The Lord Bless Thee: A Reminder of God’s Love

Listen to today’s passage – Numbers 5 – 6

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Numbers 5

Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Proverbs 16; Psalms 81 – 85

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 61:1 – 3

Read the “0216 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by Charles Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “The Nazarite Vow“

Have you ever felt like God’s Word is full of rules and requirements, only to stumble upon a verse that suddenly reminds you how deeply He loves you? That’s exactly what happens at the end of Numbers 6.

“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)

Quick Review of Chapters Five and Six
  • 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. While we often view jealousy negatively today, the Bible shows God is jealous over His children, and a healthy, controlled jealousy in marriage can reflect that protective love. 
  • Chapter 6 discusses 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.
The Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24 – 26)

This morning, I was struck afresh by the prayer of blessing found at the end of chapter 6. It seemed almost strange for this beautiful prayer to be placed in this particular place. I mean, we have been reading a lot lately about 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 few lessons from this as well.

  • First, we need to be reminded that God loves us and wants nothing but the best for us. We sometimes picture God as an 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 principle extends beyond parenting and would also be a good lesson for preachers and spiritual 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.

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. So this morning, why not follow God’s example? Speak blessing over someone in your life—your child, spouse, friend, or maybe your students—using these very words: “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.”

Carry that assurance today: Your Father is for you, and His love surrounds you.

Remember: Amid life’s rules, requirements, and corrections, God inserts this beautiful reminder—He loves you, He’s for you, and He longs to bless you abundantly. Rest in that truth today, and let it shape how you love others.

 

  


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I’ll Meet You There: God’s Invitation in Exodus 29

Listen to Today’s Passage – Exodus 28 – 29 

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Exodus 28

Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Proverbs 29; Psalms 141 – 145

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 Timothy 1:17

Read the “0129 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by Charles Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “Interceding on Behalf of God’s People,” and “Serving Together as a Family“

Have you ever felt unworthy to approach God? This morning in Exodus 28–29, I was struck by something astonishing: the holy, perfect God of the universe says, “I will meet you there.”

The Amazing Invitation

“42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.” (Exodus 29:42-43)

“45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.” (Exodus 29:45–46)

Did you notice the phrase, “where I will meet you,” in Exodus 29:42, and then also “there I will meet with the children of Israel,” in v. 43. God had a specific place that He chose to meet with His people. My first thought this morning is that it is amazing that a holy God wants to meet with people like us at all. Why would God desire to commune with creatures like us who are laden with sin? Isn’t it amazing that God can choose to love us and want to be with us at all? I know that there are certain people that I don’t like to be around, but God desires fellowship with each of His children.

The Place God Chose

My second thought concerns the place where God meets with us. During the time of the Wilderness wandering, God carefully designed the place and set the conditions Israel to enter His presence, and it was quite an elaborate process for the people to go through in order for them to commune with God. By the way, we know that God is now and has always been omnipresent, so there is never a time when we are not in His presence, but still God set up special conditions for corporate worship.

A New Way to Meet with God

Today, God has changed some things. The veil that once separated most men (except the High Priest – once per year) from entering into God’s immediate presence has been removed through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means that all men and women who are saved can enter directly into His presence:

“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 4:16)

God encourages us to come into His presence, and to also recognize that there is never a time that He is not with us:

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

Still, today there are also special places and times that God wants to meet with us. God wants us to meet with Him as we set aside a specific time and place to read the Bible, where He can feed our souls with nourishment and strength, and give us the wisdom that we need in order for us to serve as His ambassadors. He also invites us to come meet with Him in the prayer closet, where we can confess our sins to Him, petition Him for our needs, and praise and worship Him. Of course, He still has a special place for corporate worship, the local church. This is the place where all believers can enter together into His presence for preaching, prayer, and praise. He promises to be “in the midst” of us when two or more are gathered in His name.

Don’t Miss the Invitation

God wants to meet with you and me. Don’t forsake any of God’s invitations.

“22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:22–25)

Questions for Reflection
  • Where and when will you intentionally meet with God today?
  • Are you regularly accepting His invitation to corporate worship, or have you been “forsaking the assembling”?

Share how God met with you today! I would love to hear your thoughts.

 


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Sealed in: The Blessing of Eternal Security

Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalms 11 – 15

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

Read the “0103 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.“ (Gen 7:15-16)

“30 … ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30)

The Judgment of the Flood

In our text today, we read that the ark, which took one hundred years to prepare, was finally finished and ready to provide safety for Noah, his family, and all the animals as the great judgment of water that God had promised was imminent. God had warned Noah a century before that He was going to destroy the earth through a worldwide flood because the wickedness of the earth had become so “great,” to the extent that God determined that he would destroy every air-breathing creature.

5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” (Gen 6:5-7)

The Ark of Grace

God promised, however, to spare Noah and his family because “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8), and Noah was “seen righteous” (Gen 7:1) by God, meaning that because he was a man of faith; because he believed God, God saw him as positionally righteous. His sin was removed and the righteousness of Christ was imputed to him. This is what happens to believers when they receive Christ. They become the children of God and receive the righteousness of God:

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (Jhn 1:12)

“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” (Rom 3:21-22)

This same principle of faith-righteousness applied to Abraham centuries later:

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Gal 3:6)

The Sealed Door Providing Safety

Just as the rain was starting and after everyone had entered the ark, we are told that “the Lord shut [them] in.” It is interesting that the Scripture tells us that God was the one who sealed them within the ark. I am sure the ark was designed with water tight mechanisms that would have allowed Noah to close the door himself and keep the water out. Yet, it clearly states that God was the one who shut them in. Now, to be truthful, I am not sure how God did that, but I am sure that whatever seal God placed upon the door provided the needed protection against the rising water and also from the people who had initially refused Noah’s invitations and pleadings as a preacher of righteousness (2 Pe 2:5). As the water rose, I am sure that people were trying to figure out ways to get on board the ark.

The Pictures Provided of Salvation and Eternal Security

Though on the surface this passage is merely teaching that God provided safety and protection for Noah, his family, and all the animals so that they would one day be able to repopulate the earth, there is also some vivid pictures that we can see from it.

  • The Picture of Salvation

The door of the ark is a picture of salvation through Jesus Christ. Noah and his family had to choose to believe God, build the ark, and enter into it through the door. It was only inside the door that they would find safety. Jesus tells us that He is our door of salvation:

“7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (Jhn 10:7-10)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Jhn 14:6)

  • The Picture of Eternal Security

God shutting the door and sealing them in is a picture of eternal security. God sealed them into their place of safety:

“10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Pro 18:10)

“27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.” (Jhn 10:27-30)

“13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,“ (Ephesians 1:13)

“6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Phil 1:6)

Just as our salvation was a work of God’s Holy Spirit, apart from our own good works, our sanctification and eternal security are also works of God. We are completely secure in Christ. What a blessing it is to know beyond any doubt that there is a home awaiting me in Heaven and that my salvation is completely secure in Christ.

Have you entered through the Door—Jesus Christ? If you’re not yet sealed in Christ, trust Him today. Receive Him as your Savior—He promises eternal life.

Today, if you are trusting in Christ alone, rest in this truth: God has sealed you and nothing can separate you from His love:

“37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“ (Rom 8:37-39)

Read previous posts from today’s passage:


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