Daily Devotionals

Discovering Christ Day by Day

Devotional: February 14th

Today’s Reading: Numbers 8-10

“A Shadow of Good Things to Come”

Hebrews 10:1

All the law of the Old Testament, with all the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Mosaic age, formed “a shadow of good things to come,” portraying our Lord Jesus Christ, his obedience and death as our Substitute, and the blessings of God’s salvation and grace in him. We have read in Numbers 8, 9, , 10 about the seven lamps on the candlestick in the tabernacle, the Levites who served in the tabernacle, the passover sacrifice, the pillar of cloud and of fire over the tabernacle, and the sounding of silver trumpets to gather Israel to God’s altar. As we walk through the tabernacle sanctuary, may God the Holy Spirit give us grace always to look for and see our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Tabernacle, and see him everywhere.

The Lights

First, we read about the lights in the tabernacle, seven lamps on the golden candlestick. It is true that our Lord Jesus declares God’s church and each believer in it to be the light of the world. The seven lamps, no doubt, represent the seven churches (the churches of God in this world) as seen and described by John in Revelation 1-3. But the golden candlestick holding forth the lights represented our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Whatever light we may have, whatever light we may give forth to others, we have and we give forth by his Spirit; but Christ is the Light. Shine, precious Savior, into my heart, give light to my dark mind, enliven my lifeless soul, warm my frozen affections!

The Levites

We have also read today about the Levites, given to God’s high priest Aaron to minister in the tabernacle, to serve in the holy things. No Levite was allowed to enter into this great service until he was twenty-five years old. Ripeness of age was required for this sacred employment. The Spirit of God gives us similar instruction concerning those who are set apart for the ministry of the gospel (1 Timothy 3:1-7). These were men chosen of God, cleansed, and consecrated to the Lord. So it is with all God puts into the blessed work of the gospel ministry. Chosen to salvation and chosen to be gospel preachers, they are first cleansed by blood atonement and by “the washing of water by the Word,” the regenerating (sanctifying) work of God the Holy Spirit; and then being called of God, they are consecrated to him and to the blessed work of the gospel in the totality of their lives. He who chose them and called them gifts them and qualifies them for their work. Gospel preachers are but earthen vessels carrying the treasure of the gospel through this world. Pause and pray for them, those men who are ministers of God to your soul, particularly your own pastor. Ask God to uphold them, teach them, strengthen them, open doors of utterance before them, and use them to gather his elect to himself.

The Passover

Numbers 9 speaks of the passover service in the Old Testament tabernacle. We rejoice to know that “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). How our hearts ought to dance when we read the word of God to Moses in verse ten. — “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or [be] in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.” Yes, the unclean are welcome at God’s Altar, being made clean by the precious blood of Christ our Passover! Coming to God by faith in Christ Jesus, the Lord God gives us his Holy Spirit, as he gave Israel the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, to guide us through the hostile enemy territory of this world unto our glorious rest above. Blessed Savior, send your Spirit before me to guide me in your will and your way. Let me never run unsent or uncalled; and give me grace to follow you, O Lamb of God, whithersoever you go until my appointed time on earth is finished and I am brought at last into the glory of heaven with you.

The Trumpets

The silver trumpets in Numbers 10 represent the gospel’s joyful sound, the sound of Christ’s blood and righteousness, by which God the Holy Spirit gathers chosen, redeemed sinners to the Savior, the sound by which he calls, comforts, corrects, and cheers his people. — “Blessed [is] the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalms 89:15).

Let us this day, like God’s servant Moses, urge others to partake of the grace which is in Christ Jesus. Well satisfied with the inexhaustible fulness that there is in Christ for all the countless seed of Israel, let us urge the unregenerate around us to come to the Savior, to taste and see how good and gracious the Lord is.