TRUST HIM

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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

“Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. Then I said to you, ‘You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’”

“Then all of you came to me and said, ‘Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.’"

“The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it. Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, ‘It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.’"

“But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The Lord hates us; so He brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, “The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there."’”

“Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

“In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.”

Deuteronomy 1:19-33

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

As we move to the end of Deuteronomy, chapter 1, we find Moses continuing his historical retrospect on the Israelites and their journey which began after their Egyptian deliverance and would end once they crossed the Jordan River to inhabit the land God had promised them, the land of Canaan.

Going back in time, we find Moses telling of when Israel reached Kadesh Barnea after traveling toward the “hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert”. Upon their arrival, Moses told the people, “…the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Now, you would have thought that Israel, after such a long journey through the desert wilderness, would have jumped at the opportunity to finally reach the land that was touted as flowing with milk and honey, a covenant land of blessing promised first to Abraham and then passed down through the generations to this very time and place.

But we know what happened. Israel didn’t immediately enter the land but instead went to Moses with the following request:

“Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to."

So Moses, feeling the idea was sound, selected twelve Israelites to go and scout the land, “one man from each tribe”. Those scouts “left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and explored it”, taking “some of the fruit of the land” and bringing it back to the people and making the following report:

"It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us."

So that sealed the deal, right?

God had promised to give the land to His people and assured them that He would be with them as they took possession of it. And on top of that, the advance scouts had brought back a positive report but in this passage, we see where things went south. Moses recalls how the Israelites blew it through their failure to trust the Lord who had delivered them from trouble, time after time after time:

“But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The Lord hates us; so He brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, “The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there."’”

“Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

“In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.”

You see, the scouts didn’t stop their messaging with the good news. Rather, they followed it up with a negative report, a report that we see in full by going back to the Book of Numbers, chapter 13. There, we read this:

“But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Vv. 28-33

Of the twelve scouts, only Joshua and Caleb held firm in their assertion that the Israelites could find victory over anyone in Canaan, not by their own power but by the power of God who would fight with and for them. Unfortunately, the people sided with the majority opinion and as a result, ended up refusing to enter the land. That would have been bad enough but you’ll remember that the people of Israel even began to think they were actually better off during their Egyptian enslavement and entertained thoughts of going back there after shedding the leadership of Moses and seeking someone else to guide them.

In that head space, we see Moses reminding the people how he had tried to support and encourage his brothers and sisters, telling them to overcome their fear with their faith because God would be fighting for them just as He had done in the past. But unfortunately, God’s people had made up their mind, quickly dismissing how much God had done for them in the past while refusing to place their trust in Him.

I wonder how much we are like these people of Israel today? For how often do we forget all that God has done for us, how much He has given us, how far He has taken us when we face a current difficulty? How quick do we lose faith and feel like God has left us when we face a trial or tribulation, acting as if we should never go through hardship simply because we’re Christ believers? How fast do we forget His promise to not leave us or forsake us but rather walk alongside us, no matter what life brings?

The real question is:

Do we trust Him?

Friends, this message challenges, calling us to reflect on where we stand in regard to our faith in a God through which nothing is impossible, a God who created us and then has provided for our needs. Nothing short of unconditional trust will do and if we fall short of this, then we need to step back, pray, open up our Bibles, and read the Word while allowing the Holy Spirit to dominate our hearts so to recharge our trust and renewing our steadfast belief in the One through which all things are possible.

If we think life is too hard with Him present, imagine what life would be like without Him?

Let’s all choose to trust Him, no matter what, and be blessed as He continues to prove Himself faithful and true, always working things for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28)

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.

HELP NEEDED

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.

“At that time I said to you, ‘You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as He has promised! But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? Choose some wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.’”

“You answered me, ‘What you propose to do is good.’"

“So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you - as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. And I charged your judges at that time: ‘Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. And at that time I told you everything you were to do.’"

Deuteronomy 1:9-18

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

As we continue to study from the first chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, we find Moses continuing to address his fellow Israelites, revisiting their history before he passed away and the Israelites went on to enter the land of Canaan, the land God had promised to give them. In today’s passage, we see where he recalls the time when he needed to seek assistance, realizing that he was only one man and Israel’s population had grown to epic proportions, affirmed by these words:

“The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky.”

This exponential increase in people created a real leadership problem for Moses who confessed:

“You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone...How can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?”

Indeed, if the Israelites were going to be cared for properly, including any disputes of problems that might arise, Moses realized that he was going to need some help. And so we find him proposing this solution to the people:

“Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you."

The people agreed with this plan of action and selected a group of people who were qualified. Then Moses appointed them into authority “as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials”. He then provided these newly minted leaders with the following direction:

“Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”

Through this account, we learn an important life lesson from Moses. For there will be times when the task at hand is too much for us and instead of doing nothing out of pride, we need to humble ourselves and ask for help. In the case of Israel’s leader, Moses quickly realized that trying to handle leading the entirety of Israel was more than he could handle alone and so he solicited assistance and got it from the tribes he was leading in the way of leaders he could delegate some authority to.

We see this occur in the New Testament as well. Consider this passage from the Book of Acts:

In those days, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. Acts 6:1-7

In this passage from Acts, we see the twelve apostles facing a similar predicament to what Moses faced. For we read where there were complains of inequity in the distribution of food to the widows in Jerusalem. This was important and needed addressed but the twelve apostles really needed to be focused on the Gospel mission Jesus had set upon them and so they asked for help. We see where they went to their fellow believers and tasked them to “choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” and they carried out that request, picking Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. The apostles then formally commissioned the seven men by praying for them as they laid hands upon them. This action was a forerunner of ordination services that we see in today’s church when elders and/or deacons are selected and brought into service.

The implementation of additional servants to deal with the social needs of the Jerusalem believers was a big success for the scriptures tell us that the “word of God spread” as the apostles dedicated their work to the cause of the Gospel and this resulted in the “number of disciples in Jerusalem” increasing “rapidly” with a “large number of priests” becoming “obedient to the faith”.

Friends, as we consider these words from God and ponder our own lives, my hope is that we will realize that we can’t make it through this life on our own. For as much as we want to be in control of everything, the Lord will teach us that this is a foolish endeavor as He leads us to a place where we reach out to Him and other for help, just as Moses and Jesus’ apostles did.

We need to know and trust that the Lord doesn’t want us to depend on ourselves but rather Him and His strength and power, the strength and power that led the Apostle Paul to know he could do all things with (Philippians 4:13). And when we do turn to Him for help, we can echo these words from the Psalmist who felt likewise when he wrote these words:

I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your shade at your right hand;

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life;

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

Brothers and sisters, the bottom line here is that none of us are strong enough to walk through this thing called life without help and so it is a great comfort and peace to know that our Lord is ever with us and walking alongside us in life, every step of the way.

Let us give thanks for the blessed assurance that is ours now and forevermore.

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.

GOD HAS A PLAN

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.

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan - that is, in the Arabah - opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og, king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying:

“The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore He would give to your fathers - to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - and to their descendants after them.’"

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

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

Today, we begin a study of the Book of Deuteronomy, the last of the five books in the Pentateuch, also known as the Books of the Law. You may also find this section of the Bible called the “copy of the law”, “the second law”, or “the repetition of the law”.

As we begin, we see in chapter 1 where Moses is speaking to the Israelites while they were in “the desert east of the Jordan”, a place called  “the Arabah” which was “opposite Suph” and between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab”. We know this took place in the “fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month” or 40 years after the Israelites left Egypt on their exodus toward the Promised Land.

What did Moses speak to the people about?

The scriptures tell us that it involved “all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them” and so he (Moses) began by expounding on the law saying this to God’s people:

“The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore He would give to your fathers - to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - and to their descendants after them.’"

Here, Moses goes back to recap the journey of the Israelites, rehashing their history and he begins at Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai). From there, it was time for God's people to move out so they could “go in and take possession of the land” that the Lord was giving to them, the Promised Land of Canaan that was to be their inheritance. We know this was essentially a fulfillment of the covenant promise that God had made with the Israelites’ ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and “their descendants after them”.

In this passage, we are reminded that God is in complete control of our service to Him when we place our lives in His hands and so we need not ever worry about where to go or what to do because He will always guide us to where he wants us to be in order to fulfill His purposes.

We see this truth evident in the scriptures for note that the people of Israel had traveled a long distance from Egypt to Horeb (Mount Sinai) but as they got to the mountain, God commanded them to stop and set up camp, It was not yet time for them to enter Canaan.

It was during that time that God provided Moses with guidance that He had for the people of Israel as they were about to get organized and make the final push toward the Promised Land.

In other words, God stopped the Israelites at Horeb for a reason. He dictated when they would camp and when they would move out as He had done from the very time they had departed enslavement in Egypt and began their exodus.You'll remember that He signaled movement by placing a cloud over their camp by day which would turn fiery at night. 

Of course, this isn’t the first time we have seen this happen for you may remember the story of Abraham who was ordered to leave everything behind and go where God wanted him to go. To his credit, Abraham did just what God told him to do, not questioning the command bur rather obeying and trusting in the Lord. During that journey, when Abraham had settled in Canaan, you’ll recall that God came to him and said the following:

“Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.” Genesis 13:14-16

The Lord made it clear that this is where He wanted Abraham and his offspring, which ended up being the Israelites, to live. And now, they were on the brink of crossing the Jordan River and acquiring their inheritance.

My friends, my prayer is that we realize from the scriptures how God has a plan for each and every one of us. He has known us from before we were born and already had us purposed before we emerged from the womb and took in our first breath in this world. For if we grasp this, then these verses take on their fullest meaning:

For the prophet Jeremiah said:

“I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

And then the words of the wise King Solomon:

“A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24

and

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Thanks be to God that He has a plan for our lives. All we need to do is seek His will and then carry it out with absolute obedience.

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.

COVERING ALL THE BASES

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.

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 and 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 into Canaan.

As we look at this passage, we see the issue at hand was 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”. The scriptures tell us that 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."

To gain some context here if you haven’t read the previous messages from this book, you’ll recall in chapter 27, Zelophedad had “died in the desert”. And since he had no sons there would be confusion as to who his inheritance belonged to so his daughters petitioned Moses that they should rightfully get the land that would have been rightfully given to a male heir.

Moses took their request before God who provided the following guidance:

“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." 27:8-11

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 Israel was ready to enter the Promised Land. For 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.

In other words, a clan could gain more land than actually granted by simply marrying a daughter of a deceased Israelite who had no male heirs.

And so Moses took the matter to the Lord who rendered this decision:

“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."

As we see, the solution was rather simple. Any daughter who inherited land from their deceased father would have to keep it in the clan by marrying someone within their father’s clan. Any marriage to a man in another clan was forbidden.

In this closing chapter of Numbers, we see where our God always makes sure He covers all the bases and is willing to 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 didn’t possess, in chapter 36 we see the “tribe from the descendants of Joseph” coming forward and exposing a real potential problem in the inheritance plan, a loophole that could possibly be exploited by a clan to gain more land and thus greater power.

Indeed, given the inclination to sin as we have seen in the past, we could imagine a scenario where one Israelite clan might intentionally scheme to have their men marry women who had gained an inheritance from their fathers, not out of love but for the purpose of getting land that would end up becoming property of that clan. And so we find God hearing the concern, recognize its validity, and quickly giving a command to seal up the potential loophole. He ensured all the bases were covered and this averted any possible future conflict or dispute over property once the Israelites inhabited Canaan.

As we read and study the scriptures, we see how God has covered all the bases in our lives as well. For through His holy Word, He tells us how we are to live this life He has blessed us with. And while we might try and find loopholes to somehow justify sinning while fulfilling our desires, we find that God has made His scriptures airtight with no wiggle room to try and get away with transgressive behavior.

For God’s word always brings us either conviction when we’re living in disobedience or affirmation that we are living in ways that are pleasing in His sight. And just as Old Testament times and other places throughout the Bible, God listens to His people today and provides perfect guidance each and every time.

Want to gain illumination on how He wants you to live?

Just ask Him.

Want to gain a better understanding about how His word is to be carried out in your life?

He’s always ready to impart knowledge and wisdom.

Want to know if the anything you are about to do, whether by thought, word or deed, are appropriate and in accordance with His will, way and word?

Go to Him first before you do something and He will lead you to do what’s right and righteous every single time.

Friends, no one is as available to us like the Lord who is always standing by to hear us and provide assistance. All we need to do is receive His counsel and respond in complete obedience.

From our passage today, we see where the Lord will always make sure the bases are covered in life and now that He has settled the inheritance issues brought before Him, the nation of Israel, His people, is now ready to finally enter the Promised Land.

We’ll begin to look at that tomorrow as we start a study of the Book of Deuteronomy. I hope you’ll come back to be a part of that. Blessings to you always.

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.

OUR SAVIOR AND "CITY OF REFUGE"

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.

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 from studying the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, God held a special place in His heart for the Levites, the tribe of Israel who descended from Jacob’s son, Levi, and carried out the priestly duties within the tabernacle. Here in chapter 35, we find the Lord giving special attention to His beloved tribe as He had done in the past.

For after addressing Israel's territorial borders within Canaan and how the land would be divided among, we find God dedicating time to ensure the Levites would be well taken care of, saying this 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”

“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 time during the wilderness journey, camped out around the tabernacle any time the Israelites would stop from their travel. Now that they were about to enter the Promised Land, they would enjoy the same improved living conditions as the rest of Israel with ample space for their animals. We should also note that the Lord didn’t want them to be segregated from the people of other tribes. Rather, the priests would live in the midst of the others so God's people would be able to receive spiritual leadership and service when needed.

In all, we read where the Levites would have forty-eight cities in total with a few on the east side of the Jordan where the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh would live. Of these forty-eight cities, the scriptures tell us that six were to be set apart and designated as "cities of refuge" where "a person who (had) killed someone accidentally (could) flee". These special cities, three on the Transjordan region where the two and a half tribes would be and three in Canaan where the rest of Israel would abide, were to be safe havens for anyone who had accidentally killed another. Once within the city of refuge, the person would be protected from ant vengeance brought by the family member of the one who was killed and this immunity was available "for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them".

We also see God delineating between killings that were willful and accidental. Here’s what He had to say about each:

1. The intentional murdering of another.

"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."

2. Unintentional killing of another.

"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.”

In the instance of murder, note that it would be pretty cut and dry. The relative who would serve as the “avenger of blood” could hunt down the killer and put them to death.

But it was different when it came to an accident that took someone’s life. In those instances, the person who killed the other would remain safe and shielded from harm as long as they remained within the city of refuge. However, if they would choose to venture out from the city, they became fair game and could be killed by the "avenger of blood" who would not be considered “guilty of murder" for the execution. .

In the end translation, God reminded His people that He expected their new life within the Promised Land to be holy, just, and fair, a land that was sanctified and set apart as ultimately belonging to Him as it was rightfully His first. Here’s what the Lord added to underscore this:

"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."

As we go on and study the history of the Israelite people, we see where they didn’t exactly comply with this demand from God because there would be many murderous actions and abundant bloodshed within Canaan to come, all which would serve to “defile” and “pollute the land” God had provided to His people as a blessed inheritance.

You know, I often wonder how God feels about our world today. For although it isn't the Promised Land of Canaan, it is the land that He created that is inhabited by the people He created. And just as He had expectations for Israel, so too does He have them for us. No one should think for a minute that the ten commandments issued to the Israelite people in Exodus, chapter 20, are any less relevant today than they were back when they were first given. Specifically, in the case of our study from Numbers, chapter 35, we see where God doubles down on his order not to murder, showing that it wasn’t acceptable then just as it isn’t now. We even see Jesus taking this commandment and taking it to a whole new level in His discourse within the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-22).

In regard to commands that are just as active today as when God first gave them, we can throw in disrespecting one's parents, stealing, committing adultery, worshipping false idols or gods, coveting what another has, or giving false testimony about someone. And yet, too often we act as if these expectations of our Lord are optional, not mandated.

Here’s a good thought provoking question:

If God were to call us before Himself for a formal review our lives, assessing how obedient we have been to Him, how well would we stand up?

Unfortunately, I don’t think that would go well, if we’re totally honest. In fact, we would be doomed by our sins if keeping all of God's commandments (aka perfect adherence to the Law) was the sole requirement to gain salvation. All would be destined to the eternal damnation and torment of Hell if that was the case.

This is why God sent His Son to save us and in doing so, watched Him be nailed to a cross and sacrificed so to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase our pardon.

In other words, Jesus became our personal city of refuge, the only place where we could go for protection from our wrongs and avoid the death penalty. He was the eternal Messiah, Savior, and High Priest who would rise from the grave and live forever so that anyone who would enter into fellowship with Him would find protection and victory over Satan, the evil one. Indeed, only through belief in Jesus, the Lamb of God who came and took away the sin of the world (John 1:29) can these words from the eighth chapter of Romans ring true in our lives:

"…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

Friends, if you are reading this and have accepted Jesus as your Savior through faith, you get to celebrate every day knowing that you are an inhabitant of His city of refuge.

On the other hand, if you are reading this and you have yet to receive Jesus as your personal Savior, I encourage you to change that right now and without delay. For Satan, your enemy who is ruling your life, whether you want to concede it or now, wants to continue to stake claim to you, leading you to the same destruction he is destined for, the destruction grounded in an eternal life in Hell.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to end that way for you. It doesn’t matter how long you have lived without Jesus. What’s important is that you choose to believe in Him now and let Him make you a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Part of that spiritual birth and the ensuing reformation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that you will receive, the “Spirit of life” that Paul talks about in Romans, chapter 8. This Spirit will work to “set (you) free from the law of sin and death”, leading you instead on the narrow path that leads to true life (Matthew 7:14), a blessed life full of the living water of Christ that will well up to eventual eternal life when this earthly existence ends (John 4:13-14).

This is my prayer for all people...that they would come to Jesus and find refuge from sin and death in and through Him.

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.

GOD SETS BOUNDARIES

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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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 the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan, there were some other details that needed worked out first. As we have seen, God addressed how the land would be divided amongst the tribes of Israel but the boundaries of the Promised Land were yet to be established, something we see the Lord taking care of in Numbers, chapter 34.

There, we find God speaking through Moses to tell His people about the exact placement of the northern, southern, eastern, and western boundaries of their nation. He then reminds the Israelites that they are to “assign (the) land by lot as an inheritance”, giving it “to the nine and a half tribes”.

Why nine and a half tribes and not twelve?

You’ll recall that “the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh” had asked for and received land on “the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise." They would still cross the Jordan to fight alongside the other Israelites but once the conquest was over, they would once again cross the Jordan to join their families who would be left behind in fortified cities.

As for assigning Canaan to the other nine and a half tribes, we find God designating “one leader from each tribe to help assign the land” by name.

While this particular scripture passage seems pretty cut and dry, I believe it offers us this important truth about God:

He is a God who sets boundaries. He did so for the nation of Israel and He does so for us as well in regard to our behavior as believers. 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.” Vv. 16-21

Within the scriptures, we often see where God sometimes sees boundaries as territorial.

One example of this is looking at the tabernacle for we know that the Israelites weren’t permitted to enter the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place. Only the high priest was permitted to do that.

You’ll also remember that the people of Israel weren’t allowed to set foot on Mount Sinai while Moses went up to meet with God.

And here, we see how He set the exact location of the perimeter of the Israelite nation.

As for us today, God also established places that we shouldn’t go, places that would serve to lure us into sinfulness more than righteousness. For example, strip clubs are very prevalent in our society and they cater to men and women. It’s not a place that Christian believers should be visiting given that they are havens of sexual lust and immorality and yet, it happens. For some reason, disciples of Jesus willingly choose to go places where He would never have gone unless it meant rebuking sinful behavior and offering a better life in Him.

And although not all bars, nightclubs, and parties might be bad, most of them do breed rather illicit behavior from its patrons, especially if alcohol is served. I’ve seen this first hand during my time in the Navy while serving as a drug and alcohol program advisor. It was sad witnessing so many people louse up their lives and military futures because of alcohol, either through addiction happening or violent or illicit behavior stemming from alcohol impairment.

In regard to the latter, my view is that alcohol simply assists someone in changing who they are when sober, releasing inhibitions that are usually kept in check. In other words, alcohol doesn’t actually cause bad behavior but just opens the gates for that dormant bad behavior to emerge.

Here’s a few scenarios to serve as examples:

Those who drink and then have an affair would want others to believe that the alcohol caused them to cheat. But the truth of the matter is that the person always had a lustful heart but never acted on their desires when sober. Then, after drinking alcohol and losing their control over acting on impulses, the person can now act on their once repressed lusts and they often do, surrendering to sin which is adulterous in many circumstances.

Then there are those people who fight after drinking, even though no one has ever seen them get violent with anyone before. Again, it’s not like the person didn’t want to punch someone in the face before but they were always able to keep that urge under wraps. But then, after alcohol is consumed, that same person believes they could take on anybody and when they do, I have seen the outcome have mixed results.

I think we can see why we need boundaries, spiritual guardrails to keep us from running off of the narrow road that we’re to walk in Christ Jesus. We’ll only stay on course if we have our right mind about us and that’s not going to happen when we allow alcohol to cloud and alter our judgment and decision making. Frankly, I think believers would be far better off by abstaining from drinking altogether (I have done so my entire life and this includes nearly thirty years in the military) but if one chooses to consume alcohol, they will need to accept the consequences that come with it.

Going back to the passage from Galatians, we see where there are a lot of other boundaries that God places on our behavior. There, we find Him warning against “sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” These requirements are not just meant to dictate what we do but also what we say and think. For committing any or all of these transgressions draw us away from Jesus, the One who we are supposed to model our lives after. To be truly Christian is to be totally Christ-like and we never see Him drunk or committing any of the iniquities mentioned in the Bible because He was perfectly right and righteous...and wants us to be the same.  

So how do we stay clear of all these things that God warns us about?

Well, we can go right back to the fifth chapter of Galatians where we find God giving us another set of standards, guidelines that are to help us act, speak, and think the way He desires. Here’s what we should be allowing to dominate and define who we are as we strive to be more like Christ::

"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.” Vv. 22-25

Note here that the Holy Spirit is the key, the Holy Spirit that comes to dwell within every Christian believer the moment they place their trust and hope in Jesus.

When we consult the Spirit regarding how we should live, we will always be guided to a place where we can bear the fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” all which are the polar opposites of the list of sinful behaviors such as “sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” This life, a life defined by the Holy Spirit, draws us closer to Jesus and as the scriptures promise:

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

In other words, those who are in Christ have taken their sinful nature and nailed it to the cross, committing to not behave in that way again.

Friends, thanks be to God that He has set boundaries to dictate our proper behavior before Him. Now all we need to do is to remain within those boundaries in complete obedience.

Submitting fully to the influence of the Holy Spirit above anything else will get us to that place.

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.