Numbers 6-7 looks like a description of a spiritual revival. In chapter 6 we see that people are looking for ways to express their dedication to God. Then in chapter 7 we have a long inventory of gifts that the people brought to the tabernacle. It is an impressive outpouring of generosity which is probably why it is given so much space here in the text. Inventories like this attest to the fact that the text is firmly historical in nature. The writer wants subsequent generations to know what their forefathers gave. This isn’t a myth; it is carefully documented fact. It is interesting to note how this inventory is bookended in the text. The record of the offerings follows upon the priestly blessing (6:24-26). The order here is important: the giving of the people did not invoke the blessing of God. Rather, the blessing of God inspired the giving of the people. The description of God’s intimacy with Moses in 7:89 is likewise not depicted as the recompense for the generosity of the people but as the context for that generosity. The key cause of this spiritual revival is that God is speaking. God has drawn near to his people and is speaking to them. To sustain this situation, however, they must listen and heed God’s voice. Whether they will do this is yet to be seen. Times of spiritual revival, both personal and on a large scale, are ignited by God speaking to his people. Times of spiritual drought come about when we stop listening to God.
Ask God to speak to you clearly and respond to what he wants of you.
Read Numbers 7
