One of the best parts of your birthday as a kid is the presents you get. A close second is the cake. No one seems to get tired of getting presents and eating cake. Underneath the rituals, a birthday celebration has deeper meaning. We gather to celebrate the blessing of life and God’s gift of another year of living. People need patterns like this as we navigate the ups and downs of our days. As our study through Numbers concludes, we’re going to take a survey of a couple of chapters near the end of the book where God gives instructions to His people on regular patterns of celebration and ritual with deeper meaning. These symbols and actions were to help Israel stay connected and faithful to their Lord. And it just could be that we need symbols and actions as well – patterns that help us remember who God is, what He’s done, and how we are connected to Him.