Memory Aids - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 15:37-40,

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: "Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God."'"

The Lord gave Israel a tool to help them remember his commands. Tassels with blue cord on the corners of their garments were to remind them of their covenant requirement to keep the law. Apparently the Lord felt they would need this as a reminder.

As Christians today, we also have something to remember the Lord by. Something he gave us. "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

Apparently the Lord felt we would need this as a reminder, something to keep us mindful of him. To me, quite astonishing, and yet he knows us well.

How often should believers take communion? As often as they chose to remember the Lord!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A Message for the Not So Distant Future - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 14:9,

"Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them."

When the nation of Israel listened to the words of fear ten of the twelve spies brought back after having reconnoitered the promised land, the remaining two spies, Joshua and Caleb, attempted to encourage the Israelites to not rebel against the Lord. Rejecting God's promise to give them success in taking the land was to reject God himself.

One of the things Joshua and Caleb said was fascinating, "Their [the Canaanites'] protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Verse 9. Whatever "protection" the inhabitants of the land had, had been removed by the Lord and the Lord was going to fight together with the Israelites against the occupants of the land.

Unfortunately, the Israelites listened to the ten. The nation feared the people of Canaan and spoke of stoning Joshua and Caleb. They feared people rather than the Lord. I am reminded of the proverb, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Proverbs 29:25.

When we are in the midst of God's will we need not fear any man. We need to remain true to the Lord and be faithful in all he gives us to do. Afterall, what is the worst that could happen? Pleasing God and remaining true to him is the very best we can achieve in this life! Even if it costs us our life here, we gain eternal pleasures at the right hand of God (Psalm 16:11) in doing so.

I suspect this is a message many of us will need to be encouraged by in the not so distant future.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Embrace the Lord in Faith or Embrace His Judgment - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 14:11-12,

"The Lord said to Moses, 'How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.'"

When the twelve spies returned from the promised land and reported what they saw, only two, Joshua and Caleb, encouraged the Israelites to follow the Lord's lead and destroy its inhabitants. The other ten spies discouraged the people by reporting how difficult it would be to defeat the Canaanites. In short, they led the Israelites in disbelieving God. No trust that God could do what he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They failed to trust the Lord who demonstrated his awesome power and  promised them success.

The Lord's response is provided in the above verses. The whole of it brings to mind the very same set of circumstances in another setting.

Jesus Christ came to earth to provide for the redemption of mankind. While here he provided many convincing proofs of who he was and the veracity of his gospel message. He fulfilled prophecy and he confounded the very best of Israel's leaders. Since the day of Jesus' resurrection, the very same condemnation from the Lord can be, and is, leveled upon all mankind who fail to embrace him in faith, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?"

Further, the judgment the Lord announced against unbelieving Israel in Numbers 14 is very similar to the fate that awaits those today who fail to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. They will suffer and die and not enter into the promise. Here is how Jesus put it, "He [Jesus himself] testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." John 3:32-36.

I chose to embrace the Lord in faith and receive his promises while escaping his judgment. How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Faith: the Key to Unlocking the Promises of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 13:1-2,

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.'"

The Lord directly told the Israelites through Moses that he was going to give to them the land he promised to Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Their response? "But the men [spies] who had gone up with him [Caleb] 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.'" Verses 31-33.

These spies were the leaders of the Israelites. Although they had a direct promise from God, they rejected it in an incomprehensible lack of faith. It is as if all God had done for them in freeing them from Egypt and providing them food and water in the wilderness had never happened! God said he would give them the land and after spying it out, they found the land very good. All they had to do was go up and take it from the current inhabitants! Instead they cowered in fear of the inhabitants. Apparently they found it easier to fear the Canaanites than to fear the Lord himself.

When it comes to the wonderful promises of God, particularly the promise of an eternal life of joy and blessing in his presence, Paul wrote, "Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." Galatians 3:22. 

When it comes to the promises of God, it is all about faith, and has always been about faith. How about us? Can we see our way clear to seize the promises of God by embracing him in faith? 

The world denies it, but God assures it!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Son Over God's House - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 12:6-8,

"When there is a prophet among you,
    I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
    I speak to them in dreams.
But this is not true of my servant Moses;
    he is faithful in all my house.
With him I speak face to face,
    clearly and not in riddles;
    he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
    to speak against my servant Moses?"

Here is the amazing statement from God about Moses.

Miriam and Aaron, Moses' siblings, began to grumble against Moses because of his "Cushite wife", verse 1. The passage doesn't specify what it was they were unhappy about with her, but they questioned Moses' leadership because of it. They claimed the Lord had spoken through them as well, so they apparently felt entitled (or at least emboldened) to challenge Moses.

It did not turn out well for Miriam and Aaron. The Lord immediately called them out to the tabernacle and confronted them with the quote above. They were not to challenge Moses as the Lord's servant, Miriam was struck with a skin disease, and Aaron was reduced to begging Moses not to hold their challenge against them. Moses cried out to the Lord on behalf of the sister who just challenged his leadership, and the Lord healed her.

Moses was to be listened to and accorded the respect that the Lord's man is due. "He [Moses] is faithful in all my [the Lord's] house. We read of this in Hebrews 3:1-6,

"Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.  'Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house,' bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory."

Just as Moses was declared by the Lord to be faithful in all God's house, Jesus is found to be worthy of greater honor than Moses, since Jesus is not simply a faithful servant in all God's house, but ,in fact, he is the Son over God's house. And, we are to listen to him!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Get Ready! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 11:1,

"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused."

The NIV Quest Study Bible makes an interesting observation about the unhappiness of the Israelites that we read of here. First was that the hard life of slavery in Egypt must have looked more attractive to the Israelites than the unknown represented in their wilderness wandering and deprivations they felt.

However, and more importantly, the Israelites were impatient and shortsighted. They were focusing on their hardships of the day rather than on the promises of God - the promise of rest in their own land, "a land flowing with milk and honey".

I think this second point is a poignant reminder for our day. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, have been given the promise of eternal life, a lavish inheritance he has bestowed on us that we view from yet at a distance. An eternity of joy and divine pleasures at his right hand, Psalm 16:11.

However, between here and there, we face hardships. The Lord is well aware of them just as he was aware of the hardships Israel faced (and brought upon themselves!) in the wilderness. In both cases the promise of blessing from the Lord awaits a period of trouble and hardship.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Some erroneously claim the Lord will not allow the church to suffer in terrible times to come. This is not the case. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2 Timothy 3:12-13.

We need to "gird our loins", we need to prepare for times of suffering. We will struggle, but do so in the face of the wonderful promises of God.

The question is, will we be like the Israelites who focused on their hardships of the day rather than on the promises of God? Will we please God or disappoint him?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Our Mediator! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 11:1-2,

"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down."

This narrative is given to us just following the account of Israel setting out for the first time from the foot of Mt. Sinai (Numbers 10:33). We are told they traveled three days on that first leg of their wilderness wanderings. As they went (or upon arrival at the destination), we read that the people began to complain about "their hardships." The response from the Lord for their complaining was a fire that "consumed some of the outskirts of the camp." Moses interceded for them and the fire died down. He became a mediator on Israel's behalf with God. A mediator is someone who intervenes with the intention of bringing two parties together.

In this account Moses is portrayed as a type of Jesus Christ. The people sinned and Moses stepped in to bring an end to God's judgement of it. In a similar way, Jesus Christ has become our mediator to save us from God's judgment and wrath. We have all sinned and face God's judgment of us.

"There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." 1 Timothy 2:5-6. In this verse Paul tells Timothy there is only one mediator that can save us from God's wrath, and that is the man Jesus Christ.

Make sure you have availed yourself of the only qualified mediator between you and God's judgment!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Past Trumpets and Future Trumpets - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 10:1-2,

"The Lord said to Moses: 'Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out.'"

The Lord had the Israelites make silver trumpets used to call together the people, whether just the leaders or the entire congregation. They were also used for breaking camp and setting out on their various movements during their wilderness travels. Further, the Lord tells them to use these trumpets when they go into battle and also at appointed feasts, "at your times of rejoicing", verse 10.

Trumpets of the Lord figure prominently in the resurrection to come:

When Jesus comes again at the end of the age with his angels to gather those who are his, Matthew 24:30-31, "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

Paul mentions this as well, at the resurrection of all who belong to Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, "I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

Paul revisits the trumpet call at the resurrection of those who belong to Jesus Christ, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.' 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Trumpets were used to call the Israelites together, and the same will take place when the Lord calls us in the resurrection. I'm looking forward to this trumpet call! How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Joint Ventures with God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 10:29-32,

"Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, 'We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, "I will give it to you." Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.' He answered, 'No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.' But Moses said, 'Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.'"

Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, was apparently very well versed in the lay of the land in which Israel would wander. Moses appealed to him to remain with them as they were getting organized to head out.This might have been very helpful to Moses as he led the people in locating pasture, springs and the like. At first he refused saying he wanted to head back to his homeland and then, apparently relented and agreed to go with the Israelites.

Earlier in the chapter we are told the Israelites followed the cloud of the Lord to the Desert of Paran, verses 11-12. From this it appears to me that the exact location of where Israel would go to follow the Lord was something of a joint venture between the Israelites and the Lord.

It seems as if the Lord would provide the vicinity of where Israel was to move to, but that the specific campsite was determined by Moses and his advisors (in this case Hobab). The Lord told Moses and Israel what to do, but left room for a part they would play in choosing their campsites.

It seems to me that today the Lord often does something similar with the church. He gives us direction, and often very specific direction, but at other times he leaves room for our own input into what the Lord wants done.

I think the calling of Paul and his famous missionary trips is a great illustration of this. First, in Romans 1:1,5 Paul introduces himself as being called by God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. In reaching the Gentiles he often appeared to make his own decisions (not always) in which direction to take to fulfill his mission. He tells us in Romans 15:17-22 of his own ambition that set his direction in his missionary trips:

"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather, as it is written: 'Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.' This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you."

Food for thought today in carrying out what the Lord is asking from each of us. At times he provides us general guidance and then leaves the specifics of execution up to us. I find this wonderful as it is that very kind of thing we can often find satisfaction, fulfillment and purpose in our lives. Not that having specific direction given us from the Lord prevents those things in any way, but that giving us room to participate with him in decision-making can add quite a bit for our growth in him.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

On Obedience - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 9:13,

"If anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people for not presenting the Lord's offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin."

After a year in the Desert of Sinai, the Lord told Moses to have Israel celebrate the Passover. Some of them were unable to do so because they had become ceremonially unclean due to a dead body. They approached Moses telling him they wanted to celebrate it at the appointed time.

Moses told them he would raise the issue with the Lord, who told him to have anyone who had become ceremonially unclean or was on a journey at the time to celebrate it the same day the following month. However, anyone who failed to celebrate it on the appointed day (the fourteenth of the month) who was not ceremonially unclean or on a journey would be found disobedient, "They will bear the consequences of their sin." In other words, there were not two different days to celebrate the passover, pick which one you prefer. Only those not capable of celebrating it could do so the following month. The Lord expected obedience.

The reminder of this chapter talks about the obedience of the Israelites in regard to following the Lord as he directed them by the cloud over the tabernacle on when to encamp and when to set out. For me, the theme of this chapter is obedience.

We are called to obedience. We obey the gospel message when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:17-18.

We can choose to obey God. If we don't we remain in obedience to our sinful nature, "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" Romans 6:16.

Although we often do not consider ourselves as obeying something all the time, we actually do. We either obey our sinful nature, or we obey the gospel message. It is our choice.

"Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:19-23.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

Following the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 9:22,

"Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out."

We read in this chapter that during the day a cloud covered the tabernacle. At night the cloud looked like fire, verse 15. Whenever the cloud lifted the Israelites set out and followed the cloud. If the cloud didn't lift they would stay in place.

From the above verse, the duration of an encampment often changed. In verse 21 we read that the cloud sometimes stayed only from evening until morning and then lifted - the Israelites would start out following it. A year could go by without it lifting and so the nation would remain encamped. In short, the Israelites never knew when or where they were going from day to day. They were to simply follow the Lord.

This was done at the Lord's command, "At the Lord's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out." Verses 18 and 19.

This had the practical effect of teaching the Israelites to follow the Lord. No rhyme or reason provided by the Lord as to when and where they might move. This took place without a schedule or a map. They were simply to follow the Lord's lead.

In cultivating our faith in him, I wonder if the Lord might work in a similar manner at times in our lives. We might like to know where the Lord intends to lead us with the timeframe provided. I suspect for the most part he is not going to provide that.

In any event, this reminds me of Proverbs 16:9, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Or, how about this one, "A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? Proverbs 20:24.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

We All Need a Good Washing! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 8:5-6,

"The Lord said to Moses: 'Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.'"

At the inauguration of the Levites to the service of the Lord, they required a rite of purification. A baptism of sprinkled water ("the water of cleansing"), shaving, clothes washing and offerings were prescribed by the Lord for this purpose.

It is thought the "water of cleansing" was probably from the bronze basin for washing that we read of in Exodus 30:17-21. The basin was to hold water that the priests used for their hands and feet "so that they will not die", Exodus 30:20, 21. They were to use this water to purify themselves whenever they entered the tabernacle or approached the altar to present offerings.

The recognition of needing a ceremonial cleansing speaks of our sinful condition and estrangement from the Lord. Both the Aaronic priests and the Levitical priesthood were unacceptable before the Lord without this ceremonial "cleansing".

We too need a "cleansing" when we come to Jesus Christ in faith. Paul told Titus, "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Jesus Christ said in Revelation 22:12-14, "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

The Light of the World - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 8:1-2,

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to Aaron and say to him, "When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand."'"

The golden lampstand in the tabernacle had seven lamps on it. Here the Lord tells Moses that Aaron is to set the lamps such that they illuminate the area in front of the lampstand. In this way the table of presence that had the twelve loaves of bread would exist in the light it provided.

The tabernacle was the locus of God's presence and that presence was not to exist in the dark. The apostle John tells us, "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5. Paul said, "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen." 1 Timothy 6:15-16.

Light is a quality that helps us understand Jesus Christ, who is both the bread of life (John 6:35) and the light of life, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12. Jesus said he came as a light, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." John 12:46. Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah as a light, "The people walking in darkness   have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:1-2.

The tabernacle, its design and furnishings together with the prescribed worship, are all rich with symbolism that points us to Jesus Christ. All God did through the nation of Israel was within the view of his redemption of mankind through the redeemer he provided, Jesus Christ, the true light that has come into the world.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Man Who Spoke With God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 7:89,

"When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him."

Following the twelve days of dedication for the tabernacle featuring the offerings of each of the tribes of Israel in succession, we are told the Lord would speak to Moses from between the cherubim when he went into the tabernacle to speak to him. Now that the tabernacle had been built, consecrated and dedicated, the Lord's presence resided within the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was kept. The Lord spoke to Moses there.

When contention erupted against Moses by his brother and sister (Aaron and Miriam), the Lord called all three out and told Aaron and Miriam in his anger, "When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Numbers 12:6-8.

Surely, one who communicates with the Lord is to be recognized and held in high esteem! Aaron and Miriam were called out by the Lord for their lack of it.

The writer of Hebrews quotes this Numbers 12:6-8 passage in Hebrews 3:5. He compares the greater honor of Jesus Christ relative to Moses. But note: Moses was used in Hebrews as a standard to compare the greater honor of Jesus Christ!

I mention this to say that certainly anyone who spoke with the Lord directly, and further, was used as a standard by which the Son of God's honor is measured, is worth listening to! How often in our lives do we have an opportunity to listen to someone who had immediate conversation with the Lord?

Moses authored the first five books in our Bibles (some believe the book of Job as well). He had direct conversations with the Lord and was carried along by the Holy Spirit when he wrote, so I think he is someone I want to hear from! We neglect his writings to an incredible and lamentable loss of opportunity.

Pick up any one of his writings today for fresh inspiration from the Lord! Genesis is a great place to start...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Importance of a Vow to God - Ruminating in the Word of God

"The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 6:21,

"This is the law of the Nazirite who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite."

In this chapter of the book of Numbers, the Lord provides Moses with instructions for when someone might make a vow to him. When someone wanted to dedicate themselves to the Lord by fulfilling a vow, the Lord provided this. The Quest Bible observes that the term "Nazarite" means "dedicated one" or "set apart one". Either a man or a woman could take the vow and according to Jewish tradition, the vow typically lasted for 30 days, but could, and commonly was, for longer periods of time. Samson comes to mind as an individual who was dedicated through this Nazarite vow for his lifetime by the Lord himself, "You [Samson's mother] are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son [Samson]. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines." Judges 13:3-5.

The apostle Paul took this vow, along with four others, that we read of in Acts 21:20-26 to demonstrate to the Jews he was not the lawbreaker they had heard he was.

In Numbers 6 when the period of time for dedication was complete, the one who took the vow was to bring a burnt offering, a sin offering and a fellowship offering to the Lord with further instructions. It clearly was an important affair and something that was to be fulfilled once the vow was taken. Vows to the Lord are important and the regulations regarding the Nazarite vow make that very clear.

Why would one take any kind of a vow? I can think of a variety of reasons someone today might take a vow. In the heat of combat, when things get dicey, it is not unknown for some unbelievers to cry out to the Lord something on the order of, "Lord if you just get us through this I'll give my life to you" or whatever. A "foxhole" conversion. When a child is struck with a serious illness, the parents might ask for God to bring healing and if he does so they will do this or that. I suspect that within the realm of desperation vows are not uncommon. I also suspect when the outcome of something very positive becomes important a vow might be made. The book of Psalms is full of vows.

The most common vows we witness publicly today are wedding vows. When a man and woman commit themselves to one another in marriage they make a vow to one another and to God.

What I see in this Nazarite vow is that the Lord provided a form and structure for just such a time when anyone wanted to make a vow. What I also see in this is that vows are not to be taken lightly and that the Lord is not to be treated insincerely or in a disrespectful way by anyone not following through on their promises to God. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, "When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin." Also, Proverbs 20:25, "It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one's vows.

There is a place for vows to the Lord in our lives. While we do not live under the law and do not follow the guidelines for the Nazarite vow, it is still very important that we do not mock God by not fulfilling our vows to him. Just think of all of those broken vows represented by today's divorce rate. Better not to make a vow, than to make one to the Lord and not keep it. In my mind, this chapter is devoted to that thought.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Vow of the Nazirite - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 6:5,

"During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long."

The vow of the Nazarite was a tool the Lord gave Israel so that any individual could dedicate himself to the Lord for a period of time. It provided an opportunity to live and demonstrate through various means a special dedication to the Lord. It provided communication to others of the dedication through outward expressions as well as providing inward reminders to the worshipper.

Among the outward elements, a Nazirite was to let their hair grow long and they were to keep distance from a dead body (even a body of an immediate family member). There were offerings to be made at the end of the period of dedication and they were to shave off their hair "that symbolizes their dedication", verse 18. An inward element was that the Nazarite was to modify their diet by keeping from a main staple of what was consumed prominently in the day: anything that came from the grapevine, Wine (or any other fermented drink), wine vinegar, grape juice, grapes or raisins were to be kept from.

When one wished to dedicate themselves to the Lord there were both outward and inward manifestations required to attest to that special vow. As I read about this, it strikes me that while we are no longer under the law and that this was provided to the Israelites as a part of their covenant relationship with God, we too, today, dedicate ourselves to God.

When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith we dedicate ourselves to him. While we do not follow a Nazarite vow, it seems to me there should be those outward and inward elements in our lives to attest to that commitment. Do others see in us outward expressions of our dedication to Jesus Christ? Have we cultivated those things inwardly in our lives that refresh our commitment and dedication to him daily?

Something to reflect on today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Mitigating Jealousy and Adultery - Ruminating in the Word of God

"The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 5:16-19, 23-24, 29-30,

"The priest shall bring her [a wife suspected of adultery] and have her stand before the Lord. Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water... The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water. He shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering will enter her... This, then, is the law of jealousy when a woman goes astray and makes herself impure while married to her husband, or when feelings of jealousy come over a man because he suspects his wife."

Can you imagine how horrible it would be for a wife accused of infidelity to drink water that had dust from the tabernacle floor mixed in? Think of the hundreds of animals slaughtered there with the blood splashed against the bottom of the altar and all about, and then tracked everywhere for days, weeks, months and years!

The Lord said the outcome for guilty wives would be miscarriage and swollen abdomens, "bitter suffering." This procedure would require the Lord's intervention to insure a just outcome would take place.

The circumstance calling for this procedure was when a husband suspected, but didn't know for sure, if his wife had been unfaithful to him. It was initiated by him and was the result of his jealousy, whether from something real or imagined, "if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure", verse 14.

I have to think that a man requiring his wife, through the priest, to drink water with old bloody dust mixed in, that it would cause him to think twice about making an accusation against his wife. He best have cause for his feelings of jealousy as this would have been serious business.

Some men struggle with feelings of jealousy whether well founded or not. We are told jealousy is something that is spawned by our own sinful natures, "The acts of the flesh 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." Galatians 5:19-21a. There it is, right in the middle of Paul's list. A man who is given to unfounded jealousy causes problems for everyone (particularly his wife!) I suspect many of us have encountered it.

In any event, if a man struggled with unfounded jealousy and caused his wife to go through this procedure without cause... can you imagine how that might affect the happy homelife afterwards? Proverbs 25:24 comes to mind here, "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife." 

It seems to me this unusual procedure had a mitigating impact on both a husband given to unfounded jealousy as well as a wife given to adultery.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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"Professionals" Versus Spectators in the Church? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 4:49,

"At the Lord's command through Moses, each [of the Levites] was assigned his work and told what to carry."

As part of the design and organizational structure involved in establishing the tabernacle with the Lord's presence and the worship that was to take place there, assignments were given to the three clans of the tribe of Levi. They were to assist the priests and provide care for, and the transportation of, the tabernacle, "the tent of meeting." The above verse points out that each of the Levites had his own assignment and told what to carry.

One of the banes of today's church is the concept or structure of "clergy" versus "laity". The notion is fostered that we have "professional" Christians on the platform and spectators out in the pew on Sundays. The professionals, the "clergy", do spiritual battle with the demons in our lives, trying to get us all to behave, entertain us with edifying counsel, admonishment and guidance. They are the ones with the inside baseball scoop on all things spiritual and theological. The laity? They are there to watch (and hopefully pick up a few things from week to week). And, of course, church is something that happens on Sunday mornings and maybe Wednesday evenings.

I'm not finding that concept for the church in the pages of Scripture. What I do find is that all believers belong to the Lord's priesthood - every last one. Here is how Peter put it, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ...  you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:4-9. Peter is saying this of all who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith.

Just as each of the Levites had their own assignments, all believers have theirs as well. There is no such thing recognized in Scripture of the professional Christian versus the pew-run Christian when it comes to assignments from the Lord. We all have them. Paul tells us, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:4-8.

That person behind the pulpit on Sundays needs to be ministered to just as anyone else in the congregation. The "professionals" do not possess any more gifts from the Holy Spirit than anyone else. We all need to join with him in doing our part the Lord has given us. There are to be no spectators in the kingdom of God, only participants who carry their part of the workload of ministry - just as the Levites participated in their work assignments from the Lord.

What are you supposed to carry? What is your assignment?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Service in Reverence and Fear - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 4:17-20,

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites. So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.'"

Three clans of the Levites were given work assignments for their responsibilities regarding the tabernacle. The Kohathites had care of the "most holy things", verse 4. The Gershonites had responsibility for the curtains of the tabernacle, it's coverings, the entrance, all the curtains of the courtyard and its entrance, together with all the ropes and equipment involved with these. The Merarites had responsibility for the frames, crossbars, posts and bases for the tabernacle and the courtyard and all that was related to their use.

The Kohathites had the most "dicey" of the responsibilities as they had care of the most holy things. When it was time to pack up and move the tabernacle, Aaron and his sons, the priests, were to cover the ark with its "shielding curtain". Likewise they were to cover the table of the bread of presence and its items, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the bronze altar and all the utensils involved. Only then could the Kohathites come to carry these things. They were not to touch these things directly- only priests could do that. "But they must not touch the holy things or they will die." Verse 15. In verse 20 we read that even if the Kohathites looked at these things for a moment they would die.

God was to be honored and feared by those who served him. Their work, their ministry, was to be performed in a reverence that acknowledged exactly who it was they were serving. Some have questioned whether God as revealed in the Old Testament is revealed the same way as in the New Testament.

The question betrays a fundamental flaw in understanding how God reveals himself throughout the pages of Scripture. In a great article on this, the New Bible Commentary points to the account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5, as well as Hebrews 12:29, "... our 'God is a consuming fire.'" This should disabuse ourselves of such thoughts. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross expresses two chief characteristics of God: his love of man and his frightful judgment - he is to be feared.

Perhaps Psalm 2:11-12 captures this thought well, "Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Approaching God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 3:10,

"Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death."

One might wonder why the Lord would have anyone put to death that attempted to approach him. I believe the answer lies in his pristine state of righteousness and holiness.

Mankind is sinful and not suitable for coming into the presence of the Lord. When the Lord instituted the tabernacle worship, he made a way for Aaron and his sons who were to serve at the tabernacle as priests. The Lord had them consecrated for just that purpose, making them acceptable to approach his presence there.

For us today, the only way we can approach God is through Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1.

God is accessible, but only in the way he prescribes. No other way is allowed. Jesus also said, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." John 10:9.

Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He is the only way we can approach God.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Leadership - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 2:34,

"So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family."

The Lord ordered the arrangement of the twelve tribes (well, thirteen- Joseph was now represented by his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh). Twelve of the tribes were arranged into four groups of three each that were to encamp on the four sides of the tabernacle at a distance, with the tribe of Levi encircling the tabernacle.

As the Lord lays out the arrangement for Moses, he identifies the leader of each of the twelve tribes comprising the four groups:

Judah: Nahshon
Issachar: Nethanel
Zebulun: Eliab
Reuben: Elizur
Simeon: Shelumiel
Gad: Eliasaph
Ephraim: Elishama
Manasseh: Gamaliel
Benjamin: Abidan
Dan: Ahiezer
Asher: Pagiel
Naphtali: Ahira

I assume the leader of the tribe of Levi was considered to be either Moses or Aaron. On the other hand, they both held standing as leaders of the nation as a whole, so maybe not. The Lord does not specify a leader at this level for the tribe of Levi in this chapter.

I point out these twelve leaders because they were either recognized by the Lord as existing leaders (those who percolated to the top among the people), or he established them here as leaders- his own handpicked men. If Moses is any example, it would be the latter.

Throughout Scripture we find many handpicked (by the Lord) people he chose for leadership who accomplished those things he wanted done. None bigger than Moses himself. Joshua, the man who led Israel's conquest of the promised land is another that comes to mind. We read of many of these leaders in the pages of Scripture, men as well as women. Deborah in the book of Judges is a towering figure in the nation at that time.

We know today there are many who aspire to leadership, particularly during an election season. However, I am convinced that the most influential, game-changing leaders are those whom the Lord grooms and prepares for his own purposes. In the church I am reminded that leadership is one of the spiritual abilities the Holy Spirit provides certain individuals, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is...  to lead, do it diligently..." Romans 12:6-8.

Studying the lives of the leaders we find in the pages of Scripture has got to one of the best ways to prepare for such a role.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Position of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 2:34,

"So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family."

The organizational structure of both the camp, and then the procession of the nation when they moved from place to place in the wilderness is just striking. All organized - but not just organized any old way. All was organized and ordered in relationship to the presence of the Lord among them- at the center!

If we look at the organizational structure starting with the locus of God's presence among them, we find the tribe of Levi, who served at the tabernacle, surrounding God's presence in the middle. Judah, Issachar and Zebulun were situated to the east of the Lord's presence in the tabernacle, Reuben, Simeon and Gad were to the south, Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin to the west and Dan, Asher and Naphtali to the north.

Note that all of the positioning, all of the order, all of the arrangement was in reference to the Lord's presence among them. The Lord's presence was to be the central feature in the nation.

This, of course, brings to mind the positioning of the Lord in our own lives today. Where is the Lord? Is he in the caboose of our lives or the center?  Is he off to the side in the things of our lives? Do we order our own lives starting with him in the center?

Just exactly what place does the Lord occupy in our lives?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.