March 3-7
[M] Numbers 8-11; Colossians 1
[T] Num 12-14; Psalm 28; Col 2
[W] Num 15-18; Psalm 113; Col 3
[T] Num 19-21; Col 4
[F] Num 22-25; Luke 1
Dwell Plan Day 46--50 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF
Notes from Jon & Chris
Monday
Colossians 1:9 | And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. It's really exciting that you have made it to week ten in the reading plan. But as we progress, it looks like Paul wants you to remember something. This reading plan and knowledge of God’s word isn’t about pride or brownie points. We should be reading for the three reasons he gives us here: 1) Knowledge of His will. 2) Spiritual wisdom. 3) Spiritual understanding. As you keep going into week ten and beyond, try and keep the goal of this project in mind.
Numbers 8:25 | I wonder sometimes if pastors should retire at 50. There is something about ministry that really wears you out, and this rule certainly seems to get it!
Numbers 9:15 | This image of the glory cloud reappears again in the Scripture. It also happens when the temple is dedicated by Solomon. It’s also described as leaving the temple during the exile in Babylon. But then it appears again in the most surprising place: on the mountain of Transfiguration. Notice this: the glory cloud does two things—it both reveals and conceals. This becomes a tension throughout the Scripture itself, and this revealing/concealing action is happening every time God shows up. To some the gospel smells like life; to some it stinks like death.
Numbers 11 | Complaining | One of the biggest mistakes we make when reading the Bible is assuming we’re better than the people in the stories. But think about it, Israel wandered in the desert and complained. Haven’t you grumbled over far less? I know I have.
As you read about their rebellion and complaints, don’t just shake your head at them. See yourself in them. We’re not the heroes of the story—God is. And the more we use these narratives as a mirror to recognize our own weakness, the more we’ll see our need for His grace. And the more we’ll come to appreciate what an amazing savior we have.
Numbers 11:29 | Moses expresses a desire for all of God’s people to be prophets. Listen to how the prophet speaks prophetically even when he doesn’t know it! This foreshadowing and longing of Moses is the heart of God for us—that we would all be filled with the Spirit. Moses is like Jesus, and the things he wants for God’s people are the very things that God wants.
Moses is like Jesus, and so we call him a “type” of Christ. Pay attention to these “types” and you’ll start noticing them all over the Bible. Pay special attention, because the way they look and sound like Jesus—those are ways we can also learn to look like Him!
Colossians 1:15-20 | This can be prayed to Christ as a prayer of adoration. These verses are worth the time to meditate and reflect on, letting God’s word take you to a place of praise and exaltation.
Tuesday
Numbers 12:3 | Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
Wednesday
Numbers 16:3 | Korah’s rebellion comes up in the New Testament. Their rebellion is of a different kind, which is now rejecting God’s chain of command. They’re saying “we’re all holy, so why are you in charge?” There have been many different attempts to say that in God’s kingdom there is no hierarchy. In fact, we now live in a time where authority is naturally questioned and the assumption is hierarchy, where one person is in charge of another, is wrong. Not so in the Bible—again and again leaders are told to lead through service, to not lord it over others, and to humble themselves through sacrifice. Being a leader still isn’t about being important or being in charge! But as the Bible teaches this amazing servant leadership, it never denies or diminishes or gets rid of authority. That’s a human idea, not one from our God.
Psalm 113:7-9 | The Upside-Down Kingdom | He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!
A few years ago, I (Jon) read through the Bible with a specific focus: marking every passage that showed how God’s kingdom is upside down compared to the world’s empires. I used an upside-down triangle in the margins whenever I saw this truth—how the world’s way is about power and oppression, but God’s way is about humility and service.
By the end of the year, my Bible was full of these marks, and I realized this theme is everywhere—far more than I expected. I’m not asking you to do the same, but as you read, keep an eye out. Notice how often God flips human expectations upside down. His kingdom is different, and that’s good news!
Colossians 3:1-2 | If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Note the order here: if you have been raised with Christ, seek kingdom things. It’s not: do kingdom things so that you can be raised with Christ. We don’t earn our salvation by good works; we live differently because Christ is transforming us.
Getting this wrong turns the gospel into a heavy burden. But when we rest in His grace, seeking His kingdom becomes a joyful response, not a desperate effort. Today, live in the freedom of what Christ has already done!
Colossians 3:5 | We’ve been reading the Old Testament law a lot, and if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that capital punishment—the death penalty—was used in ancient Israel. The severity of the law can be offputting to us, but it is helpful to remember that Old Testament law is far more merciful and mild than the other legal codes we have from those times. The Code of Hammurabi is from roughly the same time period, and the death penalty is applied to practically everything!
But the connection we should see here is about our spiritual lives. The Old Testament law might seem severe, but a part of its severity is to teach the nature of sin and the holiness of God. This command here to “put to death” sin is an echo—a loud crashing echo—of the law now applied to the personal life of the believer. So in that sense, we are still practicing the principles taught in God’s law as we fight sin!
Thursday
Numbers 21:4-9 | The Bronze Serpent | In John 3:14, Jesus directly connects this event to his own death. The question is: what’s the connection? The answer lies in looking at the way salvation is received.
The people in Numbers aren’t saved from death by doing anything except looking in faith. The same is true with our salvation. Christ was lifted up, just like the bronze serpent. And by gazing at the cross with faith, we are saved. That’s it. No works. No earning. No spiritual effort. Just looking with faith.
Numbers 20:2-13 | Moses has an anger problem. Read this chapter carefully. Moses is judged by God for what he does, and he’s told he won’t lead the people into their destination, the promised land. Why is it important that God also judges Moses? Don’t you think Moses is justifiably a bit tired and worn out by the people of God? Doesn’t matter, God is holy. Consider the goodness and severity of God. Always consider them.
Friday
Numbers 22-24 | This amazing little story is one of the best in the Bible! Balak is a king. He wants to hire Balaam, a local prophet, but note, he’s not a Jew. Even so, he seems to know who God is. The king hires the prophet to come and attack the people of Israel spiritually, by putting a curse on them. But he can’t, even though he tries (the king is paying him a lot of money.) But he keeps trying. And he keeps taking the money. And God keeps stopping him from cursing. The king believes that gods are stronger on some mountains than they are on others, which is why he keeps paying for the prophet to try it! You can’t stand against God. It just doesn’t work. We see this same sort of character in Acts, in Simon the magician. There’s a warning in each story too.
Luke 1:1-4 | This is one of those rare moments when a writer in the Bible tells you his process, how he gathered data, and why he put it all together. It underscores what the Bible already assumes: it’s history and not fiction. There are witnesses and they’ve been checked. What a glorious testimony to the word of God in every book and chapter. Remember the genre you’re reading: it’s fantastical non-fiction.