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!

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 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!

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.