Sreedhar's Journey

For some of you the new year is already here. For others, it is happening within the next 16 hours. Another year has passed and a new year is before us. What have we gained from the past year besides weight? What should we continue to do? What should we do more of? What should we start doing? What should we stop doing? Important questions that I learned from a friend. Moses was made to record Israel's journey as a form of review in this chapter. Numbers 33:2, Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points: You can read the chapter and see how meticulous Moses was in recording their journeys. It is certainly a great way to remember all that God had done with them. There is no doubt in my mind that God had a clear plan and the people of Israel needed to reflect on this for the benefit of the next phase of their history. They were to enter the land promised to Abraham and his desc

Have you sinned in secret? Don't answer. God knows and at some point in the future it would be found out by others. Many parents say this to their children, "Don't do the wrong thing, your sin will find you out one day". The original mention of this came from Moses. Numbers 32:23, But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. It has a different meaning from what we are familiar with. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and eventually Manasseh wanted to establish their territories east of the Jordan instead of crossing over to the west. Moses reminded them of the hesitations of their fathers that caused them to lose their personal blessing. A compromise was struck and promise made. If the promise was not fulfilled their sin will yield its consequences. What promises have you made? I urge you to keep them or appeal to be relieved of them because of some extenuating circumstances. If you are about to make a p

I am sure you have watched war movies of one form or another. I have always been fascinated by the strategies employed, but this does not take away the gruesome atmosphere of death in each of the movies. Many die for the sake of a cause in these wars. But there was one war where one side had no casualties. Numbers 31:49, and they said to Moses, Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. God told Moses that he was to go against the Midians and he sent a small number of 12,000 men into battle. They totally eliminated the men and captured all the women and children. Yet, none of the people of Israel were killed. Amazing story of God's strategy and protection over them. There is little said about how they did it, but I am very sure God orchestrated it. I know some of you would be saying that this is so gruesome. In fact, after they won this war, they were further instructed to kill all the male children and any women

In American culture, and I should mention traditional and conservative culture, men always opened doors for women, and they would take their hats off as they greet another lady. That is lost greatly today with the advent of technology (easier doors to open and the need to get in and out of cars quickly) and in some cases the change in culture caused by the feminists movement. In Moses' days the women were well protected. Numbers 30:16, These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter in her youth in her father's house. Women who were married or still lived their father, were protected by their "man in the house". This is again a God given ecosystem for the family. It formed a protection for them and required the father or the husband to take responsibility for their families. But in today's society this is greatly lost. Many children are growing in single parent homes, which are mainly led

Human sacrifice is driven out of fear and ignorance. Do you know that until today human sacrifice still happens? Many important structures around the world have been initiated with some kind of human sacrifice. These sacrifices are only invoking the work of demonic spirits to protect these properties. The living God is ignored. God on the other hand required animal sacrifices. Numbers 29:39, These you shall present to the Lord at your appointed feasts (besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings. God never asked for human sacrifices. In fact He speaks against it in scripture and condemns those who practice it. Perhaps, people think it is more perfect than animal sacrifice. But what is forgotten is that every human is from the same seed. That seed is corrupted with sin and imperfect. Only God can be the perfect sacrifice, and this is foretold in a number of ancient writings

Day after Christmas. Boxing day. What is that? Most people are in the shops getting great deals or returning presents they don't need or want. It can be busier than Christmas day. How about taking a day of rest. Give me a show of hands, how many need some rest? We all do! The Sabbath was instituted by God for this. I have mentioned before that this is something I need to work on. Moses was given clear instructions on this along with all the different sacrifices. Numbers 28:25, And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. When is your time to rest? We lead busier lives today due to the advent of technology. We are always connected, and connected to more people than we have time for. What would life be without the mobile phone, no internet and no emails? Our lives have become complex and we take on more than we can chew. Time to have the "no" answer, when needed. We need to free the time to connect with people more deeply, and

Every organization should outlive its leader, especially its founder. To make this happen you need a succession plan. Without one you are planning for the organization to fail. Either there will be in fighting by those second in command, or the organization is missing crucial skills and experience to at least sustain its business. Moses was clear about this. Numbers 27:15-17, Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” Moses was about to be taken up into heaven by God and this was the first thing Moses said to God. We can either be selfish, or thinking about the people we lead. Some choose to control things till they expire or they have extracted all the possible benefits to themselves. The greatest leaders are those that develop the nex

God chose the people of Israel to have a blessing that would bless the nations. Based on the number of Nobel prizes given to Jewish individuals and the number of inventions we benefit from on a daily basis, this is quite clear. But because of this, I believe that God kept a high standard of purity with them. Numbers 26:64-65, But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. For 40 years they wondered in the desert because they did not have faith enough to believe that God would take them into the promised land. Now again they are about to cross the Jordan into Jericho. They have already gained a reputation on the plains of Moab. They are undefeated and Moses does a final census to establish how the land

Are we blinded by the need to be diplomatically correct? It is a subtle word used to deflect the need to correct someone when they are doing wrong. True friends are those who help point out that bit of food sitting in the side of your mouth in a discreet manner. We help people become better by pointing out the wrong. But Israel had a problem with the Midianites. Numbers 25:3, So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. Some started to worship the gods of the Midianites and one even married into the people. This was forbidden among the people Israel because God knew that it will bring in other gods into their midst. Why did they do this? Ever been invited to a religious celebration not your own? In order not to offend the host, you usually participate in the program. This is what happened here. Numbers 25:2, They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Why serve other gods w

Some of you may disagree with what I have said yesterday about Israel. Let me make this clear. Israel is not perfect. In fact when this encounter with Balaam and Balak was happening Israel still had tendencies to sin against God. We can only report what God was doing and what God wants to do. Even Balaam was overwhelmed by God's presence. Numbers 24:2, And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. God in His sovereign way preserved the people of Israel. Imperfect as they were they were to be the people that God uses to bring the Messiah of the world. For that reason God instituted both a blessing and a curse. Numbers 24:9, ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ “Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.” Father, help the nations see what God has preordained before creation.

Have you been seeking your future through fortune tellers, feng shui masters, horoscopes, tea leaf readers, or tarot card readers? These may help you in the short term but not in the long run. In fact, they put you through a lot of misery. The sure thing to pursue is the plan of God. Don't go against it. Balaam did that. Numbers 23:26, So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?” God will bless those He chooses to bless and curse those He chooses to curse. Balaam could not act otherwise. Balak got 2 altars made and was proceeding to a third one in this chapter, but God stands firm on His plans. Numbers 23:19, God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? The issue of Jerusalem is upon us again in this time in history. It will be interesting to see what God will do while the nations contemplate what t

A good friend of mine did ancient history in university and always has fascinating stories to tell as he "connects the dots" of ancient civilisations. I recently went to an exhibition at my son's school and they were sharing about the gods of the Egyptians and Greeks. My learned history friend will tell you that you need to go back further in time and realize that people knew the living God as Balaam did. Numbers 22:12, And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” Balaam was being hired by Balak, the king of the Moabites, to curse the people of Israel. Balak had great fear because of the reputation from their defeat of the Amorites. But Balaam is observed to be an obedient servant of God and he gets visitations from God, even his donkey. Balaam's donkey speaks to him and he encounters the angel. Amazing! Father, yet again there is evidence of ancient civilisations knowing God. Instead, over time, they s

Are you forgetful? I am. Now, don't blame age. We are too quick to use that lame excuse. Sometimes, it is just contributed by our carelessness or sense of what is important. We leave things out because of priorities. If you forget your wedding anniversary or family birthdays, it is best you check your priorities. The people of Israel had the same problem. Jeremiah 18:14, Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, Which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters? They forgot. How could they forget? The God that blessed them in the days of their forefathers starting with Abraham, through their days in Egypt, the kings to the present. They received so much but see what they have done. Jeremiah 18:15, Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways and not on a highway, Where are you my friend? Wh

Are you building a reputation for something? You can build a reputation for good or bad. But as I have said before, I have made mistakes and those mistakes "add" to my reputation. But I praise God that His favor has been on me and I have had many successes to build a positive reputation. But is the reputation the most important thing? Instead, I strongly believe, learning from our successes and failures to increase our capacity to act is the most important thing. Numbers 21:34, Then the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” Yes, the people of Israel were building a reputation for successful war campaigns. In fact there is mention of a piece of documentation that captured this. Numbers 21:14, Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: Waheb in Suphah, The brooks of the Arnon. But is this all it wa

Have you made mistakes in your life when you got angry for the wrong reasons? I have. I wish I could go back and correct what I did or said. One of them that I need to do with most is my darling companion of almost 26 years. Moses (the man that had one of the closest encounter with God) and Aaron also had bad tempers and this resulted in them not entering Canaan. Numbers 20:2, Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. Yes again the people of Israel got angry with them and this caused Moses to get angry. He spoke with fierce words and hit the rock twice with his rod, instead of speaking to it. Based on God's instruction, God wanted to demonstrate the power of the spoken word. But it was not to be. Miriam is recorded as having died at the beginning of the chapter, and Aaron at the end. However, let's learn from this mistake. God wants us to speak with faith for His glory. Do not let God down by not allowing him to use the p

There are two views on the use of hand sanitizers, but the risks of contracting disease makes its use necessary. There are proponents that seek to avoid the use of hand sanitizers because it prevents your body from building natural defenses against bacteria. However, because of the prevalence of viruses and bacteria that endanger our lives, good hygiene is needed. The people of Israel had clear instructions on being clean in this chapter. Numbers 19:22, Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening. God gave clear instructions on how to handle the dead. Everything had a logical quarantine instruction and a ceremony of cleansing was important to recognize that they were clean again. All these were practical efforts to contain disease and maintain good health in this large group of tent people in the wilderness. These instructions would serve the peoples of the world well. These are yet another set of wise instructio

Have you written your will? This is an important document to determine how your assets will be distributed after you have passed on. The biggest challenge, in the absence of a will, is the distribution of non - liquid assets like properties, jewelry, and other personal effects. God has also written how the people of Israel will inherit the blessings from God. However, Aaron and rest of the Levites are treated special. Numbers 18:24, For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ Their inheritance is based on the gifts brought by the people of Israel. They were to live throughout the land and would not be given any land. And, very specifically, Aaron and his sons are to handle the most holy things. There was no compromise as the people of Israel lived in an ecosystem of right living, honoring one an

Have you ever planted something before and see them grow? My only experience is seeing the seeds in a science experiment germinating and growing into tall plants in a jar. I suppose I need to invest time to see this happen. God did a great miracle when He budded a rod. That's right, not planted, a cut rod, and probably used for walking and other utility needs. Numbers 17:8, Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. This is a miracle! It was done for the purpose of demonstrating God's choice with Aaron. It also showed God's great power. He controls the living and the dead. He can make the dead alive. He is omnipotent. As we submit to the Lord be ready to see the supernatural working out before you. Are you believing for a miracle? Let's cry out to God together. Father, you are the Almighty God. N

Did you ever experience a leadership crisis where the people you are leading revolt against you. I have seen this happen in at least two occasions. They were truly great learning experiences. Both crisis ended positively. Moses had similar challenges. Numbers 16:3, They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” As you read the chapter you will realize that it was 2 very eventful days where many died for their rebellion. About 15,000 people died in those 2 days. Moses was always seeking for God to act mercifully, but justice was demonstrated to show the consequences of moving against God's ways. People may fill it is harsh to do this, but on the contrary God is constantly looking to bless those who walk in His ways. Step out of His ways and you open yourself to the consequences of

I have had the privilege of living in 4 cultures over the years, not to mention the multicultural environment of Malaysia. I thank God for the ability to adapt and make great friendships in each of these cultures. I have always felt accepted and so were the "strangers" among the people of Israel. Numbers 15:26, It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally. This verse shows the inclusive nature of God and His clear instruction for right living. In today's world, inclusiveness means very different things. We are accepting of each other's practices, even if it violates the ways of God. God is ready to a accept all peoples but He has given a big responsibility to the people of Israel that comes with great blessing if they follow God's ways. Be inclusive but not pluralistic. Father, help me to show the blessing of being single minded in my pursuit of You. A

I have been in leadership long enough to tell you that you can be both loved and hated while in leadership. You cannot make everybody happy. As long as they are human, they will have a tendency to pick on things to express dissatisfaction. Moses and Aaron faced the same and they were about to be stoned. God intervenes and was about to wipe out the people of Israel, because through these actions they were rejecting God. Numbers 14:11, Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? Moses intercedes but the consequences of their disobedience caused them to stay wondering in the wilderness for 40 years and those who gave a bad report died in a plague. They disobeyed God and suffered the consequences. After that they tried to claim the promised land early but they got defeated in a big way by the Caananites and Amalekites. The lesson here is simple. We must understand God'

Are you ready for a good spy story? No, this is not something from the Majesty's service, meaning a James Bond movie. It involves a group of amateur people called out to see their future through a 40 day adventure. Numbers 13: 27 , Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. The people of Israel sent out 12 leaders on an important tramping (Kiwi word for hiking) trip to check out their future home. God in His sovereign way was about to displace a number of inhabitants of the land of Canaan and give the land to the people of Israel. They were losing it because of their sinful nature and God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the people of Israel got cold feet. Numbers 13:28, Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. Sometimes we forget who is with us and going before u

Have you met God face to face? It would be an incredible encounter. Over the centuries God has met with different ones, but the most spectacular record is with Moses. Numbers 12:6-8, Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?" As present in many institutions and organizations, Aaron and Miriam (Moses' siblings) started to undermine Moses. God intervened and caused Miriam to have leprosy for 7 days. What an eye opener. Moses was recorded as being the most humble person on the face of the earth and his siblings were ready to usurp his God given authority. Are you in a human organization where there seems to be strife and conflicts? Don't get enga

My first job and career was in management consulting. I could not have asked for a better job. Most people make comments that they never get to even use half of what they studied. I used most everything and was learning more. This was a great blessing from God. I sensed that God was with me through those years. The people of Israel experienced the same thing. Numbers 11:17, Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. The leaders of Israel received the Spirit and they prophesied. Even those that did not come to the tabernacle did the same. If you engaged in God's work, there is need for the Spirit to be upon us. For the scripture is clear about this. Zechariah 4:6, So he answered and said to me: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.

I was 15 years old once and came up with a bright idea of hiking deeper into the jungle from where we usually camped in Templar's Park (a popular campsite in Malaysia). I convinced about 3 or 4 others to join me in this adventure. On the first day we made the biggest discovery. The biggest waterfall of the park. As we still had time, we continued hiking but the jungle grew thicker and impassable. We returned to the waterfall and enjoyed this place all to ourselves for the next 4 days. Moses also started his adventure in this chapter. Numbers 10:33, So they departed from the mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. They left the mountain of the Lord after staying there for little over a year. This was probably more organized than when they left Egypt. The silver trumpet sounded and the tribe of Judah led out first and the tribe of Naphtali was in t

Do you remember the days of the standalone GPS from Garmin, and other similar manufacturers? A paradigm shift happened and now most people use their smartphones for this purpose. Why? Because everything is real time. Traffic conditions. Points of interest. Pictures of each location etc. What is better than this? God's GPS. Numbers 9:17, Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. All the people of Israel needed to follow was God's cloud by day and fire by night. They did that while having all the other activities for 40 years. This included the Passover meal from the first anniversary of leaving Egypt. Numbers 9:5, And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did. No one wanted to

I may have said it before. In God's economy there is no retirement. You may move to a new season of your life where you do new things, but there is no retirement. The Levites were called by God to serve in the tabernacle. But they had an age bracket within which to serve. Numbers 8:24-26, “This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.” So what do you after 50? You cannot remain serving in this high profile role. You move on. The scripture says to minister in the tabernacle of meeting and attend to needs. I am not suggesting that anyone gives up their place at 50, but we need to be mindful that nothing is per

Growing up I hardly spoke to my father. I would only do so when it was really important. One of those times was when I had an opportunity to further my studies in Canada. It was something I greatly wanted to do and miraculously my father agreed. But, while I was in Canada I discovered there is another father that would like to have frequent conversations with us. Moses experienced the same thing. Numbers 7:89, Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him. Or Heavenly Father wants to speak with us frequently. When was the last time you spared time to do this? Many don't know how to start. I am reminded of Jesus' disciples asking Jesus how they should pray. They observed Him getting away frequently to spend time with the Heavenly Father. Jesus responded in this manner. Matthew 6:9-13, In this mann

I will always remember my days going to a Thaipusam celebration and watching people in a state that is not humanly normal. They have spent time separating themselves and finally they come to this state. Their bodies are taken over by their Hindu gods. But God does not do those kind of expressions when someone consecrates himself to Him. It is a process of cleansing that allows for someone to return to God's ways. Numbers 6:2, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord. As you read the chapter you will see how important it is for the people of Israel to follow the steps so that they are completely correct in their walk with God. But praise God that this is no longer needed given that God has forgiven us through the final act of sacrifice on the cross. For this reason we receive this blessing even more significantly at the end of the chapter. Numbers 6: 24-26 ,

If someone wants to do wrong and wants to conceal it, they will use great creativity to hide it. This includes committing adultery. Some reading this may feel what is a little flirt here and there. It has major repercussions for anyone that wants to build a Godly relationship. God took this seriously with the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness. Numbers 5:27, When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people. If a man suspects his wife to be unfaithful or jealous of her he can bring her to the priest and this process will allow the question marks to go away rather than be allowed to linger. God will make the water have an effect that only can come from Him after the woman had sworn her faithfulness to her husband. This showed God

By God's anointing I moved very quickly into senior level responsibilities in both my corporate and ministry life. I was 23 when I met one of only 2 opposition members of parliament of Singapore. I was 26 when I was cleared to review Malaysian government confidential documents for a project I was doing for the Prime Minister's Department. I was 27 when I joined the board of my home church. By the age of 30 I had done presentations to 3 cabinet ministers of my country, including the present Prime Minister. All for the glory of the Lord. But for the people of Israel, the minimum age to serve in the tabernacle was 30. Numbers 4:3, from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting. The Levites were given serious responsibilities to take care of the different elements of the Tabernacle. They were not to look at the most holy items. The priests would cover the items before they could carry them. All this