Can you believe it? Tomorrow's our last day in Numbers... wow! So, then we'll be moving onto our last book of the Pentatuch (I think the spelling is right on that... the 5 books of the law)... that will be Deuteronomy... well, anyway, onto today's reading commentary...
Chapter 31: verse 2... Moses's last service for God verse 5... I like how they were sent out and supplied with what they needed to serve God, with provisions provided by their own people... we need to remember that we are called to support those who "go onto the battlefield for Christ" (see Romans 10:14-15) verse 8... interesting that they killed Balaam (see Numbers 22-24)... I didn't realize that Balaam was a Midionite... I thought he was kind of on their side, or at least on God's side at this point? verse 14-18... so it was Balaam's doing that the Moabites seduced the Israelites? (see Numbers 25)... and the women were to blame for this... hmmm... also, though, an good side note to remember the importance and significance of remaining pure (both sexually, and spiritually) verse 19-24...don't really like all the killing, but I guess I understand why, although I do wonder why God couldn't have just swallowed up the problem people instead of requiring His people to become unclean from the killing... also, why were they considered unclean since they were doing God's work and obeying His commands?... I get that it was because they were with dead bodies (see Numbers 5 and Numbers 19 for laws about dead bodies and contact with them)... it just seems to me that they should have a "get out of ritual" free card because they were obeying God... but, then again, the rituals were not meant as a punishment, but for their own good both hygenically (in some cases), and spiritually (to draw their focus back to God)... maybe it was good that they waited those 7 days, so they would contaminate the minds of the rest of the camp with war stories (both the grotesque and the bragging), so they could get down off the "battle high" and back to their focus on who God is and why He asked them to do that... also, the ceremonial stuff would give the Israelites a reason to share with the "new" people about God and all He's done for them and all He requires about holiness, reverence, etc, so that the "new" people would be somewhat initiated into the customs? verse 49-50, and 53... wow! that is amazing that not one man, from all 12,000 soldiers was missing, yet they wiped out a whole people group of the others... also cool that finally got the idea to give on their own, without having to be told by God to provide an offering... awesome that they WANTED to give of their blessings to honor God for what He had done for them... good that the leaders are making this connection so they can lead the others to do the same... it is important for us to be leaders that are also good role models... that point newer believers and others, to Christ (instead of away from or in a skewed direction)...
The Study Notes make a comment about how Christians have abused this idea of a "holy war" in the past... but, how we should take seriously the idea behind the "holy war" and remember how important it is to uphold what we know to be truth and to protect it and spread it The study notes suggest that by God giving His share of the spoils to the priests and Levites, that He was confirming their important role in the success of the battle... we should never underestimate the power of prayer (James 5:16b)... it is only through prayer that we have power over the spiritual battles we are engaged in in this world (see Ephesians 6:10-20, specifically verse 18)... we must take seriously our role as intercessors (those who pray for and on others behalfs)... prayer is not the least we can do for someone, it is the MOST important things we can do... prayer is not the last thing we should do, it is the first (and continual) thing we should do... (see 1 Thesselonians 5:17, although whole chapter is good) In line with this idea of the priests being very important is also the study guide's note that the spoils were shared evenly with the people who did not go onto the battlefield... this implies that their job in the whole thing (of support and provision, etc) is just as integral to the success of the people on the field (see Romans 10:14-15)... without the supporters behind them, those who are sent to the field cannot be successful... the same is true today of the "missionaries" that go to the field... without the prayer and provision support of those that are called to stay home, the people on the field cannot hope to be successful... it is an all for one kind of thing, in that we are all one body (yes, separate parts, but still all functioning together), working for Christ, not each member doing it's own thing for its own purpose (see 1 Corinthians 12)
Chapter 32: verse 1-7...why do we see only what is in front of us and not realize that the gifts of God and the reward that comes from obedience to Him is so much better than anything we can realize at this point?... sometimes our practicality can put us in jeopardy (or make us lose out on) the fullness of all God wants to give us/bless us with... why do we allow ourselves to stand in our own way by relying on our small finite minds/comprehension, instead of relying solely on the all-knowing/sovereigness of God? verse 14-15... do we realize that other people are looking at us, as Christians, and that our selfish, not-God-centered actions can (and do) lead them astray? our actions effect more than just us... when we do not follow God completely, we are nothing more than a "brood of sinners"... even if our intentions are good or intelligent (according to man's rationale), or lack of whole hearted obedience is still a sin... we must be careful not to allowing our thoughtlessness or skewed intentions to be the cause of someone else's eternal destruction... we have a very important job as Christians-to lead people to God... we need to be very wary not to stand in the way of the completion of this end verse 24... God is not opposed to us building "a place for ourselves" where we are (ie getting a job, buying a house, working for our future security), but when He calls us to go "into battle" for Him, He expects that the things we have laid up for ourselves will not get in the way of what we are called to do for Him.... we made a promise to give our lives to God when we chose to follow Him as our Savior and Lord... God does not take kindly to us when we renig on that promise... we must remember that we are blessed to be a blessing, not to make ourselves or our loved ones "comfortable" or "happy" (see Genesis 12:2-3) verse 38... the renaming of the cities they rebuilt reminds me of how God renames the lives He rebuilds (see Abram become Abraham in Genesis 17:5, Sarai becoming Sarah in Genesis 17:15; Paul become Saul in Acts 13:9, and Simon Peter officially becoming Peter in Matthew 16:17-18) The Study Notes express that the decision made by the Reubonites, etc, to split from the rest of the Israelites would have an effect on their relationship with the other tribes... does this have anything to do with the splitting of the tribes into the two kingdoms later? I don't know all the details about this, so any ideas or theological insight on this? Also an important note that Moses binds the splitting tribes to their word by telling all the other tribes and leaders/priests about it (see verse 28-30)... this reminds me of the importance and power of accountability and how we need to have it in our own lives... so, thanks for helping us in this area, by holding us accountable to our daily Bible reading! :) We couldn't do it without you! :)
another good scripture reference on the importance of prayer (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
Chapter 33: we need to remember that God does not always take us from point a to point b (got this wisdom from someone we know)... sometimes He takes us from point a to c ... to x... just to get us to point b, because we need to have a journey of growth, as we are not yet ready for the blessings and difficulties that will be waiting for us at point b... God wants us to be successful and if that makes our journey a little longer, with more points on the way, then so be it... we must have patience, and remember God is sovereign and works for our good... also, each point serves a purpose, as does the timing with which we reside there... verse 9... reminder that there will be parts in our lives journey that will be like an oasis... but, verse 11 (and 14)... there will also be times in our journey with God that there will times of hardship and "wilderness"... we should not be surprised by this, as God does not promise that a Christian life is the same as a life of ease (Acts 20:23-24)... and although this hardship may come from the spiritual battle we are in, we may find, too that, all too often, this "wilderness" time comes in the "desert of sin"... is the desert of sin and the desert of zin the same place? (anyway, in "sin" remember Exodus 16, where the people first complained about how they had no food and would rather have died in Egypt, blah, blah, blah...their first sin against God, I think... and Exodus 17, where the first water/rock experience took place because of the people's reoccurance of grumbling... also, "zin", remember Numbers 13... where the first group rebelled against following God into the promised land... also Numbers 20... where Moses sinned and did not follow God's instruction on getting water from the rock)... it is interesting to see how we can retrace some of the same "wilderness" steps in our lives over and over again... and how also, the 'simple' act of complaining and not staying focused on praising God, can lead to bigger sins in our lives and longer stints in the "desert of sin"... but regardless of the hardships we face, we have hope... hope in forgiveness and hope in our assurance of salvation and the greater glory of being the beloved of God (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:31-39, also the rest of Romans 8) verse 39... Aaron was 123 years old when he died verse 40... remind we why this is an important fact? verse 51-53... they are to "possess" the land... this means they are to take control of it and get rid of any part of it that is not Godly... do we allow God to "possess" us in such a complete way, or do we keep parts of our self back, and hold onto things from our past, etc, so that God can not fully allow us to take hold of all He has to offer us?... let us be wary of the cost of holding onto such things/areas, and take caution to make sure we give full possession of our lives over to God (see verses 55-56)
Ok, all for now... have a great night! In His Love, sandJ
The IDEA: Romans 1:12-That we may be mutually strengthened, encouraged, and comforted by each others faith. Have you ever read the whole Bible before? We have never done it. We want to share God’s Word, but how can we if we do not know it.
The PLAN: Ecclesiastes 4:12-One person is easily overcome, but two can stand together and conquer. Three is even better, though, as a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. With each others help we can succeed-So, let us team up and read the Bible in a year.
The DATE: We will start Dec 26, 2009 - Dec 26, 2010.
The FYI: We will read 3-4 chapters each day, starting in Genesis, and post thoughts daily. If you do not have a Bible, you can access many translations at www.biblegateway.com. You can also download an audio for each chapter at: http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
Can you believe it? Tomorrow's our last day in Numbers... wow! So, then we'll be moving onto our last book of the Pentatuch (I think the spelling is right on that... the 5 books of the law)... that will be Deuteronomy... well, anyway, onto today's reading commentary...
ReplyDeleteChapter 31:
verse 2... Moses's last service for God
verse 5... I like how they were sent out and supplied with what they needed to serve God, with provisions provided by their own people... we need to remember that we are called to support those who "go onto the battlefield for Christ" (see Romans 10:14-15)
verse 8... interesting that they killed Balaam (see Numbers 22-24)... I didn't realize that Balaam was a Midionite... I thought he was kind of on their side, or at least on God's side at this point?
verse 14-18... so it was Balaam's doing that the Moabites seduced the Israelites? (see Numbers 25)... and the women were to blame for this... hmmm... also, though, an good side note to remember the importance and significance of remaining pure (both sexually, and spiritually)
verse 19-24...don't really like all the killing, but I guess I understand why, although I do wonder why God couldn't have just swallowed up the problem people instead of requiring His people to become unclean from the killing... also, why were they considered unclean since they were doing God's work and obeying His commands?... I get that it was because they were with dead bodies (see Numbers 5 and Numbers 19 for laws about dead bodies and contact with them)... it just seems to me that they should have a "get out of ritual" free card because they were obeying God... but, then again, the rituals were not meant as a punishment, but for their own good both hygenically (in some cases), and spiritually (to draw their focus back to God)... maybe it was good that they waited those 7 days, so they would contaminate the minds of the rest of the camp with war stories (both the grotesque and the bragging), so they could get down off the "battle high" and back to their focus on who God is and why He asked them to do that... also, the ceremonial stuff would give the Israelites a reason to share with the "new" people about God and all He's done for them and all He requires about holiness, reverence, etc, so that the "new" people would be somewhat initiated into the customs?
verse 49-50, and 53... wow! that is amazing that not one man, from all 12,000 soldiers was missing, yet they wiped out a whole people group of the others... also cool that finally got the idea to give on their own, without having to be told by God to provide an offering... awesome that they WANTED to give of their blessings to honor God for what He had done for them... good that the leaders are making this connection so they can lead the others to do the same... it is important for us to be leaders that are also good role models... that point newer believers and others, to Christ (instead of away from or in a skewed direction)...
The Study Notes make a comment about how Christians have abused this idea of a "holy war" in the past... but, how we should take seriously the idea behind the "holy war" and remember how important it is to uphold what we know to be truth and to protect it and spread it
ReplyDeleteThe study notes suggest that by God giving His share of the spoils to the priests and Levites, that He was confirming their important role in the success of the battle... we should never underestimate the power of prayer (James 5:16b)... it is only through prayer that we have power over the spiritual battles we are engaged in in this world (see Ephesians 6:10-20, specifically verse 18)... we must take seriously our role as intercessors (those who pray for and on others behalfs)... prayer is not the least we can do for someone, it is the MOST important things we can do... prayer is not the last thing we should do, it is the first (and continual) thing we should do... (see 1 Thesselonians 5:17, although whole chapter is good)
In line with this idea of the priests being very important is also the study guide's note that the spoils were shared evenly with the people who did not go onto the battlefield... this implies that their job in the whole thing (of support and provision, etc) is just as integral to the success of the people on the field (see Romans 10:14-15)... without the supporters behind them, those who are sent to the field cannot be successful... the same is true today of the "missionaries" that go to the field... without the prayer and provision support of those that are called to stay home, the people on the field cannot hope to be successful... it is an all for one kind of thing, in that we are all one body (yes, separate parts, but still all functioning together), working for Christ, not each member doing it's own thing for its own purpose (see 1 Corinthians 12)
Chapter 32:
ReplyDeleteverse 1-7...why do we see only what is in front of us and not realize that the gifts of God and the reward that comes from obedience to Him is so much better than anything we can realize at this point?... sometimes our practicality can put us in jeopardy (or make us lose out on) the fullness of all God wants to give us/bless us with... why do we allow ourselves to stand in our own way by relying on our small finite minds/comprehension, instead of relying solely on the all-knowing/sovereigness of God?
verse 14-15... do we realize that other people are looking at us, as Christians, and that our selfish, not-God-centered actions can (and do) lead them astray? our actions effect more than just us... when we do not follow God completely, we are nothing more than a "brood of sinners"... even if our intentions are good or intelligent (according to man's rationale), or lack of whole hearted obedience is still a sin... we must be careful not to allowing our thoughtlessness or skewed intentions to be the cause of someone else's eternal destruction... we have a very important job as Christians-to lead people to God... we need to be very wary not to stand in the way of the completion of this end
verse 24... God is not opposed to us building "a place for ourselves" where we are (ie getting a job, buying a house, working for our future security), but when He calls us to go "into battle" for Him, He expects that the things we have laid up for ourselves will not get in the way of what we are called to do for Him.... we made a promise to give our lives to God when we chose to follow Him as our Savior and Lord... God does not take kindly to us when we renig on that promise... we must remember that we are blessed to be a blessing, not to make ourselves or our loved ones "comfortable" or "happy" (see Genesis 12:2-3)
verse 38... the renaming of the cities they rebuilt reminds me of how God renames the lives He rebuilds (see Abram become Abraham in Genesis 17:5, Sarai becoming Sarah in Genesis 17:15; Paul become Saul in Acts 13:9, and Simon Peter officially becoming Peter in Matthew 16:17-18)
The Study Notes express that the decision made by the Reubonites, etc, to split from the rest of the Israelites would have an effect on their relationship with the other tribes... does this have anything to do with the splitting of the tribes into the two kingdoms later? I don't know all the details about this, so any ideas or theological insight on this?
Also an important note that Moses binds the splitting tribes to their word by telling all the other tribes and leaders/priests about it (see verse 28-30)... this reminds me of the importance and power of accountability and how we need to have it in our own lives... so, thanks for helping us in this area, by holding us accountable to our daily Bible reading! :) We couldn't do it without you! :)
another good scripture reference on the importance of prayer (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
ReplyDeleteChapter 33: we need to remember that God does not always take us from point a to point b (got this wisdom from someone we know)... sometimes He takes us from point a to c ... to x... just to get us to point b, because we need to have a journey of growth, as we are not yet ready for the blessings and difficulties that will be waiting for us at point b... God wants us to be successful and if that makes our journey a little longer, with more points on the way, then so be it... we must have patience, and remember God is sovereign and works for our good... also, each point serves a purpose, as does the timing with which we reside there...
verse 9... reminder that there will be parts in our lives journey that will be like an oasis... but,
verse 11 (and 14)... there will also be times in our journey with God that there will times of hardship and "wilderness"... we should not be surprised by this, as God does not promise that a Christian life is the same as a life of ease (Acts 20:23-24)... and although this hardship may come from the spiritual battle we are in, we may find, too that, all too often, this "wilderness" time comes in the "desert of sin"... is the desert of sin and the desert of zin the same place? (anyway, in "sin" remember Exodus 16, where the people first complained about how they had no food and would rather have died in Egypt, blah, blah, blah...their first sin against God, I think... and Exodus 17, where the first water/rock experience took place because of the people's reoccurance of grumbling... also, "zin", remember Numbers 13... where the first group rebelled against following God into the promised land... also Numbers 20... where Moses sinned and did not follow God's instruction on getting water from the rock)... it is interesting to see how we can retrace some of the same "wilderness" steps in our lives over and over again... and how also, the 'simple' act of complaining and not staying focused on praising God, can lead to bigger sins in our lives and longer stints in the "desert of sin"... but regardless of the hardships we face, we have hope... hope in forgiveness and hope in our assurance of salvation and the greater glory of being the beloved of God (1 John 1:9, Romans 8:31-39, also the rest of Romans 8)
verse 39... Aaron was 123 years old when he died
verse 40... remind we why this is an important fact?
verse 51-53... they are to "possess" the land... this means they are to take control of it and get rid of any part of it that is not Godly... do we allow God to "possess" us in such a complete way, or do we keep parts of our self back, and hold onto things from our past, etc, so that God can not fully allow us to take hold of all He has to offer us?... let us be wary of the cost of holding onto such things/areas, and take caution to make sure we give full possession of our lives over to God (see verses 55-56)
Ok, all for now... have a great night!
In His Love,
sandJ