The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
This is the blessing God told Moses to have Aaron and the priests use for the people of Israel; it's also the benediction most commonly used at my church. What a wonderful prayer for a congregation!
And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.
Numbers 7:89
No wonder Moses' face continued to glow - he was regularly in the presence of God. Would that we were in His presence often enough for it to make a difference on our faces.
And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
Numbers 11:1
The book of Numbers could almost be renamed the book of Whining. This was not the first time the Israelites were complaining about their lot (it started before they crossed the Red Sea). All things considered, God is extremely patient with them. Just as He is extremely patient with our whining - we are no different than they.
If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
Numbers 14:8-9
This is hands down one of my very favorite accounts in the Old Testament. At long last the Israelites are on the edge of the land. They send twelve spies in to check out the land, who return with a cluster of grapes so very large and heavy it takes two men to carry it - but also with a report of giants in the land. Only two of the spies - Caleb and Joshua - trust that God will do as He said and give them the land, giants or no. For their faithfulness, only Caleb and Joshua of that generation will enter the land - forty years later.
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Numbers 23:19
Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel for him; Balaam said he would only say what God instructed him to say. The result is a series of blessings on Israel, not exactly a comfort to Balak. But it is extremely comforting to us; God does not lie, His character does not change and His promised are true.
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