Thomas Merton wrote, “Man is not at peace with his fellow man because he is not at peace with himself; he is not at peace with himself, because he is not at peace with God.” Peace comes as men pray, live pure lives, help and encourage others,  confess and not hide from sin, bless and teach about God’s protection and kindness.

Take a census of Kohath from Levi by families from 30 to 50 years old who served the tent of meeting and its most holy things. When the camp set out, Aaron and his sons took down the veil of screen and covered the ark of testimony and inserted poles, covered the bread of presence, lampstand for light, along with its lamps and utensils. The responsibility of Eleazar was an oil for light, fragrant incense, continual grain offering and anointing oil for all the tabernacle and its contents. Don’t let the Kohathities go in to see the holy objects lest they die. (Num. 4:1-20). Men transform families, churches and cities through prayer and living pure lives.

Take a census of the Gershonites by their families from 30 to 50 years old for carrying curtains of the tabernacle, tent of meeting’s covering and screen for its doorway,  hangings of the court and cords. Merarites were numbered by their families from 30 to 50 years old to serve the tent of meeting by carrying its boards of tabernacle, bars, pillars and sockets, pillars around court, sockets, pegs, cords and all their equipment assigned each man. Gershonites and Merarites  were under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. Moses, Aaron and leaders of congregation numbered Kohathites by families and fathers’ households as the Lord commanded (Num. 4:21-49). God assigns specific responsibilities to help and encourage each member of the body of Christ. 

Send every leper away from the camp who had a discharge or unclean because of dead person so they would not defile it where God dwell in their midst. When man or woman committed any of sins of mankind by acting unfaithfully against the Lord, that person was guilty. He would confess his sins and made restitution in full for his wrong by adding one-fifth and giving it to him whom he wronged. If there was no relative to make restitution, then go to the Lord for the priest, besides offering a ram of atonement (Num. 5:1-10). Confess your sin and pay restitution for freedom from emotional turmoil since it defiles and spreads to others.

If any man’s wife hid her unfaithfulness from her husband and he became jealous, he would bring a grain offering of memorial as a reminder of iniquity. The hand of the priests became the water of bitterness to seek God’s judgment to make her stomach swell and thigh waste away if she was guilty. If she had not defiled herself, she would be free and bear children (Num. 5:11-31). Adultery causes jealousy and a physical curse when sin is hidden from a spouse.

When man or woman made a special vow of the Nazirite to dedicate himself to the Lord by abstaining from wine, strong drink and fresh or dried grapes while not cutting his hair going near a dead person. If he was near a dead person, the priest offered two turtledoves for a sin and burnt offering to make atonement to consecrate his head. He offered a one-year-old male lamb for guilt offering and ram for a peace offering. He offered unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil along with grain offering with the priest presenting it before the Lord. The Nazirite took the dedicated hair of his head and put it on the fire under the peace offerings. The Lord bless you, keep you, make His face shine on you, be gracious to you, lift up His countenance on you and give you peace so they could invoke His name on the sons of Israel (Num. 6:1-27). Bless and teach people about God’s protection, kindness and peace internally and externally.

Consider the following steps toward peace: 
1. Pray
2. Live in purity
3. Help and encourage others
4. Confess and not hide from sin
5. Bless and teach about God’s protection and kindness


Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *