A FAIR AND CARING GOD

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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

The daughters of Zelophehad, son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh, son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole assembly, and said, "Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives."

So Moses brought their case before the Lord and the Lord said to him, "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them. "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.'"

Numbers 27:1-11

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

In yesterday’s study of Numbers, chapter 26, we saw where the Lord ordered Moses and Eleazar, Aaron’s son, to perform a census of all the Israelite men who were age 20 or older. The only men who were to be excluded were the Levites because this census was really around the matter of dividing up the land that God was providing His people, the land of Canaan. We read this in the following verses of that chapter:

“The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.” Vv. 53-56

This review is of vital importance to understand what transpires in chapter 27 as we find the “daughters of Zelophehad” - Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah - approaching the "entrance to the Tent of Meeting" and standing "before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole assembly" where they made the following request:

"Our father (Zelophehad) died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives."

Going back to chapter 26, we see this under the descendants of Gilead:

(Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.) v.33

With this, we see the basis of the daughter’s concern because they didn’t want to be closed out of land possession in Canaan just because their father never bore a male descendant, something that was no fault of their own.

Well, as we have seen many times before with Moses, he didn’t want to make a decision without first consulting God and so he took the daughter’s petition to the Lord and received the following reply:

“What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them."

Additionally, God added this:

"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."

We learn much about the Lord through these determinations.

First, He is a God who is willing to consider any and all situations.

In biblical times, cultures were very patriarchal. Women had their place but it was always in subordination to men.

But in today’s passage, we find the four daughters of Zelophehad boldly coming forward to stand up for what they believed was right and rather than being immediately minimized, rebuffed, and rejected, Moses took the matter to God who agreed that the women were right to make the request. This leads to point number 2.

God is fair and caring.

You see, God doesn’t allow worldly cultural norms to dictate His actions or decisions. Thankfully, it doesn’t work that way.

No, God dictates the terms to the world and its people and when He does, His determinations are always fair and caring, even when they involve discipline and correction.

In the case of Zelophehad’s daughters, His decision was certainly a wonderful blessing as their God revealed His goodness to them.

Third, He is a God who always wants the best for us.

Imagine where the daughters of Zelophehad would have ended up if God had not granted their request. Without any male members in their family line, they would have been homeless and unsupported, destitute and marginalized by society. No man would want to marry them and so they would suffer through their entire lives.

God fully knew this and wanted the best for the daughters whose father was faithful to his Lord, refusing to join in with the rebellious Israelites who had followed Korah’s lead. And so He granted their request and made sure the four daughters would be blessed like their other brothers and sisters of Israel.  

Finally, He is a God who always applies perfect wisdom to every situation.

Through the actions of the Lord, we see the words of Solomon personified as he says this in the second chapter of Proverbs:

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones." Vv.6-8

This is the same God we serve today for His character never changes. So let us give thanks that we have a Heavenly Father who loves and cares so much for His children, providing for us, protecting us, correcting us, and ever treating us with absolute fairness. May we ever give Him the fullest measure of our honor, glory, and praise, now and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

YOU COUNT!

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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

After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, "Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel."

So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, "Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the Lord commanded Moses."

These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:

The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanoch, the Hanochite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan; through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Carmi, the Carmite clan.

These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730.

The son of Pallu was Eliab, and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah's followers when they rebelled against the Lord. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign. The line of Korah, however, did not die out.

The descendants of Simeon by their clans were:

through Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan; through Jamin, the Jaminite clan; through Jakin, the Jakinite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan; through Shaul, the Shaulite clan. These were the clans of Simeon; there were 22,200 men.

The descendants of Gad by their clans were:

through Zephon, the Zephonite clan; through Haggi, the Haggite clan; through Shuni, the Shunite clan; through Ozni, the Oznite clan; through Eri, the Erite clan; through Arodi, the Arodite clan; through Areli, the Arelite clan.

These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500. Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.

The descendants of Judah by their clans were:

through Shelah, the Shelanite clan; through Perez, the Perezite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan.

The descendants of Perez were:

through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Hamul, the Hamulite clan. These were the clans of Judah; those numbered were 76,500.

The descendants of Issachar by their clans were:

through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite clan; through Jashub, the Jashubite clan; through Shimron, the Shimronite clan. These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300.

The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were:

through Sered, the Seredite clan; through Elon, the Elonite clan; through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan. These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500.

The descendants of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were:

The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead through Gilead, the Gileadite clan.

These were the descendants of Gilead:

through Lezer, the Lezerite clan; through Helek, the Helekite clan; through Asriel, the Asrielite clan; through Shechem, the Shechemite clan; through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; through Hepher, the Hepherite clan. (Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.)

These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700.

These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans:

through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; through Beker, the Bekerite clan; through Tahan, the Tahanite clan.

These were the descendants of Shuthelah:

through Eran, the Eranite clan.

These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500.

These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.

The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were:

through Bela, the Belaite clan; through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan; through Shupham, the Shuphamite clan; through Hupham, the Huphamite clan.

The descendants of Bela through Ard and Naaman were:

through Ard, the Ardite clan; through Naaman, the Naamite clan.

These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600.

These were the descendants of Dan by their clans:

through Shuham, the Shuhamite clan.

These were the clans of Dan:

All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400.

The descendants of Asher by their clans were:

through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan;

and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan. (Asher had a daughter named Serah.)

These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400.

The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were:

through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; through Guni, the Gunite clan; through Jezer, the Jezerite clan; through Shillem, the Shillemite clan.

These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400.

The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.

The Lord said to Moses, "The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group, give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group, a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups."

These were the Levites who were counted by their clans:

through Gershon, the Gershonite clan; through Kohath, the Kohathite clan; through Merari, the Merarite clan.

These also were Levite clans:

the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan. (Kohath was the forefather of Amram; the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites in Egypt. To Amram, she bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam. Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the Lord with unauthorized fire.)

All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them.

These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun.

Numbers 26

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

As we look at this passage for today, we’re reminded about why this book is titled Numbers. For now that Israel is near the end of their 40 years of God-imposed desert wandering, we find the Lord ordering a second census taken, a deliberate counting of His people by tribe just as He had ordered in chapters 1 and 2 of this book as the Israelites departed the area outside of Canaan, having been denied access by the Lord.

The scriptures tell us that this census occurred "after the plague" that happened in chapter 25 after some of the Israelite men engaged in sexual sin with Moabite women, even going as far as bowing down and worshiping their false gods. We see where the Lord gives instruction to "Moses and Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest" to conduct the census and of interest, you will remember that it was Aaron that had performed the count before. But now, he had passed away and so his son took over the duties with his uncle Moses, ensuring that all "men twenty years old or more" were counted.

And so it was “on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho" as Moses and Eleazar ordered the count be carried out and it dominates a whopping forty-six verses of this chapter. When it was all said and done with, the final total came up to 601,730 men, 1,820 less than the total after Israel had left Egypt.

So why was there a reduction?

We find out at the very end of this chapter.

These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun. Vv. 63-65

Here we’re reminded that God always keeps His word. For you’ll recall that Israel was punished for their lack of faith and disobedience as they tried to enter Canaan the first time. The Lord turned them away from the land He had promised to give them, making them wander in the desert wilderness for forty long years, one year for every day that the advance scouts had spent in Canaan surveying the land before returning with their report. Ten of the twelve spies discouraged the people from moving forward with occupying the land with only Caleb and Joshua dissenting. They tried to get the people to see that God was with them and so they could gain victory over any adversary, no matter how imposing they might be. The Israelites chose to listen to the ten, even going as far as wanting a new leader and thinking they would be better off back in the enslavement of Egypt.

And so God placed judgment on His people with the intent that the desert wandering would ensure that not a single member of the disobedient generation would get to enter the Promised Land, a goal achieved as we read in verses 65 that “not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun”.

Going back to the first census, we know it was taken primarily for the Israelites to get organized. They had left Egypt in mass and it wasn’t until they were counted and divided up into their respective camps that they could begin their journey toward the Promised Land. Fast forward to now, as Israel was going to come to Canaan for a second time, and we see that this census was taken for an entirely different purpose, to establish rights to the land that was soon to be inherited.

Going back to our passage for today, we read where the Lord said this to Moses:

“The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group, a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups."

There was definitely a possibility that the Israelites might quarrel internally over land allotment once they took possession of Canaan so we see the Lord getting out in front of that by setting guidelines for land distribution. Of special note here is that the Lord stayed consistent with His policy on the Levites, a tribe that He called His own because of the special privileges and responsibilities they held to manage the tabernacle and all worship within (see Numbers, chapter 3). All "male Levites a month old or more" were counted and "numbered 23,000" but the scriptures tell us that they "were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them". This stayed consistent with God’s earlier guidance when He said the Levites would not gain an inheritance but only tend to everything in the tabernacle.

So what do we take away from this passage, a passage so concentrated on numbers?

First, every single person counts to God. Everyone matters to Him. It was true back in the days of ancient Israel and it still hold true today.

How much does the Lord value you?

Look at these words from Jesus as He taught publicly for the first time, delivering what we know as the “Sermon on the Mount”:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26

Indeed, to the Lord we are.

Our second takeaway is that God is always in control. All we need to do is allow Him to dictate how we conduct our life matters.

Moses and Eleazar weren’t allowed to come up with their own plan to distribute land. Rather, the land was God’s land, the land flowing with milk and honey, the land He was giving to the people of Israel as an inheritance. And just as a will details who will get what and how much, so too does God set the criteria as to how His inheritance will be divided. Knowing this, we can say as David did:

"Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

Finally, God is true to His promises. Although He punished a disobedient Israel, He still made the way for the next generation to enter and inhabit the land He had promised them.

In his second letter, Peter reminds us that we’re blessed today in knowing that our Lord is true to His Word:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these, He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature." 2 Peter 1:3-4

My brothers and sisters, what an awesome blessing it is to have such a wonderful Heavenly Father who cares for us, guides us, and stays true to His promises as He blesses us and corrects us towards being the people He desires us to be as we walk through this life He has given. Let us rejoice in knowing that we count to Him, the One who deserves the fullest measure of our praise, honor, and glory.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

AVOIDING TEMPTATION

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.

And the Lord's anger burned against them. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them, and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."

So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor."

Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The Lord said to Moses, "Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for My honor among them, so that in My zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making My covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

The Lord said to Moses, "Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, because they treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the affair of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of Peor."

Numbers 25

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

As Israel camped outside of Moab, we have studied how the nation’s king, Balak, had been trying to curse Israel through renowned diviner Balaam who he summoned to his country. Each time an attempt was made, we saw how Balaam ended up blessing Israel instead of cursing them, all because of His association with God who was unlike any god Balaam had ever encountered before. Through His messages, the scriptures showed us how God stood up for His people and portrayed them as a strong and formidable force, able to find victory over any opponent because they had Him on their side. They would continue to prosper and succeed as long as they remained obedient to Him.

And so as we finished the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Numbers, the Israelites were in God’s good graces and favor but as we turn the page to chapter 25, we see them falling back to their prior sinfulness, disregarding their Lord and His commands. Look again at those verses here:

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.

And the Lord's anger burned against them. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them, and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."

So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor."

Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The Lord said to Moses, "Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for My honor among them, so that in My zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making My covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

The Lord said to Moses, "Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, because they treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the affair of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of Peor." Numbers 25

As this chapter opens, we find the people of Israel “staying in Shittim" and while there, we read where some of the men “began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women” who in turn “invited them to the sacrifices to their gods". The Israelite men accepted this invitation, eating and bowing down before the false gods while “worshiping the Baal of Peor". These men knew that openly disobeying God’s commandments could result in His disfavor and punishment, and yet they couldn’t resist the pull of their own sinful desires. These desires beckoned them to indulge in sexual immorality as well as idolatry and as you might imagine, this didn’t sit well with God.

For we read where the "Lord's anger burned against” the Israelite men as he said this to Moses:

"Take all the leaders of these people, kill them, and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel."

And so Moses, ever obedient to the Lord’s commands gave the following orders to Israel's judges:

"Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor."

We also see where God sent a plague among the Israelites that killed 24,000 before it was stopped, a very heavy price paid for intentional disobedience with far greater death this time than when Korah and his allies rebelled against God in Numbers, chapter 16.

So what caused the plague to stop?

The scriptures tell us it was through the actions of "Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron" who saw an Israelite man flaunting a Moabite woman in front of "Moses and the whole assembly of Israel". Disgusted with the blatant public display of immorality that was taking place, Phinehas "took a spear in his hand" and drove it "through both” the Israelite man and Moabite woman. Because of His quick action, many of the Israelite people were saved.

God then commended the behavior of Phinehas in these words to Moses:

"Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

In this passage, we once again see where God favors and blesses those who remain loyal to His will, word, and way. Conversely, He sends judgment on those who willingly and willfully choose to disobey Him by pursuing their own sinful desires. The people of Israel were fully aware of this truth and yet still chose to test God, leaving one wondering if they would ever get it.

Friends, I think we can all relate well to the Israelites for if we’re truly honest with ourselves, we will see how we too know what God expects of us and yet too often decide to do what we want to do. We choose disobedience over obedience despite knowing the possible consequences. We underestimate just how powerful the pull of sin is and how it can easily draw us in if we let our guard down.

So what can we do to avoid this?

Consider these recommendations supported by God’s word:

1. Watch and pray.

Jesus said, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41

2. Turn to God for your way out.

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

3. Enter into God’s rest.

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4:9-11

4. Stay strong in God’s word.

We need to follow Jesus’ lead as He used God’s word to combat Satan’s temptations in Matthew, Chapter 4:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” He said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”

Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him. Matthew 4:1-11

In doing this, He showed us how to use the weapon Paul talks about in the Book of Ephesians within the context of the full armor of God believers need to put on as they step onto the spiritual battlefield each day.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

5. Build your life on the Lord’s solid foundation.

Jesus had this to say in Matthew’s Gospel:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

Brothers and sisters, we need to understand that Satan wants nothing more that to have us fall into sin and disobey our Lord. Conversely, the Lord wishes for nothing more that for us to be fully loyal and faithful to Him, obedient and strong in His Spirit as we live every day in accordance with His will.

In the end translation, the way to avoid falling into temptation is through being totally engaged in the Lord each and every day. For it’s there that Satan can’t abide or gain any victory over us. To that end, let us lift up to God the prayer Jesus taught, ever asking this:

"... lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

STRENGTH FOR VICTORY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

“Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come."

Then he uttered his oracle:

"The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:”

"I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city."

Then Balaam saw Amalek and uttered his oracle:

"Amalek was first among the nations, but he will come to ruin at last."

Then he saw the Kenites and uttered his oracle:

"Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock; yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive."

Then he uttered his oracle:

"Ah, who can live when God does this? Ships will come from the shores of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin."

Then Balaam got up and returned home and Balak went his own way.

Numbers 24:14-25

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

"May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" Numbers 24:9

You may remember that these words of God formed a promise that would come true over and over as we examine the history of Israel. And as Balaam delivers his final four oracles before leaving Balak, he tells some of what is about happen “in the days to come” for those who would choose to oppose Israel.

Of special interest in this passage, the “days to come” don’t only include the times ahead when the kings David, Saul, and Hezekiah would triumph over their enemies but also a time well after that when Jesus, the Messiah, would be born through which the final victory would be won forever.

For we read where tells of a "star” that would “come out of Jacob" and “a scepter” that would “rise out of Israel". Although Balaam could "see Him, but not now” and “behold Him” even though He wasn’t near, what was clear was that the victories would arise out of the star, a word that often was used to reference a king and in this case, Jesus, the King of kings who would come to reign with the full power and authority of His Father God.

Balaam goes onto mention the fate of those who would soon oppose Israel, some first time adversaries while others were repeat offenders.

First up was Edom. You’ll recall from Numbers, chapter 20, that Israel had wanted to cross through Edom but was not granted permission. In fact, the king of Edom was so disturbed by Israel’s size that he sent his army to the border to send a message that Israel wasn’t welcome. Unlike future opposing groups who Israel would battle against and defeat, Edom was left alone and went unchallenged.

In Balaam’s oracle, we see where this wouldn’t last for the scriptures tell us that the coming star was going to "crush…the skulls of all the sons of Sheth" and "Edom will be conquered; Seir (another word for Edom), his enemy, will be conquered".

But Edom wasn’t the only kingdom that would be crushed for Balak had to truly be disturbed when Balaam also said that the star would "crush the foreheads of Moab". Indeed, the very nation that Balak feared and thus wanted cursed would end up victorious over him and his people.

The next vision came against Amalek. You’ll maybe remember that the Amalekites were the first group that attacked Israel after they had departed Egypt on their exodus (Exodus 17). They didn’t gain victory then and they wouldn’t in the future either for Balaam prophesied that “Amalek…will come to ruin at last" and they did at the hands of Israel led by Kings Saul and David.

Next up were the Kenites, who although seemingly sheltered ("your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock"), would be destroyed not by Israel but rather Assyria ("Asshur") who would take them captive.

Finally, Balaam shares the seventh oracle which extends beyond the immediate boundaries of Canaan. Here, we read that "ships will come from the shores of Kittim (Cyprus and also referring to Rome). These forces would subdue Assyria, a mighty power who will later attack and capture Israel’s northern kingdom, and Eber, western Semites descended from Eber (Genesis 10), who settled in Canaan. But despite these victories, even the forces Balaam mentions would not be too mighty to be conquered for "they too” would “come to ruin".

Through Balaam’s last four oracles, we see a common theme and one we need to always keep in mind as we walk through our lives and face opposition, especially those who would oppose our faith. For Balaam said early on in this passage that when the enemies of Israel were weakened or destroyed, Israel itself became stronger (verse 18) and so it will be for us as well if we stay firm in our belief and trust in the Lord, no matter our circumstances. For through whatever life brings our way, God is ever there to lead us, guide us, protect us, strengthen us, and ultimately lead us to victory. In support of this truth, consider these wonderful passages from the Psalms:

"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:1, 11-14

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their Stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him." Psalm 37:39-40

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my Refuge, a strong Tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings." Psalm 61:2-4

"I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:1-3

Friends, every day we walk through a spiritual battlefield where the enemy is always waiting to oppose and attack us. What a comfort it is to know that we believe, trust, and serve a Lord who is with us and for us, a Lord who always protects and brings us strength for victory now and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A GREATER REWARD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle:

"The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!

"Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water.

"Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.

"God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them?

"May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"

Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, "I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded."

Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord -and I must say only what the Lord says'?

Numbers 24:3-13

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

As we continue to study from the Book of Numbers, chapter 23, we come to the third oracle or message from the Lord to Balaam who then shares it with Balak, the king of Moab.

Within God’s message, we see a lot of similarity to the first two messages as Israel is portrayed as blessed and powerful because their Lord is very much and for with them. And Israel’s God, who Balaam was supposed to manipulate, instead transformed and manipulated him. In other words, the diviner was divined by the Almighty Lord.

As we look at this passage for today, we can see specific signs as to how Balaam was transformed.

First, we read where he became "one whose eye sees clearly…whose eyes are opened". And while Balak couldn’t see the way and will of the Lord in the lives of Israel or even in the matter at hand, Balaam did. This is because he believed and trusted in God, even if at first he really didn’t quite grasp His omnipotence. The Lord was patient with Balaam as he began to see how Israel’s God was like no other god he had ever attempted to communicate with before. It was this God that fully opened Balaam’s eyes so that he could see how very blessed Israel was, so much so that he wished he could join them (Numbers 23:10).

Secondly, Balaam was one who heard “the words of God" and his eyes were opened only when he fully listened to the words that God planted in his heart and mind. Through these words, Balaam was able to understand Israel’s special relationship with their Lord and see that he too had formed his own special relationship with their God.

Third, Balaam was one who saw “a vision from the Almighty".

In all three of the oracles/messages, God had painted a vivid picture of Israel and their power by using illustrations, providing clarity and comprehension to the visions He provided. The Lord compared Israel to the lion or lioness and to the wild ox. Their situation is shown as being blessed complete with beautiful valleys and gardens, aloes and cedars. Their water would flow with abundance to their seed which in turn would allow them to flourish and grow in and through Him.

Truly, when we hear the word of God and open our eyes to what He is telling us, then and only then we will clearly see His vision for us and many times those around us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, we see where Balaam fell “prostrate" before God as he came to completely acknowledge and respect God as being all powerful and mighty. He came to realize that compared to the Lord of Israel, he was nothing. For after believing he had power to manipulate the gods, he learned that there was only one God and that God could be controlled by no one. The God of Israel bowed down to no man but rather expected all mankind to bow down before Him, just as Balaam did in a show of total submission and humility.

Indeed, Balaam had gained a great deal from God through their relationship. In fact, his reward from coming to know the Lord was so rich that Balaam felt that he couldn’t do anything of his own accord but rather from the command of the Lord. Even if Balak would give him the wealth of his palace filled with silver and gold, it would pale in comparison to the affluence he had through Israel’s God.

Friends, today there is also no greater reward we can find than that which comes from God, a reward that makes us spiritually rich beyond measure through our belief and trust in Jesus as Savior. This belief not only brings with it salvation and the assurance of eternal life but also the gift of the Holy Spirit that leads and guides us through this life before we enter the holy one to come. All this should bring us to the place where Balaam ended up, prostrate before the God who reigns and rules over us as Maker and Master and yet loves us dearly and perfectly as our Heavenly Father.

As I close, here are some words spoken by our Savior Jesus, words that speak to the sense of spiritual discovery found by Balaam and all God believers since. For Balaam found that he gained something of far greater value than anything the world could offer through having a relationship with God and we’ll discover the same thing when we submit to Him.

Jesus said:

"If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done." Matthew 16:24-27

My brothers and sisters, our God has given a greater reward to anyone who places their hope in His Son, a reward that blesses us with hope now and forever. Let us give thanks to Him today and rejoice.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BE HAPPY. YOU ARE BLESSED!

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there."

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle.

Numbers 23:27-30, 24:1-3a

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

After Balaam arrived in Moab, we saw how the king, Balak, tried twice to get the diviner to curse the Israelite people and in both instances, he was thwarted by Israel’s God who would not allow anyone to curse His people unless He approved it.

At the end of Chapter 23 and into the beginning of chapter 24, we see how Balak still refused to give up on his desires. And so he takes Balaam to yet a third location, "the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland", where Balak once again built seven altars and "offered a bull and a ram on each altar" as requested by Balaam. Of course, this was all done with the hope that maybe Israel’s God would change his mind and let Moab’s king be successful in bringing down a curse through Balaam. Through his actions, the Moabite ruler shows clearly that he still refused to understand that Israel’s God could not be manipulated so to carry our any man’s will. Rather, the one and only true God reigned supreme over all and every man and woman were expected to serve Him in complete, uncompromising obedience.

Well, after the altars were built and sacrifices made, Balaam once again goes before God and for a third time receives a message to share but this time was different. For we read where Balaam "saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel" and so "he did not resort to sorcery as at other times” but “turned his face toward the desert". Here, right before our very eyes, we see a radical change happen inside of Balaam, all brought about by the God of Israel. It may have taken two prior encounters to  make it happen but Balaam learned a very important lesson and one we need to learn as well:

God expects us to bless others, not curse them

Notice that when Balaam’s heart saw how blessing others would please the Lord, then the "the Spirit of God came upon him". And the same will happen for any of us too.

Indeed, the spirit of blessing others is rooted in the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, Spirit who dwells within anyone who places their belief in Jesus and serves as a Counselor and Friend. He is a member of the Trinity, sent from God the Father to guide and lead us through life, ever guiding us to live as Jesus did.

When we are filled with this Spirit, we can’t help adopt a life attitude that is filled with love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, righteousness, and a committed willingness to edify others through all of these. In other words, we become a blessing to others, just as the Lord is a blessing to us. We seek to bless others because He ever seeks to bless us.

And what a joyous life we gain when we live a life of blessings. Consider the words of Jesus as He opens His Sermon on the Mount, His first significant teachings in ministry. Here’s what He had to say about being blessed:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:3-12

These verses form what has widely been called the Beatitudes and as we see, each statement from Jesus begins with the word “blessed”. The Greek word used here is also translated as “happy”.

Once, I hear a pastor preach on this passage and refer to these verses as “Be Attitudes" with "being happy" as the main theme. Thus, we could refer to them as the “Be Happy Attitudes".

In other words, the first Beatitude would read, "Happy are the poor in spirit for theirs is the spirit of heaven."

And this would be followed by "Happy are those who mourn for they will be comforted."

In other words, no matter what our life circumstance might be, there are reasons to still feel blessed and happy because we have the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always with us. They’re ever ready to guide us, protect us, heal us, comfort us, and love us. We need to never lose sight of these truths and seek to show a "Be Happy" attitude within every day that the Lord gives us for when we do, we will truly find our way to rejoice and be glad in life (Philippians 4:4).

Friends, it’s my prayer that you realize this in full measure today and in every day yet to come.

Be happy. You are blessed!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.