Numbers 7

Did you read every word of this chapter today? I found myself wanting to skip over the repetitive details of the offerings the twelve tribes of Israel brought for the dedication of the altar. Each tribe brought exactly the same articles. But it’s written as though every tribe contributed something unique.

It occurred to me that I’m glad this account is written like that. It reminds me that we are all on equal footing before the Lord and he requires exactly the same thing of each of us.

He doesn’t require one person to repent of sin and another to pay money for forgiveness. He doesn’t ask one person to repeat a prayer ten times and another to confess the details of his sin before a congregation in order to be saved.

Romans 10:9 says “… if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.”

I John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We don’t have to guess or try to be creative. God’s requirements are very well spelled out in his Word. Every man, woman, and child are required the exact same thing. Believe in Jesus, repent of sins, receive His forgiveness. Period.

Here’s the other thing I got from reading this today. Even though we are all required to humble ourselves before a holy God and ask for forgiveness, when we give Him our hearts He looks at each of us as something unique, something precious, someONE He gave His life for. The repetitiveness of people sinning, people repenting, people accepting forgiveness… never gets old for God. Each time an individual comes to the Lord, it’s like the first time for him.

Thank you, Lord for your Word. I don’t believe one word that is recorded here was done without meaning and purpose. Thank you for making your plan of salvation so clear. And thank you for seeing me as someone unique, for seeing my life as precious, and for accepting me just because I asked.