Kwame's Gleanings from Numbers Chap 4

My good friend and brother in Christ, Kwame, has been exchanging emails with me almost daily as he reads his way through Numbers with the help of one of my favorite teachers, Matthew Henry. I love his remarks so much they seem blog worthy that we all may benefit.

It has been my experience that reading whole books from Henry is very profitable. I praise God to this day that nearly 20 years ago I followed Matthew Henry through Job. He helped me immensely, so that a book that often confused me is now a great blessing. I have a good friend that advised an earnest inquirer to just buy Matthew Henry and start reading from the Psalms. If you don't have a set, go get one, and buy the full multi-volume unabridged.

Kwame on Numbers Chapter 4:

Even cooler applications still in the commentary about chapter 4. In reading I can see the unchanging nature of God, the care for what is His is absolutely amazing even as He tells us he will never leave us...you know that that is truth! The coverings for the holy things, the carrying of them, the presence of the tabernacle with the people whereever they went signifying how He instructs us to utterly value the truths and doctrines and how our lives where ever we may be, should have the presence and evidence of the divine God about us because we are His temple(2 Cor 6:16) and tabernacle (2Cor 5:1). With respect to the details and extent to which God covers and protects and ensures that the holy things are kept and not defiled, Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible.

After I read Kwame's email above, I was especially intrigued to discuss further with him on his final statement: "Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible." I wrote to him as follows:

"This is a very important understanding which has helped me greatly in comprehending the purpose of the Old Covenant. Not that it was salvific. Not that they were saved under the law in the Old and now by grace in the New. But that it stood to do what you describe in this way:

"With respect to the details and extent to which God covers and protects and ensures that the holy things are kept and not defiled, Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible."

What you say in that sentence is what I found in Galatians concerning the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. That is, as one who watches over Israel until the fullness of time when Christ should come, the law protected and kept separate from the nations the Jewish people to whom charge was given of the oracles of God, thus preserving "the truths and doctrines taught in the bible."

To this Kwame responded:

"Amen and amen."