Today’s Passage – Numbers 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 10 – 12; Proverbs 17; Psalms 86 – 90)
Read the “0217 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none [CARTS]: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.” (Numbers 7:9)
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it…” (Numbers 4:4-5)
“And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Numbers 4:15)
Good morning. Do you remember what you read in the Bible this morning? Being old, I have trouble too, remembering that is. Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit who will bring all things to light: He’ll help you remember when the time comes. After reading about the burden of the sons of Kohath, I thought about king David, and how we all mess up. Did you know the king had to write a copy of the Bible. Not only that, he had to read it daily…
“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)
So what happened here…
“And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.” (2Samuel 6:2-8)
David should have known. David should have had the sons of Kohath carry the ark. The oxen wouldn’t have shaken it, and Uzzah would not have had to grab the ark to steady it. But David didn’t, and Uzzah died. Yes, David should have known that when we sin, it affects others. Adam and Eve. Eve believed the lie of the devil, but Adam knew the truth and willfully took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…” (Romans 5:12)
When we sin, it affects others. Jonah, when he ran from God…
“Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.” (Jonah 1:1-5)
The captain lost the cargo he was carrying which equated to what may have been a small fortune. Because of Jonah’s sin, others suffered. How about Pharaoh? He hardened his heart and rebelled against God by not letting God’s people leave Egypt. As a result Egypt was ruined, and the people suffered with the death of their firstborn.
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:12-13)
When we sin, it hurts others. Moses sinned, and was not allowed to enter the promised land when he smote the rock to get water, instead of only speaking to it. He ruined God’s picture of Jesus and how we can come boldly before the throne of grace.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16)
God provided a way to forgive us through the Lord Jesus Christ…
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1John 1:7-10)
When we sin, it affects and hurts others. Have you opened your eyes to see what your sin has done to others? The Lord will forgive your sin, but unfortunately, the results of that sin still remain. It is sometimes very hard to make up for the damage done to others. Just something to think about when you’re tempted to sin.
Peace.
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Amen Pastor Ted. In 1909 on a Saturday morning I got on my Harley Davidson Fatboy to meet some friends to go riding. Two blocks away from my house as I went through the intersection a car not paying attention to the stop sign hit me broadside the aftermath of the accident I had to be flown down to Atlantic City Hospital, where I had broken ribs, a punctured lung. and other injuries.As I think about it, maybe just maybe even though it was the other person‘s fault and brought pain upon me, If I had took the time to ask the Lord for traveling mercies, maybe the accident wouldn’t have happened? Like the post.