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.