What unselfish breathings are here! How grateful they must have proved to the heart of that One who so loved and cared for His people! Provided that Israel’s need were met, Moses was content. If only the work was done, he cared not who did it. As to himself—his interests and his destinies, he could calmly leave all in the hand of God. He would take care of him, but, oh! his loving heart yearns over the beloved people of God; and the very moment he sees Joshua ordained as their leader, he is ready to depart and be at rest forever. Blessed servant! happy man! Would there were even a few amongst us characterized, in some small degree, by his excellent spirit of self-abnegation, and jealous care for God’s glory and His people’s good. But alas! alas! we have to repeat, with deepening emphasis, the _words_ of the apostle—“All seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ’s.” O Lord, stir up all our hearts to desire a more earnest consecration of ourselves, in spirit, soul, and body, to Thy blessed service. May we, in good truth, learn to live, not unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us—who came from heaven to earth about our sins, and is gone back from earth to heaven about our infirmities, and who is coming again for our eternal salvation and glory. CHAPTERS XXVIII. & XXIX. These two chapters must be read together; they form a distinct section of our book—a section pregnant with interest and instruction. The second verse of chapter xxviii. gives us a condensed statement of the contents of the entire section. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and My bread for My sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in their due season.’” In these words the reader is furnished with a key with which to unlock the whole of this portion of the book of Numbers. It is as distinct and simple as possible. “_My_ offering,” “_My_ bread,” “_My_ sacrifices,” “_A sweet savor unto Me._” All this is strongly marked. We may learn here, without an effort, that the grand leading thought is, Christ to Godward. It is not so much Christ as meeting our need—though surely He does most blessedly meet that—as Christ feeding and delighting the heart of God. It is God’s bread—a truly wonderful expression, and one little thought of or understood. We are all sadly prone to look at Christ merely as the procuring cause of our salvation, the One through whom we are forgiven and saved from hell, the channel through which all blessing flows to us. He is all this, blessed forever be His name. He is the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him; He bore our sins in His own body on the tree; He died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God; He saves us from our sins, from their present power, and from their future consequences.