I have the privilege of sharing a First 5 teaching today on Numbers 3. Here’s a preview . . .

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Back in elementary school, my classmates and I dreaded having a substitute teacher. Mrs. Lavy was the exception. When our lessons were finished, she would pull out giant notepads filled with song lyrics and sing with us. Decades later, I still remember the songs she taught us and the excitement we felt.

Most of the time, even as adults, we’d rather have the real thing instead of a substitute. However, in today’s passage, God established a good substitution that pointed to an even greater One.

Numbers 3 and 4 describe the duties of the Levites, the tribe chosen to serve alongside Aaron and his sons at the tabernacle. (Numbers 3:5-9) The Levites served as a substitution for the firstborn sons from all the other tribes. (Numbers 3:12-13)

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Click here to read the rest of today’s teaching, or join us for the study in the First 5 app!

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Hi friends, I had the privilege of co-authoring a study guide for First 5 on the book of Numbers. You can purchase a copy now from the Proverbs 31 Ministries bookstore, and you can also follow along with the study of Numbers in the First 5 app.

(Photo credit: Proverbs 31 Ministries bookstore)

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Today I have the privilege of sharing a teaching for the First 5 app as we walk through our current study, “Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament.” Here’s a preview . . .

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Today’s Reading: Exodus 17; Numbers 20

Numbers 20:11 (ESV) “And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.”

Have you ever gotten one of those persistent tickles in your throat? You try to discreetly cough, but that makes it worse, and now people are staring. You try to ignore it and hope it disappears. It’s hard to think of anything else but what you need: a drink of water.

In today’s passages, the Israelites faced something much worse than a prickly throat. On both occasions, they were camping in a desert with no water. (Exodus 17:1; Numbers 20:2) They were thirsty and knew if they didn’t find a source of water they would die. (Exodus 17:3; Numbers 20:4)

Throughout their wilderness journey, the Israelites repeatedly displayed grumbling, distrustful hearts. Rather than crying out to God for His help, they cried out against Moses with bitter complaints and angry accusations. (Exodus 17:2-3; Numbers 20:3-5) Their rebellion deserved punishment, but instead, God graciously provided the water they needed to live and thrive.

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You can read the entire teaching here, or download the app and join us through the rest of our study!

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We’re wrapping up our study of Joshua today at First 5, and I’m sharing a teaching from Joshua 24. Here’s a preview . . .

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Today’s Reading: Joshua 24:29-33

Joshua 24:32 (ESV) “As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.”

When my kids were younger, I often made futile attempts to convince them to stop getting older. When I suggested to my 5-year-old son that he might consider being 4 again, he replied, “No, you have to be each age one time, and then you die.”

The truth my son stated so matter-of-factly is a harsh reality we’d rather avoid. But today’s passage doesn’t let us escape the fact that everyone dies. While acknowledging the reality of death, these verses also give us hope that our God is faithful both in life and death.

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Click here to read the rest of the teaching or download the First 5 app and join us on our studies in 2022!

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