Today's reading is from Numbers 29-33
In Numbers 32 we see the request of the tribes of Gad and Reuben to stay where they are and not cross over with the rest of the people. At first Moses is upset, believing they are seeking to disobey God and desert their fellow Israelites. The tribes of Gad and Reuben make it clear that though they want to stay they have no intentions of leaving their fellow Israelites without help. They promise and eventually deliver the needed help when the time comes.
What stands out is two things Moses first reaction and Gad and Reuben’s faithfulness. The reaction of Moses is understandable. It looks like these people have got what they want and are ready to leave everyone else to do for themselves. However, Moses reaction was wrong. He jumped to a conclusion, which let’s be honest most of us have done on occasion. We see a sound bite from a political figure we don’t like and formulate an entire reason new reason to continue our dislike, without hearing the whole story. This isn’t just true in American politics but around the world and most are quick to point out when those who disagree with them do it but fail to see it in themselves. Let me just say, we should do better and move on.
What I really appreciate in this chapter is the attitude of the tribes of Gad and Reuben to continue fighting even though they have what they wanted. They keep their commitments even though it would gain them nothing more. The only thing that they could get by going to war is death, except for one little thing which I think is worth a fortune: honor. They would keep their word. Even if it might hurt them. I am reminded of the person who can come onto God’s holy mountain in Psalms 15 who “who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind” (verse 4b). This is the kind of person we all need to be.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Thursday, February 8, 2018
TCN's Biblical Journey- Feb 8th
Today's Reading is from Numbers 24-28
Numbers 25
Balaam work is done in Chapter 24, yet as we read later the idea to have the daughters of Moab entice the people of Israel came from Balaam. In Numbers 31:16 we find our Balaam gave to King Balak exactly what he wanted, a way to destroy Israel. The way was to cause the people of Israel to sin.
The rest of the story is interesting that someone even in the middle of God causing a plague and Moses killing those who were disobedient that someone would continue to sin. They didn't only sin they were doing it in a way to make it clear to everyone what was happening. What was he thinking? I have no idea, but the blatant act shows no hint of repentance so it is hard to feel pity for them.
However, we see Balaam choosing to help Israel's enemies in spite of all that God did and here in this story a man choosing to do what he knew was wrong even as others were being punished for it. A reminder that people who should see the truth can still choose the wrong.
My prayer is that we always see the truth and obey it.
Numbers 25
Balaam work is done in Chapter 24, yet as we read later the idea to have the daughters of Moab entice the people of Israel came from Balaam. In Numbers 31:16 we find our Balaam gave to King Balak exactly what he wanted, a way to destroy Israel. The way was to cause the people of Israel to sin.
The rest of the story is interesting that someone even in the middle of God causing a plague and Moses killing those who were disobedient that someone would continue to sin. They didn't only sin they were doing it in a way to make it clear to everyone what was happening. What was he thinking? I have no idea, but the blatant act shows no hint of repentance so it is hard to feel pity for them.
However, we see Balaam choosing to help Israel's enemies in spite of all that God did and here in this story a man choosing to do what he knew was wrong even as others were being punished for it. A reminder that people who should see the truth can still choose the wrong.
My prayer is that we always see the truth and obey it.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
TCN's Biblical Journey- Feb.7th
Today's reading is Numbers 18-23
Numbers 20
At the beginning of chapter 20 we see the children of Israel complaining agian. Once agian they are without water and they complain agianst Moses and Aaron. Moses is given the solution by God, but Moses disobeys.
I notice here a couple of interesting facts, one is that this time Moses was to speak to the rock (a type of Christ which on His second coming he will not be smitten), second is that even though Moses disobeyed God still supplied water.
Moses disobedience is often contributed to his anger and I wouldn't want to dismiss that component. Some suggest that Moses due to the circumstances did what he did before and hit the rock. God was displeased and punished Moses.
In overview, we see two mistakes. First, Moses says He and Aaron were going to get the water. What? God was the one to bring it not Moses and Aaron. We might again blame Moses anger but still, God was supposed to honor God in this time, yet he didn't. The second was, of course, he hit the rock. What faith would it have taken to look at the rock and just talk to it? I have to admit, talking to a rock sounds pretty lame. Hitting the rock that does make sense to me, but that wasn't what God commanded.
What might have happened if Moses had done exactly what God commanded? Instead of throwing a fit, what if Moses had stood in front of the rock and had a prayer meeting? How might that have stunned these people? We will of course never know. I personally think it might have strengthened the faith of many. Yet the people got a second-rate miracle because Moses, according to God, didn't believe.
I wonder what would happen if the people of God lived by the faith God has called us to? Would it make a difference? I think so. So what do we do now? We can't change the past, but we can do our best to live according to God's commands even if they don't make sense to us.
Numbers 20
At the beginning of chapter 20 we see the children of Israel complaining agian. Once agian they are without water and they complain agianst Moses and Aaron. Moses is given the solution by God, but Moses disobeys.
I notice here a couple of interesting facts, one is that this time Moses was to speak to the rock (a type of Christ which on His second coming he will not be smitten), second is that even though Moses disobeyed God still supplied water.
Moses disobedience is often contributed to his anger and I wouldn't want to dismiss that component. Some suggest that Moses due to the circumstances did what he did before and hit the rock. God was displeased and punished Moses.
In overview, we see two mistakes. First, Moses says He and Aaron were going to get the water. What? God was the one to bring it not Moses and Aaron. We might again blame Moses anger but still, God was supposed to honor God in this time, yet he didn't. The second was, of course, he hit the rock. What faith would it have taken to look at the rock and just talk to it? I have to admit, talking to a rock sounds pretty lame. Hitting the rock that does make sense to me, but that wasn't what God commanded.
What might have happened if Moses had done exactly what God commanded? Instead of throwing a fit, what if Moses had stood in front of the rock and had a prayer meeting? How might that have stunned these people? We will of course never know. I personally think it might have strengthened the faith of many. Yet the people got a second-rate miracle because Moses, according to God, didn't believe.
I wonder what would happen if the people of God lived by the faith God has called us to? Would it make a difference? I think so. So what do we do now? We can't change the past, but we can do our best to live according to God's commands even if they don't make sense to us.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
TCN's Biblical Journey- Feb 6th
Today's reading is Numbers 14-18
We see here the grace of God and judgment. The people were once again complaining because they thought they couldn’t take the promised land. What we see in the middle of this chapter is an interesting conversation between God and Moses where is appears that Moses is changing God’s mind. How can this be? If God doesn’t change then how come he is changing his mind here? I want to point out that he didn’t.
Some may argue my point is speculation and perhaps it is some but I believe it fits into the character of God. God says what is deserved is that the Children of Israel be wiped out and God raise up a better people. I have to interject here, I have wondered myself sometimes: Why didn’t God just forget them. Moses gives the answer, “Because if God can’t work with this group then he must not be great.” I don’t believe that God heard this and thought, “Your right Moses, I never thought of that.” God knew the reasons but by having Moses argue them in this verse, we are allowed to see why God didn’t hit the reboot button.
However, did God wipe out these people? The answer is yes, but he did it slowly. God made them wait in the wilderness. A note here, Joshua and Caleb were faithful, but the disobedience of others cost them 40 years away from the promised land. The actions of evil people affect the lives of good people.
There is another judgment coming in this chapter, the removal of God’s protection. At the end of the chapter, we see a number of the people decided they did wrong so to make it right they would attack the promised land. It is what God had told them to do earlier, but now everything had changed. They attacked not out of faith but out of shame and when something is done out of shame it rarely brings about anything of lasting good. What happened? They lost, not really a surprise since they didn't have God with them.
One final thought, Though God is great a redeeming our lives, there are still consequences which can't be undone. As they say, "You can't just put the cork back in the bottle."
We see here the grace of God and judgment. The people were once again complaining because they thought they couldn’t take the promised land. What we see in the middle of this chapter is an interesting conversation between God and Moses where is appears that Moses is changing God’s mind. How can this be? If God doesn’t change then how come he is changing his mind here? I want to point out that he didn’t.
Some may argue my point is speculation and perhaps it is some but I believe it fits into the character of God. God says what is deserved is that the Children of Israel be wiped out and God raise up a better people. I have to interject here, I have wondered myself sometimes: Why didn’t God just forget them. Moses gives the answer, “Because if God can’t work with this group then he must not be great.” I don’t believe that God heard this and thought, “Your right Moses, I never thought of that.” God knew the reasons but by having Moses argue them in this verse, we are allowed to see why God didn’t hit the reboot button.
However, did God wipe out these people? The answer is yes, but he did it slowly. God made them wait in the wilderness. A note here, Joshua and Caleb were faithful, but the disobedience of others cost them 40 years away from the promised land. The actions of evil people affect the lives of good people.
There is another judgment coming in this chapter, the removal of God’s protection. At the end of the chapter, we see a number of the people decided they did wrong so to make it right they would attack the promised land. It is what God had told them to do earlier, but now everything had changed. They attacked not out of faith but out of shame and when something is done out of shame it rarely brings about anything of lasting good. What happened? They lost, not really a surprise since they didn't have God with them.
One final thought, Though God is great a redeeming our lives, there are still consequences which can't be undone. As they say, "You can't just put the cork back in the bottle."
Monday, February 5, 2018
TCN's Biblical Journey- Feb. 5th
Today's readings are Numbers 9-13
However, we are reminded that when the pillar of cloud/fire was taken us it was time for the children of Israel to move. In verses 21-22, you get the idea that no matter how early or late, or how short or long they had stayed in a spot when God decided it was time to move the people moved. In our world, people tend to fit into two categories those that are always ready to go and those who are fine where they are at. The first look around and see nothing changing and want to do something even if its wrong. The latter don’t want to move even if it means survival (okay, those are over-generalizations I know, but that is normally how the extreme on either side sees the other). In this chapter, the children of Israel see God not taking one extreme or the other. He works on His one timetable and the children of Israel are expected to respond. This is also how it needs to work in our lives.
Numbers 9
This chapter shows God’s mercy in allowing people who through no fault of their own are given a second opportunity to celebrate Passover. There is also another reference that there is to be no difference in how the stranger or the Israelite was to be treated, one law for both (no prejudice). However, the last part of this chapter is what has caught my attention, when do we move.
However, we are reminded that when the pillar of cloud/fire was taken us it was time for the children of Israel to move. In verses 21-22, you get the idea that no matter how early or late, or how short or long they had stayed in a spot when God decided it was time to move the people moved. In our world, people tend to fit into two categories those that are always ready to go and those who are fine where they are at. The first look around and see nothing changing and want to do something even if its wrong. The latter don’t want to move even if it means survival (okay, those are over-generalizations I know, but that is normally how the extreme on either side sees the other). In this chapter, the children of Israel see God not taking one extreme or the other. He works on His one timetable and the children of Israel are expected to respond. This is also how it needs to work in our lives.
The key is to move when God moves and to stay put when God isn’t ready to move. For me, I have times where I am ready to change and don’t find it easy to leave things alone, yet there are some things which don’t need to be changed. At other times, I catch myself sliding into being comfortable with things as they are.
The difficulty is, for me at least, is to know for certain if why I am doing my own thing or God’s. To keep in tune with God, I try to stay active in worship, prayer, Bible reading and seek Godly counsel. These are amazingly accurate detectors of whether or not the cloud is moving. For the New Testament believer, worship, prayer, Bible reading, and seeking Godly counsel are the best ways to know if you need to move or stay.
Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash
Friday, February 2, 2018
TCN's Biblical Journey Feb. 2nd
Numbers 6
The vow of the Nazarite (not the same a being from Nazareth) was a unique person vow. There doesn’t seem to have certain corresponding works or deeds other than not touching the dead, not touching anything from the grapevine, and not to cut the person’s hair. No one other than the person could tell someone they could or couldn’t be a Nazareite. The most interesting fact I notice is that a Nazarite could be a man or a woman.
The fact that a woman could be a Nazarite was startling in a male-dominated society. As in other places in the law God is giving women a status they would not have received anywhere else. Many point out the unfairness they see in the Old Testament toward women but fail to appreciate the protections God gave them in a society which devalued and typically ignored them. The Pulpit Commentary said it this way: “As the prophetic office might be exercised by women so the Nazirite vow might be taken by women. In either case, we find a tribute to and a recognition of the Divine liberty of the Holy Ghost, and an anticipation of the time when the spirit of self-devotion should be poured out without distinction upon men and women.[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/numbers/6-2.htm Accessed 2-18-1]”
God never thought of women as second class. Society has twisted scripture to make it say what they wanted it to say, but it has never been designed that way by God.
The vow of the Nazarite (not the same a being from Nazareth) was a unique person vow. There doesn’t seem to have certain corresponding works or deeds other than not touching the dead, not touching anything from the grapevine, and not to cut the person’s hair. No one other than the person could tell someone they could or couldn’t be a Nazareite. The most interesting fact I notice is that a Nazarite could be a man or a woman.
The fact that a woman could be a Nazarite was startling in a male-dominated society. As in other places in the law God is giving women a status they would not have received anywhere else. Many point out the unfairness they see in the Old Testament toward women but fail to appreciate the protections God gave them in a society which devalued and typically ignored them. The Pulpit Commentary said it this way: “As the prophetic office might be exercised by women so the Nazirite vow might be taken by women. In either case, we find a tribute to and a recognition of the Divine liberty of the Holy Ghost, and an anticipation of the time when the spirit of self-devotion should be poured out without distinction upon men and women.[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/numbers/6-2.htm Accessed 2-18-1]”
God never thought of women as second class. Society has twisted scripture to make it say what they wanted it to say, but it has never been designed that way by God.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
TCN's Biblical Journey Feb. 1st
Today's readings cover Leviticus 26-27; Numbers 1-3
Leviticus 26
Here at the end of the book, God lists the blessing he will give to the children of Israel if they are obedient. However, there is another list, a list of curses if they disobey.
Some may wonder how God could be so cruel in his judgment, but we have to realize God had given the nation of Israel a lot, he had humbled Egypt and brought them out. He had shown himself to them in a pillar of fire and cloud. He had provided greatly for them. We remember the words, "To whom much is given much is required" and they had been given a lot.
It is like a child, we expect more out of a teenager than a toddler. Both may receive a punishment, but the punishment for the older is going to be greater because they should know better.
However, the thing I want to look at is in verse 44, God promises to not cast them away completely. We see the love and faithfulness of God in spite of human rebellion. This is the God that at the right time will send Jesus to save not just the Jew but the Gentile as well. This is the God who time after time in the rest of the story of the Bible is true to his covenant, even when people aren't. This is our God who is good, all of the time...
Leviticus 26
Here at the end of the book, God lists the blessing he will give to the children of Israel if they are obedient. However, there is another list, a list of curses if they disobey.
Some may wonder how God could be so cruel in his judgment, but we have to realize God had given the nation of Israel a lot, he had humbled Egypt and brought them out. He had shown himself to them in a pillar of fire and cloud. He had provided greatly for them. We remember the words, "To whom much is given much is required" and they had been given a lot.
It is like a child, we expect more out of a teenager than a toddler. Both may receive a punishment, but the punishment for the older is going to be greater because they should know better.
However, the thing I want to look at is in verse 44, God promises to not cast them away completely. We see the love and faithfulness of God in spite of human rebellion. This is the God that at the right time will send Jesus to save not just the Jew but the Gentile as well. This is the God who time after time in the rest of the story of the Bible is true to his covenant, even when people aren't. This is our God who is good, all of the time...
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