• Spiritual Gems: (10 min.)

• Numbers 15:32-35​—What lesson does this account teach? (w98 9/1 20 ¶1-2)    

• Jehovah viewed the case more seriously. “In time,” the Bible states, “Jehovah said to Moses: ‘Without fail the man should be put to death.’” (Numbers 15:35) Why did Jehovah feel so strongly about what the man did?

  The people had six days to gather wood as well as to handle their needs regarding food, clothing, and shelter. The seventh day was to be devoted to their spiritual needs. While it was not wrong to gather wood, it was wrong to use time that should have been set aside to worship Jehovah to do so. Although Christians are not under the Mosaic Law, does this incident not teach us a lesson in properly setting our priorities today?—Philippians 1:10.

• What spiritual gems from this week’s Bible reading would you like to share regarding Jehovah, the field ministry, or something else?

Numbers 15:3, 7, 13-14, 24: We see Jehovah can be please by giving him sound and unblemished sacrifice and following his instructions. We should want please Jehovah because he is the creator and is a loving and care Father who has given us greater and better hope for the future, if we are doing his will. We can do this by being whole-soul Jehovah in doing his will.  (Col 3:23; Lu 10:27; Ro 12:11; Re 4:11; Mt 7:21-22)

Numbers 15:15-16, 30: Jehovah shows that he does not approve of partiality, we see the same law apply to both native-born Israelites and foreign resident. Jehovah has not change for we are told at Jas 2:9 “But if you continue showing favoritism, you are committing sin, and you are convicted by the law as transgressors.”  Also we are told at Ro 2:11 “For there is no partiality with God,” and since we are told to imitate Jehovah, we should be impartial if we want to be accepted by Jehovah. (Eph 5:1; De 10:17; 2Ch 19:7; Act 10:34-35;  Act 10:34; 2Ch 19:17; Ex 23:3; De 16:19; 10:17) 

Numbers 15:37-41: The unique fringe of the Israelites’ dress was intended to remind them that they were a people set apart to worship God and to obey his commandments. Our lives should show we are no part of Satan world by following God’s standards so we stand out as different from the world of Satan in speech and conduct. (John 17:16; 1Jo 2:16-17, 5:18-19; Ro 13:14)

Numbers 15:39: We must heed the warning of following our own heart which can lead to spiritual prostitution and end our relationship with Jehovah. Jehovah love us and does not want any to die. We are told at Jer 17:9 “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate.” Jehovah knows how easily our heart, or inner self, can be seduced by what we take in through our eyes. So let us keep our eyes on Jehovah’s Words and become doers of it and focus on the prize that lie ahead. (Ge 6:5; Pr 28:26; 3:5; Php 3:14; 1Co 9:24-25; Col 2:18; Jas 1:22; 2Pe 3:9)

Numbers 16:1-3, 9-10: Presumptuousness lead to dishonor, and this what Korah envied of Moses and Aaron and resented their prominence. This led to wrongly saying they had arbitrarily and selfishly lifted themselves above the congregation. Also Korah very likely did not cherish his own privileges in Jehovah’s arrangement. This account serve as a warning of ”tendency to envy” other in the Christian Congregation may lead to death. (Pr 11:2; 16:18; Lu 14:8; Ob 1:3)

Numbers 16:23-26: Bad association can lead one to stop following Jehovah’s standard and do what is displeasing to Jehovah and possibly lead one to being disfellowship or even death. May we see the reason to study Jehovah’s Words, so we cannot be misled by Satan’s cunning words, so we one thinks they can worship Jehovah their way. (1Co 15:33; 5:6, 9-13; Ps 1:1; Pr 13:20)

Numbers 16:41-49: We see Jehovah patience does have limits as seen in these verses, the Israelites saw how he dealt with rebels and yet they still again started murmuring. So Jehovah’s patience came to an end those who die amounted to 14,000. Soon Jehovah’s patience will run our again and this time there will be no more wickedness in the whole world and only the righteous ones will live here. (Ps 37:9-10; 104:35; Pr 2:21-22; 10:7; Mt 25:46)