March 11, Reading Notes

Numbers 15:17-16:40

Num. 15:17-31

It is pretty amazing that after such a fiasco as Kadesh-Barnea, the Lord just shifts gears and addresses what they should do when they come into the land. It won't be for another 38 years, but in these years, they will become an obedient nation.

The law of the dough is a perpetual yearly celebration in remembrance of God bringing them into the land. Paul alludes to this in Romans 11:16, "If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump; and if the root is holy, so are the branches."

Vs. 22-26 are what a group of people, like a family or town, are supposed to do when they find out that they have been making a mistake, for example, forgetting to leave the corners of the fields unharvested for the poor. Once they realize their mistake, they are to seek God's forgiveness as a community.

The idea here, emphasized in what they have just seen, is that the sins of a few can cause harm to everyone.

Vs. 27-31 This is the same law, but for an individual. This isn't like a speeding ticket. This is self enforced, but from the understanding that the person has sinned, though without intending to, and that this could bring some judgment on himself or others.

What is hard for us to grasp is that the sins of a few can lead to many people being disappointed or harmed. God was underscoring this principle and we'll see this in action at the end of Joshua.

God does mention a "high handed" sin, that is, the person knows he's violating. In this case he wouldn't be shown grace or mercy. It is interesting that it says, "because he has despised the Word of the Lord."

Num. 15:32-36

And here is a case in point. Now, if this person was in danger of freezing or needed the sticks to save a life or get an animal out of a pit, he would have been let off the hook. This person must have stood out like a sore thumb since all Israel kept the Sabbath at this point. It was simply a disregard of the Sabbath, probably because looking for sticks, to burn during the week, was easier to do on the Sabbath, since everyone was staying at home on the Sabbath and no one else was looking for sticks, sort of like shopping at Wal-Mart© at midnight.

Notice that there was a private and then a public process.

Num. 15:37-41

This is very interesting. All people were to sew tassels on the corners of all of their garments. And I might add, for all time. The purpose of the tassel was to remind them to obey the Word of the Lord and to be holy to the Lord. Not only would this be a visual reminder for them, but everyone in the world would notice this. Imagine what they said in Paris? Again, all of life in Israel was symbolic of God's special love and relationship to His people, and everything they did, each day, had a symbolic value to help keep them on track.

In a very interesting way, God has done this for us, too, as disciples. I gave my life to Christ in July-August of 1975. I have never, for an hour, forgotten that I belong to Christ. I never imagine that I'm not with God and I instantly begin talking to Him. I have never looked at lost people and not felt the need to talk to them and understood the difference and not realized they were lost. I have never not thought that reading my Bible everyday was a vital necessity in my life. I have never thought it would be ok not to pray. I mean, you know the Lord.

Now it doesn't mean I've done everything well, but the daily visual reminder thing has been there, and active, even when I've been disobedient. It is the Spirit. I'm sure when I get to heaven and meet Him, the Spirit will say, "Dan, I can't tell you what a challenge you were. If I wasn't God, I'd have given up. In fact, one time, you almost made me swear." (In Milwaukee, all good Catholic parents tell their kids, often, "You're enough to make an angel swear." Growing up, I heard that quite a bit and it worked its way into my theology. :) But thank God that the Spirit is God. If I've done anything worthwhile and if I've grown at all, it has been because of the daily reminder and conviction and refocus that the Living Spirit of God has given to me. And to you, too.

Num. 16:1-40

The time of waiting and disappointment drew some people to the Lord in humility and patience. Those with rebellious hearts had their hearts exposed.

If you listen to what Korah and Dathan say, their real discontent was with Moses' leadership. The disappointment at Kadesh-Barnea didn't make them see God clearer. It made them blinder. All of this was exposing the hearts of people who didn't desire to follow God.

His words in v. 3 make me think that Korah was a fighting fundy (fundamentalist). Now if you are saying this to a dead church structure, as men did at different periods of time (Luther, Calvin, the PBs), informing them of the right of everyman to forge his own relationship with God and to understand the Word for himself, that's Ok and wunderbar. If you are standing up in your local church where everyone is a believer, and they're not in doctrinal error, and you're telling the leaders that you don't recognize their leadership because you have a Bible just like they do and you're just as equipped to be a leader, you might be Korah. I've met several Korahs, eyeball to eyeball. What fun. And I've seen a church that was reaching lost people, destroyed by them.

V. 4 looks familiar. Moses hears this and knows what the Lord will do. He immediately pleads for mercy before the Lord. This is not Moses protecting himself. Moses knows that this will hurt the nation and many will suffer, being swept along with this man's influence. More pastors and leaders need to be on their faces before the Lord more often, when the flames of discord are still small.

V. 6, Moses knows he doesn't need to defend himself. This is seen by the Lord and the Lord is the one who decides. Think of how often Paul talks about God's choice in gifting us for ministry (Eph. 4:7ff, Rom. 12:3-6, 1Cor. 12:11). It is God's choice if one person has the gift and another doesn't. Korah didn't get that memo, but it should have been obvious to him that if God never talked to him, that was God's choice, not Moses' fault. That the descendents of Aaron were chosen to be priests, was not Aaron's fault. God made the choice. Moses just tells everyone who is "special" to show up before the Lord with his censer and God will decide. Boy, I wish I could have used that line.

V. 20, The Lord recognizes this rebellion and unbelief as typical of the entire congregation of adults. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, again, before the Lord, pleading for the congregation. If you remember, in Genesis, Abraham did something like this pleading for Lot when he was told Sodom would be destroyed.

Vs. 25-35, We should all be glad God doesn't do this anymore. It might make church discipline easier, but our churches would be emptier.

Vs. 36-40, This story will continue into tomorrow, but here it is interesting to see that God uses the metal from the censers to plate the altar as a symbol that He has chosen Aaron and his sons to serve Him in the Holy Place and burn incense.

The tragedy in this story is something that applies to us, too. Everyone in Israel was chosen. Everyone had been rescued from Egypt. Everyone had a message to tell a "non-Jew" about the one true God. In not appreciating that degree of "chosenness," and seeking something else or something more, they were actually admitting they didn't appreciate what they had been given. Does that sound like something that can happen to a disciple?

We are all chosen to be ambassadors of Christ, not pastor or teachers. Our mission is to a lost world, not to have our voices recognized above or among other voices. We are all to function as the church outside that building we call the church. The testimony we give to a lost world is actually, "giving glory to God for His mercy." (Romans 15:9) When we no longer appreciate God's mercy to us, and we have our eyes set on other things, we no longer have anything to say to a lost world, and therefore we don't. As disciples, we are all chosen and we are all blessed in Christ. That "church" thing that happens is merely meant to be a clearing in the harvest where you, tired and weary, come in from the harvest, to get your feet washed, your heart strengthened and your vision refocused on our Savior and our mission. Then you go back out. And those servants who washed and strengthened and served you, go back out, too, but God has gifted them, along with their work in the harvest, to serve you, too. "Church" isn't supposed to be a thing, an organization of personalities. It is a clearing in the field to serve the harvesters. Accept your God-given mission with humility and grace.

I was reading this this morning and it speaks to my heart. Mark 5:18 And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But he refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.

Mark 15

I just have a couple of things here.

Mark mentions Simon of Cyrene as the father of Alexander and Rufus. The believers in Rome, to whom this was written, must have known A&R.

Mark was probably there with the apostle John, close at hand to witness everything and hear the words of those who passed by and taunted Jesus.

Only Mark mentions that Jesus was crucified at the 3rd hour. 6am was hour 0, so the 3rd hour is 9am.

The curtain being torn from top to bottom makes you think of the stroke of an angelic sword, even if you're not a Frank Peretti fan.

V. 40, Notice that Mark expected his readers to know James and Jose. Salome is the mother of the apostles James and John. Salome is the sister of Jesus' mother, Mary, who was on hand and spoken to by Jesus on the cross, but not mentioned here by Mark.

V. 43, Joseph was part of the Sanhedrin, like Nicodemus, and like Nick, not a part of this crime. He needed courage to step out like this.

V.44, Only Mark mentions Pilate getting confirmation from the centurion. The Roman readers would have known that Jesus was pronounced dead by the Roman authorities.

One side note here, I'm not sure who organized the order of the books of the Bible, besides God. But it is genius to begin the year reading through one Gospel after the next. There is the repetition of the first 3, sort of keeping the images fresh, adding to each other in small ways. Then you get the Gospel of John, which is very unique, yet, adding to the events you've already read three times. As disciples, I can't think of a better way to begin the year. And, we end the year with Jesus on a throne, and this mess put to rest.

Psalm 54

This is a Psalm written by David, on the run, while he was still sweating. Personally, I'm not concerned about the "return the evil to my enemies" parts, but my heart aches for the "O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth" parts.

Proverbs 11:5-6

And I read this and just think that "my righteousness" is simply the pestering of the Spirit within me, directing this stubborn heart to bow before the love and Word of God.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.