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 23:9b,
"I [Balaam] - see a people [Israel] who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations."
Balaam was a pagan sorcerer who was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel because he felt threatened by them when they moved close to his border. When Balaam went off by himself to get the word on cursing Israel, the Lord spoke to him and gave him something to take back to Balak. In the midst of what the Lord gave to Balaam, the above observation was made.
Balaam saw Israel as a people who "live apart" and did not "consider themselves one of the nations." I find the observation truthful and accurate (well, it was a part of what the Lord gave to Balaam to take back to Balak, so it had to be truthful and accurate!) As a nation, Israel stands alone from all other nations.
Israel has been the only nation that has had a covenant with God. Here is Paul's summation of the unique aspect of Israel as God's covenant nation, "Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9:4-5.
No other nation ever has had this place in God's economy of things. Israel has a unique relationship with God, as Balaam observed how the Israelites viewed themselves, they "live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations." That unique relationship continues today, "as far as election is concerned, they [Israel] are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:28b-29.
God has inaugurated a new covenant with mankind, but it is with individuals, and not with a nation. Under the terms of this new covenant, members of all nations participate. Israel has been the only nation chosen by God for his purposes of bringing his Son into the world and for bringing and persisting his word, the Scriptures, into the world. Truly not just one of the nations!
Israel is a special nation. A nation that was created by God for his purposes. It has always been a special nation set apart from the family of all nations of the earth to be used by God in his inscrutable ways.
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.
"I [Balaam] - see a people [Israel] who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations."
Balaam was a pagan sorcerer who was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel because he felt threatened by them when they moved close to his border. When Balaam went off by himself to get the word on cursing Israel, the Lord spoke to him and gave him something to take back to Balak. In the midst of what the Lord gave to Balaam, the above observation was made.
Balaam saw Israel as a people who "live apart" and did not "consider themselves one of the nations." I find the observation truthful and accurate (well, it was a part of what the Lord gave to Balaam to take back to Balak, so it had to be truthful and accurate!) As a nation, Israel stands alone from all other nations.
Israel has been the only nation that has had a covenant with God. Here is Paul's summation of the unique aspect of Israel as God's covenant nation, "Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9:4-5.
No other nation ever has had this place in God's economy of things. Israel has a unique relationship with God, as Balaam observed how the Israelites viewed themselves, they "live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations." That unique relationship continues today, "as far as election is concerned, they [Israel] are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:28b-29.
God has inaugurated a new covenant with mankind, but it is with individuals, and not with a nation. Under the terms of this new covenant, members of all nations participate. Israel has been the only nation chosen by God for his purposes of bringing his Son into the world and for bringing and persisting his word, the Scriptures, into the world. Truly not just one of the nations!
Israel is a special nation. A nation that was created by God for his purposes. It has always been a special nation set apart from the family of all nations of the earth to be used by God in his inscrutable ways.
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.
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