February 27th

Numbers 2:1-3:51

God gave Moses specific instructions for how He wanted the twelve tribes to be arranged around the Tabernacle. This arrangement, of course, followed an extensive census in yesterday’s reading, in which every male, 20 years and older, was counted. The Levites were exempt from the general census but were saved for another count, in which every male one month old and older was counted. Then, they too were arranged in specific camps around the Tabernacle.

As you would expect, God was purposeful in His positioning of the people and there was, in that arrangement, several symbolic placements. One such placement, for example, was the tribe of Judah, which was told to camp on the east side of the Tabernacle. The east side was significant for several reasons. It was the side with the only entryway to the Tabernacle. The entryway was symbolic of Jesus, as the only way to God. Thus, it makes sense to put Judah on that side, since Jesus would be born of that tribe.

But symbolism aside, we must take note of the meticulous detail that God applies to all that He does. We could start at the beginning with creation and consider the order in which He proceeded to construct the heavens and the earth. We could consider the order of the plagues that He used to demolish the Egyptians. We could note the minutest attention God gave to His laws, the instructions for the building and maintenance of His desert sanctuary, or His descriptions of Israel’s fixed festivals. All of these tell us at least one thing — God is a God of order.

We could define orderliness as arranging our surroundings and procedures in such a way that we achieve the most effectiveness and efficiency. As God’s creatures, made in His image, we are like Him in many ways; we reflect His character. One way is to practice orderliness.

Daily Reflection

Would you consider yourself to be an orderly person? Why or why not?

In what areas could you be more orderly or organized? How orderly are you in your time with God, with your money, with your relationships?

What message does it communicate about God that He is orderly? What message does it communicate when we are disorderly?

Orderliness is a character quality, which means it can be learned. No matter how orderly or disorderly you are, with character qualities, there is always room for improvement.

BiAY.org |Day 58 — 307 Days to Go