Numbers 7
McGeeCHAPTER 7THEME: Gifts of the princesWe come now to another rather remarkable chapter. This is next to the longest chapter in the Bible. The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalms 119, which is all about the Word of God. Here we find eighty-nine verses, and do you know what they are all about? The gifts of the princes. They enumerate each item that they brought. It’s really a monotonous chapter, because it is repetition again and again. All the princes are mentioned, and we are told exactly what each one of them gave. This has a very important message for you and me.
Numbers 7:1
GIFTS OF THE PRINCESDo you know this man, Nahshon? I don’t. All I know about this man is that he offered these gifts, but God knew him and God took note of the gifts that he brought. Do you find his offering interesting? I don’t, really. It sounds sort of like a shopping list. Now the next man came:
Numbers 7:11
Do you know this man, Nahshon? I don’t. All I know about this man is that he offered these gifts, but God knew him and God took note of the gifts that he brought. Do you find his offering interesting? I don’t, really. It sounds sort of like a shopping list. Now the next man came:
Numbers 7:18
Now do you know what he did? He did the same thingbrought the identical offering. Couldn’t the Bible just have a ditto mark there for his offering? Couldn’t the Spirit of God have said simply that it was the same? No, the Spirit of God recorded very carefully and in detail what each one brought. Each man is listed here by name, and as far as I know, this is all he ever did for the Lord. This whole long chapter is about these men and what they gave to the Lord. Even a spoonful of incense was recorded! Now, our Lord said, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” (Mat_6:3), and a great many people had better not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing, because both hands are doing so little for the Lord. They should be ashamed of their hands, both right and left. But I have news for you. Little as it is, the Lord records what you do for Him. Remember that the Gospel of Luke tells how the Lord Jesus sat over against the treasury one day. Was He nosy, do you think? Did He have any business there? He certainly did. He just happened to be the Lord of Glory and the Lord of the temple. He watched how the people gave. The rich gave rich gifts. They were large gifts, and He noted that. Then He watched a widow put in two little coppers. In comparison to the richness of that temple, to the ornateness and wealth of it, she didn’t add anything. But Jesus didn’t think of it that way. She gave all she had, and to Jesus hers was the largest gift of all. It is recorded in heaven. You may be sure of that. Jesus knows exactly what you give to Him, and He knows how much you keep for yourself. I don’t like this pious talk of some people saying what they give is just between them and the Lord. I wonder if they realize the Lord is recording it. This is a remarkable chapter. It is eighty-nine verses long, and one of the most monotonous things I’ve ever read, but I think the Lord still looks it over. I think He opens the books and says, “Well, look here what this prince gave.” He takes note of all the gifts. Friend, you have never done anything for Him that is not recorded, and you will be rewarded for that. We ought to talk more freely about these things because they are important to God.