Week of Monday March 16 – March 22
Stand Firm – Man as Defender
“The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.’” - Numbers 2:1-2
As a battlefield commander who has stood on the tarmac, watching the silent transfer of flag-draped coffins, I can tell you that our standard is not just a piece of "fabric." When you see that star-spangled banner stretched tight over a fallen soldier, it represents a final accounting. It is the ultimate symbol of an allegiance that was held to the very end. In combat, the colors tell you where the line holds, who is flanking you, and the family to whom you belong. A true soldier will fight and, if necessary, die for his brothers and for his country beneath that flag.
In Numbers 2, God speaks to a people who are about to transition from a crowd of refugees into an organized army. The tribe of Levi accompanied the tabernacle, which was at the heart of the camp. The 12 tribes were arranged in four groups forming the perimeter, surrounding that tabernacle. In a tactical bivouac, you defend what is most valuable, which for Israel was the place where they met with God. Worship of God was at the heart of who they were to be as a people. As it should it be for us. As believers, our allegiance to Christ means He isn't just a part of our lives. No, He is the heart and "high ground" we are called to hold at all costs.
The tribes of Israel were encamped around the tabernacle as follows:
Note that God specifically assigns Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan as well as the tribes under them to their specific points of the compass. In the field, a soldier who wanders from his assigned sector creates a "gap" that the enemy could exploit. Consequently, there is no insignificant post. Whether you are on the front line or guarding the supply chain, your faithfulness to your "standard" ensures the security of the entire camp.
Interestingly, these four lead tribes each had their own standard (degalim), their own unique banner. According to the rabbinical commentary on the book of Numbers, Bemidbar Rabbah 2:7, here are the traditional descriptions for the standards of the four leading tribes: Judah’s standard depicted the now-familiar lion, which corresponded to Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 49:9); Reuben’s featured a man, since he is often associated with the "mandrakes" (duda'im) he found (Genesis 30:14), which are sometimes interpreted as having a human-like form; Ephraim’s standard portrayed an ox or a young bull, based on Moses' blessing in Deuteronomy 33:17, which describes Joseph's firstborn as having the majesty of a bull; and finally, Dan’s had a rendering of an eagle, though Jacob originally likened Dan to a serpent (see Genesis 49:17). Rabbinical tradition cited by Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:2 suggests the standard was changed to an eagle to avoid the negative connotations of a snake.
Some see in these banners a message about Jesus, associating each one with a particular Gospel. In fact, these four images on these standards are represented in artwork through the centuries. The traditional interpretation is that Matthew lines up with the lion of the tribe of Judah, since his gospel presents Jesus as the greater son of David. Mark’s gospel lines up with the ox since his gospel presents Jesus as the suffering servant. Luke’s Gospel presents Jesus and his humanity as the Son of Man. And John’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Son of God with the eagle as a representative of Him being from above.
The standards in Numbers 2 were organized by ancestral houses. While the patriarchs for whom these tribes were named had been dead for hundreds of years, it is a reminder that we don't serve in a vacuum. We carry a banner passed down by those who walked the faith before us. We owe it to that legacy to hold fast our station and stand firm for our standard – the banner of the Jesus Christ!
Stand Firm – Man as Defender
“The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.’” - Numbers 2:1-2
As a battlefield commander who has stood on the tarmac, watching the silent transfer of flag-draped coffins, I can tell you that our standard is not just a piece of "fabric." When you see that star-spangled banner stretched tight over a fallen soldier, it represents a final accounting. It is the ultimate symbol of an allegiance that was held to the very end. In combat, the colors tell you where the line holds, who is flanking you, and the family to whom you belong. A true soldier will fight and, if necessary, die for his brothers and for his country beneath that flag.
In Numbers 2, God speaks to a people who are about to transition from a crowd of refugees into an organized army. The tribe of Levi accompanied the tabernacle, which was at the heart of the camp. The 12 tribes were arranged in four groups forming the perimeter, surrounding that tabernacle. In a tactical bivouac, you defend what is most valuable, which for Israel was the place where they met with God. Worship of God was at the heart of who they were to be as a people. As it should it be for us. As believers, our allegiance to Christ means He isn't just a part of our lives. No, He is the heart and "high ground" we are called to hold at all costs.
The tribes of Israel were encamped around the tabernacle as follows:
- To the East, Judah, the head tribe, with tribes of Issachar and Zebulon.
- To the South, Reuben, the head tribe, with tribes of Simeon and Gad.
- To the West, Ephraim, the head tribe, with Manasseh and Benjamin.
- To the North, Dan, the head tribe, with Asher and Naphtali.
Note that God specifically assigns Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan as well as the tribes under them to their specific points of the compass. In the field, a soldier who wanders from his assigned sector creates a "gap" that the enemy could exploit. Consequently, there is no insignificant post. Whether you are on the front line or guarding the supply chain, your faithfulness to your "standard" ensures the security of the entire camp.
Interestingly, these four lead tribes each had their own standard (degalim), their own unique banner. According to the rabbinical commentary on the book of Numbers, Bemidbar Rabbah 2:7, here are the traditional descriptions for the standards of the four leading tribes: Judah’s standard depicted the now-familiar lion, which corresponded to Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 49:9); Reuben’s featured a man, since he is often associated with the "mandrakes" (duda'im) he found (Genesis 30:14), which are sometimes interpreted as having a human-like form; Ephraim’s standard portrayed an ox or a young bull, based on Moses' blessing in Deuteronomy 33:17, which describes Joseph's firstborn as having the majesty of a bull; and finally, Dan’s had a rendering of an eagle, though Jacob originally likened Dan to a serpent (see Genesis 49:17). Rabbinical tradition cited by Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:2 suggests the standard was changed to an eagle to avoid the negative connotations of a snake.
Some see in these banners a message about Jesus, associating each one with a particular Gospel. In fact, these four images on these standards are represented in artwork through the centuries. The traditional interpretation is that Matthew lines up with the lion of the tribe of Judah, since his gospel presents Jesus as the greater son of David. Mark’s gospel lines up with the ox since his gospel presents Jesus as the suffering servant. Luke’s Gospel presents Jesus and his humanity as the Son of Man. And John’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Son of God with the eagle as a representative of Him being from above.
The standards in Numbers 2 were organized by ancestral houses. While the patriarchs for whom these tribes were named had been dead for hundreds of years, it is a reminder that we don't serve in a vacuum. We carry a banner passed down by those who walked the faith before us. We owe it to that legacy to hold fast our station and stand firm for our standard – the banner of the Jesus Christ!
- When you think about defending the standard, the banner of Jesus Christ, what comes to mind? How can you take a stand for Jesus in your home, your church, your community, our nation?
- As you assess your role and responsibility as a Defender, how would you rate your performance? In what ways could you level up your commitment?
- Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage and boldness to defend the faith.