Writing Scripture
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
Scripture Memorization for March – 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 20
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 “The Truth about Joy in Ministry” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.” – (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)
A few years back, our church began using a one-on-one discipleship program called “Daily in the Word”, which is a tremendous tool for teaching new believers the foundational truths of Christianity. One of the things that I like about this training is that it emphasizes the practice of writing Scripture. I had read the Bible many times, and had memorized and studied portions of the Scripture prior to taking this course, but I must confess that I had never made it a practice to write out portions of Scripture; and to be honest, I was skeptical about the benefit that I would receive by it. However, I have been amazed at how writing the Scripture has helped me to see some things that I had never seen before, and has also helped me to retain much more than just reading alone. I have actually filled up whole notebooks with the Books of the Bible that I have now written. Recently, I purchased an expensive leather journal, and I am writing the Book of Psalms in it. I intend to pass this along to one of my children when I am finished.
Our passage this morning tells us in Deuteronomy 17:18 – 20 that the kings of Israel were required to write out a copy of the law for themselves, and they were to keep that copy with them so that they would know what to do. I don’t believe that all of the kings actually did this because many of them certainly did not follow the precepts contained in the law, and as a result were not very successful at ruling the people of God. However, some of the kings, like David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others did know the Word, and followed it closely as they ruled over the people. During their reigns the kingdom had the blessing of God evidenced by His abundant provision as well as His protection from enemies. God’s Word certainly made a big difference in the nation when it was revered and obeyed.
We need to place a high priority on the Scripture today. I believe we ought to set aside a special time when we read, listen to and write the Word of God. I believe the more Scripture we absorb into our hearts and minds, the more our faith will be increased (Romans 10:17), and the better we will be able to fulfil the will of God for our lives; not to mention the fact that we will enjoy more prosperity and less problems in life simply because we will know what we should do.
Have you ever thought about writing the Bible? If the Lord tarries, I would love to eventually write out a complete copy of the Word of God. I know the time and effort that I put into it will reap a far greater return.
Additional Note – Notice vs. 16 – 17 regarding what the king was not supposed to do:
“But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” – (Deuteronomy 17:16-17)
The king was not supposed to multiply horses, wives, or wealth for himself. Boy, Israel sure got away from that didn’t they? How many wives and concubines did Solomon have? 1000! It must be that the kings of Israel and Judah neglected to “write [them] a copy” of the Word of God, and they certainly must not have been reading it. because if they had, they would not have gotten so far away from where God wanted them. The same is true for you and I today as children of the King. We need to stay close to the Bible; flood our lives with it, so that we will know what we are supposed to do.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
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
Scripture Memorization for March – 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 20
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Biblical Separation“
Read the “0305 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read “The Best Advice I’ve Received as a Pastor” by Pastor Cary Schmidt
A Study of Women Of The Bible
The Parable Of The Ten Virgins
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 25:1-13)
Although this is a parable, a fictional, there is much to learn from this passage.
Oil in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit. In order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, the Holy Spirit of God must live within you. The vessel is your heart. The Holy Spirit enters when we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross.
In the parable, we see there where those who were wise, they had oil, the others were foolish. They had what they needed for the present time, just to make a show, with no real intent to be ready for the bridegroom. They had a lamp in their hands for show, but nothing within for the long haul like the seed that fell on stony ground. They did not prepare or think of the time to come after-wards as the ant does, nor lay up for the time to come.
“Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (1Titus 6:19)
The wise virgins took oil in their vessels. They were prepared to meet the bridegroom even if He was delayed. No one knew when He was coming; they just knew He was coming. They were ready. They thought of their future.
Now lets take a closer look at this parable.
Both groups appear as followers of Christ. They both carried their lamps and they both saw the groom as ‘Lord’. Both groups were invited to the wedding.
The wise and the foolish virgins slept. All awoke when the bridegroom arrived. Note: It’s not about working, because salvation is not a result of works but of being ready.
We know that it’s talking about salvation because the parable starts out by saying “Then shall the kingdom of heaven…” .
It may come as a surprise that the five wise virgins did not share their oil. We know that they could not share their oil because they would have run out. We can’t lose our salvation but on the other hand, others can only be saved by their own salvation. So when the foolish went to go and find it, the door was shut and it was too late.
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27)
Later in Matthew 25:11 we see the foolish virgins say, “Lord, Lord open to us”
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus is warning us that there will be people who look like Christians, who act like Christians, and talk like Christians, who are not Christians. We are never to assume that anyone is saved no matter how good they appear. But time is getting short. People are dying and going to hell. Their door is shut. We cannot give them our oil, but we must show them how to get their own. What they do with it is up to them as it was for the foolish virgins, but we are commanded to tell them. Those who don’t take the oil are refusing the warnings of God’s Word of salvation through Jesus Christ. They don’t think they need it. They believe they have plenty of time to get oil. It was this way in Noah’s day. The people had a false sense of security but they were warned, the door was shut and it was too late. Can you hear them scream, “Open the door! Why didn’t you tell me? NO PLEASE, OPEN THE DOOR!! DON’T LEAVE ME HERE!!”
There is still plenty of room at the table in family of God. Won’t you invite someone to come and dine with you? Someone invited you!
Thank You
1 John 5: 13
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Some Things Have Got To Go
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
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read a previous post from this passage – “Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out”
Read the “Evening and Morning” devotion for today.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. … But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.” – (Numbers 33:51-53, 55)
In our reading this morning, we see that God commanded Moses to tell the people of Israel to remove all of the inhabitants that were in the land of Canaan. God knew that if His people were to coexist with the heathen that dwelled in the land they would soon pick up some of their bad habits, and become like them. God wanted His people to be holy, set apart for Himself. He also wanted them to be happy and fruitful, which would be impossible once the sinfulness of the Canaanites had gained a foothold in their lives. In the flesh there is pleasure in sin, at least for a season, but ultimately it only brings pain, misery, and death.
Canaan is a picture of the Spirit-filled Christian life. When a man trusts Christ as his Saviour today, if he wants to enjoy the abundant life that God desires for him, he will have to remove some things from his life as well. God intends for His people to be separate from the world, and there is certainly a lot about this world that is inconsistent with a spirit-filled Christian life. I once heard the great radio preacher, J. Vernon McGee tell a caller on his radio show that a Christian can do many things in life, but if that Christian wants to shine for the Lord, he will have to refrain from doing some things. There is a lot of wisdom in that. God knows what is best for us, for our happiness, and for His kingdom. Let’s try to stay far away from the things that this sinful world has to offer. There will simply be some things (and possibly some people) in our lives that will have to go if we are to be all that God wants us to be.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” – (1 John 2:15-17)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – (Romans 12:1-2)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” – (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
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
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read “Professional Backslappers” by Pastor Paul Chappell
A STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE
Esther, A Woman Who Risked Her Life For Others.
“And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.” Esther 2:4-10)
Esther was a beautiful young Jewish woman, who was raised by her cousin. Being taught under the law of God, it’s hard to image the task her cousin Mordecai asked her to do. You see King Ahasuerus was displeased with his Queen and put her aside to seek out another. Mordecai told Esther to stand with many other women in the land in hopes that the King would chose her in place of Queen Vashti. Because Mordecai treated Esther as a daughter, she obeyed him.
In our mind we think, how could a young beautiful young woman of God, stand before a heathen married man, hoping to be picked to be his next wife? But God had a plan unknown to her. and He was guiding her life.
“Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all of them that looked upon her. So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.” (Esther 2:15-17)
King Ahasuerus knew nothing about Esther being a Jewish woman, because Mordecai told Esther to be silent in this matter. Later Mordecai refused to bow down to the King’s highest nobleman, Haman. Haman then plotted to rid himself of Mordecai and the Jewish people. Mordecai told Esther of this plan and instructed her to go to the King.
“And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.” (Esther 3:13)
She was now publicly identifying herself with her people. She realized she was powerless without God. Esther called her people to prayer and fasting. The law was that no one could approach the King unless they were asked and she had not been called for some time. But in spite of the law she said, “If I die, I die”. The young Esther was willing to risk her position, her life, and her future for her people.
The heroine, who had saved the Jews by risking her own life, is remembered and highly respected by the Jewish nation even today. She paved the way, unknown to her, for the coming of Christ.
God’s name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, but His hand on her life is apparent. And so it will be with us: When we face trials, we can also trust He is working out something positive on our behalf.
Though becoming a King’s concubine may not have seemed good, God watched over Esther. Even our most traumatic moments are also in God’s hands. When we trust Him, nothing can go terribly wrong.
Obedient Esther acted on God’s will, gave in to her cousin’s wise counsel, and was safe. Likewise, God protects us, especially when our faithfulness puts us in danger. Will you trust Him no matter what? Esther did.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies, Thoughts from Esther by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Standing Between the Living and the Dead
Today’s Passage – Numbers 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 22 – 24; Proverbs 21; Psalms 106 – 110
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Read last year’s post from this passage – “The Earth Swallowed Them Up”
Read “The Ministry Multiplier You Forgot” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.” – (Numbers 16:48)
The passages of Scripture that we have been reading the past few days tell the story of the Nation of Israel as they travelled through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. The trip should have taken them only a few weeks, but because of their lack of faith in God, they were sentenced to wander for 40 long years until those that doubted the power of God were weeded out. In fact, only two of the original group of adults that left Egypt would actually cross over into the the land Canaan. This travelling group of Israelites was not only fearful and faithless, they were also very “fed up”; and their discontentment caused them to grumble. Now grumbling is a sin which the Lord absolutely hates. In fact, I think if you were to carefully study the Bible, you would discover that God killed more of His people for grumbling and griping than He did for any other reason.
Not only did they complain because of their discontentment, they also challenged the God-given leadership of Moses and Aaron. They thought Moses “[took] too much upon [him]”, meaning that Moses was making himself a lord over God’s heritage. I dealt with this rebellion of Korah and others in last year’s post. (Click here to view last year’s post)
My thought this morning, however, is found in verse 48 of chapter 16. Notice there that it says that Moses stood between the living and the dead. It seems that no matter how bad the people got in their lack of faith, their fear, and their discontented complaining, Moses never stopped interceding to God on their behalf. There were times that God wanted to wipe them all out and start over again building a new nation from the seed of Moses; but Moses always reminded God of His covenant with Israel, and He always begged God to forgive them. He reminds me of another man, named Jesus, Who years later was rejected, beaten, and hung on a Cross, yet the one of the last phrases that came out of His mouth was “forgive them Father, for they know not what they do”. And then later there was a man, named Stephen who was preaching Christ to the Israelites who in turn stoned him to death; but here again, this man interceded on their behalf and said, “lay not this sin to their charge”. These men all stood between the living and the dead.
We get a chance to stand between the living and the dead in this generation also. We can intercede to God through prayer on behalf of a people that do not yet know Him. We can also go to them bringing the truth of the Gospel, which if received will restore their broken relationship with God. Oh that we would be more like Moses, Stephen, and especially Jesus, and stand for the Lord in middle of a generation of people who are dead, spiritually, interceding for them, and proclaiming to them the Truth that will bring them life.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies
Today’s Passage – Numbers 11 – 13 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 16 – 18; Proverbs 19; Psalms 96 – 100
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
Read “8 Ministry Lessons I’ve Learned” by Pastor Chappell
Corrie ten Boom
“And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 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. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Cointhians 12:3-10)
This week I wanted to share the extraordinary life of Miss Corrie ten Boom.
A few weeks ago, my Preacher was watching a movie call The Hiding Place. I walked over to view the movie for a minute. I was so taken back at what I saw, I couldn’t watch it any longer. My Preacher was telling me about it and said it was a true story. I really want to view the movie, but I wasn’t sure if I could emotionally handle it. I finally watched it, and it had such an impact on me, that I really wanted to share what God gave me, from this woman’s life.
For those of you who never read the book or saw the movie, I will tell you a little about her life.
The ten Boom family were dedicated Christians who owned a clock shop during World War II. Miss Corrie and her family, Father, Mother and two sisters, lived above the shop. During 1943 and 1944, there were as many as 7 people illegally living in the ten Boom home, Jews and members of the Dutch underground, and Corrie became the “ringleader”. On February 28, 1944, the family was betrayed, and the Gestapo raided their home. They were arrested and taken to prison. Corrie was seperated from all her family members, and the Gestapo never found the 6 people they were hiding at the time. While being transported to another prison, she found her sister, where they served time at a concentration camp in Germany. Life in the camp was almost unbearable. They were poorly fed, beaten, raped, and had to work long and hard. Everything was taken from them except the dress and shoes they wore. No undergarments were allowed. Even with that kind of living conditions, Corrie and her sister found the strength to share the love of Jesus to their fellow prisoners. As a result of their faithfulness to God, many women became Christians in that terrible place.
After watching the movie, I asked myself if I could be that strong in the Lord. Miss Corrie put others first before her own safty. She knew if she and her family got caught hiding the Jews, that she and they would go to prison. Can I put others first? Can I care for the welfare of others? Could I give up personal safty for others? I’m not sure if I would give up my cup of Wawa coffee for someone. Miss Corrie gave up her feedom. She managed to get a hold of a small sized Bible by giving up some of her ration of bread. It took courge to smuggle it into the concertation camp, because if she got caught with it, she would have been beaten, BADLY! That Bible was everything to her. I have many Bibles in my home. I could only pray that I would have that much love for my Bible. The Word of God became very precious to her. There may come a day in my life time, that I may not be able to carry a Bible openly or even own one. Would my Bible be my prize possession? Would the words written in the Bible be more precious to me than anything? After working all day, Miss Corrie and her sister taught the other women prisoners about Jesus and sang hymns. When I get home after a long day of doing anything, I just want my coffee and pj’s, and my days are nothing compared to what those women went through. A fact that was not in the movie but written in the book was about when Miss Corrie was at a speaking engagement years after her release from the concentration camp. After speaking, a man walked up to her and stuck out his hand to shake hers. Miss Corrie recognized him as the Nazi guard who raped her sister, who later died in the camp. She said, when she saw him, she wanted to spit in his face, but when he reached out his hand he told her that he had excepted Jesus. She thought to herself, “If God can forgive him, who am I not to forgive him” and she stuck out her hand and shook his. Wow!! Could I find forgiveness like that? Could you?
There were other truths that I learned from this couragous woman, but I think I’ll stop here. The more I look into her life, the more I see how short I fall from my relationship with my Lord.
Not only did Miss Corrie see people come to know the Lord in the camp, but also influenced many afterwards. Her name will never be mentioned in the Bible, but her unbelievable life’s story is still impacting people today. It did mine. I started to type, “Oh that I could have a testimony like that” but then I deleted it. I’m not sure if I’m willing or have the strength to go through all that.
My prayer is that we take off our blinders and see what is important in this life. Take a stand, live for others and truth, share the gospel.
I hope this was a help and or blessing to you. I highly recommend you watch the video. It can be seen for free on youtube under, “The Hiding Place”. I believe the auto-book can also be found there.
Thank You
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:13)
Posted in Devotions, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Lord Bless Thee
Today’s Passage – Numbers 5 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Proverbs 16; Psalms 81 – 85
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read “Random Stuff About Blizzards“, by Pastor Cary Schmidt
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
In chapters 5 of the Book of Numbers, God is instructing the children of Israel about what they should do if a man suspects that his wife has been unfaithful to him. The Bible talks about “the spirit of jealousy” that comes upon a man if there is something going on behind his back. I believe the same holds true for the wife. I know that today we don’t often think of jealousy as being a good thing; but interestingly, the Bible records that God is very jealous over his children. I do not think it is wrong either for their to be a healthy dose of jealousy within the marriage either. A man should love his wife to the extent that he cannot bear the thought of her being with anyone else. The same applies to the wife. Jealousy is, I believe, a God-given emotion. Now it must be controlled, just as all of our other emotions; and we cannot let it cause us to sin, but I believe it to be a good thing nonetheless.
Chapter 6 primarily deals with the rules concerning the vow of the Nazarite. When a person took this special vow of consecration in Old Testament days, he would not cut his hair or his beard, and he was not permitted to touch any alcohol, or come near anything (or anybody) that was dead. This vow was a vow of “separation unto the Lord”. The person that took this vow was declaring that his or her life was wholly dedicated to God. Usually, a person would be under this oath of separation for a period of time, not for his entire life. By the way, don’t confuse a Nazarite with a Nazarene, which is a person that comes from the city of Nazareth. Jesus was a Nazarene.
I was captivated this morning by the prayer of blessing found at the end of chapter 6. It seemed almost strange for this beautiful prayer to be place in this particular place. I mean, we have been reading a lot here lately about a bunch of commandments, sacrifices, rules, etc. Here, God tells Aaron that he wants him to pronounce this prayer of blessing over the people. I think God just wanted to remind the people that he loved them and that He was for them. I think we can learn a couple of lessons from this as well. First, we need to be reminded that God loves us and wants nothing but the best for us. We often will think about God as this angry, cold dictator that is ready to pounce upon us when we do wrong. That is not God. He loves us and He wants to give us the richest blessings, and a life full of abundance.
The second lesson that we should learn from this is that when we are trying to teach our children, we need to remember to let them know often that we love them. Yes, we need to give them all of the rules, commandments, and instructions; and yes we ought to discipline them when they do wrong; but we also need to make sure that they know that we (and especially God) are in their corner, and that we want nothing but the richest blessings for their lives. This would be a good lesson for preachers and other mentors to learn as well. In our zeal to instruct, we sometimes come across as being uncaring and unloving. You have heard the old saying: “People do not care about what you know, until they know that you really care.” Well, we ought to really care, and we ought also to express that love and care often to the people that we are trying to help.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
In the Midst of the Camp
Today’s Passage – Numbers 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 1 – 3; Proverbs 14; Psalms 71 – 75
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –1 Timothy 1:17
Read “Friendship, Dating, and Preparing for Marriage“, by Pastor Paul Chappell
“Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards.” – (Numbers 2:17)
In Numbers chapter 2, God gives us a description of what the camp of Israel looked like when they were not on the move. A careful reading of this chapter will reveal that the nation of Israel was divided into 13 different groups, which included 11 of the original 12 tribes; and also the two half-tribes of Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim). These groups were all strategically placed around the tabernacle. Immediately surrounding the tent on all four sides was the tribe of Levi. They were placed there as closely as possible to the tabernacle because that was their place of service. They were the ministers and priests of the Lord. Beyond the Levites the remaining twelve tribes and half-tribes were positioned by threes in each direction. For instance, on the east side of the tabernacle, beyond the Levites, were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon. There were also three tribes on the west, south, and north. The thought that I am trying to develop here, however, is that the tabernacle was in the very center of the congregation. The tabernacle was the place where God dwelt, between the cherubims on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. God, and His designated place of worship, was the very center of the lives of the people of Israel.
Now let’s fast forward a few thousands years to the time of the local church. I realize that today God dwells in the hearts of His children, but the local church is God’s designated place for corporate worship, and it is the place where we are to be organized and mobilized for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” – (1 Timothy 3:15)
God should still be at the center of our lives; and the local church should be at the center of the life of our family. I have been a pastor now for over eleven years, and I have been involved in God’s work for twenty-three. I have observed that the families who place a high value on the local church, recognizing it’s importance, tend to be stronger and happier than the families that do not. Don’t misunderstand, I do not think that the church has a higher priority than the home; but I do believe that successful homes are built around a strong, Bible believing, New Testament church. The churches’ role is critical to healthy marriages and to the spiritual development of our children.
Take a moment to consider the role that the local church plays in your life; and then consider the role that you play in your local church. We need to keep our local churches strong, and I believe that there are many ways that you can help:
1 Participate in the local church – attend the services and find something that you can do that will serve others. God has uniquely equipped you in certain areas that can be used in the local church.
2 Pray for your church, and your pastors and leaders. The ministry can be very discouraging, but you can be an encouragement to the people that minister to you simply by lifting them up in prayer. It wouldn’t hurt for you to let them know on occassion that you are praying for them.
3 Support your church with your tithes and offerings. The work of God cannot go forward without the tithes of God’s people. When you don’t give you are telling God and the church that they have no place of value in your life. You can also support the church by not bashing it. Let people know where you stand. If you are for the ministry, speak out for it, and don’t let others run it down in your presence. Negativity and complaining are like cancers inside the church that will destroy it from within.
Is the local church important to you, or isn’t it? God says that it should be. Remember, He died for the church. It’s His body. He places a great value on it, and so should we.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Choice Is Yours
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 26 – 27
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;” – (Leviticus 26:3)
“But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;” – (Leviticus 26:14)
In our passage today, in Leviticus 26, the Lord places a choice before His people. In verses 3 – 13, God promises all kinds of wonderful things to His people if they would continue to love Him, and be faithful to Him. Beginning in verse 14, the Lord explains what will happen to them if they forsake Him. You will notice that the latter portion is much larger than the former. God goes to much greater lengths to clearly explain and warn the people of what would happen to them if they were to disobey.
First, let’s look at the blessings. God promised to:
1 Provide for them.
“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.” – (Leviticus 26:4-5)
Everything they needed, and even much of what they could desire, God promised to give them.
2 Protect them from their enemies, and from natural calamities.
“And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.” – (Leviticus 26:6-8)
3 They would proliferate (multiply)
“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.” – (Leviticus 26:9)
4 They would be in partnership with God.
“And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.” – (Leviticus 26:10-13)
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Almost sounds too good to be true, but it was. God held up to His end of the bargain. Unfortunately, the people of Israel didn’t choose to continue to follow the Lord. Slowly, but surely, they began to get away from the comands of God, and go their own way. Eventually the land was filled with idolatry, apostacy, and immorality; and then God was forced to do the things that are listed in verses 14 – 46. The provision and protection that God had once given them was removed, and the people suffered the consequences of their choices.
God has a lot of the same promises to Christians today. He said that He would meet our needs, and that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Yet, many of His churches and children today are forsaking Him, just as the Israelites did. Why are we so foolish? Let’s draw nigh unto God; let’s love Him and submit ourselves to His will for our lives. He has our best interests in mind. Choose God. He is the wise choice.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 24 – 25 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 17 – 18; Proverbs 12; Psalms 61 – 65
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read last year’s post on this date – “Let’s Get Real”, by Melissa Dilley
Read a great article by Pastor Chappell – “You Pick Five”
A Study of the Women of the Bible
Orpay, A Woman Who Made The Wrong Decision
“And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.” (Ruth 1:8)
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.” (Ruth 1:14-15)
Orpah will always be known as the woman who left her mother-in-law. But to Orpah, she thought she was making the right decision in a heartbreaking situation. At first Orpah followed Naomi with Ruth back to Israel. But when Naomi explained to them that there was no hope for them to remarry, Orpah decided to go back to her family in Moab. To Orpah it was the logical thing to do. She might of thought it would be easier to find someone to marry there. It just seemed to make more sense then going to Israel. It makes me wonder why Naomi told her daughter-in-laws to go back home. It was a heathen nation. Maybe because Naomi knew that they would only be able to live happy lives in Israel if they had the chance to choose their new country voluntarily. Maybe Naomi knew it wasn’t just a choice of a place to live, but a decision of being followers of God or not. What ever the case, we know that Ruth married and was mentioned in Christ genealogy. Orpah, was never heard of again. Orpah took the wrong road.
Sometimes the logical solution to a problem isn’t God’s solution. We may be asked to do something that just doesn’t make sense to us. When we start down the path that God asks us to go down, we start to feel doubt. Stepping out on faith is hard to do when we look at it from our view. But He is in control and is all knowing. We must trust Him. Orpah trusted in worldly security. Ruth trusted in God. Which road will you choose? It’s up to you.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.