Numbers Chapter 7

I am committed...

I am committed to reading through the Bible this year!

I've started and stopped SO many times.  I've picked up where I left off, I've taken off days, weeks, months, restarted, just done the Old Testament, just done the New Testament, read all the Gospels, read all the letters, done Bible Studies on topics and books; BUT, I've never, in one year, read through the whole Bible.

So, a group of ladies from Vanguard Church, where I attended MOPS for several years, started an accountability group to read through the Bible in a year.  You can do it anyway you want.  I chose Chronologically because I think and process things that way, in a linear line.  Probably one of the reasons I love Tapestry of Grace so much; but, I digress!

I knew about, and was honestly slightly dreading reading through the rest of Moses' books...he was such a great writer in Genesis and most of Exodus, what happened in Leviticus, Numbers and parts of Deuteronomy????  My husband says I need to be careful not to be offensive; but, if you're honest with me, I think most of us feel the same way.  We all KNOW that if it's in the Bible it's there for a reason, that all scripture is God breathed (2 Tim 3:16-17); but, for those of us that aren't Bible scholars or into hermeneutics or the original Latin or Greek meaning of a word, we're looking for insight from the Lord and the story of HIStory!  We're looking for how we can use what we're reading for teaching or training, so we can be equipped to do His work...what do I do with this chapter?  At times, getting bogged down in the 'poetry' of repetition of what each tribe did and brought for the tabernacle is a bit overwhelming and in Numbers 7...well, by the end I was convinced it was the longest chapter in the Bible (I know that is actually Psalm 119...but again, I digress.)

You can read it for yourself, I prefer NASB or NIV, you can update/change the version at the top...

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%207&version=NASB

So, at the end, I had been distracted a few times by my children, the phone rang, something else happened (can't even remember)...but I was left thinking, and actually said out loud to my husband, "Why, why did I just read about how each of the twelve tribes had a different son of the family bring the exact same offering?  Couldn't he have just said, these are all the sons of each tribe and they each brought 'blank' as an offering, and list the items?  Did he have to list the same items 12 times???"

Again, don't get mad at me... I KNOW it's there for a reason; but, what is it?  If you have thoughts, I'm open, I would love to hear them, really!  I left the chapter at that time; but, came back a day later...what was I missing?  I noticed a few things.  The tribes are out of order, or are they in an order I'm not recognizing...it certainly isn't by birth order or seniority.  They all bring the same thing...is this reminding me that we are all responsible for the same things (ie. the Mosaic Law or the 10 Commandments) to the Lord?  It doesn't matter if we are of the Tribe of Judah or the Tribe of Dan, we are all to bring the same things to the Lord as an offering, whether it is a sin offering, a peace offering, a fellowship offering, a burnt offering...  Is the tribes being in no particular order to show me that it doesn't matter if you are from the first, the last or the lesser known tribe, the Lord looks on you and feels for you the same way???  It doesn't have to be some amazing revelation; but, there are lots of times I will read some of these chapters by Moses and sit and wonder, what AM I missing...  Do any of you feel the same way?