Numbers 14:1-15:16
Numbers 14
Vs. 1-10 When we read this, we have to
remember that we are no better than the people here. I'm often tempted to think
of these people or the people in Jesus' day as some lower category of dumb
humanity. At times, I see this kind of irrationality in me, and being a pastor,
I've definitely seen it in churches. It is tough for us, even with the Spirit,
to live with raw obedience and faith rooted in God that is constant and
enduring from day to day and from situation to situation. You can't explain
this irrationality with any word other than "sin." It is a small word
with power that staggers the imagination.
V. 5 After the people made their decision in
v. 4, Moses and Aaron fell on their
faces. They knew what was coming and there was only one place to appeal for
mercy for the people. The people of this generation did not see the
cause/effect link between sin and punishment, especially as it had to do with
the whole congregation suffering for the sins of the few. The next generation
would learn this lesson.
Vs. 6-10 Joshua and Caleb understood what was
happening, too, and jumped in to try to speak sense to the crowd and direct
them to faith in following God. The decision of the congregation to stone
Joshua and Caleb was the last straw.
This is probably a good time to share
something with you that is kind of exciting for me. Back in Genesis 49 when
Jacob blesses his sons, as expected, he gave Joseph a huge blessing. The
blessing of Joseph would be transferred to Joe's son, Ephraim, whom Jacob
blessed as the firstborn. But what is surprising is Jacob's blessing on Judah.
Looking at the proportion of text, Judah really gets a "lion's" share.
So, how did the blessing of Jacob to his sons play out? God's blessing is often
seen in giving leadership. Look closely at the tribes Joshua and Caleb come
from. Do you think that it's a coincidence that these men will be two of the
leaders who will lead the nation into Canaan in about 39 years?
V. 10 God moved in to protect Joshua and
Caleb. Now He will issue judgment.
Vs. 11-38 We could spend a couple of days in
this section, but it's ok not to, since you'll read this again next year and
maybe someone will preach on it in between. You'll learn a lot about Moses in
this section. You'll learn more about God. As disciples reading this account,
we can learn about ourselves and working with others. All of what we're reading
applies to Christians, and Paul refers to this history in dealing with the
church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 10 as a very solemn warning.
Vs. 11-19 God tested Moses' heart and Moses
passed.
Notice in vs. 18 and 19 Moses refers back to
his encounter with God on Mt. Sinai, when God revealed Himself to Moses in a
very deep way (Ex. 33:12-34:8). Notice that in Exodus God says that He would
make His goodness pass before Moses. That understanding of God's character,
restated here, is what helped Moses stand secure as a leader for the people in
this time of crisis.
Vs. 20-25 Wow! God pardoned, but boy did He
punish. What's amazing is that out of all the men older than 20, only Joshua
and Caleb will enter the land. This was a total, heartfelt rebellion of
everyone. Except for a few men, in 40 years the oldest man walking into the
Promised Land would be only 60.
(One note is that it doesn't say that the
Levites fell under this punishment. They weren't represented by the spies.
Aaron's son Eleazar does enter the land. Eleazar would have had to have been
much older than twenty when this happened.)
At this point they were on a highway that led
from Egypt to Canaan. Now God would be leading them back into the wilderness.
Vs. 26-35 The complaint of the people becomes
their punishment and the children they used in their argument will inherit the
promise. What interesting years these will be. Someone has figured that for
this generation to die in the wilderness, there would have to be 400+ funerals
a day for the next 38 years. They would be living in a camp of death. The
lessons of following God would be emphasized by the daily mourning in the camp
for the ones who rebelled against God. Every day the people would understand
that the sins of a few can lead to the death of thousands.
V. 34 When we add this up later, the entire
40 years will be measured from the time the people left Egypt, which would have
been the entire time they were in the wilderness. Actually, the first thing the
people did when they left Egypt was to complain and want to go back.
Vs. 36-38 It is interesting that God
immediately punished the 10 spies. At the same time, two very spiritual men
were honored by God.
Vs. 39-45 This is kind of typical and very
sad. Rather than repenting and praying and seeking God, they disobey and expect
the Lord to bless them.
God knew this was going to happen. So, what
do you learn about Him? God promised to lead them into the land and it was a
valid offer. They could see His love and His power every day. But these people
were not ready and they proved it. The people were judged rightly for their sin
and rebellion. Now God uses this entire generation as a lesson for the next
generation to make them ready to enter the land. But what an education. The
next generation learns the lesson, but at the great cost of lives lost and time
lost. God works the same way today. His use of time and people and their
rebellion is righteous, but outside of our ability to understand.
For us as disciples, we need to understand
that God's plans can't be frustrated. He knew what was going to happen and used
the rebellion for good. Even the disasters and our service for Him are known by
Him. Regardless of what happens in our service for Him, our challenge is to
follow Him as if following is the only goal, and not to be eaten up with
considerations of time, money and success. Our expectations regarding things
like "success" and "time" and "return on
investment" don't mean much to God. Jesus defined success as, Whoever has my commandments and keeps them,
he it is who loves me. God's power has not been diminished. His plan since
the Fall has not changed. If we can grasp that, as we follow Christ in the
harvest, it will give us a lot more peace and security. Imagine the frustration
of guys like Joshua and Caleb who loved God and had the faith, but now because
of 10 guys everything was ruined. But they waited with God and followed Him
every day. If we are following Christ as disciples on earth, our home is in
heaven and our life and times are in His hands. We are servants working for Him
here, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. That's got to
be enough.
Numbers 15:1-16
Now, believe it or not, we are in a time
warp. We have no idea when God said this to Moses. It could very well be that
10-30 years have passed between chapters 14 and 15. Chapter 20 will take place
on the first month of the 40th year. We know that, because soon afterward Aaron
will die, and the date of his death is given in Numbers 33:38.
This is the reason why chapter 15 goes on as
if nothing happened in chapter 14. During the 40 years of wandering, the new
generation is learning and absorbing the law. They are becoming a nation. These
commands are an addition to the sacrifices for a fellowship offering.
Ironically, these were offerings of thanks and celebration to please the Lord
when the people expressed their joy for being brought into the land. After
chapter 14, it is ironic that the Lord would teach a new generation how to
express thanks in their sacrifices as they were being prepared to come into the
Promised Land.
Mark 14:53-72
Vs. 55-59 In the name of God, they were
seeking testimony from liars so they could justify killing Jesus, but it wasn't
working. How frustrating for them.
Vs. 60-65 You can only be awed by the power
of sin. Jesus' words in v. 62 are clear.
V. 64 All who were there condemned Jesus,
meaning that both Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who were members of the Council, hadn't been invited.
Vs. 66-72 Notice how much space Mark gives to
this. Mark was that failed servant who ran away from Paul and Barnabas on the
first missionary journey. After Barnabas restored Mark and got him back into
ministry, Mark became the companion of Peter. Peter had also been a failed
servant. I'm sure the reason that God made sure Peter's story was in all the
Gospels is for us. Peter failed and yet later became a great follower in the
harvest. For us too, it is never too late. The Lord is always standing before
us, ready to forgive and restore and welcome us to follow Him in the harvest.
Psalm 53
Vs. 1-3 Paul quotes from these verses in
Romans 3:10-12, showing that all men are under the power of sin. What an
interesting psalm to read today, after reading about Israel and Jesus' trial.
This applies to all men, and we would be just as bad if not for God's grace to
us.
I was thinking about the fool saying, There is no God. I have never seen
anything explode and produce nearly perfect spheres. Everything we have that is
round was made by someone. Yet we look into the sky and see the sun and moon
and think that these were produced by an explosion. How silly.
Vs. 4-5 As David wrote this, he was most
likely still running from King Saul. Those who were saying in their hearts that
God didn't exist were the people doing this. That tells me that they probably
"said" God didn't exist, not so much by their words, but by their
actions. They thought they could do evil (like Saul having Doeg kill the
priests) and get away with it.
V. 6 With the promises God had made to
Abraham and had made to David personally (Samuel's anointing of David to be
king), David knew that in spite of his hardship, God would bring justice to
victory and that all would rejoice.
Proverbs 11:4
Amen.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/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 complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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