Bible Study With Jairus

Bible Study with Jairus-Numbers 2

Bible study with Jairus- Numbers 2

Numbers 2 records Jehovah’s arrangement of the encampment of the 12 tribes of Israel around the tent of meeting in the following order: Judah takes the lead in the east, next to Judah is the tribe of Issachar and Zebulun.  To the south is the tribe of Reuben; next to Reuben is the tribe of Simeon and the tribe of Gad.  On the west is the tribe of Ephraim; next to Ephraim is the tribe of Manasseh and Benjamin. The tribe of Dan takes the lead on the north; next to them is the tribe of Asher and Naphtali. The Levites were, of course, not counted.  The names of the leaders, as well as the division numbers in each tribe, were mentioned in addition to recording this order.

 Many readers may be confused after reading the names of these unfamiliar tribes, leaders, and numbers.  It’s enough to make one’s head spin.

Just this week, I saw one of my teachers from the United Theological Seminary, post a sentence on Facebook by John Wimber (the founder of the Vineyard Church).  It reads, "When we are losing the encounter of the Lord, we will start counting on people.” I am paraphrasing it as I did not know where it came from. This means that we should focus on meeting the Lord every day instead of the achievements we have done for the Lord.

The Bible records David's two sins.  His first sin was committing adultery by marrying Uriah’s wife. The other sin was counting the Israelites. This census was the sin of spiritual immorality. Why? As Joab (David’s general) said, if David is not satisfied, he can ask God to give him more. Why count Israel? When David was counting the Israelites, his heart became proud, and he had drifted far away from God. He was counting his achievements and those achievements became the idol of his heart causing God to be displeased.

Watchman Nee, the founder of the Local Church Movement, often said that God values more what we are than what we do. It’s not hard for us to draw inspiration from the story of David and the words of John Wimber and Watchman Nee. We don’t need to pay too much attention to the names and numbers of those tribes in this chapter. Rather, we should pay attention to how we can stay focused on the Lord. Under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we did notice that a very important phrase in this chapter from the second verse "around the tent of meeting." Numbers 2:2 (NIV) says, "The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family." While we had our Bible study, the Holy Spirit especially illuminated this and reminded us to pay attention to these words “around the tent of meeting.” In the version of the Chinese Bible we used, it was translated as “facing the tent of meeting.” The translation in the NIV is not that clear. But the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) version says, “The Israelites shall camp each in their respective regiments, under ensigns by their ancestral houses; they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.” It also says, “facing the tent of meeting on every side.”

In other words, Jehovah’s encampment isn’t just focusing on the order, division numbers, and the names of the leaders of the twelve tribes. These are important, but what’s more important is the principle of the encampment of the tribes of Israel: to "camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. " In other words, the principle of spiritual warfare is to "face God and turn one's back on the world and the enemy." This sounds different from the strategy in the world. We usually face our enemies.  What should we do if the enemy suddenly attacks?  It’s a different story here. Although we need to understand the enemy’s movements, the key to win at spiritual warfare is to “face God,” receive enlightenment and guidance from Him, rather than fighting the enemy according to our flesh.

Many pastors often testify that when they feel overwhelmed by the needs of the world and the busyness of working for the Lord, they slowly lose God’s presence and their peace in the Lord. They become overwhelmed to the point of suffering a nervous breakdown. “Burnout” is a word that can describe this situation.

The tent of meeting or tabernacle serves as the dwelling place of God. This is where God’s presence is. To the east of the tabernacle is the gate to the outer court of the tabernacle where the priests offer sacrifices, manage affairs in the outer court and perform their services. In the center is the Holy Place of the tabernacle, and to the west is the Holy of Holies.

Each tribe is to camp facing the tent of meeting on every side, each man under his standard with the banners of his tribe. Although the Levites were not counted here, it doesn’t mean that the Levites had no status. On the contrary, the Levites have a very important status here. They are the connection between God who dwells in the tabernacle and the different tribes of Israel who encamped facing the tent of meeting. By serving each tribe, the Levites brought their needs before God. At the same time, the Levites also brought God's presence and instructions to the tribes of Israel outside.

If you weren’t able to recognize the work of the Levites, it is easy to think of this arrangement of Jehovah as a few dots. But when you notice the work of the Levites, the arrangement of God is no longer a few dots, but rather, a net. In this net, God and man form a big wheel through the link between the Levites as priests and the cooperation amongst different tribes. It’s like what Ezekiel mentioned, wheel intersecting a wheel (NIV, Ezekiel 1:16).

No matter which tribe we belong to, or in which church God places us, our most important task every day is to draw near to God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. It’s just like what the ministry of the Levites represents here. Our most important task every day is to meet with God. Our hearts must be towards God. We must face God and turn our back on the world and its needs. It’s not that we shouldn’t get in touch with the world and carry out various activities. But rather, we must ensure that we don't deal with things for the sake of just dealing with them.

I often hear people say that it’s not the needs of human beings that motivated the ministry of Jesus. Rather, the will of the Father was what motivated Him. He only did what He saw His Father doing. If Jesus came to earth because He was merely trying to meet the needs of human beings, then his ministry was not successful, because many people's needs were not met. But the Lord Jesus came to fulfill God’s will for Him. If the Heavenly Father spoke, He spoke; if the Heavenly Father did something, He did it. Similarly, we should operate in this way to serve the affairs of the world, such as caring for the orphans and poor people. If it’s because we are simply responding to the needs of human beings, we will eventually collapse and fail to meet all the needs of the world. If we do it because of God’s will and guidance in our lives, no matter how much we do, we are filled with God’s presence and rest.

Many pastors and other spiritual leaders start their ministries by first waiting on God. But slowly, the needs that they are facing become greater, and gradually, the needs take all of their attention, causing them to unknowingly focus on the needs rather than God.  Remember, we cannot turn our backs on God and face the world and its needs; we need to turn our back on the world and its needs and face God.

There is a saying in China called "Take a coat by the collar,” which means if you grasp the main idea of something, the minor details will become clearer. The main point here is "facing the tent of meeting.” When each tribe is "facing the tent of meeting,” many of the following activities will be easier to do or manage afterward. But if a certain tribe begins to take his eyes off the tabernacle or off of God and turn to his enemies outside, or if he pays too much attention to the tribes next to him, which then generates competition, this main point or collar is destroyed. Problems will occur in the operation of this big net or this big wheel designed by God according to His wisdom.

For example, we know that God's chosen people should be in unity. But when we see the shortcomings of other Christians or denominations, it is inevitable to criticize and judge. It is not that we should not help other churches but that God leaves the right of judgment to Himself; therefore, it is not our responsibility to judge others. We should keep our eyes on God, and not others, denominations, etc..  When we are more focused on what others are doing either right or wrong, the enemy will take advantage of us creating discord and destroying the large net woven by God.  

We should not be jealous of other’s gifts and different callings. Just as the eyes should not be jealous of the ears, we should be satisfied with our own gifts and take hold of our calling firmly. Our eyes should be focused on God and treat other people and denominations from God's perspective.

Now that we understand this most important principle let's look at the order, names of the leaders, and the number of people in each tribe and see what kind of spiritual significance they each have.

First of all, let’s take a look at the tribe of Judah on the east, towards the sunrise. We know that Judah is the tribe of war.  The book of Judges records that when the Israelites went to fight against the Benjaminites, they asked Jehovah who should go up first to fight, and the Lord said that Judah should go first. The Lord Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. ​​In Genesis 49,  Jacob prophesied that his son Judah was a lion’s cub.

Next is the tribe of Issachar. Judges said that the tribe of Issachar were men “who understood the times” (1 Chronicles 12:32 NIV). We can say this tribe has the gift of prophecy. We don't know exactly what the gifts of each tribe are, but it seems that Judah has more like the gift of an apostle, and Issachar has more like the gift of a prophet. Their different gifts complement each other.  The apostles and prophets are the foundation that the church was built on In the New Testament.

The next tribe, the tribe of Zebulun, may represent provision and gospel preaching because Zebulun is a harbor; his border will extend toward Sidon (NIV, Genesis 49:13). Perhaps the tribe of Zebulun represents the gift of the evangelists in the New Testament. This is only my guess, but in any case, I think the order of the twelve tribes here is not according to the natural order of their births, nor is it the order of whether they came from the same mother so that they may be arranged according to their gifts and their spiritual maturity before God. These three are collectively referred to as the camp of Judah.

Second is the camp of Reuben, which is located in the south. This includes Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. I think that the gift of Reuben is shepherding because he tried to protect Joseph when some of his brothers plan to kill him. The meaning of the name Simeon is “heard,” while the name Gad means “luck.” I don't exactly know what gifts Simeon and Gad represent. Maybe they represent God's mercy because Simeon slaughtered countless people and could have been the key person that participated in the plot to kill Joseph. But God pitied him. Reuben also sinned, but Moses prayed not to let the tribe of Reuben be few. Jacob prophesied in Genesis 49:19 (NIV), "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.” Perhaps Gad has the gift of resurrection from failures.

Behind these two camps is the camp of the Levites. They are responsible for carrying the instruments of the tabernacle. We could say that they were moving tabernacles around, or in other words, they carried the presence of God around.

The third camp is Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, which is located on the west. All three are descendants of Joseph. The West is where the Holy of Holies is. I feel these groups of people represent what John the beloved represented in the New Testament. John rested in the bosom of Jesus, and he was an intimate friend of Jesus. These three tribes are all dependents of Rebekah, whom Jacob loves most.

The fourth camp is the tribe of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, which is located in the north. To me, they also represent certain aspects of Christ, who is our ultimate savior. Of course, other tribes also represent certain aspects of Christ as well.

 I’m not sure why Jehovah has arranged it that way. However, my guess is perhaps they are arranged according to their different gifts and the maturity of their spiritual lives.

Let's take a look at the leaders. The leaders of each tribe are mentioned here for the second time because the Lord has already appointed them in Chapter 1. For example, the leader of the tribe of Judah is Nahshon, son of Amminadab. There is no detailed record in the Bible, so we have no way of knowing what kind of a person Amminadab was, how he could give birth to a leader like Nahshon, and what education and help did Nahshon receive to become the leader of the Judah.

Nahshon commands 74,600 soldiers in the tribe of Judah. I don't know how many people you are shepherding or how many people God has entrusted to your leadership, but I know that a pastor leading a church of 2,000 people, or even a church of 200 people, is a very difficult job. Therefore, it was not easy for Nahshon to lead 74,600 people. He must have received excellent training and help from God to take such responsibility.

Being a leader is not a ruler but a shepherd. Nahshon would have to face God every day and bear the responsibility for 74,600 people. On the one hand, he was leading these people. On the other hand, he was shepherding them or carrying them on his shoulder or his back before the Lord because the New Testament had already told us that the responsibility of the elders was not to rule over but to shepherd. We are all priests who carry those who are under our shepherding.

I just cited Nahshon as an example to tell you that he has a legacy from his family, and he learned this from his father Amminadab. God knew him. God had personally called him to be a leader, indicating that God had already personally trained him. The same goes for the other tribes and their leaders. Not only was a tribe’s leader mentioned, but the names of their fathers were also mentioned. We won’t mention each one of the leaders of the other tribes. But hopefully, this helps you to see the principle behind each leader.

Let's take a look at the numbers now. Each tribe’s division numbers are different. Don't think this is just a trivial matter. This reflects the prosperity of the tribe. Naturally, the increase in number reflects that they have been blessed before God. Judah’s tribe was the largest. This may be one of the reasons they were in the first camp.

I don't know the meaning of each set of numbers.  I know God wasn’t happy when David was counting the numbers of Israelites. But it’s okay for Moses to count here. Why? It's still the principle that we talked about earlier, "camp facing the tent of meeting on every side" is the main point. When Moses was doing the counting, he had a face to face encounter with God. He was doing it in the correct order. But David’s heart was full of pride when he was counting the numbers. He was doing it in the wrong order.

Meeting God first is the priority. If God is first, counting the things that you do spiritually for God is okay.  If you neglect God and just focus on the spiritual needs in your ministry, it won’t be pleasing to God.   We must first pursue God before working for Him or pursing His gifts.  I’m not saying to neglect service or gifts but we need to balance it all correctly by seeking God with all of our hearts first. This will enable us to walk confidently in our calling and be victorious in battle.

 Let’s meet God first daily before we face the needs of the world. No matter what we do, hopefully, it is done out of our love for God instead of duty or ambition. In this way, we will certainly be able to please God. But let’s not overlook the fact that God has indeed given us different gifts. Just like the twelve tribes, they are all placed in certain places by God to carry out certain duties according to the calling and gifts that He has given us.

 

Bible Study with Jairus-Number1

Bible Study with Jairus- Numbers 1

The first chapter of the book of Numbers seems to be very boring and difficult to read because it is the list of names of the different tribes of Israel and the number of Israelites they counted. But behind these boring numbers, there is profound meaning. It’s like someone who doesn’t understand advanced mathematics or physics; numbers and formulas may be very boring for them. But for those who understand the principles, it’s very simple, and may also be very interesting.

The same is true when reading the Bible. Often, when we read a certain part of the Bible, we feel that it’s boring because we are not familiar with the "numbers and formulas" inside. But once we are familiar with these things, we may find it interesting.

So, how many boring numbers recorded in the first chapter of the Book of Numbers are related to our actual life and the church today? These two are closely connected. But we need the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help us understand this relationship.

I’ll use a historical story that the Chinese are familiar with to explain. Chinese legends always mention leaders who are good at commanding the army. For example, Zhuge Liang, who sets up an "Eight-Array Maze" when fighting the enemy. I won’t discuss how the “Eight Array Maze” works because I’m unsure of all the details.    It involves divination in traditional Chinese culture (or something of that sort), so it is just a metaphor here. Usually, "Eight-Array Maze" refers to a complex and diverse military arrangement. If the soldiers follow the command according to this strategy, they will defeat the enemy.   However, the enemy often thinks of ways to destroy this "Eight-Array Maze."

We can think of the number of people who were counted in the Book of Numbers and the encampment later as an "Eight-Array Maze" or a complex battle structure established by God. If God's people embattle the army according to this "Eight-Array Maze," it will be very easy to defeat the enemy. And under the leadership of God's appointed leaders Moses and Joshua, many battles were won. But we all know that later, the descendants of Israel couldn’t drive out the enemies of Israel completely. So, in the end, they became thorns in their flesh, which made them fall. Therefore, Israel has suffered many defeats in its many years of war with neighboring countries.

Why is it that under the leadership of people like Moses, Joshua, and even Caleb, Israel could win the battle, but later, the Israelites were repeatedly defeated? Generally speaking, many Christians regard the book of Numbers as a book of war, because after Jehovah led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Israelites were formed into an army and were brought by Jehovah to the Promised Land (Land of Israel) to drive the enemy away. The Bible calls God the "The Lord of Hosts" many times (1 Sam. 1: 3; Psalm 24:10; Isa. 1: 9; Ha 1: 2). So as the leader of hosts, God is a great military strategist and conductor.

God does have an enemy, and His enemy is very cunning, but in a battle between God and His enemy, He will prevail. This battle however, becomes a little bit complicated because it involves people. God chooses to let people fight with Satan and his evil forces, and He often helps them. But if they are prideful and don't accept the right guidance, they will naturally be defeated.

There is an old saying in China, "A true gentleman should keep silent while watching a chess game." This means that when people play Chinese chess, they don't like to hear others guiding them. Because the people who play chess think they are smart enough to play the game. Therefore, they don't like others to guide them.  Humans and Satan are like the two players in chess.  God is the one watching. If people ask God for help, He will help them. But sometimes, people who play chess are reluctant to accept help, and God silently watches even though He is qualified at a high-level. When the person who plays chess loses, and humbly asks Him for help, He’ll step in and help.

God is always with us; watching us play chess or watching us fight our enemies. Sometimes, we are too full of ourselves. We don’t like being told what to do, so God keeps silent. But when we fail and humble ourselves and ask God for help, He will help us.

The history of the book of Numbers can be said to be a picture depicting how God's people were able to win the battle through His guidance and under the correct leaders Moses and Joshua.  The book of Joshua recorded many of the victorious battles that God’s people won, but by the time we get to the book of Judges, the Israelites suffered a crushing defeat.

So when we read the book of Numbers, we must pay attention to how God leads and enlightens people like Moses and Joshua to fight and also how God's people cooperate. Moses and Joshua are leaders who obeyed God and who listened attentively to His voice. God’s people were also willing to obey and submit to Moses and Joshua’s leadership, enabling them to have many victories in battle. But in later years, the Israelites lacked good leaders like Moses and Joshua. Although God kept raising the judges, they continued to fail because of the idolatry of the Israelites and the fall after the judges were victorious.

 I shared with those in the bible study that the current condition of Christianity in the United States is the same situation as described in the book of Judges. It’s like Israel’s repeated failure in history. Of course, this is not to discourage our American brothers and sisters. Many people talk about how God will judge the United States and how it will fail.  This does not necessarily mean that God is not helping America. Just like the example of chess I mentioned earlier and the example in the book of Judges, when American churches continue to fail and start to humble themselves and ask God for help, He will help them to stand up again and achieve victory in battles.

So, not only do I disagree with many people's negative views on the future of American churches, but I am also full of hope and confidence in the future of American churches because when people realize that they need God's help, victory is not far away. However, I know that many people are discouraged by the negative state of American churches. Recently while studying for my Ph.D. at the United Theological Seminary, I met a man who pastors a United Methodist Church.  This church is located in an unsafe neighborhood  and there are only a few elderly people in the congregation. He told me that the Methodist Church is currently facing division because it questions the authority of the Bible and because of its approach to homosexuality.  This denomination was once one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States but its population has shrunk dramatically and is facing much division.   I have met many Christians in the said denomination who love the Lord with all their heart and who worry about their denomination’s future and the future of the United States and this pastor is one of them. I tried to comfort him, saying that God’s great revival would soon come to the United States, and American churches will have a good future.  This wasn’t what he was seeing or experiencing, so I’m not sure if my words of encouragement had any effect.

Since we are reading the book of Numbers, we should look at how God can achieve victory in battles, and how God's strategy and tactics are used. I might as well discuss a few points on this.

First, God's strategy is roundabout and patient. We know of God’s displeasure with those who lived in Canaan.  He called Abraham to come there and promised to give the land to Abraham and his descendants. Actually, God had already given this land to the Israelites. Just like in the New Testament, we are more than conquerors through the redemption of Jesus Christ. But the Israelites had to go through battles before they could finally enter the Promised Land. On the one hand, God told Abraham that the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure (NIV, Genesis 15:16), so Abraham and his descendants had to be slaves in Egypt for 400 years. When the time came, God would bring them into the Promised Land again. Do you know why God did this? On the one hand, God is giving the Canaanites time to repent; on the other hand, God is helping the Israelites build up strength because Abraham alone or his hundreds of followers didn’t have enough power to drive all the Canaanites out. So God adopted a roundabout strategy, a strategic retreat. He let Abraham and his followers retreat to Egypt to recuperate, build up strength and multiply, waiting until their strength grew to the place that they were ready to fight and win.

We’ve now covered the background of the book of Numbers. When the number of Israelites had multiplied to a point where more than 600,000 men were over 20 years old, it was then estimated that the number of Israelites exceeded 2 to 3 million, when you add women, children and the elderly.  Abraham’s strength which was weak before, has now grown into millions of people who have the power to knock out the enemies of Canaan.

Similarly, for the church to achieve final victory, it needs a process of building up strength. Consuming one’s power too early is equivalent to dying. Christians and churches need to know how to build up their strength. But the enemy is very cunning. They often cause trouble, leading the church to fight. Just like Goliath's scolding, if you don’t have enough strength and you fight Goliath rashly, you’re on a dead-end street. But David is different. He has been accumulating power in the wilderness. By the time he came out to challenge Goliath, his power had been accumulated enough to defeat Goliath. When he was in the wilderness before, he had already defeated the lion and the bear with the help of God.

I’ve heard that one of the reasons the Communist Party was able to gain victory and defeat the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) during the Chinese Civil War was  because the Kuomintang's strength at that time was concentrated on fighting the Japanese.  The Communist Party tried to avoid fierce conflict with the Japanese. Instead they concentrated on accumulating strength. There’s a story,  about Peng Dehuai, a military leader of the Communist Party who launched the "Hundred Regiments Offensive" and was in direct conflict with the Japanese, but was blamed by Mao Zedong, because Peng Dehuai's military operations destroyed Mao's strategy. After the end of World War II, the Japanese were defeated, and the Kuomintang's strength was also exhausted. But the Communist Party’s strength increased, so they were able to win the victory in the Chinese Civil War. Of course, this is just a story. We don't know if it is true or not. We are not discussing politics here. We are just using this example to illustrate the importance of accumulating strength.

God knows the importance of accumulating strength very well. When the Israelites didn’t have enough strength, He placed them in Egypt as slaves. On the surface, it seemed that the Israelites were slaves and were tormented by the Egyptians. This was God’s good intention. The purpose was to let the Israelites multiply and be fruitful. Unfortunately, many Israelites kept complaining, and it wasn't until 400 years later that God heard their complaints and sent Moses to save them.

Today, whether as individual Christians or church groups, God often puts us in a stressful environment to develop our character within, allowing us to multiply and be fruitful. But we don’t always recognize God’s good intentions and instead complain like the Israelites.

There is a story about a type of bamboo in China called Mao Bamboo. When the farmers plant this bamboo on the first year, it is just an inch tall; in the second year, it grows an inch taller; in the third year, it grows an inch taller again; in the fourth year, it still grows an inch tall; but the farmers are working hard to keep it watered. By the fifth year, it will grow several feet tall every week, and within a year, it will be dozens of feet tall. Why? Because in the first four years, the bamboo has deepened its roots each year dozens of feet down in the ground. Although above ground, it seems to be only a few inches tall, it is deeply rooted in the ground, so when the fifth year comes, the bamboo can grow dozens of feet tall above ground in a year.

Some people say that if the enemy can’t take God’s calling from you, he will let you fight prematurely when you are immature. Just like Moses, who tried to rely on his own power to save the Israelites when it wasn’t time yet, leading him to get into trouble. He retreated into the wilderness for forty years and became a shepherd. It seemed like he was wasting time. But actually, Moses was accumulating strength. When the time came, God used him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

From my personal point of view, one of the biggest problems with the American church today is that the church or individual Christians don’t have deep enough roots in their lives. If your spiritual roots are not deep enough, you can’t withstand the enemy’s attacks and trials. We must learn to accumulate enough strength to defeat the enemy.

Many Christians lack a life that places equal emphasis on personal prayer and Bible reading. They also lack experiencing the transformation of the soul through the work of the cross. Therefore, the individual is superficial in their Christian life.  When trials and temptations from the enemy come, they are weak and shrink. The same goes for the church.

Many people are saying that a great revival is coming, but without every Christian taking root in their lives, a great revival will not come. Even if it does, it won’t last that long. The multiplication of life takes time, it doesn’t happen overnight. It was like when the Israelites left Egypt, they had experienced 400 years of multiplying before they could finally form a huge army.

Second, God's strategy is that His people have good leaders and that people obey these leaders.

It would be a shame if God had many wonderful strategies and plans, but we don’t have a leader like Moses, who can execute them. We must have a leader who can clearly hear the voice of God and express it well or a faithful and confident leader like Joshua, who could lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. But if the church leaders don’t have a close relationship with God just like Moses, or have complete faith in God like Joshua, then naturally, God's people will often fail in battles. Satan often incites attacks against church leaders, causing them to fail. Once the church leaders fail, it is difficult for the church to prevail.

Paul teaches us first to pray for political leaders in the world. Actually, the same is true for the church. We must pray for the church leaders.

In addition to the church's need for such a leader, God's people also need to be obedient. We should be willing to obey God's reign and rule through Moses and Joshua. But God's people often rebel. For example, when the Israelites told Samuel they needed a king, Jehovah told Samuel that the Israelites did not dislike him, they disliked Jehovah as their king. Satan's strategy is often to attack God's chosen people, let them live in the spirit of rebellion, and make them refuse to obey any discipline. This type of situation, often used as an excuse against legalism, is the reality of rebelling against God. This spirit of rebellion is very popular in the culture of American society. It naturally affects the church.

Third, God's strategy is to have the twelve tribes work together as one body with their own gifts. We are all members of the body of Christ. We are all imperfect. All of us have the calling and gifts of God. We need to come along side each other and work together.

Each of the twelve tribes of God performs its own role. Each one is responsible for its own ministry. For example, the Bible specifically mentions the tribe of Issachar were men who understood the times (NIV, 1 Chronicles 12:32). In layman’s terms, the said tribe has the gift of prophecy. They know what to do in a certain period of time.

Each of us is a member of the body of Christ. As Paul said, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard.” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 2:9). But one of the tricks of the enemy is to let our fellow brothers and sisters sow discord, valuing their own gifts and calling but not recognizing the calling and gifts in others.  Or, conversely, clearly, they are eyes, but they are eager to do the work of a mouth. In the natural realm, people can’t do their own job, nor can they unite and cooperate nor can the church win the war through the natural realm.

In short, the book of Numbers is very rich. I hope that when we read the book of Numbers in the future, we can learn more about the battle strategies that God has created for us in His wisdom. I am deeply convinced that this will bring a lot of inspiration to the spiritual warfare that is happening in churches today.