Christ in all the scriptures Aaron's rod that budded

 Christ in all the scriptures 

Aaron's rod that budded      Numbers 17

Despite all that had happened the murmuring continued, and the Lord determined to bring it to an end.  He introduced the test of the rods.  The chapter is all about Aaron's rod, that budded in the holy place.  The rod is a rich symbol in scripture, encompassing authority, discipline, guidance, protection, and judgment.  It is interesting to trace the usage of bible words.  The rod was a kind of walking stick, useful also to ward off enemies troubling the flock, as well as guiding them to new pastures.  When called to Egypt, Moses' rod took on miraculous qualities, and was used by God to bring the supernatural plagues upon Egypt. (Exodus 4v2, v17, v20; 7v10, v20; 8v5, v16,; 9v23; 10v13).  He used the rod to part the Red Sea (14v16), and to smite the rock to bring water for the thirsty camp (17v6).  In the hand of Moses a humble stick of wood became "the rod of God"-refer Exodus 4v20 and 17v9.  The predominant thought of the "rod" in scripture is of Divine authority placed in the hands of men.  The Lord described the Assyrian as "the rod of His anger"-He would use the foreign king to bring discipline to wayward Israel (Isaiah 10v5).  He also used Israel as "the rod of His inheritance", when restored Israel fulfilled the will of God-Jeremiah 51v19-20.  It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for rod is the same as for "tribe" in scripture.  Out of 251 occurrences, 182 are translated tribe.  We thus conclude, that, in God's terms, a tribe is a community of people under the authority, discipline, protection, and guidance of the Sovereign Lord.  This is an important reminder of the necessity of correction in the life of believers who are called to recognise God's authority, and to submit to His guidance on their spiritual journey.  This is a solemn reminder that each group that calls itself a church today is under the authority of God.  

He commanded Moses to take rods from each of the tribes, with Aaron representing the tribe of Levi.  They were to place them before the ark of the covenant in the holy place, with each rod named after their tribe.  The answer to their leadership problem was from God.  The rods were examined and the dead wood of Aaron's rod had budded miraculously, producing overnight fruit, life from death.  There could be no argument to this.  Aaron, whose leadership had been challenged, was divinely established as high priest.  God determines who rules in His house.  There is no argument today who rules in God's house.  Hebrews 3v6 says it, "But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end".  Hebrews 4v14, "Seeing then we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession".  Hebrews 6v20, "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek".  Hebrews 8v1-2, "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man".  It was God who called Aaron to be the high priest (Hebrews 7v4).  It was God who appointed Christ to lead the worship of the people of God from the sanctuary above.  He is the Head of the body the church, He endows it with gifts.  It is a challenge to His authority if either we promote to leadership those ungifted for the task; or we refuse those who are gifted their true place among us.  Christ gives the gifts and He expects them to be used for the benefit of all.  Those so gifted require good character to be effective.  If we are persuaded that our local spiritual leaders are appointed by Him, then we must submit to them according to Hebrews 13v7, v17.  The risen, glorified Lord Jesus has called and gifted men to lead us, and we should follow them in the measure they are followers of Christ.

Aaron's rod was preserved in the ark of the covenant, along with the tablets of stone and the golden pot of manna.  Our studies are of how the bible depicts Christ.  In the tablets of stone we have the Divine law unbroken and preserved in Christ.  In the pot of manna Christ is the spiritual provision and food of His people.  In the rod that budded we have life springing out of death, a wonder that was fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ.  "On the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds"-17v8.  No doubt this is resurrection life, from a dead piece of wood there comes buds and flowers and fruit.  The subject of resurrection is massive and reveals that the resurrection of Christ guarantees the resurrection of every believer both physically and spiritually-Romans 8v11 and 1st Corinthians 15v51-54.  It also establishes Christ as Lord of the living and dead with all authority in His hands-Romans 14v9 and  1st Corinthians 15v22-25.  No one in the camp of Israel could doubt the message of Aaron's rod.  No one alive today should doubt that all authority in heaven and upon earth is given to Christ, and all who oppose Him are lost.  The fear of death gripped the hearts of the sceptics in Moses day, as it should do in our day.  

Christ in all the scriptures The gainsaying of Korah

 Christ in all the scriptures

The gainsaying of Korah  Numbers 16

"They have perished in the gainsaying of Korah"  Jude 11

The audacious rebellion of Korah is etched eternally in the woes of holy scripture as a warning to every believer and to the entire world.  Man's open rebellion will be crushed by the unmitigated wrath of Almighty God.  There will be no exceptions.   A cursory reading of this chapter brings solemnity to the soul, yet its content is reality.  Reality about the unfettered sin in the heart of man; reality about the unmitigated wrath of God against human sin, particularly against rebellion.  We will first tabulate both of these realities in the chapter, then consider what this says about future judgment in the hands of Christ.  

The rebellion of man   Korah, who was at the heart of this rebellion, was of the favoured tribe of Levi, and a cousin to both Moses and Aaron-refer Exodus 6v16-21.  This rebellion in the camp of Israel was fomented by a man who was born into privilege of the highest order.  Jesus warned the people of His day, that, in a time of departure, "A man's foes shall be they of his own household"-Matthew 10v36.  The challenge was against the leadership of Moses, and the priesthood of Aaron.  Great privilege does not always result in good attitude.  Korah, along with Dathan, Abiram, and On, spread unrest and defiance among 250 prominent men in the congregation.  This unholy alliance would not be the only one in the history of Israel.  Using holy sounding words to cover their evil, (v3) they questioned the authority of Moses and Aaron.  Amid every rebellion there is always a spurious religious reason for the uprising.  Here is a summary of their delusion:

"Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord"?-16v3.

"Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness (these are the same people who refused to enter the land), except thou make thyself a prince over us"? 16v13.

Following the death of Korah and all his rebels, the congregation murmured, "But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord"-16v41.

The rebellion spread to the whole camp.  One man can be a force for evil!

The wrath of God   Challenge to the authority of divinely appointed leadership is a challenge to the Almighty Himself!  When feeble man challenges the omnipotence of God there is only one outcome, and the chapter bears this out in no uncertain terms.  The fallacy of equality (an error which pervades modern society today), and the perversion of historical facts (also a delusion today), brought the visible presence of God down among them.

"And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods...and they perished from among the congregation"-16v32-33.

"And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense"-16v35.

"And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered against Moses, and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and behold the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared"-16v42.

"...there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun...now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah"-16v46-50.   

A challenge to the authority of God is an invitation to judgment.  Almost 15,000 perished in the rebellion, from among His own people.  This is a warning to all generations that an Almighty God has at His disposal the elements of creation to crush any rebellion.  The Lord is wonderful in mercy, He is fearful in wrath.

How do we relate all this to our subject, "Christ in all, the scriptures"?  We all love the thought of "Gentle Jesus. meek and mild"; the record of the babe of Bethlehem is the greatest story ever told; we respond readily to the mercy and grace and the love of God in Christ and these are major themes in which we rejoice, and so we should.  In the rebellious world in which we live, where the authority of God is being challenged, and the perversion of God's truth is spreading like a cancer, we need to be reminded of the wrath of God, a subject that has all but disappeared from our thinking, even from church platforms where it should be preached.  At His first advent Jesus came in meekness and humility as the world's Saviour.   At His second advent (which must be very soon) He is coming in judgment.  He is coming to put down all rebellion, for everything that is contrary to the word of God is simply rebellion, man's thoughts against God's.  He is coming to make war-Revelation 19v11, "In righteousness He doth judge and make war".  This is an aspect we hear very little of today, and it needs to be told.  He is coming to silence every gainsayer; He is coming to put down every rebel.  Beginning with the godless rebel who will rule the world at that time, the beast with his arch propagandist, the false prophet; then the old devil who deceived the world will be chained and silenced; also the people who followed them, with all the buildings on earth wherein the deception was promoted, will be brought down.   The God of heaven, who has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5v22 and 27), will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained (Christ) Acts 17v31.  He came to be our Saviour, praise God!  But all rebellion will be put down, every rebel will be banished forever.  The One who died to save us, will wield the sword of Divine justice.  "Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God"-Revelation 19v15.  This is why a chapter like Numbers 16 has been included in holy writ.  If God did that to His own people back then, what will He do to the godless rebellious people of today?

There is a notable sequel to this dramatic incident.  The Spirit of God is not finished with the family of Korah.  It seems his sons had stood apart from this rebellion.  Numbers 26v11 tells us that in the heat of the rebellion, when the wrath of God fell, "the sons of Korah died not". They had not been part of the uprising and they were spared.  They lived to be endowed with talents that found them involved in the musical and poetic productions of the Levites, which in the course of time became their occupation in the settled conditions of the land.  They were contributors to, or recipients of, a number of beautiful Psalms involving personal devotion to God, absolute trust in God, and themes of worship and community.  These are found in Psalms 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, and 88.  Twelve Psalms in all attributed to the sons of Korah!  The father had created a monstrous rebellion, but the sons lived to serve the Lord and His people.  The heart warming conclusion to this treachery is as follows:

Family legacies do not determine everything, we are not defined by the failure of our fathers: God can redeem anything and anyone-examples in scripture are numerous.  Korah's sons lived to produce works that magnified the Lord.  Korah held a high position as a prominent son of Levi, but abused it.  His sons received endowments from above which they used for the Lord.  The fruits of their lives are recorded for us today in the above mentioned Psalms.

Christ in all the scriptures Numbers 15

 Christ in all the scriptures

Numbers 15

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I will give unto you..."!

This notable opening, considering the content of chapter 14, is remarkable.  The Lord has forbidden an entire generation to enter the land ever, yet here He is speaking of the next generation doing exactly that.  He says, not IF but WHEN you settle in the land!  Amid the confusion of the present day, it is high time the modern world awakes to the reality of what is here.  God gave them this land! and nothing, and no one, will take it from them.  Israel are far from a perfect people, but they are God's people, and He gave them the land they occupy now.  I remember the comment of the late politician Tony Benn, who said of this, "I did not realise God was an estate agent"!  The whole world needs to understand that the Lord OWNS every square inch of this earth, and He has given this particular land, "the glory of all lands", to Israel.  To oppose that is to oppose Almighty God, who has given them this land, a fact repeated many times in holy writ.  Psalm 24v1 declares "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein".

The chapter presents the instructions for true worship on entering the land.  The principles are outlined as follows:

15v1-21  Pleasing the Lord; v22-29 Obeying the Lord; v30-36 Fearing the Lord; v37-41 Displaying the Lord.

Pleasing the Lord  (1-21).  Five times in this section we read "of a sweet savour unto the Lord"-v3, v7, v10, v13, v14.  This is the first principle of worship when they settle in the land.  It would not be practical in the desert, but when they occupy the land these ingredients would be readily available and they were expected to "Honour the Lord with their substance, and with the first fruits of all their increase"-Proverbs 3v9.  God invites them to bring of His bounty to Him.  We do not possess anything that He has not given us first.  In the present day the sacrifices are spiritual rather than material, but it may involve giving of our material possessions.  God wants to be worshipped in His prescribed way, not any old way of our choosing. So He gives specifics on offerings: in any offering made by fire unto the Lord, whether of a burnt offering, or sacrifice in making a vow, or in a free will (spontaneous) offering, there were measures given for each approach involving fine grain, and oil, and wine.  For us today these rituals point to the sacrifice of Christ in all aspects; to the perfection of His offering, to the Holy Spirit who inspired Him, and to the outpouring of joy in doing the Father's will.  These are what bring a sweet odour to the Lord in contrast to the stench of sin from humankind.  He said, "I do always those things which please Him"-John 8v29.  Likewise, we are also encouraged to please Him-Colossians 1v10, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God".  The New Testament reveals what is pleasing to God, and it is a study worth pursuing.  Some examples are; Hebrews 1v6, to please Him we must have faith; preaching a sound gospel-1st Thessalonians 2v4; keeping His commandments-1st John 3v22; doing good and sharing what we have-Hebrews 13v16; living sanctified lives-1st Thessalonians 4v1; walking in fellowship with God-Hebrews 11v5; prioritising the things of God-2nd Timothy 2v4; obedience to parents-Colossians 3v20; supporting God's servants-Philippians 4v18; Praying for the unbelieving world at all levels-1st Timothy 2v1-4.  He is a giving God and He deserves something from us.  We note that the pardon pronounced in chapter 14 is based on the blood sacrifice of Christ, and God delights to receive our thanksgiving and devotion.  Whatever we give to the Lord, He gave us more.  He gave His all.  He seeks heart worship from a reverent Spirit, while He enriches us with many blessings.  He seeks full devotion with a joyous spirit from all His people and all associated with them.  In their giving, the first portion was for the Lord, "Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the Lord an heave offering in your generations"-v21.  The heave offering was of the shoulder, symbolising strength.  Remember the first commandment-"...love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might"-Deut. 6v5

Obeying the Lord  v22-29  This section deals with the incidence of sin in the camp or in the individual.  Sins of ignorance (v24-29) are still sins.  The principal is established, "Though he wist it not, yet is he guilty"-Leviticus 5v17.  No one can know all sins, which are offensive to God, it is a learning process.  The instructions given to Moses were not suggestions, they were commandments:

"And if ye have erred and not observed all these commandments, which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses, even all that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses, and henceforth among your generations...". 

The meticulous ritualistic detail, given for their worship, reflected the perfection of divine ingredients that would produce the desired sweet odour.  None of us would consider challenging a renowned chef as to how to make a savoury meal.  Deviation from these instructions was a sin, as it countermanded the will of God.  Reverence to the God of perfection demanded conformity in the finest detail.   As much as Israel were given many hundreds of laws (some reckon well over 2000), the Church has less commandments by comparison.  Christ, in His life and death, fulfilled the law in total (Matthew 5v17-18.  He fulfilled the moral law, the civil law, and the ceremonial law in minute detail.  His life and death were a total devotion to the will of God. Nevertheless there are some notable commandments in Christianity which we do well to honour.  At conversion the ordinance of baptism (Matthew 28v19; Mark 16v16; Acts 2v41; Romans 6v3-4; Colossians 2v12.  On the first of every week, remembrance of Him in the emblems bread and wine (Matthew 26v26-27; Mark 114v22-24; Luke 22v19-20; Acts 20v7; 1st Corinthians 11v23-26.  We are commanded to love one another (John 13v34-35; 15v12; Romans 13v8; Ephesians 5v2; Hebrews 13v1; James 2v8-"the Royal Law"; 1st Peter 1v22; 1st John 3v11v14; 5v2.  The instructions concerning church order are said to be the commandments of the Lord (1st Corinthians 14v37); acknowledgement of headship in head coverings (1st Corinthians 11v4-5); charismatic gifts must be interpreted for the edification of the church (1st Corinthians 14v4-17); public teachers (prophets) to demonstrate courtesy in their participation (14v29-33); female members to accept a silent role in the matter of public participation (1st Corinthians 14v34-38, with 1st Timothy 2v8-15).

These are some of the external commandments which are relatively easy to obey.  There are hundreds more to do with our moral lives-scholars have listed over 1000 commands under the headings of "beware", "give", "give not", "let", "love", "love not", "withdraw", "avoid", "be", "seek", "eschew", "mortify", "occupy", and many many more.  The gospel teaches that we are no longer under law, but it is expected that "the righteousness of the law will be fulfilled in us"-Romans 8v4; we are not saved by works...but "unto good works"-Ephesians 2v9-10.  The commission of the apostles involved "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you"-Matthew 28v20.  It is a serious error to propagate that in this day of grace there are no laws we are expected to obey.  This has led to moral relativism, a concept which is far from bible truth.  

Sins of ignorance are still sins and need to be atoned for by sacrifice.  Whether the sin is known only to the individual, it still needs to be dealt with as individual sin affected the whole camp, and required the action of the priest.  Sins confessed are sins forgiven, which is the bounty of the grace of God in Christ.  This was true prospectively for the Israelite, it is true practically and wonderfully for the Christian believer.

Fearing the Lord  v30-36   Presumptuous sins are to be dealt with in the severest way.  Those who commit blatant public evil within the congregation must be punished, and that publicly, either of excommunication or loss of life.  "Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken His commandment; that soul shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him"-15v31.  The purpose of such extreme punishment is to ensure the fear of the Lord in their midst.  Deuteronomy 13v10-11, "And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this among you"; 17v12-13, "And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously".   There was the incidence in the wilderness of a man breaking the law of the Sabbath.  Not knowing what to do, they sought the Lord, who declared the death penalty of stoning from among them.  This was the ultimate penalty, and would be viewed with horror and condemnation in the present day.  Blatant sin is described as "a reproach against the Lord"-(v30); the punishment reflects the Divine attitude to sin, He must put it away from the redeemed congregation.  The people must learn the reality of sin against the Lord.  There are incidents in the New Testament where people have died because of blatant sin.  Others, where some are excommunicated from the community; leaders, who are publicly rebuked within the community.  All this is to create a sense of the fear of the Lord amongst His people.  Concerning unregenerate man, "there is no fear of God before their eyes"-Psalm 36v1 and Romans 3v18.  Believers are expected to fear the Lord, by living holy lives.  The apostle Peter refers to this many times in his first epistle, "...pass the time of your sojourning here in fear"-1v17; "Honour all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the king"-2v17; "Servants be subject unto your masters with all fear..."-2v18; "...your chaste conversation coupled with fear"-3v2; "...give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear"-3v15.  The reverential fear of the Lord should be a mark of every Christian and every community of Christians.

Displaying the Lord  v37-41  "Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (tassels) in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a-whoring"-v38-39.

There was always a tendency for them to stray in heart, and the fringe with the tassels served as a reminder of who they were.  To coin a phrase we need to "remember whose we are, and who He is".  Many of the commentators say, "Be what you are!".  As we pass through a world in opposition to God we must display the beauties that God has bestowed upon us.  It reminds us who we have become in conversion, and testifies to others in contact with us.  These beautiful tassels with the ribbon of blue reminded them, and all who saw them, they were a heavenly people, they were different, and actions and attitude reflects this.

  

Christ in all the scriptures Numbers 14 part 3

 Christ in all the scriptures

Numbers 14 part 3

 "Great God of wonders all thy ways Display Thine attributes divine; But the bright glories of thy grace Above Thine other wonders shine.

Such deep transgressions to forgive! Such guilty, daring worms to spare! This is Thy grand prerogative, And in this honour none shall share.

Pardon from an offended God! Pardon for sins of deepest dye! Pardon bestowed through Jesus blood! Pardon that brings the rebel nigh!

Who is a pardoning God like thee? Or who has grace so rich and free?"

The hymn by Samuel Davies far better expresses the thoughts of these scriptures than I could.  Pardon from an offended God was the portion of rebellious Israel; it is also the portion of every true believer today.  The next section-v21-39, however, begins with a "But". 

"But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord".  This reveals the reality of fellowship with God.

The discipline of the Lord  Numbers 14v21-39

Divine pardon is full, and final, and free.  It guaranteed the future of Israel, that stands until now, and forever.  There are no eternal consequences, but there certainly will be earthly ones.  God will be glorified on earth no matter the situation.  As Psalm 72v19 prophesies, "And blessed be His glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen."  The heavens are filled with the glory of the Lord, and earth will be the same.  The dark night of sin will be ushered away to leave this earth in the full blaze of His glory.  On the way to that there will be correction.  God pardoned the nation, but must deal with the rebellion, and this He does.  He is holy, and must be seen to be so, and open sin must be put away.  The judgments were severe, and all rebels must suffer in some way.  We can do no better than to list the discipline that came on those who, so blatantly, strayed from trust in the Lord.

1)  They were forbidden to enter the land  "Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it"-v23.  Caleb stood out as an example of faithfulness.  The Lord said of him, "My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me wholly, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it."  They were told to turn away from the land where the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living, and go toward the wilderness by the Red Sea, for they were in no fit state for conflict (verse 25).  Only Caleb and Joshua were permitted to enter (verse 30).

2) They were prescribed to wander in the wilderness for forty years  The equivalent of one year for every day they spied out the land and returned with an evil report.  During this time an entire generation who left Egypt in redemption power will perish in the wilderness at God's own choosing and in His own time.  Of the millions who left Egypt, only two entered the land along with the children born in the second generation, under 20 years of age.  Such was the scale of the rebellion, and such was the discipline of God.  The Spirit of God writes through Paul in 1st Corinthians 10v5, "But with many of them (the greater part of them) God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness".  This is a devastating culling of His people, and it serves as a warning to all today who would continue in sin in the face of the grace of God.  The Spirit wrote, following the exposition of the grace of God in Christ in the gospel, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!"-Romans 6v1-2.  And God will forbid, for He will introduce discipline as the following New Testament scriptures confirm: Acts 5v1-11;1st Corinthians 3v17; 11v30-32; Revelation 2v22-23.  Five of the seven churches of Revelation were told to repent, to change their thinking and their ways!  To all seven, the command was repeated to all individuals within those churches, "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches".

3)  The ten leaders who brought the evil report died by the plague instantly.  Leadership which has gone astray is a blight in the congregations of the Lord's people.  "And the men which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land .  Even those men that did bring up an evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord".  In these days of clamour for spiritual leadership, it is important to observe that with high status comes high responsibility.  The people would suffer eventually but the leaders were removed instantly.  Scripture warns us about this; Hebrews 13v17 they must give account for those under them; James 3v1 "Become not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.  Jesus said, "To whom much is given, of the same shall much be required"-Luke 12v48.  It is one thing for those led to sin, it is another for leaders to incite rebellion.  To lead the people of God is a position of solemn responsibility, ultimately answerable to God.  Paul wrote concerning elders, "Them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear"-1st Timothy 5v20.  They are to be honoured for good, but rebuked for evil.  To lead a whole camp astray is unacceptable.  Elders must be apt to teach and they will be held accountable for their teaching.  They are to feed the flock of God, they are to discipline the unruly.  To do that they must be blameless and have a good report of the outside world.  The absence of these things diminish the authority of God invested in them, which is the only status they have.  But to lead God's people astray, and foment rebellion will not be tolerated. This is God's house and He will take control.

The delusion of false remorse  Numbers 14v40-45

Moses declared all these things to the people, and they mourned.  The sense of loss was deep, but the reality of it was shallow.  There is a difference between remorse and repentance.  They had plenty of the former but little or none of true heart repentance.  Contrary to the command of the Lord, they attempted to exonerate themselves by gathering at the hill top, intending to enter the land to expel the enemy.  This is an amazing picture of human behaviour.  When the Lord told them they could enter the land they were fearful and refused.  Now the Lord forbids them to enter the land, and, now they want to do it (and enthusiastically for they rose up early in the morning).  It seems that erring humanity is intent on solving its own problems, doing things their own way.  Yet another display of self trust and mistrust in the Lord.  Moses warned them not to go, but they entered the land with disastrous consequences.  They went WITHOUT THE LORD for "...they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp".  They went but the Lord was not with them.  "Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah".   This was an ignominious event in Israel's history, for their army was not only defeated, in what was their first conflict, but they were pursued as far as Hormah which is said to be 100 miles north of this point.

Their tears were "crocodile tears, they were false.  Remorse is not repentance, for it focuses on how an action affects me, rather than how it affects others, including the Lord.  They went in their own strength and contrary to the word of the Lord, and were defeated.  Not until Israel learns that "obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams", will they become overcomers.  This withering observation by the prophet Samuel to king Saul sums up their history.  For us, in the present day, there is a tendency to focus on self effort, pointing to the great sacrifices we are making for the Lord in terms of time and resources, yet where are we in the matter of obedience?  Is the Lord with us in all that we do; are we heart sorry for our failures, seeking to trust only Him?  Otherwise, Israel's failures will become ours.  These things are "written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the age are come" (1st Corinthians 10v20).  We are living in momentous, dangerous times, and we need the Lord with us.

 

Christ in all the scriptures Numbers 14 part 2

 Christ in all the scriptures

Numbers 14 part 2

We continue this astonishing chapter in which the judgment and mercy of God are displayed in awesome harmony.

The Dialogue of Moses  Numbers 14v13-25

In view of the whole rebellious congregation the Lord speaks directly to Moses.  This episode reveals to us God's attitude to sin, even amongst His redeemed people.  "I will smite them with pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than them".  We must never minimise God's intolerance to sin, particularly wilful sin in the face of privilege.  What follows is an intercession by Moses of unparalleled appeal.  He ignored the offer to exalt Himself and exterminate the rebels.  He appeals to God on three grounds: 1) the reputation of His name.  2) the superior character of His person.  3) the greatness of His mercy.  This was a high point in Moses life, even greater than his decision to refuse the palace of Egypt.  Moses relinquished personal grandeur for the greater glory of God, and the needs of his beloved people.  Most of us would place personal glory above everything else.  

We ponder for a moment what this reveals.  Firstly, human sin is hurtful to the Lord, it is offensive to Him.  We can only truly know this when we understand that MY sin is hurtful and hateful to Him.  Secondly, Moses denied himself highest honour in order to save his erring people, here he becomes the saviour of Israel.  Ask yourself what you would do if you were offered this by the Sovereign Majesty in heaven.  Thus he foreshadows One who would deny Himself to save the world.  It is written of Jesus, "He thought it not robbery (a thing to be grasped) to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation (emptied Himself), and took upon Himself the form of a servant..."Philippians 2v6-7.  He "looked on the things of others" to become their Saviour and Intercessor, He looked on my things to be my Saviour and Intercessor.  What follows in Moses prayer reflects what is happening every day in heaven for us, as "He continues to make intercession for us"-Isaiah 53v12; Romans 8v34; Hebrews 7v25.  His intercession for us reveals His deep connection and concern for us, and for the glory of God.

He appeals on the basis of the greatness of His name  Numbers 14v13-16

"And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by daytime in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.  Now if thou kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He sware unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness".

The Name of the Lord is important, His reputation matters.  From this we understand that the outside world knows what God's people should be.  This very public annihilation would diminish the reputation of God in their eyes.  He is not a capricious God, that is He is not subject to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood, He does not act arbitrarily, but according to consistent principles clearly revealed.  What the unbelieving world thinks of Him, even if they don't accept Him now, will culminate in universal acclaim to His glory.  

He appeals on the basis of His excellency of His character  Numbers 14v17-19

"And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord (Adonahy-sovereign Lord) be great according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord (Jehovah-the eternally unchanging One) is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.  Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy...".

God had spoken of the power of His justice, His holy wrath upon sin.  Moses appeals to the power of His grace, which is greater even than His judgment.  The New Testament makes this clear in Romans chapter 5 where the power of grace is superior to the power of sin (sin reigned...grace reigns-verse 20).  The power of God is awesome in judgment, just as He said He could terminate a nation at a stroke; the power of His grace is even more.  The music industry produced a song called "the power of love", and God's version of it is the greatest drawing power on earth.  It is to this Moses appeals.  The character of God is such that He is apart from all in His judgment, but also in His merciful dealings.  His mercy toward people does not compromise in any way His revulsion of sin, and will be enacted within families in the course of time.  However His lovingkindness is always to the fore, and He must act in accordance with His character.

He appeals on the basis of God's consistent dealings with His people  Numbers 14v19b

"...and as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now".  If He would pardon them for the treachery of the golden calf (as an extreme example), will He not also pardon them now?  Consistency is implicit in the title Jehovah, and Moses appeals to the Lord on this basis.  Note the reverence with which he spoke to the Lord; in chapter 33v13 he had referred to them as "thy people", now in the wake of God's threat to disinherit them, he spoke of "this people", repeating how the Lord described them in 14v11 (refer v13, v14, v15, v16, v19).  In this Moses is acknowledging the Lord has a right to disinherit them, but because of the greatness of His mercy He will pardon them.  "And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word".

The prayer intercession of Moses that day saved a nation from extinction, and preserved an undeserving people, a status that continues to this day.  We can only imagine, yet we know it is true that our Saviour in heaven lives to intercede for us.  His work of intercession will go on until we are glorified, yet its purpose is to wean us away from sin and mistrust in the Lord.  The grace of God toward us is truly amazing, but we must not tarnish it with perpetual sin.  As we shall see next, although they escaped eternal consequences, there were earthly consequences, the glory of God must be paramount. 

 

Christ in all the scriptures Numbers 14

 Christ in all the scriptures

Numbers 14 part 1

"Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world (ages) are come"-1st Corinthians 10v11.

This text could be written across Numbers 14 along with other O/T scriptures.  This chapter is solemn in its outcome, for what it reveals about human nature and the Divine character.  Nothing is hidden, or embellished.  The details are at times excruciating, but it is a warning to us today.  This is  how God acts with the rebellious spirit amongst His people.  The chapter presents the enduring principles of God's justice, His mercy, His faithfulness in His dealings with His people.  We should take note for we are at the end of things, as they were at the beginning of things, and we are therefore more responsible, for we are more informed.  To sin against light is a serious matter.  God will judge all sin, but first He must judge it when it arises amongst His people, "Judgment must begin at the house of God"-1st Peter 4v17.  At stake was the glory of the Lord (Numbers 14v10 and 14v21) which is the last consideration when sin grips the minds and hearts.

This difficult chapter can be divided as follows for our learning:

The Dissension of the people v1-10

The Displeasure of the Lord  v11-12

The Dialogue of Moses  v13-19

The Discipline of the Lord  v20-39

The Delusion of remorse  v40-45

The dissension of the people  Numbers 14v1-10

This was no minority uprising; this was wholesale rebellion, similar to the golden calf  atrocity in Exodus 32.  The toxic poison of the rebel spies had infected the entire camp.  This is a warning today against unhealthy talk taking hold in the congregations of God's people: "All the congregation lifted up their voice..."-v1; "All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron..."-v2 (the word murmured is more than an undercurrent, it suggests a public dissent); "The whole congregation said unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness"-v2 (their rejection of Moses and Aaron was a rejection of God); Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation..."v5; Joshua and Caleb "Spake unto all the company of the children of Israel..."-v7; "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones..."-v10.  The Lord intervened in no uncertain terms, "The glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel"-v10.  God's servants had acted and spoken, and now the Lord will finish the matter.  They rejected God's appointed servants calling for new leaders to take them back to Egypt, and threatening to stone Joshua and Caleb who spoke the truth. 

The displeasure of the Lord  Numbers 14v11-12 and 14v22

At this the Lord appeared in the cloud above the tabernacle.  Decisive action was about to be taken, for God only moves thus in judgment.  "And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel"-v10.  Not now resting upon the mercy seat in the sanctuary (symbolic of His presence among them in blessing), but confronting the whole congregation in judgment.  "And the Lord said unto Moses, how long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have shown among them"?  He expands on this in v22, "All these men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I have done in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me (put me to the test) these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice".  We must take from this that the Lord is weary with our mistrust and unbelief.  He understands our weakness but will not tolerate our wilfulness.  Ten times is not an arbitrary number, for God does not estimate, He is meticulous in His words.

1) Questioning God at the Red Sea  Ex.14v11-12

2) Complaining of bitter water at Marah  Ex.15v24

3) Murmuring at the desert of Sin  Ex. 16v1-3

4) Transgressing in collecting the manna Ex. 16v20

5) Collecting manna on the sabbath Ex. 16v27-29

6) Complaint about lack of water at Rephidim Ex. 17v2-3

7) Engaging in rank idolatry Ex. 32v7-10

8) Complaining at Taberah Numbers 11v1-3

9) Despising the manna for the food of Egypt Numbers 11v4-9

10) Failing to enter the promised land Numbers 14v1-4

The Lord is longsuffering, slow to anger, as it says throughout holy scripture.  Psalm 86v15 "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth".  There are many scriptures referring to this, such as: Exodus 34v6; Numbers 14v18;Nehemiah 9v17; Isaiah 30v18; Ezekiel 20v17; Joel 2v13; James 5v11.  The longsuffering of God is His patience and mercy toward humanity, and is a characteristic we are encouraged to imitate for ourselves.  Where would any of us be were it not for the amazing patience of God?  He is longsuffering to the world in general (Romans 2v4; 3v25; 2nd Peter 3v9.  He is longsuffering to the believer, as is evident throughout scripture.   He waited 120 years in the days before the flood.  He has waited almost 2000 years in the present age of grace.  However there is one characteristic of God which is finite-His longsuffering.  He will not tolerate sin forever, He will obliterate it from existence and those who remain rebellious will suffer eternally.  At the heart of all rebellion is unbelief, self reliance, trust in men, and mistrust in God.  Israel, the most privileged nation on earth were in large part guilty of it, and still are today.  We thank God for those in Israel, like Moses and Aaron, and Joshua and Caleb, and many others including the apostles of Christ who brought the truth of God to us and to the world.  It falls to us to continue that work and we hope that these short blogs will do just that.  God be praised for the remnant who stand faithful today in an ever changing and deluded world.  God will judge the world and judgment begins at the house of God.

Christ in all the scriptures Fear of man or faith in God

 Christ in all the scriptures

Fear of man or faith in God?  Numbers 13

This chapter is pivotal to the whole book, indeed to the history of the whole nation; it is also practical for us in the present day.  This goes to the very heart of things; where are we in relation to God and the things of God?  The Lord did not command Israel to send men to spy out the land.  It was they who asked Moses to "spy out the land"-Deuteronomy 1v22; for some reason Moses approved this, and, graciously the Lord allowed it.  Nevertheless it was a demonstration of their mistrust in the word of the Lord.  God had repeated time and again that He would "give them the land", so why did they need to spy it-Genesis 12v7 to Abraham, "Unto thy seed I will give this land"; Genesis 15v18, "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, unto thy seed have I given this land (not will I give, but I have given-it was a done deal in the mind of God); Genesis 17v8, "And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God; did they think God would break His covenant?; He repeats it to Isaac in Genesis 26v3, "Sojourn in this land and I will be with thee, for unto thee and to thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto thy father Abraham"; again to Jacob Genesis 28v13, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed."  Was God's word to the three Patriarchs not enough?  Or did they doubt the quality of the land God had chosen for them, of which He said it is the "land flowing with milk and honey", the best and richest land on earth (a fact confirmed by experts today, and possibly the reason there is so much interest in it down to the present day); also a fact declared by God through His prophet Ezekiel in chapter 19, where twice He called it "the glory of all lands"-v6 and v15.  Legend has it that Napoleon, in his conquests, while passing through Israel, said "the man who owns this land will rule the world!".  Reputation about this land of giants and fortified cities, made them cower in fear, fear what man could do to them.  Had they not witnessed the destruction of the superpower Egypt?  Had they not seen the parting of the Red Sea?  Were they not partakers of the miraculous food from the heavens? Did they really doubt God's ability to overcome the Canaanites.  It was a display of incredible mistrust.  

Fearful of their own inability, they asked Moses permission to spy out the land before any conflict.  Moses allowed it, perhaps considering their weakness, and the Lord accepted it.  Moses instructed them to search the length and breadth of the land; to assess the inhabitants; to report on the produce of the land and bring samples.  He appointed and named 12 leaders of each tribe for the task.  These were known men whose word the people would accept.  Leadership was never secretive.  In the event they did a thorough job, taking 40 days to look into every aspect.  Ten of the twelve brought back a negative report; two, namely Joshua, who was leader of the expedition, and Caleb, who gave a positive outlook with encouraging words, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it"-Numbers 13v30.  However the majority (10 of 12) gave a negative report saying "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we"-13v31.  What they saw were men of great stature (giants-nephilim-similar to the supernatural beings produced by angelic corruption in Genesis 6).  These were cruel to the inhabitants and made the spies fearful.  They saw giants, they did not see God, to whom giants were nothing.  This spread fear and unbelief in the camp, and the advance was halted in its tracks.  They had succumbed to the fear of man and discarded faith in God.

Faith in God is not for the fainthearted and God expects us to move with Him, without doubting and without reserve.  There was no one more courageous and steadfast than the Lord Jesus against great opposition, and He taught His disciples the value of real faith in God. God will put our faith to the test and our Lord prepared His disciples for this, as He does with all disciples today.  He spoke of no faith, little faith, great faith, and so great faith.  Faith is more than a transaction for eternity, it is a living daily reality.  It is proving God in real time, just as through it He is proving us.

Hebrews chapter 11 is the great chapter of faith, tracing the men and women of faith through the ages of the Old Testament.  An overview of that is as follows:

Hebrews 11v1-1-3 The ESSENCE of faith; 11v4-32 the EXAMPLES of faith; 11v33-56 the EXPLOITS of faith.  Faith is positive, it is active, it is productive.  Faith in God grows into ever increasing enterprise.  It is not a momentary mental assent, it is a permanent lifestyle which changes things for good.  Jesus said that if we have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed we can remove mountains.  Faith trusts God's word, it trusts God's goodness, it trusts God's power, His sovereignty, His purpose, His wisdom, His judgments.  It was the fear of man against faith in God for the majority of Israelites.  What will it be for us??  This tragic decision set them back almost 40 years, and cost almost a generation their lives.  The issues are huge, not just for us personally but for our family, for our community, for our generation.  The fear of man brings a snare, but trust in the Lord is safety-Proverbs 29v25. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding"-Proverbs 9v10 (see also Proverbs 1v7 and Job 28v28).

Christ in all the scriptures Divine authority

Christ in all the scriptures

    Divine authority  Numbers 12

Following on the events of chapter 11, the dissension and discontent within the camp continued.  The spirit of jealousy arose in the hearts of Moses brother Aaron, and sister Miriam.  It would seem that his sister Miriam was the prime mover, since she is mentioned first, and Divine sanction came upon her.  Perhaps she was peeved that her younger brother whom she protected and helped to nurse as a baby, was now in total authority in the camp of Israel.  Perhaps she was disappointed at being passed over in favour of seventy male elders to support Moses in quelling the uprising in chapter 11.  Was this evidence of the female equality issue which is prevalent today?  Aaron, also, was carried along with it, as they challenged Moses, "Hath the Lord indeed only spoken through Moses"?  "Hath He not also spoken by us"?-Numbers 12v2.  Aaron, it seems, was the kind of man to fall in with whatever the prevailing mood was at the time.  He capitulated in the matter of the golden calf (Exodus 32), and now he sides with Miriam in the dissension.  Perhaps he was also disappointed to be passed over in chapter 11.  He was obviously a man of considerable ability, for God promoted him, but there was a flaw in his character.  There are plenty such men of compromise around today.

They could not fault Moses in his work or his character, so they found what they thought was a chink in his armour by playing the racist card.  They criticised him for marrying an Ethiopian woman.  Perhaps Zipporah had died, we are not told, but Moses had married one of the foreigners in the camp, and there was no Divine issue with it.  Miriam and Aaron used it to discredit him, and on this basis questioned his right to rule over them.   It was a direct challenge to Moses' authority, which had potentially serious consequences.  At this point the Holy Spirit interjects with a character reference of Moses which is quite unique.  "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were on the face of the earth"-Numbers 12v3.  There is no doubt that leadership in the things of God brings serious challenges to a man, which can be overwhelming at times.  Moses experienced this in chapter 11 when he was forced to ask for Divine help to manage the situation.  What will emerge from it is that God has endowed Moses with an ability and authority that few men could have.  This comment by the Holy Spirit tells us exactly why God so endowed him, because he was a man of meek spirit, and did not react to criticism even when it was unjustified.  The God who gifts His people knows their character and He endows them accordingly.  We should mention that two different words for man/men are used in verse 3.  Literally it reads "Now the noble man (ish) Moses was very meek, above all the mean men (adam) which were upon the face of the earth".  Moses possessed a meekness of spirit which set him apart from all other men.  He was not concerned with the criticism of men, his ear was open only to the voice of God.  In this he is a type of Christ.  Consider the following:

"Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart..."Matthew 11v29.  In the same chapter, in the places (Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum) where Jesus had done his mightiest works, they had rejected Him.  He did not react, but was concerned only for what it would mean for them.

As a King He entered Jerusalem in meekness, "Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass"-Matthew 21v5.

"He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth"-Isaiah 53v7.

"For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also hath suffered for us, leaving an example that ye should follow in His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously"-1st Peterb2v21-23.

Paul referred to this, "I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ..."-2nd Corinthians 10v1.

Meekness is not weakness, although it is considered so in the world.  Some have defined it thus: humility is taking the low place for myself; meekness is accepting the low place when given it by others.  The meek of the earth are blessed and shall inherit it, so said the Lord Jesus-Matthew 5v5.

The Lord Himself entered the argument to exonerate Moses and establish His authority through Him.  He expressed His displeasure at both critics, removing the cloud from the tabernacle, which meant the whole camp had to move.  Miriam was made leprous and barred from the congregation seven days.  Aaron had to humble himself confessing his sin.  The Lord informed them that Moses was greater than all the prophets as he, alone, spoke with God face to face.  God communicated indirectly with prophets by mans of visions and dreams, but directly with Moses.  This fact is repeated in scripture (Exodus 33v11; Numbers 12v8; Deuteronomy 34v10).  Moses relationship and fellowship with God was superior to every so-called diviner.  This needs to be understood and published more than it is.  This makes the books of Moses of sterling quality indeed.  The Lord says "Why were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses"? 

No one was more contradicted and maligned than Christ when He was on earth.  Yet we remember the impression left indelibly on His hearers: "He spake with authority and not as the scribes"-refer Matthew 7v29; Mark 1v22; Luke 4v32/36; John 17v2.  The word is exousia which means authority conferred from a higher source.   The people of His day were astonished at His doctrine, and also His miracles.  They said, "Never man spake like this man".  At the end of His mission upon earth He was able to say, "All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and upon earth..." Matthew 28v18.  His word is power in every sphere of existence.  People must hear Him, His word is truth, and will come to pass.

All authority today in the things of God is delegated authority from above.  No man possesses the power that Moses had, let alone the power of Christ.  Men can wield authority for God only by establishing the truth from the word of Christ which was authored by the Holy Spirit.  When that word is clearly known then we all should hear and act upon it.  God's word should be revered in the community of saints.  Those who expound it and apply it should be respected. 

 

Christ in all the scriptures The Manna What is it?

 Christ in all the scriptures

Manna from heaven   Exodus 16 and Numbers 11

"Then said the Lord unto Moses, behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no"-Exodus 16v4.

God rained food from heaven upon a pilgrim people travelling through a wilderness.  This was a miraculous provision every morning of their 40 year sojourn on the way to the promised land.  The delivery was miraculous, descending on the droplets of dew.  There was no contact with earth, and the food was of the finest quality, it was equally miraculous, fit for the rigours of desert existence.  Scripture terms it "the corn of heaven"-Psalm 78v24; "angels food"-Psalm 78v25; "the bread of heaven"-Psalm 105v40.  Restaurateurs charge a premium price for the finest of food, God gave them the best of heaven, freely; the best that He knew would sustain them in trying circumstances.  However some among them despised it, describing it as "light bread".  The dissatisfaction spread throughout the camp and the complaint was, "...our soul loatheth this light bread"-Numbers 21v5.  They hankered back to the food of Egypt, the fish, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic (Numbers 11v5).  Choosing to forget the bitter bondage of slavery, when they were made to serve with hardship, they remembered only the food that was to their taste.  The Spirit of God, through Paul in 1st Corinthians 10v6, commented that this was a "lusting after evil things".  There is nothing intrinsically evil in the foods mentioned; the evil consists in the fact that God had given them something better, superior to Egypt, and they had rejected God's gift to them.  God was putting them to the test to prove if they would trust Him.  The greater part of them failed.

 He rained Manna from heaven, which covered the ground around every dwelling.  But what of the Manna

Manna, literally means "What is it"?  They had never seen the like.  There was nothing to compare it to.  It was small, it was round, the colour of coriander seed, and tasted sweet like honey.  It could be baked into bread or cakes, and had a brief shelf life.  Jesus interprets the Manna for the present day in John chapter 6.  Following the feeding of 5000 men beside women and children, He expounded the true meaning of the Manna, and its implications for today.  He said He is the true bread from heaven-John 6v32; He is the bread of God, that is the bread on which God Himself feeds-6v33; He is the bread that gives life to the world-6v33.  He said, in one of the great "I AM" claims, "I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger..."-6v35; "I am that bread of life"-6v48; "I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will  give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world"-6v51; "This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever"-6v58.  Jesus is the fulfilment of the type which was manna.  What food is to the body, Christ is to the soul.  It is well said, that we are what we eat, our food becomes one with our body.  So in the realm of the spiritual.  Israel had to change their diet, after leaving Egypt.  In the same way the Christian has to change their diet, spiritually speaking; what we fed on before is unsuitable for the new life.  Each one must decide what that means for themselves.  In the circle of professing Christianity, there is tendency to take the attitude of the old life into what is a close knit society.  This can result in "feeding on the faults of others", instead of feeding on the delights of Christ.  

Christ is the food of the believer!  How much is this my experience, really?  He, alone, feeds the spirit and the soul, and He is superior to anything the world has to offer.  This is the lesson of the Manna, and the meaning behind the word "What is it?"  He is without compare in all the world; take your most exhilarating moment in life, and compare it to one moment with Christ.  As the hymn puts it "Are all earthly pleasures worth comparing, to a moment with a Christ filled life?" The Apostles who were nearest to Him in life expressed it, "We beheld His glory (the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth"-John 1v14.  John, writing to the churches in his old age, said, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life...That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you..."-1st John 1v1-3; why did he put it in the neuter gender, saying that and not He?  Simply that there was no one to compare with Him, and so he sets Him apart.  He is apart, He is so much better than anyone or anything we have known, and we feed on Him for our spiritual nourishment.  If He satisfies God (He is the bread of God), He can more than satisfy us and build us up, and help us grow in new life.

Some practical things to come out of the story of the Manna:

Christ is found in the scriptures, a fact we are enjoying now.  Feeding on the scriptures is feeding on Him.  Gather a portion each day, enough for the day.  Do not let one day go by without learning more of Him.  Gather early in the day before the issues of life take over.  Share what you learn with those closest to you.  God has given us a library of 66 books to reveal Him, and the study of Him is the greatest occupation on earth.  

 Some lovely aspects of the Manna that speak of Christ:

It was small-His humility; it was round-His eternity; it was sweet-His delectability (Peter quoted the Psalm "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good"); it was like coriander seed (Numbers 11v7)-His beauty; the colour of bdellium (a crystalline precious stone)-His transparency.  

There is enough in Christ to fill our lives in all the wilderness journey until we reach our eternal home.

Feed on Him, not on the chaos of the world, or the failings of others.  Make Him your occupation of thought, the subject of your conversations, the delight of your heart, and experience the life of Christ in you, life more abundant than ever before.   As often is the case, the hymnwriter catches the truth.  Written around 1160 a.d. the French Abbott Bernard of Clairvaux penned these lovely words: source Hymnary.org

1 Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts,
Thou fount of life, Thou light of men,
from the best bliss that earth imparts,
we turn unfilled to Thee again.

2 Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on Thee call;
to them that seek Thee, Thou art good,
to them that find Thee all in all.

3 We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread,
and long to feast upon Thee still;
we drink of Thee, the Fountain-head,
and thirst our souls from Thee to fill.

4 Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,
where'er our changeful lot is cast;
glad when Thy gracious smile we see,
blest when our faith can hold Thee fast.

5 O Jesus, ever with us stay,
make all our moments calm and bright;
chase the dark night of sin away;
shed o'er the world Thy holy light.

  

Christ in all the scriptures Moses the Intercessor

 Christ in all the scriptures

Moses the Intercessor   Numbers 11

Across this chapter we could write "Behold the goodness and severity of God"-Romans 11v22.  Association with God is a solemn, if wonderful experience.  The benefits are incalculable, but the challenges can be severe, as Israel found early on in their wilderness journey.

The goodness of God      He delivered the nation, by mighty power from 400 years of bitter bondage in a strange land.  He led them through the waters of the Red Sea, where their enemies perished.  He gave them His law, and promised blessing on obedience.  He organised them and equipped them for the only true worship on earth.  He formed them into a formidable army, able to meet any who would oppose.  He fed them with manna from heaven every morning, the logistics of which were enormous (Experts have calculated that this involved over 1000 tons of food per day; 4000 tons of wood for cooking and rubbish disposal and 8-10 million gallons of water, per day, for drinking and washing and cleaning in 40 degrees heat.  By any standard, this is massive, even if only a fraction of it is real.  God furnished a table in the wilderness to sustain Israel, as it says in the Psalms.  In mercy He forgave their treacherous sin of idolatry to form them into a worshipping people.  When they demanded flesh to eat, He, miraculously took quails from the skies, redirecting them by a mighty wind to rain upon them what they wanted for a period of one month.  He proved there is nothing He could not do or would not do for them.  How many of us today are the recipients of similar provision??  He listened to the intercession of Moses, He visibly supplied support by spiritually gifting 70 others in the camp to prophesy, which inspired even two young men who did the same.  What is evident in all this narrative is the goodness of God towards an ungrateful people.

The severity of God    A beneficent God is also a holy God, and He cannot alter His character.  We dare not create a God of our own imagination, otherwise we make ourselves God!  He is the eternal, unchanging God, who must oppose sin in every form, and His people must become aware of that.  He must act in accordance with His holy character.  In the future He will pour His fire on a godless world (Revelation 8).   He cannot condone in His people what He will condemn in the world.  He sent fire upon those dwelling in the fringes of the camp who were complaining and spreading unrest-11v1-3.  Deuteronomy 9v22 says, "...at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattavah, ye provoked the Lord to anger".  Psalm 78v21 comments, "Therefore the Lord heard, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel".  The God of beneficent kindness can also be wroth, and we need to learn that.  He understands our frailty, but will not accept our folly.  He must act when faced with rank unbelief and ingratitude.  The particular sin was dissatisfaction with their new lot, which was tantamount to disrespect and distrust in His provision.  At the heart of it was the age old lie of the devil in Eden that God was withholding something good from them (Genesis 3v5).

Moses interceded for them and the Lord withdrew the fire.  In the same way our Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for us before the throne (Hebrews 7v25; Romans 8v34; Isaiah 53v12).  Only in eternity will we know how much discipline we were spared by the Lord's intercession for us.  When sin blights our life, and dissatisfaction with the Lord pervades our thinking, God must act but we have one on the throne who speaks for us.  

In 11v4-15 the people among them called "the mixed multitude" (these were people, not indigenous to Israel, who left Egypt with them and sojourned with them).  Scripture is clear that in any large community of professing believers there will always be those who are not of them.  They fomented unrest concerning the food they were eating, saying that the food of Egypt was superior to the manna.  Their rebellion revealed their true nature, and God was angry with them.  Their souls were not right with God, and this was revealed in their criticism of the manna, preferring the sumptious (in their thoughts) food of Egypt.  The fact that the food of Egypt was supplied by God seems to have escaped them, but the episode exposed their true character.  The New Testament speaks of the wheat and the tares growing together, and ultimate separation will only come at the end (Matthew 13).  The modern attempt to create churches with only real believers has ended in tiny (and often arrogant) groups with rank sectarian practices, and not in any honour before the Lord.  None of us have the ability to judge in the here and now the status of any person with God.  Only the Lord knows who are His and He will make it plain.  We are suffering today from puny men seeking to act like God.  He does not require our help!

The Lord created 70 elders and endowed them with the gift of prophecy to alleviate the burden of Moses, which had become too great for him.  He caused a great wind to rain flesh from the heavens in the form of quails, to demonstrate His ability to feed them with what they wanted.  However He sent a plague among them to declare His displeasure; thereafter would only be the daily manna.

Association with God is a cultural shock.  Only those who are real will truly adjust.  In spiritual terms God wants to change not only our destiny but our diet, for He knows what is good for us, and what will enrich us and prosper us.  Next time we shall consider in detail the manna which He sends from heaven for our sustenance on the way to the promised land.

Christ in all the scriptures Moving with God

 Christ in all the scriptures

Moving with God   Numbers 10

In chapter 9 we had the visible pillar of cloud; now in chapter 10 we have the audible clarion Divine call.  God dwells among them in visible and audible reality.  He is the living God, and leads and organises His people according to His purpose.  Until now, Israel has been static at Sinai for over a year; now He prepares them to move.  The chapter is all about readiness, organisation, and destination, with obedience and reverence as the key attitudes.  We should point out here that this journey should have taken only 11 days (Deuteronomy 1v2), in fact it took the best part of 40 years (Deuteronomy 1v3).  God's people were very slow to move with God (as many of us are today) and the book presents the remarkable PATIENCE of God.  It has been said that each of the books of Moses presents a unique characteristic of God: in Genesis His Sovereignty; In Exodus His Power; in Leviticus His Holiness; in Numbers His Patience; in Deuteronomy His Love.  We are learning here of Divine patience with a wandering, wilful, murmuring people.  How patient has He been with many of us?

To make this relevant today, like Israel we are on a journey, a pilgrimage to a better land; we are travelling through a foreign land, and are now strangers in this world.  This is clear from the New Testament.  Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world..."John 18v36; In John 17v16 concerning His disciples, "They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world".  The New Testament position is clear, we are in the world but not of it.  The churches are commanded, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world..."-1st John 2v15.   The world system is in opposition to God, and is in conflict with the saints of God.  The song captures the thought, "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin' through.  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.  The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world any more"-Albert E. Brumley 1980.  We are journeying, and, in the journey we are being prepared for glory-Heb. 2v10. God's instructions to us are unmistakable, like the sound of the two silver trumpets, with which He communicated with Israel.

Trumpets were used to proclaim the will of the Lord, calling them to urgent action.  They were urged to be ready to respond to His call.  The trumpets were made of silver, reminding them of their redemption from Egypt.  The scriptural usage of silver is of ransom, purity, wisdom, and obedience; all of these can be traced throughout.  The Divine call was from a source of great value and importance.  The trumpets were beaten out of one piece of silver, "...of a whole piece shalt thou make them"-10v2.  Intricate hammering and beating was used to mould the long trumpet with its flared ends.  This reminds us of the suffering involved in our redemption.  The God who is speaking, is One who loves us, and at great cost has saved us.  We do not turn away easily from such an one.  He is speaking plainly, there is no dubiety or confusion in His commands to us.  One trumpet blast was for the heads of Israel to gather.  Two trumpet blasts was for the whole congregation to gather.  A short alarm blast was to prepare the soldiers for war.  Repeated short blasts were for the camp to dismantle and journey.  Continuous short blasts was for the celebration festivals during sacrifice.  The camp soon got to know the various calls.  They knew that when the priests blew the silver trumpets, God was proclaiming urgent action.  On the journey to the promised land the call of God was clear, and the people had to respond.

I am reminded of a similar scenario in the book of Revelation to do with the churches.  In Revelation 1v10-11, when John saw a vision of the ascended, glorified, Lord Jesus on the isle of Patmos, he wrote, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; what thou seest write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea".   What follows is a message from the Lord to each of the seven churches, commending them, condemning them where necessary, instructing them, encouraging them. Each message was tailormade to their situation, and each one ended with the same warning as of the sound of a trumpet: "He that that ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches".  In the gospels, the same command was issued on seven separate occasions to the apostles, and now the churches are called to hear and to heed the call of the Lord.  On our journey through this world, we need to heed His wisdom, His correction, and experience His comfort on our way to glory.  Instead of resting on our laurels, and indulging in past glories, we need to hear the trumpet call of our Lord for our progress and for our effectiveness as lights in a dark world.  Complacency does not become the churches of God today, we need to move with God, not necessarily geographically, but certainly spiritually.  We must hear what the Lord is saying and take action accordingly.  Five out of seven churches were told to repent, to change their ways, if necessary to alter their practises.  The Lord is speaking today, will we hear Him and make changes?  Our spiritual growth, and our success in evangelism depends on it.

There is one trumpet call we will all hear and answer!  "Behold I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed"-1st Corinthians 15v51-52.  "For the Lord Himself shall descend fro heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall arise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord"-1st Thess. 4v16-17.

Yes we shall all hear that trumpet call.  Will we, before that great day, listen to Him now; search His word; put right the things that are wrong, and move with Him for His glory??

Will even just one church repent, mend their ways, change the bad practices of years, by heeding His voice, to the benefit of all the members and, above all, to the honour of our God.  We can start by acknowledging there are things that need to be fixed.  We all have instructions from the Lord both individually and collectively.  God has spoken in a way that cannot be mistaken.  We need to hear and heed and amend where possible.  God's trumpet does not give an uncertain sound.  We need to observe Divine order, the care of all the saints, the unity of all believers, the need of the lost; then we shall truly be luminaries in a dark world.  Then we shall live in the expectation of His soon return.  Then we shall truly represent Him who gave His life for us.

Christ in all the scriptures The Divine Presence

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Divine presence for protection and guidance  Numbers 9v15-23

The phrase "Cloud by day and fire by night" is an oft repeated concept throughout scripture, and is the essence of the last half of this chapter.  Both sections compliment each other.  The people who were pardoned in the Passover lamb are now protected and guided in the Divine cloud.  I am reminded of the delightful words of the hymn, describing the wilderness journeys of Israel, "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose; He will not, He cannot desert to its foes.  That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake; He will never, no never, no never forsake."-the hymn "firm foundation", attributed to R. Kirk 1787  Those who are saved are protected by the Divine presence throughout life.  The One who died to save them (the Passover), lives to keep them (the Presence), a truth abounding in holy writ!

The cloud symbolises the presence of God amongst His people.  He could not be seen by the naked eye, so He covered Himself in the cloud.  "On the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely the tent of the testimony, and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning"-Numbers 9v15.

The cloud covered the mount Sinai when God descended-Exodus 24v15-6.                       The cloud covered the newly reared tabernacle-Exodus 40v35; Numbers 9v15.                      The cloud rested above the mercy seat in the sanctuary-Leviticus 16v2.                             The cloud descended on the newly inaugurated temple-1st Kings 8v10-11                              The cloud departed from the idolatrous temple-Ezekiel 3v23; 8v4; 10v4; 10v18-20; 11v23.  (This was a slow, but deliberate removal of His presence due to idolatry in the sanctuary).      The cloud descended on the mount of transfiguration-Matthew 17v5; Luke 9v34-35.              The cloud transported Christ at the ascension-Acts 1v9.                                                            The clouds will transport the saints at the second coming-1st Thessalonians 4v17.                  The clouds will be present at His second advent to set up His kingdom-Revelation 1v7.

The bible describes the clouds as "His chariot"-Psalm 104v3.  The prophet Nahum says "...the clouds are the dust of His feet".   Mostly the teaching is that the cloud is for guidance, and it is so, as we shall see, but it is more than that; it is for protection.  Isaiah puts it thus in chapter 4v5-6, "And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence".  Not only was the cloud a visible sign of God's presence, it was a protection from the burning heat of the wilderness sun by day, and a shining warmth through the cold nights.  More than that, all enemies would be repelled at the awesome sight, so they were safe from invasion.

While the cloud rested, the camp rested, but when it moved, they must move, lock, stock, and barrel.  This could happen (and probably did) after a day, a month or a year.  Whenever the cloud rose and moved they must follow.  They were not to become complacent, but be ready to move at the will of God.  They were pilgrims on a journey.  This is a reminder that this world is not our resting place, we are on a journey, and we must follow where He leads. According to Numbers 33, there were thirty one such movements after they left Sinai, during the 38 years or so of their journeyings.  No longer do we have the visible cloud directing us, but we have the Spirit within, speaking within us, leading, guiding, protecting, preparing us for glory.  We are not here to nestle down in the comforts of this world but are travelling to a greater land which He has prepared.  The Spirit of Christ leads us, He is with us all the way and all the days.  He even sends His angels from the throne to help us when needed, according to Hebrews 1v14.  The angels who surround the throne are all "ministering spirits sent forth to serve them who shall be heirs of salvation".  A big subject, but real for every child of God.   

The New Testament enjoins us to "Walk in the Spirit...be led of the Spirit...live in the Spirit...and produce the fruit of the Spirit", all in Galatians 5.  This is not some mysterious possession of a few eccentrics. this is real Christian living for all of us, and makes the journey so much easier.