Meditate

Numbers 2

2. Arrangement of Tribal Camps

The Order of Encampment and Marching

 2

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:²The Israelites shall camp each in their respective regiments, under ensigns by their ancestral houses; they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.³Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the regimental encampment of Judah by companies. The leader of the people of Judah shall be Nahshon son of Amminadab,⁴with a company as enrolled of seventy-four thousand six hundred.⁵Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the Issacharites shall be Nethanel son of Zuar,⁶with a company as enrolled of fifty-four thousand four hundred.⁷Then the tribe of Zebulun: The leader of the Zebulunites shall be Eliab son of Helon,⁸with a company as enrolled of fifty-seven thousand four hundred.⁹The total enrollment of the camp of Judah, by companies, is one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall set out first on the march.

¹⁰ On the south side shall be the regimental encampment of Reuben by companies. The leader of the Reubenites shall be Elizur son of Shedeur,¹¹with a company as enrolled of forty-six thousand five hundred.¹²And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the Simeonites shall be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai,¹³with a company as enrolled of fifty-nine thousand three hundred.¹⁴Then the tribe of Gad: The leader of the Gadites shall be Eliasaph son of Reuel,¹⁵with a company as enrolled of forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.¹⁶The total enrollment of the camp of Reuben, by companies, is one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty. They shall set out second.

¹⁷ The tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites, shall set out in the center of the camps; they shall set out just as they camp, each in position, by their regiments.

¹⁸ On the west side shall be the regimental encampment of Ephraim by companies. The leader of the people of Ephraim shall be Elishama son of Ammihud,¹⁹with a company as enrolled of forty thousand five hundred.²⁰Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel son of Pedahzur,²¹with a company as enrolled of thirty-two thousand two hundred.²²Then the tribe of Benjamin: The leader of the Benjaminites shall be Abidan son of Gideoni,²³with a company as enrolled of thirty-five thousand four hundred.²⁴The total enrollment of the camp of Ephraim, by companies, is one hundred eight thousand one hundred. They shall set out third on the march.

²⁵ On the north side shall be the regimental encampment of Dan by companies. The leader of the Danites shall be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai,²⁶with a company as enrolled of sixty-two thousand seven hundred.²⁷Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the Asherites shall be Pagiel son of Ochran,²⁸with a company as enrolled of forty-one thousand five hundred.²⁹Then the tribe of Naphtali: The leader of the Naphtalites shall be Ahira son of Enan,³⁰with a company as enrolled of fifty-three thousand four hundred.³¹The total enrollment of the camp of Dan is one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last, by companies.

³² This was the enrollment of the Israelites by their ancestral houses; the total enrollment in the camps by their companies was six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.³³Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, the Levites were not enrolled among the other Israelites.

³⁴ The Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses: They camped by regiments, and they set out the same way, everyone by clans, according to ancestral houses.

Acts 13:32-41

13. Barnabas and Saul Sent Out

³²And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors³³he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,

‘You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.’

³⁴ As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

‘I will give you the holy promises made to David.’

³⁵ Therefore he has also said in another psalm,

‘You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.’

³⁶ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption;³⁷but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption.³⁸Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;³⁹by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.⁴⁰Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:

41

‘Look, you scoffers!

Be amazed and perish,

for in your days I am doing a work,

a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.’ ”

Related Hymns

• Come, Thou long expected Jesus
• Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing
• On Christmas Night All Christians Sing

Psalm 37:1-20

37. Psalm 37

Psalm 37

Exhortation to Patience and Trust

Of David.

1

Do not fret because of the wicked;

do not be envious of wrongdoers,

2

for they will soon fade like the grass,

and wither like the green herb.

 

3

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.

4

Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

5

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

6

He will make your vindication shine like the light,

and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

 

7

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;

do not fret over those who prosper in their way,

over those who carry out evil devices.

 

8

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.

Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9

For the wicked shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

 

10

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.

11

But the meek shall inherit the land,

and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

 

12

The wicked plot against the righteous,

and gnash their teeth at them;

13

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he sees that their day is coming.

 

14

The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows

to bring down the poor and needy,

to kill those who walk uprightly;

15

their sword shall enter their own heart,

and their bows shall be broken.

 

16

Better is a little that the righteous person has

than the abundance of many wicked.

17

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

 

18

The Lord knows the days of the blameless,

and their heritage will abide forever;

19

they are not put to shame in evil times,

in the days of famine they have abundance.

 

20

But the wicked perish,

and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;

they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

 

Related Hymns

• Be Still, My Soul
• Commit Your Way to God the Lord
• Give Me Thy Heart