"Undressed Stones"

Deuteronomy 27:5-6

These two short verses have come to be so dear to me along with every other verse where God commanded His people to make an altar of field stones or “undressed stones” in the King James. What on earth does that even mean? It means that the people were to make an altar of stones that they had done nothing to except just pick up off the ground. They had not used any tools on them to make them beautiful or carved any image into them. They were just rocks. They had added nothing to them.

The significance is that they could not impress God into forgiving them by how beautiful their altar was. They had nothing to offer God that would make Him forgive them. He was forgiving them because He wanted to. It pleased Him to do it.

When we come to the cross there is absolutely nothing we can bring with us that will impress God into forgiving us. He is forgiving us because of Jesus’ sacrifice – not because of anything we have to offer Him. We can add nothing to salvation. We can do nothing to earn salvation. It is offered as a gift to those who will accept it.

Have you accepted His ultimate gift today or are you still trying to impress God with you talents and good works? None of those will work, but you can come with a humble heart and He will not turn you away. Come to Christ today with the "undressed stones" of your life. He is ready to accept anyone who will trust in Him.

Visual Reminders

Deuteronomy 27:1-4

Before Moses dies, he reminds the people again to keep all the commandments that the Lord had given to them. He also tells them to write the law on stones covered with plaster and set them up on Mt. Ebal. This was to be a visual reminder to them of what was right and what was wrong. Without them, they would be prone to live very differently.

There is power in the spoken word and there is power in the written word. We have the same visual reminder only it is in the form of a book – the Bible. Without the Bible, we would all live very differently. Loving our enemies, forgiving others, and blessing those that persecute us are not things that come natural to us. However, with the Word of God before us, we know that these are things that God commands us to do. Therefore, we are to do them whether we “feel” like it or not!

If we ever have a question about how we should live, all we must do is open and read our Bibles. “But what about the “gray” areas?” you may ask. There is far more black and white than gray. I have found in my life that if I concentrate on obeying the black and white, the “gray” areas I used to worry about tend to disappear.

Seeking God's Word First

Deuteronomy 13:1-5

We might think that our hearts are completely guarded from following after a false prophet, but we might be wrong. Usually we identify someone as a false prophet if their prophecies do not come true. However, this passage tells us that a pagan’s prophesies might come true. Then how are we to judge? The Word clearly tells us that if anyone or any prophesy tries to lead us away from God to worship anything or anyone else - even if they are telling us to worship this person along with God – that person is a false prophet and is ultimately worthy of death.

What does this mean for us today? It is actually very applicable to our daily lives. We must put priority on the written Word of God over anyone else’s word. We must also put God’s Word over supposed signs, wonders, or miracles, or our own feelings. This passage teaches us that we are to be taught and guided by God’s Word. The Bible is truly all we need to discern God’s will therefore it is necessary for us to know what it says.

Ask God to help you listen to His Word first today. Ask Him to drown out all the other voices and to lead you to the passages in His Word that will help you make any and every decision. After you have sought His Word, then ask Him to confirm it through other sources. We must make the commitment to seek Him and His Word first.

Greatest Priviledges

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

This passage contains the two greatest privileges and responsibilities that we have as Christians.

1. 1. To love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (verse 5)
2. 2. To teach the ways of the Lord to our children (verse 7-9)

To know and love God is the greatest duty, but also the greatest privilege of any person that has ever or will ever live. But, this does not always come easy. The type of love that God requires us to have of Him is an unconditional, supernatural love that only truly flows from Him. However, He will freely give us this type of love if we will only ask. Ask Him today to give you a heart to love Him. This is a request He will not deny.

To teach the ways of the Lord to our children is one of my greatest joys in life. Moses commanded the people to talk about God’s ways all the time and to bind them to their hands and write them on the posts of their homes. They took this literally and made little boxes called phylacteries that contained Bible verses. They actually fastened them to their foreheads and forearms as constant reminders. They took this command literal, yet we who know the love of God literally through Jesus Christ tend to be forgetful of God’s Word and commands. We also tend to remain silent about the truth that we do know.

Call me old-fashioned, but I think it’s still alright to write down the verses your memorizing or clinging to and carry them around with you. I also think we are to live by the Bible and teach it to our children – DAILY.

We have all failed in these areas. A missed opportunity with a friend, co-worker, or our children does not have to be the end of our witness with them. Will you join me in asking God for forgiveness in these areas and for help in loving Him unconditionally and teaching His ways to our children.

Good Enough?

Numbers 32:1-33

You may have never read this short story before about the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was unfamiliar to me as well; however there is something to be learned from the behaviors of these tribes.

Just before the children of Israel were about to enter into the Promised Land, the leaders of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh started looking around. They decided that where they were was good enough for them and their families. It was a great land for their cattle and they just really wanted to stay there. So they went to Moses to ask permission. Moses was angry and asked them, “Why should your brothers go to war while you stay here?” Reuben and Gad promised to go to war with their brothers, but as soon as the land was conquered they wanted to come back to the land they had chosen.

Reuben and Gad chose what they wanted over what God had chosen for them. They settled for less than God’s best and missed out on what God really had for them. Not only did their decision affect them, it also affected their families. Sometimes the decisions we make keep others from experiencing God’s blessings.

My Bible Study teaching leader said recently when discussing this story that “half-hearted obedience results in half-hearted blessings.” I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best. Where are you settling for less than God’s best? Let’s not live our lives at the edge of what God has for us. Let us be obedient to Him today and experience the fullness of His blessing.

Sacrifice

Numbers 28:1-8

Sometimes it is hard for us to see that the God of the Old Testament is the same God that we serve today. However, if I have learned anything from studying the Old Testament, it is that God is. He has not changed.

I wanted us to read this passage to see the enormity of just the daily offerings the Israelites were to bring to the Tabernacle. The rest of this chapter covers the Sabbath offerings, monthly offerings, and the offerings that were to be brought during the three feasts each year. All of these offerings were in addition to the daily offerings. Obviously, sacrifices were a major part of their lives. But, what does sacrifice mean for us?

First of all, the sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ's shed blood on the cross. There is no longer a need for animals to be sacrificed for our sins. Jesus' blood covers all sin from now until forever. Secondly, the Israelites could not function without a priest. Jesus is our High Priest. He lives to make intercession for us. We cannot truly live without him. But, the most important thing I want us to learn from this passage is that sacrifice is expensive. The Israelites' daily, Sabbath, and monthly sacrifices would have cost them a lot of money. Jesus' sacrifice cost Him His life. What does your sacrifice cost you?

We should be willing to give of ourselves and our spirtual sacrifices. A spiritual sacrifice can be our bodies, money, matieral gifts, worship, praise, prayer, and/or a broken and contrite heart over sin. All of these are acceptable to God as our sacrifice.

King David says in Samuel 24:24,

"But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them."

Sacrifice is not sacrifice if it doesn't cost you something. Jesus gave His very life for you. What will you offer to him in return?

Present Suffering

Romans 8:18

Yesterday in church we were singing an awesome song called "Your Grace is Enough". It basically proclaims that whatever I might be going through, God's is bigger and His grace is enough.

As we were singing, I started thinking about several people around me. Close to me was a woman who is grieving over a lost relationship. One row up was a mother who in the last two years has completely lost the ability to speak. She was signing every word. Two rows up was a woman who has a difficult time forming relationships, but now is having trouble with her health. She is suffering almost alone. Just a few rows back was a couple who have a severely handicapped child whose medical bills alone are stressful, not to mention just the day to day routine that must be carried out in their home.

The amazing thing was that all of them were proclaiming, "Your Grace is Enough". It was an amazing moment in worship as hearts that were breaking cried out to God that their present suffering could not even compare with greatness of God or with the grace He had bestowed upon them.

We are all going to struggle and suffer. This is as much a part of life as the sun coming up in the morning. However, this life is but a vapor. And eternity is unfathomable. When we reach eternity with Christ, there will not be one moment of suffering ever again. In light of that, "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

Therefore, let us suffer with faithfulness. Whatever we are going through, let us be faithful to God - even when we don't feel like it. Express those feelings to God today. He is big enough to handle them. And His grace is enough... even for you.

Are You Growing?

Numbers 26:1-4, 51

This may seem like passage that is just strictly factual for the sake of knowing how many people were about to enter into the promised land, but I believe it actually shows us a quite vivid picture.

This is the second census that Moses had been commanded to take. The first one was before the 38 years of wandering in the desert. Now everyone that had believed the spies report over God's promises had died, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. Here they are about to enter and there are about 2000 less people than there were 38 years ago. Why?

Yes, the conditions were severe, but the Israelites had been through severe conditions before. They spent 400 years in slavery and flourished. They grew from a family of 12 brothers to almost 3 million people! So why in these 38 years have they declined?

I believe God is showing us a vivid, physical picture of what it looks like to live in disobedience. The 38 years that the Israelites spent wandering in the desert were completely wasted. You can count the number of verses that have to do with that 38 years on your fingers because there is just nothing to say about them. They were wasted in disobedience, therefore the people did not grow.

If we are not growing spiritually, we are living in disobedience to God in one or more areas. If you feel distant from God or if you feel He hasn't taught you anything in quite some time, ask Him to show you where you are being disobedient so that you may confess and repent today. Don't wander in the desert any longer.

The Snare

Numbers 25:1-3, Numbers 31:16, Revelation 2:14

The scriptures may not make much sense to you today unless you know the story of Balaam and Balak, so let me fill in the gaps...

Balaam could not curse Israel the way Balak wanted him to so according to scripture, Balaam gave Balak advice on how he could defeat the Israelites. He advised Balak to get the Moabite and Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men into worshipping their God, Baal, and indulging in sexual immorality with them.

Baal, was a fertility god and the worship of him involved ritual prostitution in the temple of Baal. This was detestable to God and the Israelites knew it. God acted swiftly in the punishment of this sin. All the men who took part in this idolatry were killed, but the damage was done.

How many times throughout the rest of the Old Testament do we hear about the Israelites falling into the snare of idol worship to the false god Baal? Too many times to count. This was their first encounter and it became a snare to them the rest of their ancient history.

The Israelites did not even see this snare coming, but the decision they made took them, their children, their grandchildren , and the rest of their decendants much further than they ever wanted to go with sin. It is amazing to me that sin sometimes seems to come from no where and one decision can sometimes change the course of our lives and possibly the lives of our entire family.

We must be aware of this warning in scripture: Evil wants to destroy us and our desire for God.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8. Don't let one foolish decision change your entire history.

God Can Even Use a Donkey!

Numbers 22:1-35

The Israelites are on the border of the promised land, but no doubt the surrounding nations have heard of all that had happened to them. Now they were so close, the other nations could see this enormous people group moving toward them. And they were afraid! Balak, the king of Moab, decided to take matters spiritually. Unfortunately, he went to the wrong source. Instead of consulting God, he consulted the sorcerer, Balaam.

Balaam may come across to you as a true believer in God. There are many that feel that he was and just made some mistakes along the way. However, based on other scriptures such as 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, and Revelation 2:14, I do not believe that he was. However, God used him. This may seem puzzeling to us, but God can use anyone He desires to speak to us. He can use unbelievers to encourage us or to discipline us.

Balaam seeks God's approval in going with the messengers sent from Moab and God says no. Then the messengers come back and Balaam asks God again. God will not be manipulated. Have you ever continued to ask God for something over and over that He has shown you is NOT for you?

God allows Balaam to go, but He did not want him to. Therefore, God sends an angel of the Lord to block his path. The interesting thing in this story is that the "seer" did not see, but the donkey did!! Balaam, although regarded as a spiritual man, did not have spiritual eyes. The donkey tried to help him, but he just beat the donkey, forcing his way through.

Is there something in your life that God is trying to stop you from doing but you just keep forcing your way through? Ask God to show you if He is Sovereignly trying to stop you from making a mistake. Listen to His voice and be aware of the voices around you - including the donkey!

The Poisonous Bite of Sin

Numbers 21:4-9

New generation, same attitude. Complaining. One of the Israelites' snares into sin time after time. God did not and will not put up with the same sin over and over again. He punishes them with deadly, venomous snakes. But this time, Moses does not fall face down and petition God to forgive them and remove the plague. Interestingly, when Moses did not plead for them, they turned to God for forgiveness. This is the first time they have confessed and repented of their sin.

God tells Moses to do something that seems very strange. God told Moses to make a bronze snake, put in on a pole and lift it up. Anyone who looked at it would be healed from the poisonous bite. This would have seemed strange for at least three reasons:

1. It takes time to make a bronze snake so the people had time to truly feel the effects of their sin.
2. According to Exodus 20:4, they were not to make any images.
3. Snakes are cursed, associated with Satan, and are considered repulsive by many.
   

However, Moses did what God said even though it seemed bizarre and even repulsive.

The people had to believe what God said and look to the snake in order to be healed from the poisonous bite. And this was the only way they could be healed. Any human remedy would only result in death. This may seem like "foolishness", but "the cross is foolishess to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). Jesus hung on a tree and we know from scripture, that makes Him cursed. However, the only way to be saved from the poison of sin is to look in faith to Jesus.

The snake, as strange as it may seem, is a picture of the Son of Man being lifted up. Jesus himself even refers to this story in John 3. To look to the cross where a cursed Man hung may seem foolish or even repulsive, but it is the only way to come to God, because it is the way He says were are to come.

Have you looked to Jesus for salvation? Saving faith is believing what God says and acting on it. This is a committment that each individual must make for herself. Will you look to the cross today and believe? I can think of no better time that right now. He is the only cure for the poisonous bite of sin.

Baby Steps of Faith

Numbers 21:1-3

This passage of scripture may seem insignificant, but it is actually the first baby step of faith that the Israelites took since their journey to the promised land began. The Israelites were victims of an unprovoked attack by the Canaanites. I don't know about you, but I would have expected their response to be something like, "if only we had died in the desert!". But, they show a shocking amount of faith and turn to God. Yeah Israelites!!

The Israelites believed that God was able to do what He said He could do. They acted in faith, but their faith had two very important components that true faith always has. First, their faith had content. They were basing their faith on God's promise to bring them into the promised land. Their faith also had action. Their action was making a vow to the Lord and following through. The Lord brought them to victory based on their faith.

What makes this short victory even more important is that this was the very place that 38 years before they had been defeated when they chose not to believe God. God truly is the God of second chances! God can use our former places of defeat for victory.

Is there somewhere in your life that God is offering you a second chance? Don't miss out on His second chance! Make a vow to the Lord today that if He will give you the victory, you will be obedient.

The Submitted Servant

Numbers 20:22-29

We have traveled many days with Aaron. We have watched his life and his faith mature. Was he perfect? Far from it. Aaron helped build the golden calf, he, along with his sister Miriam, opposed Moses, and he also disobeyed God when he and Moses were commanded to speak to the rock to bring water from it. However, in spite of all his failures, he ended his life a completely submitted servant of the Lord.

God tells Moses to get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up the mountain because Aaron is going to die. We see nothing in scripture to make us believe that Aaron argued or complained about God's choice for his life. He just obeyed. God blessed him for his obedience by allowing him to see the priesthood passed on to his son. Aaron died knowing that his son was going to be greatly used by God. He was also allowed to tell his family goodbye, and Aaron knew exactly where he was going. He was going to be "gathered to his people".

We can see through Aaron's life that God is much more concerned with our current faith than He is with our past failures. We can also see that submission to the Lord is the greatest mark of maturity.

How about you? Is your life submitted to the Lord? Are you to the point in your relationship with Him that you can truly say, "Lord, whatever you choose for me, I submit myself to it". Or do you spend much of your time complaining over what the Lord has chosen for you?

Today, ask God to grow you into a totally submitted servant. There is truly no greater mark on a believer's life.

"He had not, in the highest degree, the qualities of insight, promptitude, energy, and firmness for which Moses was pre-eminent: but he excelled his brother in the passive virtues of patience and endurance. Under the stunning blow which deprived him of two of his sons in a moment, no word of reproach escaped his lips; while on the occasion of the Korahitic rebellion he waited, with a quiet and becoming dignity, until his pre-emenence had been established, and then he used his priesthood in making intercession for the plague-stricken multitudes... His character shines most brightly at 'the evening time'; and to him we may apply the poet's words, 'Nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it.' We forget his faults as we see him ascending so quietly the hill on which he is to be gathered to his people."
William M. Taylor, Moses: The Law-Giver

Disobedience Brings Consequence

Numbers 20:2-13

This is probably one of the best known stories of the Old Testament. Moses' failure. It is so disheartening. However, after studying it, I believe that there may be as much for us to learn in Moses' failure as there was in his successes.

First of all, it seems unfair that after all Moses had been through with the grumbling, complaining Israelites, that he would not get to see the promised land. We can easily sympathize with his anger toward the people. We can easily sympathize with the way he spoke to them. Unfortunately, human emotion is not an excuse for sin. And God's leaders do not have the luxury of losing their tempers with others.

Moses' sin is actually multifaceted. First and foremost, he disobeyed God. He didn't follow God's instructions. Moses did not believe God in this circumstance. Moses had seen the very glory of God, yet here he did not believe Him. Secondly, Moses took some of the glory for the miracle for himself and for Aaron. Moses says, "must we" bring water out of this rock making it seem as if they were responsible for the miracle as opposed to God. Thirdly, Moses spoke to the people harshly instead of speaking too the rock. And last but not least, Moses struck the rock twice instead of doing what God had said. Any of these points are sinful, but add them all up and they equal a significant failure on Moses' part.

It is important to see through this example that a whole lifetime of service can be ruined by one sinful act. If it does not ruin a life, it is not because it shouldn't, but only because of God's grace. The fact that Moses had to suffer the consequences of his actions should serve as a warning for us.

Is there an area in your life where you are disobeying God, yet you believe that you deserve a pass because of all the other things you are doing right? This is not how God works. He does not weigh the good against the bad. Ask God to help you totally submit to Him and His ways today.

At the Threshold of the Promised Land - Part 5

Numbers 14:21-44

This is a long narrative, however, I feel that this passage has some important lessons that are applicable to our daily lives.

God forgives the Israelites for their unbelief, lack of trust, and ultimately their contempt. But, the consequences are still theirs to live with. No one that had treated with Him contempt would ever see the promised land. The saddest part is that even the children had to suffer for their parents sin. Not because God was punishing them directly, but because sin even affects the innocent.

When a husband or wife chooses to be unfaithful, their entire family is effected. What consequences are my children suffering because of my rebellion? Are they rebellious because I have allowed them to be? Do they have a complaining attitude because I do?

The last part of the story is the most tragic. The people realize they have sinned and decide they will go into the promised land. Moses tried to tell them that the Lord was not with them, but they would not listen. Sometimes we cannot go back. Sometimes the opportunity for obedience is forever lost and we must live with the consequences. Persistent failure to trust God and obey Him is always disastrous.

Not all sin has to end in disastrous consequences. The time to believe and repent through our actions is now. The Israelites never got to see their promised land. I pray we don't miss ours. Don't just stand on the threshold - GO IN!!

At the Threshold of the Promised Lard - Part 4

Numbers 14:13-20

Again, we see the wonderful character traits of Moses. Moses was more concerned about the reputation of the Lord than he was his own purposes. Moses reasons with God to forgive them for His namesake. Moses wants the nations to know that God is The LORD and that the one, true God keeps His promises.

We should be ever mindful of the Lord's reputation as we live our lives. During this time and even today, the world is looking for the one, true God. The world is looking for a god who keeps his promises. We can show them this God, the only God through our lives.

One important thing to point out about this passage is that Moses appeals to God's love and His mercy - not His justice. To appeal to God's justice would have meant certain death. We do not want God's justice. If God treated us justly, we would surely be destroyed.

As we pray for our country, let us confess our sins and plead for God to be merciful to us and to our country. Let us ask God to show the world again that He is the One, True God and that He keeps His promises!

At the Threshold of the Promised Land - Part 3

Number 14: 1-12

I must tell you that reading this vivid passage in the Bible literally brings me to tears. These people had seen the wonders of God, the provision of God, the blessings of God, and the literal glory of God yet they still do not believe. It is hard to comprehend.

Deuteronomy 1:27 tells us that the people literally grumbled in their tents saying, "the LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us".

What makes this so heartbreaking to me is that I know that I have felt that way. I know that when I have been faced with opposition I have wondered, "why are You doing this to me?" Oh, how I have distrusted my loving God! It breaks my heart that the Israelites did it, but it breaks my heart even more that I did not learn from their example.

Moses and Aaron hit the dirt out of shame, but also probably because they were afraid God might justifiably wipe the people off the face of the Earth! Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and tried to reason with these unbelieving people. But, then God shows up and speaks with Moses. God asks Moses how long would these people, His people, treat Him with contempt!

When we fail to trust God and believe His promises, we are treating the Lord with contempt. It is rebellion and it is sin. Is that really how we want to treat the God that gave His only Son so that we might have a relationship with Him? Do we really want to treat Him with contempt? Do you really believe God? Not do you believe in God, but do you believe Him?

He is worthy of our trust. Ask Him to reveal any area of unbelief to you today and then ask Him to "Help your unbelief". An honest cry for help He will not deny.

At the Threshold of the Promised Land - Part 2

Numbers 13:26-33

This passage starts out so encouraging! Can't you just hear the people saying "Ohh" and "Ahh" as the spies give their report! Unfortunately, one little word changes everything. "But". The spies begin to tell the people why they can never take possession of the land. But this, and but that! Then Caleb steps up and becomes the voice of faith in a God that had seen them through and proven Himself faithful.

Caleb says "we can certainly do it", but the other 10 basically say, "no we can't!". They compare themselves to grasshoppers! However, with God, grasshoppers can overcome giants! Let me give you an example...

George Mueller, an ordinary man that lived in the 1800s, felt God calling him to care for orphans in Bristol, England. He did not have the means to do this on his own, yet he trusted God and made a covenant with God that he would never ask anyone for financial assistance. He would only ask God for the provisions needed to care for orphaned children and himself. God proved Himself faithful as George Mueller provided for over 10,000 children during the course of his ministry! George Mueller was just a grasshopper, but he overcame a giant by trusting in a giant God!

What giant in your life is holding you back from entering the promised land? God does great things with grasshoppers who trust Him. How will you trust Him today?

By the way, if you have an extra minute, click on George Mueller and read his story. It is quite amazing!

At the Threshold of the Promised Land - Part 1

Numbers 13:1-3, 17-25

The Israelites were finally there!! They made it to the promised land! In this passage, we see the Lord instructing Moses to send spies into the land to check it out. However, based on Deuteronomy 1:19-23 we see that this was a concession made by God to allow them to explore the land. But, the decision had already been made. They were to inhabit the land.

The Israelites knew that they were to take possession of this land. They didn't have to question whether this was the right place or the right time. They had all known since childhood that one day God would deliver them to this land. Yet, here they stand on the edge of it and doubt.

Although we might think that we might just walk right in, let's stop and think for a moment... Do we do everything that we know God has commanded us to do? When God gives us instructions to do something, we are to do it. We are not to see if it is "do-able". We are to do it! The decision has been made and we are to do it. Specifically, this means that instructions that are given in His Word are to be carried out.

As we will see later this week, failure to trust God and follow Him in obedience can be disasterous. Where do you need to be obedient? What has God told you to do in His Word that you are not doing? Can you confess that you aren't doing it either because you don't want to or because you don't trust Him enough to follow Him? Ask God to change any area of disobedience in your life today. Let's not miss out on the promised land.

Judgement, Repentance, Intercession, & Restoration

Numbers 12:10-16

God's judgment falls on Miriam and it is severe. Leprosy. At this time, there is no cure for leprosy aside from divine healing from God. Aaron looks at her and as high priest knows that he will have to pronounce her unclean and send her out of the camp forever. Knowing that he has sinned as well, Aaron humbly confesses and repents of this sin they so "foolishly committed". Aaron begs Moses to intercede for their sister.

Moses, who had been so deeply hurt by them, cries out in intercession for his sister. This is exactly what Jesus Christ does for you everyday of your life. He is the offended and we are the offenders. Yet, He cries out to the Father on our behalf and pleads for our forgiveness. Thank Jesus for doing that right now.

One lesson we can learn from Numbers 12 is that jealousy hurts everyone. Moses was hurt, Aaron was hurt, and Miriam was hurt. Jealousy enslaves us and the root of it is dissatisfaction with what God has blessed us with.

There is hope in this story as well. First of all, God comes to the defense of His faithful servants. He defended Moses against his family, and God will defend us as well. Lastly, Miriam and Aaron were restored. Yes, they were humbled - especially Miriam - but God forgave them and restored them. Aaron and Miriam continued to serve the Lord. Even when we fail, God can still use us if we will turn from our sin and turn back to Him.

Too Close to Home - Part 2

Numbers 12:4-9

Talk about accountability! We know that God hears and sees everything we say and do, but here we see God Himself coming to hold Miriam and Aaron accountable for what they were saying about His servant Moses. God basically says to them "How dare you!" This is an extremely important lesson so I don't want you to miss it:

God is not pleased when we criticize those He has placed in leadership.

Who does this include? No, our pastor and other ministers at our churches are not the same as Moses. But, they have been placed as overseers of God's church. We must heed the question God asks in verse 8 very seriously. "Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Will we respect those that God has placed over us or will we belittle them? Will we pray for them as God leads through them or will we demean their efforts to serve God?

I'm sure that everyone reading this has had "fried pastor" or "fried worship leader" for lunch on Sunday at least once. However, God has convicted me over this so severely that I do not want to fall into this sin ever again. And I don't want you to either. If you know that you have talked poorly about the leadership of your church, confess and repent right now. God will forgive and restore you. Begin praying right now for God to move in the leadership of your church and commit to support them in whatever way God leads you to.

Too Close to Home

Numbers 12: 1-3

The problems that Moses faced in chapter 11, unfortunately were only the beginning. Only this time, it is a little too close to home. His own family is personally attacking him and his leadership. Why? Many believe it was because of Moses' wife threatening Miriam's position, but usually an attack of this magnitude would be something deeper than that. Moses' wife was probably just a smokescreen. Miriam and Aaron had become envious of their younger brother.

God had just anointed 70 new leaders. Possibly Miriam and Aaron felt that their position was threatened. Or maybe they were just jealous of Moses' special relationship with God. What we need to realize is that God has the right to choose whomever He desires. Have you ever been offended or jealous when God chose someone else to do a job that you wanted to do?

We see in verse 3 that Moses was "the most humble man on the face of the earth". (Just in case you are wondering if Moses wrote this about himself, the answer is - probably not!! This verse was probably added by Joshua since if Moses said that about himself, he wouldn't be very humble!) Moses stood silent in the face of his attackers. How could he do this? Moses could let this attack go, no matter how much it hurt him, because he was secure in God and God's love for him. He believed what God said about him more than what his family said about him. Wow!

What can you do today to help you not be so defensive in the face of criticism? Ask God to show you who He says you are and to help you silence all the other voices.

True Leader of God

Numbers 11:16-30

I realize we have skipped around a lot in the 11th chapter of Numbers, but there are so many lessons to be learned that I don't want us to miss any of them! Today, I want us to look deep into the heart of Moses. I know we will see Jesus, but I hope we will see ourselves. If we don't, I hope we will want to change...

Moses was at a point in his ministry where he truly needed help. He took his requests to God and God gave him help. God gave Moses 70 leaders to help him share the burden of leading His people. When God put His Spirit on the 70 new leaders, they temporarily prophesied. 68 of the men were around the Tent, but for some reason, possibly because of ceremonially uncleanness, Eldad and Medad were not present. They were chosen to be part of the leadership, but they were in the camp. So, when God's Spirit came down they prophesied as well, and Joshua heard them.

Joshua had been Moses right-hand man since he was a boy. He was extremely loyal to Moses. When he heard these other men prophesying, he was afraid that Moses' authority might be threatened. Joshua even told Moses to "stop them"! This is when we see the true heart of a leader come forth. Moses tells Joshua that he wishes that God would put His Spirit on all of the people.

We must remember that during this time, the Holy Spirit came and went as He pleased. When we accept Christ, the Spirit indwells us always, but this was not the case for the children of Israel. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam had been the only ones that God had put His Spirit on thus far. Now God was giving His Spirit to 70 others. But, was Moses jealous? No.

Moses had no personal ambition of his own. He only had the ambition of the Father. Moses did not want to get in the way of God's work. How do you feel when someone else is used powerfully by God? Are you thrilled that God's work is being done or are you envious that He didn't use you or your church? Maybe the bigger question is: Are we about building God's kingdom or our own?

These are hard questions. We see the heart of Moses was to serve God's purposes. What are ours?

Their Fearless Leader?

Numbers 11:10-17

In this passage we see none other than Moses, the Israelites fearless leader, complaining! Oh no! Is he falling into the same sin that the people were committing? Actually, he isn't. We can see from God's response that Moses is not sinning against God by complaining. But why?

Their is a subtle difference that makes what Moses was doing not a sin. The Israelites were complaining about their circumstances and therefore complaining about God. Moses was not complaining about God. He was complaining to God.

God does not rebuke Moses for bringing his complaints to Him. He realized that Moses had a very heavy burden and that he was just a man. But, Moses had forgotten that God had made him a promise that He would be with him and would give him rest. God recognized that Moses felt like he was failing the people, himself, and ultimately God. God gave him others to come along beside him and help carry the load. God heard Moses and answered his prayer.

The lesson for us today is to remember to "carry our complaints to the throne instead of to the phone"!

More Complaining...

Numbers 11:4-6, 18-20, 31-35

Even after being punished with the fire, the people are still wailing about their circumstances. This time, it's about the food. We may be sympathetic to the Israelites because we have an abundance of different foods everyday. God was moving them into a new land that would be "flowing with milk and honey". However, they could not be thankful for their "daily bread". They desired different and more. This must be understood as ingratitude and ultimately sin.

Their issue was not really about the food. It was really about their dissatisfaction with their circumstances and with God. They were rejecting God Himself. This lesson that they learned is so applicable to us today. In our society, it is the norm to be dissatisfied with our current lifestyle. To always want more or different is acceptable. Unfortunately, when we reject what God has given us we are rejecting God.

We must ask ourselves: Am I rejecting God because I don't like what He has given me? Am I dissatisfied with my spouse, my job, my house, or anything else in my life because I want different or I want more?

Unfortunately, the end of the story is tragic. The people got their meat, but they did not even get to enjoy it. The old saying rings true: Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.