (Deut. 5:33)

When I was a teen, when I got to the Book of Numbers, I got bored and closed the Bible. But when I was about 34, I invited Jesus into my heart to eat the word with me, and now I love to study the Bible, including Numbers, and I am in awe of how detailed God is. He cares about us.

          “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20)

I kept thinking of how God not only had a detailed plan for the construction of the tabernacle, but for how the Israelites were to pitch their tents at each stop in the journey through the wilderness.

When they would get to a new camp site, the tabernacle would be set up in the middle with the Levites camped on its four sides, according to their families. Then the armies of Israel were to camp around them, according to tribes and families. On the east side, the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun camped with their families, one after another. On the south side, was Reuben, Simeon and Gad. On the west side, Joseph’s two children’s tribes came first: Ephraim, then Manasseh, followed by Benjamin. Then on the north side, the armies of Dan, Asher and Naphtali. And when they broke up camp, they moved out in the same order, with the tabernacle carried by the Levites in the middle. This was part of God’s protection.

God even gave details of what certain people were to do and how tabernacle furnishings were to be transported.

          “And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.” (Num. 3:36-37)

There were times in Jewish history when God did not want a census taken, as in David’s time. Other times He ordered specific numbering of groups of His people according to tribe and age to show how many were ready for service in certain positions like the army or the work of attending to the tabernacle. In the wilderness, there were times when the Levites were and were not to be numbered. Women, children and teens were usually not numbered.

          “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron saying: ‘Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their father’s house, from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.’” (Num. 4:1-3)

Levites did not enter service until they were thirty. This reminded me of Jesus not going into fulltime service as a rabbi, The Rabbi, in His Father’s business, until He was thirty.

Jesus was very observant of Old Testament regulations. However, today, under the New Testament, men and women enter the Lord’s service younger than thirty and many stay long after fifty, believing they are to be refired, not retired. The important thing is to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Which reminds me of God’s specific instructions about their campsites and His awesome presence and protection.

          “Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony… So it was always: the cloud covered it by day; and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp: as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped.” (Num. 9:15-18)

God can tell His servants when and where to go today and the appearance of fire has been seen over some buildings containing Spirit-filled believers. May we appreciate what Jesus did at the cross too and His continued leading in our lives, having a holy fear of the Lord.

          “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:

‘Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’

          For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?  Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

[This is in spite of the fact that the glory of God was daily visible and God had spoken to them so many things is such detail, besides delivering them from bondage in Egypt.]

          Therefore, since a promise remains of entering in to His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.”  (Heb. 3:12-19; 4:1)

Thousands rebelled in spite of all that God had done for them, and His presence with them. Only two men and the children crossed over to the promised land. As Creator, God has a right over the works of His creation. It is not hate speech for God to warn against hell and behaviour that He hates. Thank God His mercy is great on those who fear Him. Again He lovingly does everything He can in detail to help us, even giving His Spirit and His Son to save those who will believe on Him.

          “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10)

          “For whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” (Prov. 3:12)

Our wonderful God has a good plan for each of our lives and for each church. If we ask Him about it, He might reveal some more details. May our ears be open to hear and follow. Trust and obey; there’s no other way. We should want to enjoy His presence eternally. (Rom. 5:1-11)