Order and Organization

"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. 3 You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army. 4 One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you." Numbers 1:2-4

Every time I set out to read the Bible cover to cover, I get bogged down in Leviticus and Numbers. And Deuteronomy. There is just so much there that gets repetitive and at the same time, I also always have to wonder why all this information is part of the Bible. A lot of the laws and rules that God set forth in Leviticus and Numbers were set aside when Jesus died for us. Yet here they are, still in the Bible, and I still sort of feel like I'm trudging through something for a time. And yet... yesterday as I dove into Numbers, a thought came to me about what these chapters reveal about the character of God. It really shows that he is a God of order and organization- and NOT the God of chaos and disarray. Up to this point in time, the Israelites were just a group of people who followed Aaron and Moses. Now it was time to bring order to their masses. God gave such particulars, right down to where each tribe was supposed to camp, and what jobs that tribe was going to be responsible for.

Then in Numbers, chapter 2, we see something truly remarkable in God's method of organization.

"The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 2 "The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family." Numbers 2:1,2

God wanted to be at the center of his people. The Tent of Meeting was the Holy Place where God was, and all the people then were spread around Him in a circle- a widespread circle, but still a circle- with a center. And at that very center was God himself. That really made me think... is God at the center of my life? God was not at the center of the Israelite people so they re-arranged. They moved things around so that He was at the center. So when I think about whether or not God is at the center of my life... perhaps if He isn't, a little rearranging or moving needs to be done. Perhaps there's something else occupying the center and it needs to be shuffled to the side to let God be at the center.

So while it may have felt a little like trudging to get through those books of the Bible, I think at the same time, it also reflected a bit of what God himself is like, and it showed that He approves of order. He approves of organization and the attention to details. It also shows that He is a God of Love, and has always had concern for his people. As I read through Leviticus and read through the list of foods that were approved or not for them to eat, I was amazed. The people were not to eat animal fat or offal- of course, both of these things, if not kept fresh and refrigerated, are the first parts of the animal to spoil. They were not to eat pork, which as we all know, always needs to be cooked well to eliminate dangerous bacteria. All the laws regarding food all appear to have some kind of root in the practical. Practical things that God made law to keep His people healthy and safe. Forbidding fat and offal also happens to forbid some serious sources of cholesterol- God wanted his people to have a long and productive life! Not one filled with coronary disease and other dietary problems.

God is truly amazing, and the more time I spend in His Word, the better I get to know Him. I can't wait to see what He is going to show me next.