COVERING ALL THE BASES

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families. They said, "When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our forefathers."
Then at the Lord's command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: "What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father. No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers. Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits."
So Zelophehad's daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. Zelophehad's daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah—married their cousins on their father's side. They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father's clan and tribe.
These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
Numbers 36

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It’s been a journey but we have reached the end of the Book of Numbers. As we look at the final chapter, we see where God wraps up the matter of Promised Land inheritance before Israel crosses the Jordan and enters Canaan.

At issue here is a concern voiced by the “family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph”. Scripture tells us they “came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families”, saying:

"When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our forefathers."

You’ll recall that in Numbers, Chapter 27, Zelophedad had “died in the desert”. Since he had no son, there would be confusion as to who his inheritance belonged to so his daughters petitioned Moses that they should rightfully get the requirement. Moses took their request before God who said:

“Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses."

So the daughters of Zelophedad received his inheritance but the “family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph” brought forth a legitimate concern. Now that the inheritance was being divided up by tribe, what would happen if one of Zelophedad’s daughters married across tribal lines? The fear was that they would then fall under a different tribe who would then stake claim to the land the daughters owned when the Year of Jubilee came.

The Lord considered the concern and said:

“What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father. No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers. Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits."

So the solution was rather simple. The daughters earned the inheritance but had to keep it in the clan by marrying someone within. And this guidance would be applicable to any other daughters who might receive an inheritance under like circumstances.

In this passage we see where we serve a God who covers all the bases…a God who does listen to the requests of His people. Unlike the whining, complaining Israelites who failed to give thanks for what they had, instead opting to gripe about what they wished they had, in Chapter 36 we see the family heads of the clan coming forward and exposing a real potential problem in the inheritance plan. For there was a loophole that could be exploited by a clan to gain more land and thus greater power. Could you see where one clan might intentionally have their men marry women who had gained an inheritance from their fathers just so that land could then become property of that clan? God listened to the concern, saw its validity and quickly gave commands to seal up the loophole. All bases were covered and, in this case, they were because God listened to His people.

As we look into the scriptures, we can see how God has covered all the bases in our lives as well. For we need only look to the scriptures…and I mean all the scriptures…to see how we’re supposed to live. We may want to try and find loopholes in God’s plan that would allow us to do what we want to do and chase after our own sinful desires but our efforts end up fruitless. For God’s word only draws us into obedience through conviction…not sinfulness by permissiveness. And just as in the days of Numbers and other places throughout scripture, God listens to His people today. Want to gain illumination on how He wants you to live? Want to gain a better understanding about how His word is to be carried out in your life? Want to know whether what you are about to think, say or do is in accordance with His will, way and word? All you need to do is ask the Lord. He will listen and He will answer you. The question is…are you ready to receive the answer He is going to give you?

So truly, we serve a God who covers the bases and listens. Now that He has settled all the inheritance issues, Israel is ready to finally enter the Promised Land. And with Numbers complete, we are ready to enter the Book of Deuteronomy. See you there tomorrow.

In Christ,

Mark

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OUR SAVIOR...OUR CITY OF REFUGE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, "Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock. "The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.

"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few."

Then the Lord said to Moses: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

" 'If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.


" 'But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

" 'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property.

" 'These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.

" 'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

" 'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death.

" 'Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow him to go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.

" 'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.' " Numbers 35

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we have seen in prior instances in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, God held a special place in His heart for the Levites. And in Chapter 35, we see where He gives them special attention as He has in the past.

For after He addressed Israel's territorial boundaries in Canaan and how the land would be divided, He takes time to ensure the Levites will be cared for as well. We read where he tells Moses to "Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock. The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns…In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few." The Levites had spent their wilderness time camped out around the tabernacle. Now that they were entering the Promised Land, they would enjoy the same improved living conditions as the rest of Israel with ample space for their animals. And they wouldn't be segregated from the people. No, they would live in the midst of each of the tribes. God's people would all need assistance in spiritual worship and guidance…just what the Levites could provide.

So the Levites would have 48 cities with a few on the east side of the Jordan where the Reubenites, Gadites and half of the tribe of Manasseh would be settled. And of these 48 cities, God commands that six be set apart as "cities of refuge" where "a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee". The cities of refuge, "three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan", were to be places safe from an avenger "for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them" so that a "person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly". In other words, justice would not be at the hands of an avenger but determined by trial. One would not be guilty unless proven so.

This didn't mean that everyone was deserving of trial for God takes time to distinguish accidental killing from willful killing. The latter would not be deserving of trial, only death for their murderous actions. God gives this guidance:

"If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him."

In other words, pre-meditated, conscious murder disqualified one from refuge and the avenger was permitted to claim revenge.

In regard to an accidental killing, God gave this direction:

" 'But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

As long as the person who killed accidentally remains in the city of refuge, they would be protected and safe. However, if he or she chooses to leave and go "outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he (or she) has fled", that protection would be gone and they could be killed by the "avenger of blood" without the avenger "being guilty of murder".

In the end, God reminded Israel of His expectation that the Promised Land be treated with the sanctity it deserved. He said:

"Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites."

Too bad Israel didn't heed these words from God because there would be murderous actions and bloodshed to come, all which would serve to pollute the land God provided as a blessed inheritance. Indeed, God's Promised Land would be defiled over and over and over.

I often wonder how God feels about our world today. Although it isn't the Promised Land, it is the land that He created…inhabited by the people He created. And just as He had expectations for Israel, so too does He hold expectations for us. Don't think for a minute that the 10 commandments issued in Exodus, Chapter 20, are any less relevant today than they were back when they were first given. God's command to not murder led to His words in Numbers, Chapter 35. It wasn't acceptable then and it isn't today either. Ditto for disrespecting one's parents, stealing, committing adultery, worshipping false idols or gods or giving false testimony about another. And yet, too often we snub our nose at these expectations like they no longer apply. If God were to review our lives and judge each of us, how well would we stand up? Not well. In fact, we would be doomed by our sins if keeping all of God's commandments were our requirement for salvation. This is why God had to send His Son to us all…and watch Him be sacrificed on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus became our personal city of refuge, the only place where we could go for protection from our wrongs. He was the eternal High Priest who would rise from the grave and live forever…so that anyone who entered Him would never be permitted to return to their past…back to their sinful lives…because He would never die again to permit it. Truly, as in God's word from Romans tells us:

"…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2


Question: Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you wish to enter His city of refuge, leaving your sinful past behind for a new life…one predicated on righteousness not sinfulness?

If you know Jesus, celebrate this in your life and revel in being an inhabitant of His city of refuge. If you don't know Jesus, don't delay in coming to Him. For truly Satan is looking to claim you for his own and lead you to destruction through appealing to your sinful desires, keeping you on the path to destruction. Know you have a choice and can leave your past behind right now. Come to Jesus, become a new creation in Him, allow the Holy Spirit to free you from the law of sin and death and introduce you to real life…life that springs eternal now and forever more. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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GOD SETS BOUNDARIES

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“The Lord said to Moses, "Command the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries:

" 'Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern boundary will start from the end of the Salt Sea, cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Sea.

" 'Your western boundary will be the coast of the Great Sea. This will be your boundary on the west.

“ 'For your northern boundary, run a line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

" 'For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Kinnereth. Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea.
" 'This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.' "

Moses commanded the Israelites: "Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise."

The Lord said to Moses, "These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land. These are their names:

Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah;
Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon;
Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin;
Bukki son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan;
Hanniel son of Ephod, the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph;
Kemuel son of Shiphtan, the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph;
Elizaphan son of Parnach, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;
Paltiel son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar;
Ahihud son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher;
Pedahel son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali."

These are the men the LORD commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

Numbers 34

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Israel prepared to enter Canaan, there was some other details that needed worked out. God had already addressed how the land would be divided amongst the tribes but the boundaries of the Promised Land were yet to be given. God takes care of this in Numbers, Chapter 34.

Scripture tells Israel through Moses the exact placement of the northern, southern, eastern and western boundaries. He then reminds the Israelites they are to “assign this land by lot as an inheritance”, ordering the land to be “given to the nine and a half tribes”…nine and a half because you’ll recall that “the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh” asked for and received their land on “the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise." God finishes His directions by designating by name “one leader from each tribe to help assign the land”.

This scripture passage is rather simple but reveals an important truth about God: He sets boundaries. He set boundaries for Israel and He has set boundaries for us as well, boundaries that are critical to us if we intend to successfully travel on this Christian walk.

Consider these words from Galatians, Chapter 5:

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:16-21

Sometimes God sees boundaries as territorial. You’ll remember that the Israelites weren’t permitted to enter the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. Only the high priest was permitted in. And you’ll remember that the Israelites weren’t allowed to set foot on Mount Sinai while Moses went up to meet with God. For us, there are places that God would rather we not go as well…places that would lure us more into sinfulness than righteousness. For example, strip clubs are very prevalent in our society and they cater to men and women. And don’t think that there aren’t professing Christians that frequent these places and think it’s fine. Frankly, I feel that any place that feeds off sex and lust isn’t a place the Lord wants us to be.

And although not all bars, clubs and parties might be bad, most of them do breed rather illicit behavior from its patrons, especially if alcohol is served. Before you get upset at what I said, hear me out because the key here is really the alcohol more than the establishment. I’ve seen way too many people louse up their lives because of alcohol, whether they have become addicted to it or allowed it to affect them in a way that led to violent or illicit behavior. Maybe you can relate. Alcohol simply assists someone in changing who they are when sober, releasing inhibitions that are usually in check. In other words, alcohol doesn’t cause bad behavior but opens the gates for that dormant bad behavior to emerge. Here’s a few examples:

Those who drink and then have an affair would want others to believe that the alcohol caused them to cheat. The truth of the matter is that the person always had a lustful heart but never acted on that lustful desire when sober. But given a little alcohol, the person is ready to act out on their desires…and often they do, surrendering to sin.

How about those people who fight after drinking, even though no one has ever saw them be violent with anybody. Trust me…the person has always wanted to punch someone but never acted out on it. It was an impulse they could keep in check. That is, until they had a few drinks. After that, they were ready to beat up anyone and often try with mixed results.

Every warning we hear about alcohol has one central theme: drink responsibly. In other words, there are to be limits…boundaries. Given what alcohol does to a person, we would all be better off without it but if one chooses to drink, they need to accept the consequences that come with it.

There are many other boundaries placed on our behavior. Once again referring to the Galatians passage, God’s word warns us about “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” These requirements have not just an impact on what we do but also what we say and think. Notice that any or all of these draw us away from Jesus, the One who which we are to model out entire life after…that is if we truly want to be Christian or like-Christ. So how do we stay clear of all the things God warns us about?

Well, Galatians gives us another set of standards. Only these standards make up what we’re expected to do and say and think. By allowing all of these to dominate who we are, we will draw away from sin and begin to draw closer to Jesus who was the perfect example of who God wants us to be. Consider these positive expectations from Galatians:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25

Note that the key is the Holy Spirit. When we consult the Spirit regarding how we should live, we will always be guided to “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” all which are the antitheses for “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” The Spirit…the Holy Counselor promised to His disciples by Christ Jesus…draws us closer to Jesus and as scripture promises, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” In other words, those who belong to Jesus have taken their sinful nature and nailed it to the cross.

Question: Where so you stand in avoiding what God wants you to avoid (i.e. “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies.”)? And where so you stand in adopting those qualities that are bred by the Holy Spirit and which draw us closer to who where we are meant to be…that is, living like Christ Jesus?

Friends, there is no doubt that God places boundaries on our lives. How well are you living within them?

In Christ,

Mark

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THORNS AND BARBS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord's command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:

The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods.

The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth.

They left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.

They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol.

They left Pi Hahiroth and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.

They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea.

They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.

They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai.

They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.

They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.

They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.

They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. At the Lord's command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.

They left Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad.

They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim.

On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.

" 'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.' " Numbers 33

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We have seen in the Book of Numbers that there is a definite emphasis on accounting. Before we get to Chapter 33, we have read about two separate censuses where the Israelite men twenty and over were counted. You’ll recall that a separate count was made of the Levites.

As we look at Chapter 33, we see where it is a summary of all of Israel’s travels, from the time they departed Egypt to the present, where we see them ready to assume custody of Canaan. Certainly, Israel has traveled a great deal to get to this moment, receiving guidance from God every step of the way. This time would be no different as God gives Israel direction before they cross the Jordan and begin to assume possession of the Promised Land. While they were “on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho”, God told Moses to give Israel the following message:

“When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them."

God’s words carried commands, a reminder and a warning.

First, He commanded Israel to “drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.”

He then reminded Israel of how He expected them to distribute the land inheritance saying, “Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.”

Finally, God warned Israel about the penalty they would face for not meeting His expectations.
He tells Israel, “…if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them." Failing to eliminate their foes completely would allow room for those foes to remain in place and return to be barbs in Israel’s eyes and thorns in their sides (now you know where this common expression came from). And if that weren’t bad enough, God promises Israel that they would face the judgment reserved for their Canaanite enemies if they failed to carry out His command fully. As we will see as we study further into the Old Testament, Israel will fail to heed God’s guidance and will suffer the consequences He states.

As I thought about this matter of completely driving out things or face the prospect of them coming back to be the barb in the eye or thorn in the side, I couldn’t help but think about myself and how there have been instances in my life where I have needed to completely eradicate something that I knew was keeping me from being the person God wanted me to be. There was just something about the sinful action that I couldn’t let go of…something that brought me some sense of worldly pleasure even if it placed me in spiritual deficit. And as much as I tried to hide my inability to completely rid my life of the sin, I found that the Lord continued to convict me more and more each time…pursuing me by attacking my consciousness until there was no pleasure anymore in doing the things I knew I shouldn’t be doing. There was only guilt.

I found myself lamenting like David when he said:

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” Psalm 32:3-4

The only place for me to turn to get the barb out of my eye…to extricate the painful thorn in my side…was repentance. And not just the artificial, superficial repentance I had given God so many times before…the times when I said I was sorry when I was already thinking about when I could sin again. No, this time was the time when I was saying I was sorry for good…the time when I was willing to grab a hammer and nail that sin to the cross of Jesus, the only place where I could be freed from it. And when I did this, I felt a liberation and relief much different from the incessant conviction I had faced before. Now, I felt the full power of God’s love and forgiveness. It was then that I could rejoice with David as He said:

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:5-7

Question: What is the sin that is your barb and thorn? Are you willing to get serious about ridding yourself of it forever, nailing it to the cross of Jesus? Do you, like David, yearn to be forgiven for the guilt of your sin?

Friends, the time is now. Fall on your knees and give up your sinful thorn and barb to the only One who can remove it and prevent further infection. He and only He can heal your wounds…for it is by the wounds of His Son that we are all healed. Thanks be to God for that. Amen. In Christ,

Mark

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NOT REPEATING THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon - the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. The Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.

"And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."

Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."

Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him - then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.
"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."

The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We your servants will do as our lord commands. Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says."

Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, give them the land of Gilead as their possession. But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan."

The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the Lord has said. We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan."

Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.

The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair. And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.” Numbers 32

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we begin Chapter 32, we find Israel on the brink of entering the Promised Land. All of Israel, twelve tribes total, were to cross the Jordan into Canaan and possess the land God provided, even of it meant armed conflict against the present inhabitants. And there most certainly would have been conflict.

It was this potential conflict that created problems for Israel as they had been close to entering Canaan the first time. As Moses addresses the Gadites and Reubenites, he reminds them of the actions of their ancestors:

“This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. The Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.”

Why did Moses need to remind them of what happened? Because the Gadites and Reubenites had brought the following proposal to Moses, Eleazar and the leaders of the community:

"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon - the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes…let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

In other words, the Gadites and Reubenites were willing to settle down right where they were at, sending the other ten tribes ahead into battle. This was what was at the root of Moses’ consternation as he told the Gadites and Reubenites, “"Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the Lord has given them?…here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."

God had passed judgment on Israel before, making them wander an additional 40 years in the desert. And He would do it again. Moses made it clear that the proposal made by the Gadites and Reubenites was not acceptable and that they were repeating the past mistakes of their forefathers.

Question: How often do you repeat the past mistakes of those who have gone before you? Have you found yourself repeating the mistakes that your parents or grandparents made?

Well, Moses’ words resonated with the Gadites and Reubenites. For they once again made a proposal but this time restructured it so it supported a concerted team effort by all twelve tribes to march into Canaan and take over the land God promised. Here was the new proposal:

"We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."

So the Gadites and Reubenites were still interested in the land east of the Jordan. But they would send their men into battle with the other tribes while their women and children would be protected in fortified cities they would construct. This overture was far more to Moses’ satisfaction as he addresses the Gadites and Reubenites:

"If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him - then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord. But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."

In other words, woe be it for the Gadites and Reubenites if they go back on their promise.

So after the Gadites and Reubenites accept what Moses proclaimed, Moses informed Eleazar of the arrangement and then “gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them”. In turn, the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built their fortified cities to protect their women and children as the men went into battle.

Our scripture shows us the importance of not repeating the mistakes of the past. Had Moses not spoken up and sparked the change of plans, Israel was destined for further consequences from God and possibly even more desert wanderings. But that didn’t happen because the Gadites and Reubenites were willing to listen and then make the needed corrections to ensure they could move forward and end up on better terms with God than their relatives.

This same principle can be applied to our lives as well. We should step back and evaluate the lives of our parents and other relatives, paying particular attention to how they have failed to sin through the course of their lives. Then we should take whatever steps necessary to make sure we don’t repeat their errors all over again, carrying on a vicious sinful cycle that will most probably end up passed onto the next generation…and the next…and the next…unless it is broken. That’s where you and I can come in and create change.

As we do this, we can only succeed when we turn to the Lord and ask Him for the strength to overcome making those past mistakes again. One thing is certain…God wants us to live lives centered on righteousness…that is, He wants us to live right. Through Him and only through Him, can we find the success He desires. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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OUR PROPER TRIBUTE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“The Lord said to Moses, "You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord's part. From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle." So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

337,500 sheep, of which the tribute for the Lord was 675;
36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;
30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;
16,000 people, of which the tribute for the Lord was 32.

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord's part, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men - the community's half—was 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys and 16,000 people. From the Israelites' half, Moses selected one out of every fifty persons and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle.

Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds — went to Moses and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord." Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels. Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.” Numbers 31:25-54

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Tribute
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tribut, from Latin tributum, from neuter of tributus, past participle of tribuere to allot, bestow, grant, pay, from tribus tribe
Date: 14th century

1 a: a payment by one ruler or nation to another in acknowledgment of
submission or as the price of protection; also : the tax levied for such a payment

b (1): an excessive tax, rental, or tariff imposed by a government, sovereign, lord, or landlord (2): an exorbitant charge levied by a person or group having the power of coercion c: the liability to pay tribute

2 a: something given or contributed voluntarily as due or deserved; especially : a gift or service showing respect, gratitude, or affection

b: something (as material evidence or a formal attestation) that indicates the
worth, virtue, or effectiveness of the one in question


The army had returned from their conquest of the Midianites. Judgment had been carried out in accordance with the Lord’s expectations as passed through Moses. Now there was the matter of the spoils taken from Midian.

Addressing this matter, the Lord gives Moses the following guidance:

“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord's part. From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle."

Scripture tells us that “Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded”.

Note that the spoils were divided in an interesting way. The total plunder was divided between “those who fought in the battle” and the Israelite community. Each received:

337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 people

From this division, there was a secondary one with a portion of each of the halves going to the Lord and Levites.

From “the soldiers who fought in the battle”, the Lord commanded that “one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats” to be “set apart as tribute for the Lord”. The tribute was to be given to “Eleazar the priest” and the following totals were given to represent the Lord’s share:

From the 337,500 sheep, the Lord was given 675.
From the 36,000 cattle, the Lord was given 72.
From the 30,500 donkeys, the Lord was given 61.
and from the 16,000 people, the Lord was given 32.

All these were given as a tribute to the Lord by Moses to Eleazar as the Lord had commanded.

Meanwhile, the Israelite community was also supposed to provide a share of their spoils but instead of to the Lord, their portion was to go to the Levites, those Israelites set apart by God to care for His Holy Tabernacle and the worship within. Their share equaled the share set apart for the Lord.

This scripture’s overall theme of paying tribute got me thinking about us and how well we either do or don’t pay tribute to the Lord. How well do we honor Him each and every day that He blesses us with? What forms of tribute are we expected to pay to Him each and every day? In answer to these questions, I offer the following thoughts:

First, as we consider what we should pay to the Lord in tribute we could easily start to brainstorm specific things we can give Him to show Him how much we value and honor Him. But we don’t need to make this hard. The answer is actually very simple. How can we properly pay tribute to the Lord? By giving Him our everything…because that is what He has given us.

Consider everything you have in life. Have you stopped every day to thank God for it? For everything we have been given, everything we are being given in the present and everything we will be given in the future is all from God’s divine provision and providence…from His rich and abundance blessing on us. All we have is from Him alone and no one else but Him.

But God didn’t stop at just providing for us materially. No…He went well beyond that. For seeing how we were in such a helpless, destructive state if left to our own sinfulness, He chose to sacrifice His one and only Son, Jesus, so that through His death, we might live. There was a price that needed paid for our disobedience…our willingness to do what we wanted to do instead of what God willed for us to do…our obstinate insistence to act as if everything we have was a result of our own doing, not the Lord’s.

Truly, God has given us His all. And the only appropriate tribute we can possibly give…the only thing we can give to Him as being due deserved…the only proper gift or service that shows our respect, gratitude or affection…is the gift of ourselves. May we ever strive to do just that…give to the Lord our all…just as He has given us. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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DANGEROUS PROPOSITIONS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“The Lord said to Moses, "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people." So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the Lord's vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

"All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood."

Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is the requirement of the law that the Lord gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp." Numbers 31:1-24

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Just as God had commanded, Moses, as his brother Aaron had prior, was about to die before Israel entered the Promised Land. In Chapter 31, the Lord has Moses oversee one more important act before he is “gathered to (his) people”.

This act involved vengeance upon the Midianites who had corrupted the Israelites into sexual immorality and idol worshipping through their women. You’ll recall that Israel’s failing in this resulted in God’s judgment as He sent a plague which killed 24,000 (Numbers 25:9) before Phinehas, Eleazar’s son, took action and killed an Israelite man and Midianite woman who had brought their illicit relationship into the “entrance to the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 25:6). Israel had paid a steep price. Now it was Midian’s turn which would fulfill God’s command to Moses at the end of Chapter 25 to “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them”.

Of interest is Phinehas being given a position of holy responsibility in the Lord’s vengeance of Midian…a reward for his prior faithful acts. God indeed rewards those who are faithful to Him.

So Moses formed an army which consisted of a “thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel” to “go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the Lord's vengeance on them”. And the army went into battle and “fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses”, killing every man. Scriptures tells of several men who are killed (the five kings of Midian), none better known than Balaam, the diviner who Balak tried to use against Israel to no avail as Balaam would always end up blessing Israel when he went before God for guidance. It’s obvious that Balaam did not stay loyal to the Lord as he was in company with Midian and was most probably with their army to try and supernaturally aid the Midianites in victory over Israel. His affiliation with Midian cost him his life.

Israel also “captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder”. They “burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps” and “took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho”. At face value, the army had been successful and victorious. But there was a problem in the midst of their conquest for they had not fully carried out God’s command and this mistake would cost them later on.

For scripture tells us that “Moses was angry with the officers of the army” and asked them, "Have you allowed all the women to live?" He reminds the officers that the women “were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people”. Moses had commanded that the Lord’s vengeance be carried out on the Midianites…all the Midianites, not just the men. So now the rest of the Lord’s will would be done as Moses orders the officers to “kill all the boys” and “every woman who has slept with a man”…in other words, all who had corrupted Israel. Those who had “never slept with a man” were spared. So the orders of Moses were carried out and the spoils of battle that remained, whether people or material items were purified before becoming the property of Israel, the sinfulness of Midian wiped clean so not to infect Israel again.

From this first part of Chapter 31, we can glean away some important principles for living the righteous and holy life that God desires.

First, God can and will bring judgment on anyone who decides to willingly disobey Him or deliberately corrupt His people in any way. Midian integrated with Israel with the purpose of turning them from God’s ways to their own sinfulness. The Israelites became willing partners, committing sexual immorality and worshipping false gods with the Midianites. Both, in turn, were punished by the Lord…Israel by plague…Midian in war.

Today, many believers willingly choose to disobey the Lord’s word and will for their lives. Many non-believers also pro-actively attack the church or believers, attempting to corrupt them…often successfully. Both should take note of what transpired in Numbers because God can and will act again in judgment.

Secondly, we should be very careful with who we decide to associate ourselves with. In the case of Balaam, he had associated himself with spiritual mysticism and divinery before he encountered the one and only true God…a God who changed him and his outlook on life, at least in the short term. Balaam could have decided at that point to never associate with anyone else but Israel and their God…exchanging false worship practices for divine, righteous ones. But Balaam chose to associate with the sinful Midianites and that decision led to his demise.

Today, many people have the same decision to make…to partner with God and those faithful and obedient to Him or partner with those who choose to willingly disobey Him and sin freely with no concern for consequence. And many, like Balaam, are meeting they demise as an expense for their poor choices. The message from God rings loud and clear: Partner with anyone outside of me and stand by for my judgment.

Finally, we see that there is danger in not carrying out the Lord’s commands properly. The Israelite army was expected to wipe out Midian so they would never rival Israel again. Unfortunately, this expectation wasn’t met and Midian would return to challenge Israel (Note: We’ll see this as we get to the account of Gideon in Judges 6).

Today, when we don’t fully carry out God’s command then we pay the price…just as Israel did with Midian. Take sinful behavior for example. We read the scriptures, pray over our lives and receive guidance from the Lord as to what He expects. He convicts us through the Holy Spirit on anything within us that needs corrected and then expects us to take action to correct them. Often times, our actions aren’t really sincere when it comes to fixing our shortcomings. For often these involve our sinful desires and we just are unwilling to fully separate from them. So we decide to just address a part of our errors and reserve a small part so we can continue to satisfy ourselves. What we find is that when we don’t completely eradicate the sin that afflicts us, it comes back in full force to take us over again. A physical, bodily infection doesn’t get cured until the entire infection is gone. So too is it with sin. It’s all or nothing.

Questions:

Do you feel that you can go through your life living as you want to, opposing God with no fear of consequence? Our scripture today shows us this is a dangerous proposition.

Do you feel that you can partner with anyone you like, even when the people you are associating yourself with are engaging in obvious immorality and sinful behavior? And I’m not talking about partnering with the intent to minister. Jesus clearly interacted with the sinners because He came for the sick not the healthy. I’m talking about you hanging out with people who care nothing about being obedient to the Lord. Our scripture today shows us this is a dangerous proposition.

And do you carry out the Lord’s commands and expectations fully in your life? Or do you do just enough to try and make it appear like you’re onboard with the Lord when you really are not willing to give up sin that you delight in? Again, our scripture shows us this is a dangerous proposition.

Friends, God’s word is powerful and true, no matter where we study it and thus we should heed these messages He is sending us. It’s far easier and enjoyable to rejoice in the Lord’s favor than suffer in His judgment. One way or another, the choice is really ours.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE POWER OF A PROMISE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: "This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.
"When a young woman still living in her father's house makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.
“If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.
"Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.
"If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he is responsible for her guilt."
These are the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in his house. Numbers 30

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Promises or commitments. Both typically result from one person making a pact with another. Sometimes this pact can be in the form of a signed agreement like a contract. Most of the time it’s done less formal and usually verbally between two parties in the way of an oath or vow…a promise or a pledge.

It was this matter that God gives guidance on in Numbers 30 as He gives Moses regulations “concerning relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in his house”. At the heart of the matter of making vows, pledges, oaths or any form of obligation, was the matter of relationship.

The father had full responsibility and accountability for raising his daughter as long as she was living in his household and she wasn’t to make any promise without first consulting her father about it. This was rooted firmly in the 5th commandment given by God to Moses, “Honor your father and mother”. (Exodus 20:12) Consulting your father was expected as a matter of respect.

We see in the scriptures that if the vow is known by the father and he “says nothing to her” then she is expected to fulfill “all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself”. By the father not saying anything, he is showing approval for the decision his daughter has made. However, if the “father forbids her when he hears about it”, then “none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand” because “the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her”. The Father honors the decision of the father.

The second matter addressed by God is the matter of vows and paths taken by a wife within the confines of a marital relationship. Notice here that there is once again a matter of approval required with any promise made by the wife…this approval required of her husband…and once again, it’s a matter of respect.

Too many marital relationships in the times of Numbers and too many marital relationships today are suffering from poor communications. It’s simply paramount that couples talk to one another in order for a marriage to survive. Unfortunately, too often decisions are made separate from consulting with the spouse and this is where problems usually arise. It was this matter that God addresses in the second part of this passage.

Once again, note that validation of the vow made by the wife is contingent on the husband approving of it…just as in the case of the father and his daughter. If the wife utters a “rash promise by which she obligates herself” and “her husband hears about it but says nothing to her”, then “her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand”. “But if her husband forbids her when he hears about her “rash promise”, then he will nullify “the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself and the Lord will release her”. Thus no promises are made outside the marriage without the husband knowing about them. It’s a matter of respect in the marriage between husband and wife.

Verses like these in the bible tend to peak people’s interest and even drive them to a point of frenzy because they will be read as controlling with one unable to make a decision on their own free from either their father or husband. But too often, dispute arises more out of a worldly perspective on relationship where anything goes. Spouses can pretty much free wheel and do what they like. Unfortunately, this is ditto for young girls as they are growing up. And given the numbers on divorce and teen pregnancies, it doesn’t appear that the world’s free wheeling approach is working out too well.

What we need to keep in mind is that the verses in the bible are the words of the Lord. They were spoken with authority and validity because God doesn’t error. Scripture tells us that His foolishness is wiser than our wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:25) So in honoring His authority and wisdom…by honoring our Father…we are called to be obedient to His word. And there is nothing in this word today that is harmful to us. We are to ensure we honor the people we are in relationship with by communicating with them before we make a vow or promise. Maybe if we kept everything more up front, we would have much less deception going on. And one last point on that: God sees everything. So there is nothing we do that is hidden. We never get away with anything.

We need to also keep in mind that the Lord has shown us how to properly make promises through the promises He has given us. For He makes them and always keeps them. Consider these:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“…be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“…but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:8-12

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Friends, these are just a few of His assurances. Maybe you have some to share that mean a lot to you. If so, please comment and give any testimony as to how that particular promise has meant the most to you. I hope to hear from you.

One closing thought on promises. We know the Lord makes them to us and is faithful to His word to us. How faithful are we to our word to Him? How well do we keep our promises to the Lord in our lives? Let us vow and promise to stay as true to the Lord as He is to us. Through committing ourselves fully to Christ…in other words, truly becoming a Christian…we can reach that goal. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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OUR PROTECTOR

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:5-7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

For those who read my blogs regularly, you know that there are times when the Lord speaks to my heart through experiences that I feel led to write about in place of my daily walk through the scriptures. Today is one of those days.

I am currently in Sasebo, Japan…my fourth stop on a five stop Japan swing through command media detachments. I’m here to visit my Sailors but have the weekend off before doing so.

This morning, I went out for a walk to pick up a few items from the mini-mart. It was a rather hot, overcast and muggy morning but the rain had stopped at least for the moment and for that, I was grateful given that it rained the whole first day I was here.

As I was walking past the base exchange, I heard a bit of a commotion ahead…two very large black birds (looked like crows) loudly squawking as they were on the ground in the grass ahead. At first glance, it looked like the birds may have been mating. Often, nature isn’t very prudent about these actions. But as I drew nearer, I looked with immediate concern as the real actions revealed themselves.

For one of the black birds jumped as I approached, spooked by a large human coming and I could see that there was a smaller bird underneath it. Just then, the other bird struck out at the smaller bird with its long sharp beak. It was then that I quickly figured out what was happening. The smaller bird was injured and the larger birds were taking advantage of it, attacking the helpless bird on the ground. I picked up my step and scared the larger birds away, coming onto the little, injured bird who was still alive but looking very scared as it sat still right where the attacking birds had left it. Meanwhile, the attackers weren’t about to give up. They flew only a short distance and perched, still looking toward where I now stood, squawking and, I assume, waiting for me to pass so they could return and finish the injured bird off.

Well, I just couldn’t allow that to happen so I went toward the larger birds and spooked them some more. They flew a little further away and it was then that I returned to the bird in need of help. As I approached the bird, it suddenly flapped its wings and flew, albeit not far off the ground. It then landed and was able to walk. I felt the bird was weak and needed to find a safe place to recover so I walked behind it and coaxed it around the corner of the building. And then the attacking birds returned.

They sat and looked to see if they could get their bearings back on the injured bird now that I had helped him move from where he was prior. I quickly spooked them twice more and once again they flew off. It was then that I quickly coaxed the smaller bird to run underneath a group of dumpsters where he would be concealed and would be able to rest and hopefully recover.

As I left the area of the dumpsters and crossed the street, once again the foreboding, black birds returned. There were three of them now. I stood across the street and watched to see if the black birds would be able to find the smaller bird now that it was safely hidden. They didn’t. Unable to see him, they gave up and flew off. The little bird was safe.

As I walked back to my room after the experience, I couldn’t help but think about myself…about all of us…about how vulnerable we are and how Satan often swoops in like the big, attacking black birds and attacks us…not letting up unless we are rescued by someone bigger and more powerful that him…like the Lord. I then felt saddened as I thought about the many people in the world who don’t know the Lord…and thus don’t know who to turn to as they are being assaulted. It only underscored the critical importance of the ministry…and how each believer needs to be exhausting their energy to help others discover the Lord in their own lives…and in doing so, finding their source of protection and salvation. And when we discover this, we too can echo the words of the Psalmist:

“The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.”

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A PLEASING AROMA

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“The Lord said to Moses, "Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: 'See that you present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma pleasing to me.' Say to them: 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the Lord: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day. Prepare one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight, together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives. This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire. The accompanying drink offering is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the Lord at the sanctuary. Prepare the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you prepare in the morning. This is an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

“ 'On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

" 'On the first of every month, present to the Lord a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; and with each lamb, a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire. With each bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon during the year. Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the Lord as a sin offering.

" 'On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord's Passover is to be held. On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Present to the Lord an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With each bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. Prepare these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. In this way prepare the food for the offering made by fire every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the Lord; it is to be prepared in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

" 'On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat to make atonement for you. Prepare these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect."

" 'On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. As an aroma pleasing to the Lord, prepare a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are offerings made to the Lord by fire—a pleasing aroma.

" 'On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work. Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

" 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days. Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With each of the thirteen bulls prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'On the second day prepare twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.
" 'On the third day prepare eleven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'On the fourth day prepare ten bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'On the fifth day prepare nine bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'On the sixth day prepare eight bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'On the seventh day prepare seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'On the eighth day hold an assembly and do no regular work. Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull, the ram and the lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.
" 'In addition to what you vow and your freewill offerings, prepare these for the Lord at your appointed feasts: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.' "
Moses told the Israelites all that the Lord commanded him. Numbers 28 and 29

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The matter of offerings and the proper conducting of them has been a common theme through our study of the Old Testament. However, up to this point, we haven’t seen a collection of all the required offerings with very specific guidance as to when and how these offerings were to be conducted. In Numbers 28 and 29, God provides this guidance. Think of it as one stop shopping for information on all required sacrifices.

Sacrifices were an important part of Old Testament worship. Typically, they were conducted to:

1. Serve a particular purpose such as to worship, to seek peace or forgiveness or atonement, to give thanks, to ask for God’s blessing, or just to try and make things right with God.
2. They could also be performed to commemorate a particular event such as Passover, the Sabbath, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement or the Feast of the Tabernacles.

Two things are certain as we consider this matter of offerings:

1. God definitely expected the people to give them.
2. Offerings were satisfying to God when obediently carried out according to His guidance…each an aroma pleasing to Him

And it still holds true today.

What does God require of us? What does He expect us to do so that the “aroma” we send up from our lives becomes pleasing to Him? Consider these passages:

1. God requires all that we are. We can’t go any further in understanding the things He desires until we first give ourselves fully to Him…as living sacrifices.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:12-14

2. God requires that we love Him and one another.

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Mark 12:28-33

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

3. God requires that we provide for any brother or sister in need.

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:14-17

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 4:9-11

4. God requires that we pray in faith for one another.

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:13-16

5. God requires that we give Him our praise.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15

6. God requires sacrificial giving of what He provides.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:8-10

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Luke 21:1-4

Certainly, the bible has much to say about what God expects from us…far more than will fit in this devotional. The important key is that we realize and recognize that He does expect much from us in the way of giving and sacrificing for Him and others…that we continuously seek what He wants from us and then obediently carry out that will. In the end, my prayer is that all our lives give off an aroma that is pleasing to the Father. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com