Numbers 33:40-35:34
Numbers 33:40-56
Vs. 40-49 This is a continuation from
yesterday's overview of Israel's wanderings. Verse 40 is the event mentioned in
Numbers 21.
Vs. 48-49 This is the final place Moses would
lead them to. You see that it is on the east side of the Jordan, opposite
Jericho. At this point Jericho was probably experiencing a "level orange"
alert status.
Vs. 50-56 God has Moses tell the people what
they are to do in taking possession of the land. Part of their job was to
cleanse the land. God was judging the people of Canaan and those people knew
this. Israel had been in the wilderness for 40 years and so everyone knew about
Israel. When the spies talk to Rehab in Jericho, we'll find out that the people
in Canaan knew this was coming. The people could have fled from God's judgment.
In this description is a sense of joy and
fulfillment. They would take possession of the land promised to Abraham and it
was a nice place.
But, God gives them the first of many
warnings to make sure they drive the people completely out of the land. This
wasn't just God giving Israel someone else's land. God was punishing these
people. His witness to the Canaanites was finished, and they hadn't listened to
Melchizedek and others. This people, these cultures, were sick and were to be
cleansed out of the land. Israel is warned, and the sad thing is that we know
they won't listen. Israel, along with many of its kings, including Solomon,
will be idolaters. Idolatry won't be removed from Israel until after the
Babylonian exile.
Numbers 34
Vs. 1-12 This isn't all of Israel, but just
the land the 9.5 tribes will divide. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 Manasseh
occupy the eastern side of the Jordan. There is a map at the end of this
document, from Wikipedia, that shows the boundaries of Israel as given here and
then later in Ezekiel 47.
Keep in mind that these boundaries do not
include what Abraham was promised in Genesis 15:8. David would come close to
what was promised Abe during his reign, though David only received tribute from
some of those northern areas. During the Millennial Kingdom the full promise to
Abraham will be realized.
V. 11 The Sea of Chinnereth is the Sea of
Galilee.
Vs. 13-15 This is what the 2.5 tribes would
possess toward the sunrise.
Vs. 16-29 It is interesting that the Lord
selected these men. Joshua and Eleazar were the leaders, and right up there with
them, mentioned first, is Caleb.
Numbers 35
Vs. 1-8 The Levitical cities were not just
places for the Levites to live. God could have put them all around the
tabernacle like He did in the wilderness. Instead, the Levites were spread out
among the people and were supposed to have a good influence on the nation,
copying the books of Moses and teaching the people the Bible. The tithes that
came in wouldn't have been enough to care for all of the Levites, so the people
were to share their land and cities with them. This really presupposed that the
people had faith in God to follow and understood the importance of the Levites.
Vs. 9-15 The cities of refuge were interesting. What hit me was the idea that
even in an accidental death, there was an avenger who would seek out the
killer. Even if it were proven that the death was a totally freak accident and
the "killer" was innocent, he had to live in the city and couldn't go
outside until the high priest died. If he did stray outside and the avenger was
still mad, the avenger could kill him without penalty. Sounds like Texas.
Apparently, even in accidental death it would be looked at as God taking a hand
in the action, calling one person to stand in His presence, and assigning the
other person to live in a city of refuge for the rest of his life. This was an
object lesson. Life was sacred and guilt was upon anyone who took a life.
Imagine what this law should have meant for
David and for his son Absalom, both of whom were murderers.
Vs. 16-21 This was the description of death
by murder.
Vs. 22-29 This was the case of someone who
accidentally killed someone.
Vs. 30-34 This is an amazing statement by
God. In all of what is explained here, you can see a connection to us and our
sin. If our sin and guilt before God can only be paid for by our life or blood,
the only thing that could save us would be a ransom in the form of the blood of
a holy redeemer. That is the message we take with us into the harvest. It is
what Jesus did for us to save us. Without Him, like the person mentioned in
this section, each of us could only pay for our sin with our own death and
condemnation before God.
Luke 5:12-28
Vs. 12-16 We've seen this story before. After
telling the people in Nazareth that the only person ever cured of leprosy was a
Syrian, Jesus heals the first Israelite leper, who promptly disobeys Him. From
what we have read in Leviticus, if you touched a leper you would be unclean.
Not only did Jesus cleanse the leper, but He laid His hand upon him. Jesus was
showing the Jews, and Luke is showing the nations, that Jesus was not only
compassionate, but that He had power to cleanse because He was the holy Son of
God. He couldn't be made "unclean."
Vs. 17-26 What is interesting here are the
visitors. This is early in His ministry, and Jesus had already had a run-in
with the leaders in Jerusalem. They even sent Nicodemus to interview Jesus. Now
the Jews (Jewish leaders) were investigating Him again. Those words,
"Arise, take up your pallet and walk," will become haunting when
these same leaders hear them again in Jerusalem coming out of the mouth of a
man who has just been healed. When they say, "Who is the man who told
you….," they will be remembering this incident. See John 5.
It is interesting that in Numbers 35:30-34,
it says that there was no ransom for someone who had shed blood. But here we
have Jesus saying that He has the authority to forgive sins. The way He would
do that is through the shedding of His own blood, to pay for sin and to ransom
us.
Vs. 27-28 Levi was ready to follow, knowing
that Jesus was willing to stand against the religious authorities and accept
him. If Jesus had compassion for a leper and a paralytic and was willing to
touch them and forgive them, then He must be accepting of tax collectors too.
The fact that Jesus' choice of disciples was to the lower, less educated people
might have been overlooked as a noble thing. But to choose a tax collector as a
disciple was almost criminal.
The thing that excites me about following
Christ in the harvest is that our message is such that all can understand it
and grasp it regardless of culture, education or class. In fact, Jesus thanked
the Father that the truth was hidden from the "wise and
understanding," and was instead, revealed to babes. It still mystifies me
that one person hears the Word and it does little for him and another person
hears the same Word, and it ignites him to follow Christ and give everything to
serve Him in the harvest. There is a spiritual decision and a spiritual love
for Christ that transcends every barrier or human qualification.
Psalm 65
This is a true psalm of praise and worship
from David. There is no threat or danger. The fact that Zion is mentioned gives
me the sense that this is after David was king of the entire nation and before
he fell in the situation with Bathsheba. These were times of experiencing the
rewards of waiting on the Lord and seeing the greatness of His deliverance and
blessings.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT, p. 841,
suggests that this may have been a worship song to have been sung yearly at the
Feast of the Firstfruits, or as it was also called, the Feast of Weeks, or as
it was also called, Pentecost. Now, thinking about Pentecost and the birth of
the church and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the joy and thankfulness this
psalm expresses should be ours because of the presence of the Spirit in our
hearts as we follow Christ in the harvest.
Vs. 1-4 Notice that in this praise it
mentions that all flesh (all people)
will come to God. So often when David expresses His praise of God's greatness,
it becomes an offer for all nations. That is the continuance of the promise to
Adam and Eve as seen in the promise to Abraham. All nations will be blessed.
Notice that David not only mentions the
atoning for sin, but, as he has said so often, also the desire he had to dwell
in God's courts and in His house.
Vs. 5-8 The God of our salvation is also the
hope of all the ends of the earth. His ability to save is shown in that as
creator, all the forces of creation have to bow to Him. And even with all this
power, God's signs of His power and control are seen in the joy of every
morning and every evening.
Vs. 9-13 David expressed God's love toward
mankind in providing all the elements of the harvest, from the first drop of
rain, to the final shout of joy. It all is a result of God's grace and
blessing. I wonder how many of us appreciate that.
Proverbs 11:23
The desire
of the righteous is formed by the desire of God. This truth has nothing to
do with acquiring stuff or seeking peace and comfort. This person could be poor
and unknown, but because of the love of God and following Christ, his will is
to do God's will; and so it always ends in good, and eventually, life forever
with God.
For the wicked,
Jesus said they shall not see life. To think of the irony of living 80 years
and never having seen life. And then too, the wrath of God rests upon them. And, so we keep on praying and
working in the harvest.
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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