Dana Hagstrom – Page 2

Numbers 14:1-25 – When We Rebel

Read Numbers 14:1-25

How brave are you when venturing into the unknown? I think of Abraham and Sarah leaving all that was familiar to follow God’s leading. Even closer to home, I remember packing up our Prius with the necessities of life and our four dogs and crossing the border into Mexico.

It’s natural to be wary of new things. But I think Moses’ crowd of followers went a little overboard in their dramatic rebellion! I felt sorry for Moses and Aaron who “fell face down on the ground,” no doubt questioning everything about their leadership, feeling like they had let the people down. Continue reading “Numbers 14:1-25 – When We Rebel”

Numbers 13:1-33 – Too Scary!

Read Numbers 13:1-33

The Promised Land is right there, close enough to scout out. Moses assigns leaders from each tribe to enter the land and bring back a detailed report of what they find. They had quite a list of things to investigate before the people were ready to claim the land God had promised them.

If you’ve ever moved to a new place, chances are you checked it out ahead of time. What sorts of things are important to you? For us moving to Mexico, we had a whole spreadsheet of things we wanted to check on like medical care, access to air transportation, housing, climate, etc. If we had had young children, investigating the school system would have been a must. Continue reading “Numbers 13:1-33 – Too Scary!”

Numbers 12:1-16 – Disappointing God

Read Numbers 12:1-16

We learned some things about Moses we may have forgotten. He was humble, and God liked that. Matthew 5:5 says, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” And there was some serious sibling rivalry going on which sparked anger in the LORD. Who should dare to question Moses, the LORD’s favorite and most trusted one?

This text gives us a sneak peek into Moses’ personal family situation and how God responded. Even though this family consisted of Moses, the one God speaks to, Aaron, the one called as a priestly leader, and their sister, Miriam, also used by God, they had problems, too. Why did God call these three to the Tabernacle? God clearly wasn’t pleased with them. Continue reading “Numbers 12:1-16 – Disappointing God”

Numbers 11:31-35 – Quail At Last!

Read Numbers 11:31-35

They asked for it, and they got it–lots and lots of meat! Yet, when we remember how the people of Israel whined and complained about not having meat, we see that the quail sent by God wasn’t necessarily the blessing it could have been. God was angry with them for not being more grateful for what he was already providing for them.

Our society tends to fall prey to this same tendency. We always want more, including the next “shiny object” that catches our attention, and then we forget to say thank you. Why is that? We let our desire for more rob us of the gratitude we should be feeling for what God has provided. For the people of Israel, they longed for something they no longer had, something they had enjoyed while in bondage in Egypt. At least they had a good memory of that time. Continue reading “Numbers 11:31-35 – Quail At Last!”

Numbers 11:16-30 – God’s Solution

Read Numbers 11:16-30

God’s solution has always been the Holy Spirit. Moses had already been gifted the Spirit’s power and protection. Because Moses was feeling overwhelmed (remember our previous reading), God listened and responded to Moses’ desperate cries for help.

Can you imagine having seventy helpers? Granted, Moses’ job was never-ending, having to keep track of all the tribes of Israel stuck in the wilderness. God chose that one man, Moses, but the Holy Spirit was also at work. Still, only one man doing the work to oversee and lead thousands is quite a big ask. God knew what he was doing in choosing Moses. Continue reading “Numbers 11:16-30 – God’s Solution”