God’s Word: A Life-Changing Message Brimming with Instruction and Inspiration

 “When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with him”  

Numbers 7:89 (NIV)

Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land God set out very specific sacrificial requirements, mandates that they were to regularly and repentantly observe. These stringent expectations seem a bit foreign to the modern-day church, which enjoys spiritual shelter in grace (thanks to the atoning ransom of Jesus Christ), rather than in the law. But through the historical advantage of hindsight many believers today recognize that the era of methodical, regimented obedience in the Old Testament set the stage, so-to-speak, for the recognition and reverence of God’s Son. Jesus fulfilled what no man or woman has been able to do before or since: perfectly abide by God’s tenants and live a faultless moral life, a life exhibiting a righteous, divine nature. Christ’s superior character and conduct confirm He was and is the only begotten Son of God, the Messiah, Savior of the world.

Reflecting upon the establishment of the Old Testament statutes and structure for a moment, there is a very interesting passage at the conclusion of Numbers 7. In Numbers 7, Scripture records that the offering altar was dedicated in the Tent of Meeting in a special, meaningful fashion. A leader from each Hebrew tribe presented gifts, such as silver and gold, for the work of the Lord. Each family elder also brought forth propitiations, in the form of grain and livestock. The solemn ceremony highlighted the fact that every Israelite was not only welcome to partake in the worshipful adoration of God, but they needed to participate in the penitent practice of sacrifice. After all, everyone had, at some point, fallen short of God’s great standards, as outlined in the Lord’s great commandments.

At the completion of the twelve day-long praise service, Moses entered the Tent of Meeting, the tabernacle, to communicate with the Lord. And then something literally and symbolically significant transpired. The Bible indicates that God raised His voice from above the Testimony, His sacred message. This is a very revealing piece of information. God could have chosen to articulate His voice from anywhere in the Tent of Meeting, but He explicitly chose His Word as the podium from which He would converse with Moses. Dwell on the importance of this consideration. Moses audibly heard God from the nearness and proximity of the Testimony.

This implication is astounding. God’s Word is a vitally critical method in which God imparts truth to humanity. Clearly, God was indicating that His Word is not a valueless tale or outdated text; it is alive and breathing. It is liberating and powerful, filled with the Spirit of God. Through Scripture, we have inspiration and instruction. We have direction and doctrine. We have hope and help. To put it another way, God’s loving disposition underlines the body of the letters and phrases that encompass the Bible. In summary, the manner in which we approach the reading and review of God’s Word should exude appreciation and admiration. This life-changing message overflows with holy knowledge, a knowledge willing to be distributed to the God followers eager to receive it. Moses discovered this to be true. We should too.