No Twisting God's Arm! - 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 23:8,

"How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?"

Balak, king of Moab hired a sorcerer, Balaam, to curse Israel as he felt threatened by them. Balak believed he could hire Balaam and that Balaam would bring about Israel's demise by cursing the nation. Balak believed Balaam had the connection to the spirit world to cause things to happen.

The Lord gave Balaam a message to give Balak. Embedded within that message was a point everyone needs to know. The Lord determines outcomes, the Lord determines the way things will be, the Lord decides what is to happen and how it is to happen.

Not everybody knows this! Some harbor a delusion they (or other certain people) can effect things through their own agency or at least bring some kind of cosmic, or whatever, pressure to bear on things to determine outcomes. It isn't so. Those things are the exclusive province of God.

We can, of course, ask things of God. And, that doesn't cost money (in spite of what the TV evangelists have to say). However, although God might grant our request, it is his granting, not ours and not those who pay to "make" something happen.

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9. "A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?" Proverbs 20:24.

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,'
declares the Lord.
'As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.'" Isaiah 55:8-11.

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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God Sized Numbers! - 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 22:5b,

"A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me [Balak]."

Here is Balak's (king of Moab) complaint about the nation of Israel as they camped by Moab. He sent his complaint to Balaam, a sorcerer, to fetch him to curse the Israelites. This he did as he was fearful of the size of Israel, and their recent defeat of the Amorites.

It is the description of the size of the Israelite nation that captures my attention this morning.

This book of Numbers is named so after a census was made of the fighting men at the beginning of their sojourn in the wilderness, and a second one at the end, forty years later. The nation began with 603,550 fighting men at the beginning, Numbers 1:45, and Numbers 26:51 tells us there were 601,730 at the end. These numbers indicate there must have been several million Israelites total Moses led through the wilderness for forty years!

The logistics for this horde was staggering! One source, http://www.messianicseder.com/logistics.html claims 4 million pounds of food was needed each day! That would be the equivalent of 3 freight trains a mile long each to bring what was needed every day. The same source calculates the need for 8 million pounds of wood each day for cooking and warmth. 11 million gallons of water would be needed each day for drinking and to wash a few dishes! Those are staggering numbers! The same source says the campground needed for this group would take 750 square miles (about half the state of Rhode Island).

Other sources can be cited and I'm sure there are differences in the logistics numbers required for Israel each day. I'm not certain of the veracity of these numbers I have mentioned but it does point to the amazing sojourn this was!

Because of what would be required to maintain the nation in the wilderness for forty years, it has led some to doubt the literal numbers mentioned in Numbers 1:45 and 26:51. Some move the decimal point three places to the left, that kind of thing.

I'm sticking with the numbers given. Here is just one reason: look at Balak's observation of the nation:
"Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites." Verse 3.
"This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." Verse 4.
"A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me." Verse 5b.
"A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land." Verse 11a.
And Balaam observed, "Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel?" Numbers 23:10.

It is a challenge for me to wrap my mind around some of these things. What God has done is simply stunning!

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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On Being "Given Over" By 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 22:21-22b,

"Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him."

Here is an interesting twist. God was angry with Balaam, a pagan sorcerer, when he left to see Balak who had summoned him. Balak, who was king of Moab and fearful of Israel, wanted Balaam to curse Israel and sent envoys to fetch him. We read in verse 20 that God told Balaam to go ahead and go with the envoys to see Balak. But two verses later we read that God was angry when Balaam went. What gives?

It turns out that prior to God telling Balaam to go in verse 20, God had already told Balaam not to go, verse 12. Following that, Balaam had gone back to the Lord to "find out what else the Lord will tell me." Verse 19. Although he claimed to do only what the Lord told him, verse 18, he nonetheless went back to the Lord to see if he couldn't go ahead and do what he wanted to do in spite of already knowing what the Lord wanted.

The Lord simply gave him over to his own desires (he "loved the wages of wickedness", 2 Peter 2:15). Now Balaam would face God as his opponent.

This reminds me of the way Paul tells us that God gives people over to their sinful impulses and reap the judgement for it. "Therefore God gave them [those who reject God] over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another." Romans 1:24. "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts." Romans 1:26a. "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:28.

The horrific judgment of God can be found by the insistence of a compulsion to sin or oppose God's desires. Those who do so just may find themselves in the appalling and dreadful position of being given over to their sinful impulses by God, only to face his opposition and judgment.

Something to think about here.

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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God Always Fulfills His Promises! - 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 21:31,

"So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites."

Finally, after a 40 year sojourn in the wilderness, Israel began to settle. This is the first mention of them occupying land following their exodus from Egypt, and so, it seems to me to be a pivotal verse in Israel's history. We read in verse 25, "Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements."

This is still on the east side of the Jordan where Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh would be given land. Later, following Moses' death, Israel, led by Joshua, would cross the Jordan and begin the effort of displacing the Canaanites west of the Jordan and taking their land the Lord had given them.

Here we see the Lord's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob unfolding. The Lord always fulfills his promises! The greatest promise of all is his promise of eternal life when we embrace him in faith, "And this is what he promised us—eternal life." 2 John 25.

And, so, the writer of Hebrews encourages us, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23. God's promises are wonderful and he keeps every single one of them!

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 Eternal High Priest - 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 20:25-26,

"Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. Remove Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there."

The Lord told Moses that Aaron would die on Mount Hor because both of them rebelled against the Lord at the waters of Meribah. Neither Moses nor Aaron would be allowed to enter into the land promised to the nation. The Lord told them to go up on Mount Hor and Moses was to remove the priestly garments off of Aaron and place them on his son, Eleazar, who would succeed him as the high priest. Here we see the first passing of the high priest role in Israel.

I am reminded that the passing of the role of priest from one to another is a contrast to the priestly role Jesus occupies.  "Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever." Hebrews 7:23-28.

Earlier in the book, the author of Hebrews explains, "In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer [Jesus Christ] of their salvation perfect through what he suffered."

Knowing that Jesus Christ lives forever and therefore his role as our high priest lasts forever (unlike human high priests), for all eternity, provides us all the assurance that our salvation is as permanent on any given day as another. Our standing with God will never change as Jesus lives forever to intercede with God on our behalf - we are saved completely and eternally. 

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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No Favoritism, No Exceptions - 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 20:13,

"These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them."

About 40 years after Korah's rebellion, the people of Israel began to oppose Moses and Aaron again when there was no water for the community. In Numbers 16 we read that Korah, Dathan and Abiram and others rose up against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, God's chosen leaders. It did not end well for those rebels then, when the earth split apart and "swallowed them", Numbers 16:31-34. Now, some 40 years later a new generation tried its hand at rebellion.

This time it was Moses and Aaron who received the judgment of God when Moses disobeyed God. God had told Moses to speak to a rock in front of the assembly and then he would cause water to gush out of it to provide water. Instead Moses struck the rock twice with the staff. Water gushed out but the Lord told Moses and Aaron they would not be allowed to enter the promised land, just as the generation that rebelled 40 years prior were not allowed to enter into the promised land.

We might speculate why the Lord punished Moses so harshly. Perhaps a wavering of trust as seen in verse 12, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." Possibly that was expressed as Moses disobeyed God. God told Moses to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses spoke to the people and struck the rock, verses 10-11.

In any event, God demonstrated the nature of his justice and holiness by not compromising or showing favoritism to his chosen leaders. All stand before God's righteousness, holiness and justice equally.

I sense there have been some in our day who have taken God's righteousness, holiness and justice towards them somewhat lightly due to their service to him, or their perceived "success" in ministry, as if God might owe them a bit of deference. In this passage we see otherwise, "These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them." Verse 13. 

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 Defilement of Death - 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 19:20-21a,

"But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean. This is a lasting ordinance for them."

The red heifer water of cleansing ritual was provided by the Lord for those who were defiled by a dead body. Those who performed the ritual became unclean themselves as they carried out the cleansing ritual. Some of the occasions mentioned by the Lord as defiling are:
Whoever touches a human corpse, verse 11.
Whoever entered a tent where someone died, and anyone who happened to be in the tent when someone died, verse 14 (even an open container became unclean).
Anyone out in the open who touched a corpse killed with a sword or someone who died naturally, verse 16.
Anyone who touched a human bone or a grave became unclean, verse 16.

Death as represented by a dead body was defiling. Since we all die, isn't death just a natural thing? Why would a normal aspect to life (death) cause defilement? The answer to me is that death is not natural at all. God did not create us for death. Death was something we brought on ourselves: it is God's judgment of all of us because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

God created us for life. Had mankind not rebelled against God, death would not be a feature of our lives. We would live forever. This is why I feel the loss of a loved one is so traumatic for us, it is why we grieve so. It should be a reminder to each of us of the horrific nature of sin and God's judgment of us for it.

The red heifer water of cleansing provided the opportunity for the community of Israel to live in a covenant relationship with God in spite of the reality of the results of God's judgment of sin.

Jesus Christ came to give life, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10b. Following our death, we look forward to the resurrection of life where things will be completely different for those who embrace him in faith, "God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:3-4.

How wonderful is that?!

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 Superior Covenant - 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 19:17-19,

"For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. The man who is clean is to sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean."

Under the law we find a person could become ceremonially "unclean" by coming into contact with a dead body, a grave or even entering into a tent with a dead body in it. This chapter provides the remedy for reestablishing someone within the community were he to become unclean.

The writer of Hebrews references this chapter in Hebrews 9:13-15, "The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."

Here in Hebrews 9 he speaks of the superiority of the new covenant that Jesus Christ made possible by his sacrifice on that miserable cross. God's covenant with Israel made it possible for the nation to remain in good standing with him, but the new covenant provides a purification from sins that allows us into his eternal kingdom!

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 Greatest Gift! - 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 18:21,

"I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting."

In this verse the Lord tells Aaron that he gives all the tithes in Israel to the Levites for their work at the tabernacle.

I notice that "gift" and "give" are prominent words in this chapter. The Lord says he gave the Levites to Aaron and his offspring as a gift to the priests, verse 6. He also tells Aaron that he gave him the service of the priesthood as a gift, verse 7. Eight times the Lord tells Aaron of gifts he gives him, including the tithes mentioned above.

I am reminded of the reality that God is a gift giver. The greatest of all gifts is that which is articulated in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Our salvation is the greatest gift we can receive from anyone! 

This gift is given us from the Lord for simply placing our faith 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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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 18:1,

"The Lord said to Aaron, 'You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.'"

There is a meme we find ubiquitous in the law provided Moses from the Lord. It is actually throughout all Scripture and establishes the Lord's place among mankind. It is a theme we are all familiar with, but not necessarily acted upon. That theme is that the Lord is God and we are members of his creation. As such he decides, he commands, he tells and we are to follow him in obedience.

Note these phrases from this chapter:
"You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility..." verse 1
"They are to be responsible.." verse 3
"You are to be responsible for..." verse 5
"But only you and your sons may serve..." verse 7

Hopefully you see the obvious point I'm making here. The Lord establishes his transcendence over us, his authority, his dominance, his requirements. He tells us what is what.

Among mankind there are many who simply do not recognize God's rightful place in our lives. Many reject the Lord outright and will pay a severe penalty in the judgment following this life. As Paul points out in Romans 9, he is the potter and we are the clay.

What comes to mind this morning, however, is not the atheist or agnostic. It is the thought that many who consider themselves believers fail in the area of obedience. No, I'm not talking about do-gooder things, but the more important things. Say, for instance, the believer that rarely picks up his Bible except on Sunday. How is he to know how to order his life in a manner that recognizes the Lord as his God? How is he going to know what God expects of him? How is he going to know how to please the Lord? One sermon a week will not do!

I am reminded of Paul's counsel to Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

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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On Grumbling - 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 17:10b,

"This will put an end to their grumbling against me [the Lord], so that they [the Israelites] will not die."

Merriam-Webster defines grumble as "to mutter in discontent."

After the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron (and thus, against the Lord), challenging their leadership, the Lord had Moses gather a staff from the leader of each tribe, 12 in all. He had Moses place them in the tabernacle with the direction that whoever's staff sprouted overnight was the man the Lord chose, "The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites." Verse 5.

Grumbling against the Lord, his choices, his will, is the essence of an absence of faith. When we embrace the Lord in faith, it necessarily requires a fear and reverence for who he is and what he is capable of. Being critical of God's choices places anyone in an appalling position with him.

Here are a few verses about grumbling:
"We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel." 1 Corinthians 10:9-10.
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.'" Philippians 2:14-15.
"Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" James 5:9.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:8-9.

As I think about grumbling, Proverbs 19:3 comes to mind, "A person's own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against 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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Slaves to Sin - 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 17:12-13,

"The Israelites said to Moses, 'We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?'"

Here is the response of the Israelites to the budding of Aaron's staff. Due to a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and thus the Lord himself, the Lord had Moses gather staffs from each of the leaders of the tribes of Israel to demonstrate, yet again, who it was that the Lord chose to lead the nation. Moses placed them in the tabernacle and overnight Aaron's rod had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

What strikes me this morning is the response of the Israelites. It sounds as though they were scared to death of what the Lord might do to them - and rightfully so! Yet Israel continued in their rebellion against the Lord and the choices the Lord made. In chapter 21, for instance, we will read of yet another rebellious episode where the Israelites spoke against God and Moses resulting in the Lord sending venomous snakes among them.

It seems as though no matter the fevered pitch of fear and dread God's response to their rebellion brought them, they continued in their rebellious ways. Sin and rebellion absolutely dominated their lives as demonstrated in their terror of what God might do to them for it, and yet, persist in it. They were utterly mastered by sin.

We all share in that proclivity to sin. However, the Lord has made a way for us. Paul tells us, "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. How wonderful is that?!

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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Holding the Lord 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 16:46-48,

"Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.' So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped."

Chapter 16 of the book of Numbers contains momentous events that convulsed the nation of Israel. Some of the leaders of Israel challenged Moses and Aaron, which was tantamount to challenging the Lord himself. The Lord had appointed Moses and Aaron to lead the nation and at this point Korah, Dathan, Abiram and others challenged them, "They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?'" Verse 3.

The response of the Lord was horrific. The earth opened up and swallowed these rebellious leaders and their entire households alive, "...  the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, 'The earth is going to swallow us too!'" Verses 31-34.

If this were not enough, the very next day the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron, "You have killed the Lord's people", verse 41. This time the Lord struck the nation with a deadly plague. Moses sent Aaron into the midst of the people with a censer of incense to atone for the people. The Lord stopped the plague but not until 14,700 people had died.

I am reminded of a verse that is vital to be aware of: "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

We serve our wonderful God of love who sent his Son to make atonement for us. But woe to those who simply regard him as their lovey-dovey abba-daddy. (There is some misunderstanding regarding Romans 8:15 where Paul says, "And by him [the Holy Spirit] we cry, 'Abba, Father.'") God is to be feared in a reverence he is due from us.

God is holy and righteous and visits horrific judgment on all who are dismissive of him. That judgment awaits the end of the age, but it is certainly on its way.

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 Lord Wants Us All! - 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 15:15-16,

"The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you."

Here the Lord makes clear that the law he gave Moses was to apply to Jew and Gentile (the "foreigner") alike. For Gentiles who became a part of the Israelite community, they were held to the same expectations by the Lord.

Stated in the negative we read, "But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel. Because they have despised the Lord's word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them." Verse 30.

The purpose of the law was not to establish a standing of righteousness before the Lord. On the contrary, the law was put in place by the Lord to show people how inadequate they were for gaining or maintaining a righteous standing with him. The result that was desired by the Lord was to convince all they needed to throw themselves at the feet of God's mercy and embrace the salvation he offers.

Here is Paul's observation of this in Romans 3:20-25, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith."

Where Jesus Christ first presented the gospel to Israel, we see that from the beginning the Lord intended to extend his plan of redemption to Jew and Gentile alike. God wants us all! "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4.

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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