And Such Were Some of You
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 23 – 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Ephesians 1 – 3; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “0308 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:” – (Deuteronomy 26:5)
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” – (Psalm 40:2)
“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” – (Jude 1:23)
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Read again Deuteronomy 26:1 – 11
In this passage, the Israelite was commanded to bring a firstfruit offering to the House of God and then he was to recite a statement to the priests acknowledging that he remembered where he was when God found him. Actually, he was really speaking on behalf of the nation in that he was recognizing that God took Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees and brought him into the Promised Land. He also was acknowledging that all of the blessings that he was enjoying was given to him by God.
There are a lot of ways that we can apply the principle found in this passage. First, I believe that God would want us to keep fresh in our minds what it was like for us when we were not saved. I think as time goes on in our Christian life, we tend to forget about where God delivered us from. We were lost, without direction, without purpose, without eternal hope, and without God’s blessings on our lives. God truly did bring us up out of “an horrible pit,” and literally plucked us from the fire. Don’t let time dim the memory of where you came from.
Secondly, because we remember what it was like before God saved us, we need to express our appreciation to Him for all of the things that He has done for us now that we are His children. Besides just a future home in Heaven, God abundantly provides for our needs here on the earth and He protects us from many of the harmful things that plague those that don’t have a relationship with Christ. He also give us purpose, a reason for living. We have been priveledged with the task of being His ambassadors to this fallen world. All because of salvation. Don’t forget where you came from. Realize that if it wasn’t for the marvelous grace of God, you could still be there.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
God Is With You
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 19 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Galatians 4 – 6; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – SSMicah 6:8
Read the “0307 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Feminine and Modest.”
“1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)
In the reading today from Deuteronomy 19 – 22, Moses is continuing to give various laws that the people of God would be following when they moved into the land of Canaan. Some of these laws make perfect sense to us but others seem strange for us today and some of them come across as very stern, but they were given by God to ensure that Israel was truly a nation set apart by the Lord, very different from the lawless and godless people who lived in the land before Israel. A place where things were done decently and in order; a nation where crime was dealt with severely and where neighbors truly acted in kindness and love toward one another.
One particular passage that drew my attention was Deuteronomy 20:1 – 9 which discusses what the people should do when they were at war with another nation. God wanted Israel to be assured that though an opposing army had more numbers, better weapons, and superior equipment, that did not mean that they would win. Why? Because God promised to fight for Israel. Israel had God on their side. One proverb states:
“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)
There is a story in 2 Kings 6 that illustrates this principle perfectly. Elisha and his servant were in the city of Dothan when an army from Syria with many horses and chariots surrounded the city intending to attack it and capture Elisha. The servant was very afraid but Elisha told him: “… Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed that God would open the eyes of the servant so that he could see the army of angels that were protecting them:
“16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:16-17)
The Syrians had that superior earthly army but was powerless against Israel when God and His army of angels was fighting for them. That is exactly the idea that is conveyed in Deuteronomy 20.
Though this promise of superior military power was given to Israel as they were possessing the land that God promised them, I believe it could also be applied today to the nation today that is fighting for righteousness and living for God.
“12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)
America was once a nation like that. However, though we were founded upon biblical principles and framed our constitution with laws that reflected God’s righteousness, we have gradually moving away from where we started, and certainly away from God.
I believe this principle could also be applied to the church or even the individual Christian who is fighting against the world and the Devil (and sometimes even his own flesh) and is trying to fulfill God’s will. If you are doing what God wants you to do in the place that God has called you to, you can be assured that God will be with you; He will help you to do His work.
Before we conclude the discussion of this passage, let’s read a little further and see what God has to say about some within the congregation who may have been excused from the fighting:
“5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. 7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.” (Deuteronomy 20:5-9)
These verses remind us that there are sometimes good reasons for a person to be exempted from fighting or service. It must be emphasized, however, that these were not merely lame excuses like sometimes people might use today to get out of jury duty. They were legitimate hardships that would temporarily prevent someone from serving. There might be some other legitimate reasons for exemption not specifically covered by the four mentioned here as well.
By the way, the last exemption given in this passage regarding being “fearful and fainthearted,” was not for people who were a little apprehensive or nervous about fighting. Any normal person would be at least a little bit fearful when going to war. The passage here is referring to people who were so debilitatingly afraid to the extreme that their fear would potentially endanger the soldiers around them. They were not mentally fit to fight.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Lord Blesses Those Who Bless Others
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 15 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Galatians 1 – 3; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read the “0306 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Did You Write Your Bible Today?”
“1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. 6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. 7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.” (Deuteronomy 15:1-8)
In our reading today, God, through Moses, is continuing to prepare the Israelites for life in their new home. They are about ready to cross the Jordan River and possess the Land of Canaan. God promises them that He is going to bless them abundantly and that they would have way more than they needed; so much so, that God commands them to release anybody that owed them money of the debt that they owed every seven years. Every seventh year, all debts would be forgiven. The reason why the creditors could do this was because God was going to see to it that they would make so much in the first six years that the loss they took in the seventh year would not matter. The shrewd and selfish businessman might think that he would only lend out money in the early part of the six years so that he could make the most interest on the debt as possible, but God commanded them to make sure the poor people got the money they needed even if it was close to the seventh year. The fact is that God made sure that His people were very prosperous, though He acknowledged that there would always be a few poor among them. However, in a godless society there is more than just a few poor, there will be many who are poor and few that are prosperous. The blessings that God gave Israel made the whole nation prosperous with few exceptions, which allowed them to be very generous with the relatively small number of poor people who were among them.
“11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
“7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.” (Mark 14:7)
How much is enough? When will you have enough that you finally get to the place where you can start giving some of the excess away to others that have a need? I am reminded of the conversation that Esau had with his brother Jacob. Jacob had prepared a valuable gift of livestock for his brother, but Esau said: “I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself” (Genesis 33:9). The problem with most of us is that we think that we will never have enough and that what we have will run out, and that fear keeps us from giving away anything. The truth is, however, that when we realize that God is the source of everything that we have and that God wants us to be generous to others, we can then let go; and when we finally let go, God blesses us with more. I have had this struggle my whole life. I worry about running out, but God keeps giving us more. God just keeps giving to us, but He expects us to keep giving back to Him by giving to the work of the Lord and by giving to people who have need.
Consider the following verses from Proverbs:
“He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.” (Proverbs 14:31)
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” (Proverbs 19:17)
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” (Proverbs 21:13)
“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)
“He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” (Proverbs 28:27)
“The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.” (Proverbs 29:7)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Rejoice Before the Lord
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 9 – 13; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “0305 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.” (Deuteronomy 12:7)
“And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.” (Deuteronomy 12:12)
“But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.” (Deuteronomy 12:18 KJV)
“And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,” (Deuteronomy 14:26)
In each of the verses above the people of God were commanded by the Lord to come to the place that the Lord would choose, and there they were to bring their offerings, whether they be the “firstlings” of their flocks, or the tithe of their crops, or even in some cases they were to bring an equivalent value of their offering in money, with which they could then purchase an appropriate offering. The place of the Lord’s choosing was wherever the Tabernacle of the congregation would be set up. Eventually, the Temple would be built in Jerusalem, which would be the permanent place for the Lord’s people to assemble. Anyway, once at the temple they were to eat “before the Lord” of the sacrifices that they had brought, and rejoice.
Here is how the process worked: God gave the people commandments to live by in their new land. As long as the people obeyed the Lord and kept Him first in their lives, He would bless them with abundant provision and prosperity. Every once in a while, God wanted them to gather together, and sort of have a celebration with Him, rejoicing in all that He had done for them. He wanted them to come to where He decided, and celebrate His abundant provision with Him.
I see a beautiful parallel today to the local church. God has ordained that we gather together often, and we too are to bring with us a portion of what the Lord has blessed us with, and we are also to rejoice before the Lord because of His abundant provision. It’s easy to rejoice when we reflect upon all that we have in Christ. Besides the eternal blessings of salvation, we also enjoy the protection and provision of a wonderful Heavenly Father who takes care of us. God wants us to gather together often and rejoice before Him, praising Him for all that He has done. Let’s not forsake the “assembling of ourselves together”, but let us get together as often as we can, and when we do, let us bring back to Him some of what He has blessed us with, and then let’s be sure to “rejoice before the Lord”.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
The Choice is Yours
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 9 – 11 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 5 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalm 16 – 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read the “0304 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” – (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
The choice that God “set before” the people of Israel 4000 years ago is the same choice that he places before His people today. If we love Him and live for Him, His hand of blessing will be upon our lives and families and we will also be fruitful and productive in our ministry for Him. However, if the world with all of its attractions lures us out of the will of God and causes us to live for ourselves, then we will lose God’s blessings of provision and protection.
It is very frightening to me to observe the number of casualties that there are among the ranks of Christians. It scares me because I know that it is only by the grace of God that I haven’t fallen myself. But I believe that our chances of surviving this wicked world with our faith intact will greatly increase if we heed the commandment that God gave the people in the verses prior to v. 26:
“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.” – (Deuteronomy 11:18-21)
“For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.” – (Deuteronomy 11:22-25)
The Bible teaches very plainly that our faith in God will grow proportionately to the amount of time we spend in the Word of God (“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17 ); not merely reading the Word, but also meditating on it, memorizing it, and applying it to our lives. If we spend time daily in the Word our faith in God will increase and if our faith increases, we will then have a desire in our hearts to obey Him; and if we are obedient to Him, He then can bless our lives.
Are you struggling with your faith? Get back into your Bible and get back into the church services. Increasing your time in the Word will increase your faith, which will increase your obedience, which will increase your blessing. The choice is yours.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 8 comments.
Let’s Get Back to the Bible
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 6 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 1 – 4; Proverbs 3; Psalms 11 – 15)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
Read the “0303 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Remember Who Butters Your Bread“
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
Just before the children of Israel entered the Land of Promise, God gave them a few important instructions that, if heeded, would guarantee their success in their new home. He told them that if they loved Him with all their hearts, and obeyed what He commanded them, they would “increase mightily” in the land. He also warned them to completely drive out all the inhabitants of the land. They were not to make any covenants with them but were to completely remove or destroy them. The people of God were also warned not to forget God Who gave them this wonderful and fruitful land and could easily remove them from it if they forsook Him.
God didn’t just want the people to hear these commandments one time, He wanted them to be constantly reminded of them. In Deuteronomy 6:6 – 9, God tells them that He wanted His Word to be memorized, and it was also to be posted everywhere so the people could always remember what God had done for them, and what God expected of them. His Word was also to be diligently discussed and instructed in the home so the children could learn about and revere God also. They were to literally immerse themselves and their homes in the Scriptures. Knowing and obeying God’s Word guaranteed the prosperity of God’s people. God reminded Joshua of this very same truth in Joshua 1:8:
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
David also understood this principle and wrote extensively about it in his psalms:
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalms 1:1-3)
In fact, the largest psalm (Psalm 119) is dedicated completely to the Word of God:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105)
This principle is still applicable today. God’s people need to immerse themselves in the Scripture through individual daily reading, studying, and memorization. It is also important to gather with other believers in the church and hear the Word of God preached and taught from the pulpit. People say that too much of anything is not good, but I can’t imagine that too much of the Bible is bad. In fact, I believe the problems in America today are largely due to a neglect of the Bible.
Let’s get back to the Bible.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16)
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Not Another Word!
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 3 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 13 – 16; Proverbs 2; Psalms 6 – 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – SSPsalm 92:1 – 4
Read the “0302 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.” – (Deuteronomy 3:26)
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)
When we were kids, we used to drive our parents crazy asking for things. We would keep asking over and over again until they finally acquiesced to our request, or until they got angry and said, “enough is enough – not another word!” In our passage today we have Moses asking the Lord to change His mind about letting him enter into the land. Moses had been leading the nation for over 40 years, delivering them up to the border of the Promised Land. He had put up with all of their problems and complaints. You would think that God would have cut Moses some slack, and let him see what he had been working toward for a good portion of his life. But God had already told Moses “no”. God is not like us, either: when He says “no” He means no. God told Moses, “Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.” He basically told Moses to quit asking. He wanted Moses to be content with God’s will, whether or not it seemed fair.
Paul had a similar situation in the New Testament. He had a thorn in the flesh that He wanted God to take away from him. He asked God three times to remove it. God finally told Paul to stop asking. He wanted Paul to be content with the thorn, which for some reason was the will of God. He told Him that He would give him grace to go with the thorn, and that He should be content with that because it is sufficient.
I think it is just human nature for us to keep asking for things. By the way, there is nothing wrong with asking, and God even wants us to keep asking over and over again for the same thing. But eventually there will come a point when He will answer. He will either grant you the desire, or He will tell you “no”. When He tells you “no”, quit asking; and then be content with His will coupled with His grace. If you really needed what you were asking for, he would have given it to you. Be satisfied with what you do get, and know that God knows what is best. Perhaps someday we will understand a little better why God answered the way He did, but for now, just trust Him.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
The Land Belongs to Israel
Today’s Passage – Numbers 34 – 36 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 5 – 8; Proverbs 28; Psalms 141 – 145
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89
Read a previous post from this passage – “The City of Refuge,” and “Taking Care of the Preachers.“
Read the “Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)” (Numbers 34:1-2)
The map in the image above shows the original land distribution for the tribes of Judah as they entered into the land of Canaan after wandering through the wilderness of Sinai for forty years. Each of the colors on the map represent the various tribes of Israel, including the two half-tribes of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim. The sizes of the land portions was determined by the number of people within the tribe, which was determined by the census taken back in Numbers 26:
“53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him. 55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.” (Numbers 26:53-56)
The only tribe of Israel that did not receive land was the tribe of Levi, which was the tribe that serve the nation as priests and ministers within the Tabernacle. They did receive forty-eight cities to live in, however, that were scattered throughout all of Israel within the land borders of the other tribes. See Numbers 35:2 – 3, and our previous devotion, Taking Care of the Preachers, for more information regarding the cities given to the Levites.
Compare the map above to the current land distribution within Israel in the map below. You will notice that much of the original land given to Israel by God now belongs to eh Palestinians. Israel has also lost all of the land to the east of the Jordan River. The Palestinians within Israel, along with the nations that surround Israel, are all Muslim nations, and many of them are Israel’s bitter enemies. Some of them do not recognize Israel’s right to exist at all and if they could they would wipe Israel off of the map completely. God’s sovereign protection and the support of Israel’s few allies, including the United States, are the only things that are preventing that from happening.
Though I have compassion for the Palestinians and other nations who all have a long history within and around the land of Israel and also have claims of their own regarding their right to be there, I will never take a side against Israel. God has promised a blessing to those who are a friend to Israel. When God gave His covenant to Abraham, which included both a seed (children), and the land, He stated:
“3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
By the way, the covenant that God made with Abraham passed specifically to his son Isaac (not Ishmael), and through Isaac to Jacob, and then through Jacob to his twelve sons, the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.
God has also made it very clear that He is not finished with Israel. Those of us who are dispensationalists believe that God will someday fulfill all of the past kingdom promises that He made to Israel. As a nation, Israel will someday realize that they were wrong about the the Lord Jesus Christ, their Messiah, who came to redeem them:
“10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10)
“7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7)
“25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” (Romans 11:25-26)
In the future Millennial Kingdom, Christ will rule from Jerusalem and the borders of Israel will extend even further beyond what was described here in the Book of Numbers (see Ezekiel 47:13 – 20 and the map below).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out
Today’s Passage –Numbers 32 – 33 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4; Proverbs 27; Psalms 136 – 140)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Micah 6:8
Read the “0227 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” – (Numbers 32:20-23)
I have used the phrase “be sure your sin will find you out” many times as a parent, as a school teacher, and as a preacher. I usually use it as a warning to people who are in a situation where there are no human eyes on their conduct in order to try to keep them from the temptation of yielding to sin. For example, in our little Christian school, I have often had to walk out of the room when the students were taking a test. I would remind them that cheating is a sin, and that they could be sure that somehow I would find out about it, and even if I never did, God knows what they are up to. I remember telling my children when they became young adults that I could not be everywhere they were, monitoring their every move; but God saw everything that they were doing.
It is interesting, however, that I have never used this phrase exactly in the same way that Moses used it in the context of Numbers 32. In our text this morning, we see the tribes of Reuben and Gad asking permission of Moses to let them possess and develop the land that was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. This particular area was not originally supposed to be inhabited by Israel, at least not yet. Israel was instructed by God to cross the Jordan, and take possession of the land that was on the west side. Moses, at first, objects to their request because he says that the tribes of Reuben and Gad were needed to fight along with the other ten tribes as they took possession of the land on the other side of the river. Moses actually compares the situation to when the 12 men went in to spy out the land; ten of them returning with “an evil report”, which discouraged the people. Moses told Reuben and Gad that their absence from the battles will cause the other tribes to become discouraged as they finished the job of removing the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. An agreement is finally reached when the men of the tribes of Reuben and Gad offer to go with the other tribes across the Jordan, and remain with them until all of the enemies of Israel have been removed from the land, and then when the job was done, they would then cross back over to their families and cattle waiting on the other side. However, Moses warns them that if they don’t follow through on what they promise to do, their sin will find them out.
Perhaps the best way to apply this principle to us today is to use it the way Moses used it. Let me explain. God has given us an assignment today just as he had given the children of Israel. Our job is not, however, to invade the land and remove people. Our job today is to invade the land and save people. Well, we don’t save them, but we can introduce them to the One who can. Then we are to train these people through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God so that they can become less like the Canaanite world around them, and more like the Lord Jesus Christ; and as they become more Christlike, they then begin to influence the people around them. So, how does this relate to what Moses warned the people of Gad and Reuben about? Moses was concerned that the lack of participation on the part of these two tribes would discourage the rest of the congregation from doing what they were called to do. Are you getting it? When we don’t participate in the Great Commission: when we don’t support the services, the studies, the Sunday School, and the soul winning programs of the church with our presence and participation, it discourages others, and may cause them to want to stop coming as well. When we don’t participate in giving our tithes to the local church, and our offerings to special projects like world missions, it can be very discouraging to the others in the congregation. Our support is not only commanded, it is very necessary. When more of God’s people are involved, it encourages, and motivates the rest of the church to get more involved as well. But, if we don’t do our part, we are indeed sinning against the Lord, and that sin will come back to haunt us eventually. Get involved. Find ways to increase your participation in the ministries of the local church. Your involvement will encourage your pastor tremendously, and it will also stir up the people around you to get on board as well.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
God Knows Why
Today’s Passage – Numbers 30 – 31 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Romans 13 – 16; Proverbs 26; Psalms 131 – 135)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Isaiah 51:11
Read the “0226 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.” (Numbers 31:15-17)
Numbers 31 is a very somber passage of Scripture. Moses is commanded by the Lord to perform one last task before he dies, which was to “avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites”. 12,000 men from Israel went out and attacked a much greater number of Midianites, and were able to conquer them completely without losing one of their own men. Of course, the Midianites were not so fortunate; they ended up losing everything with all of the adult males being immediately slain. At first, the women and small male children were all spared. However, when the victors returned to camp with the spoils and the captives, Moses commanded that all of the small male children, as well as all of the adult women would also have to be slaughtered. Only the small girls were spared.
I must confess that Bible passages such as this are not the ones I look forward to reading. Later on, in 1 Samuel 15, God would once again order the annihilation of an entire nation of people (the Amalekites), including all of the women, children, and even the livestock. I have often wondered why God would command such a thing. I have examined these Scriptures carefully in the past and have even preached messages from them. I have explained to people some of the reasons why God would need to be so severe, but I was always left with more questions in my own mind. Wasn’t there any other way? Couldn’t God have spared even just the children? How do we reconcile this Old Testament God of vengeance with the New Testament God of love and mercy? My human reasoning cannot fully comprehend the answers to all these questions regarding what God was thinking when He chose such drastic courses of action.
I still don’t have all the individual answers to these and many other questions, but I have come to a place in my faith that has helped me tremendously. I no longer question God. There are a lot of things about God that make absolutely no sense to my finite brain, but I trust that He knows what He is doing, and He does not have to offer me any explanation. Why did God kill all of the Midianites? Why did He destroy the entire world with a flood? Why did He kill the Amalekites? Why did God allow the Towers to come down on 9/11? Why does He permit the pain and suffering of millions of people today? I know why, and yet I don’t know why. I mean, I may understand partially, but I can’t comprehend fully; but I do know God, and I trust Him that He knows why, and that’s good enough for me. I know God loves me, and I know He loves the world and all of the people in it, and I know that God does everything right, even when I can’t see any right in it.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with 8 comments.