Numbers 15-18

I really appreciated the Eucharistic parallels. The bread of fine flower represented the body of Christ. The Oil represented that he is anointed of the Holy Spirit. The wine represented his blood. What is amazing is that this was open to both Jews and Gentiles. This shows that it was always God's intent to unify the Jews and the Gentiles, and he did in Acts 10 and 15, when Cornelius was filled with the Holy Spirit, and when the church declared that one did not have to be a circumcised Jew to be a Christian.

I also love the story of Aaron's Rod that budded. I think that this foreshadows the resurrection of Christ. Christ died, and was dead for three days. Then God raised Him from the dead. Christ our high priest.

It is also possible to see the rod as foreshadowing the Cross which brings life, as it says in the study notes.

Also, yesterday I wrote about the dangers of rebelling against our priest or bishop using Aaron and Miriam's example. Here we see more than a mere two person rebellion, but a genuine schism. 200 of Israel's leaders rebelled against Moses and led their people to do so as well.

They had the arrogance to refer to Egypt as the Promised Land(16:13).  They were punished for their rebellion. I think that this speaks of the dangers of following various clergy into schismatic sects that claim to be able to lead people to a Promised Land away from the church.

Numbers 11-14

My favorite part of everything was when the two men in the camp prophesied and Joshua the son of Nun tells Moses to forbid them from doing that. And Moses says are you jealous of them for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people might be prophets, when the Lord would put His Spirit upon them.

I think that this is ultimately a reference to the day of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles like fire and they all spoke in tongues, and prophesied. And throughout the entire book of Acts the Holy Spirit would come up on them and they would prophesy. Even to this day holy men and women prophesy under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In fact Justin Martyr refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Prophecy. He seemed to understand the Holy Spirit's work mainly in the work of prophecy.

Of course we should not limit the Holy Spirit to prophesy. But the Apostle Paul says that the greatest spiritual gift that a person can desire is the gift of prophecy.

It is the Holy Spirit which inspired Moses to write the Torah. He also inspired the prophets to proclaim the Torah in the midst of a wicked generation. And it was the Spirit who pointed the way to the Messiah through their prophecies. The Spirit inspired the Apostles to write Scripture. And the Spirit preserves the Holy Orthodox Faith through the fathers. And it is the Spirit that leads and guides the Orthodox Christians when we study the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit of Prophecy. Whenever a person reads the Holy Scriptures, or teaches the Holy Scriptures, or even studies the Holy Scriptures they are engaging in a work of prophecy. "Would that all the Lord's people might be prophets."

Besides this beautiful display of the Holy Spirit, we also see a beautiful and fearful depiction of the Son of God. When Aaron and Miriam become arrogant because they have prophesied as well, God Himself corrects them.  He says that while other prophets may receive messages from the Lord, they receive messages through visions, or dreams. But Moses actually spoke to God face to face. God would even come down in a physical and embodied form. Nobody has that intimacy. 

I think that this is a healthy warning for anybody who wishes to challenge their priest or bishop. They serve in a unique and holy way as they minister the Eucharist. God comes down in the chalice at their prayers. This is an amazing truth. So do not speak against your priest, or your bishop.

I might expand on this later.