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Tuesday 31st January

Tue, 31/01/2012
Exodus Chapters 4 - 6

EXODUS 4

Signs for Moses

Commentary

A Man Provoked A Calling Unfulfilled

Tue, 22/02/2011
The Book Of Numbers Chapters 19 to 21

NUMBERS 19

The Water of Cleansing

Commentary

Chapter 19 opens with a red heifer; cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool, all burnt together (including unusually) the blood of the heifer. A unique and very meaningful mix.  Let’s start with the heifer. A heifer is a cow that has never been pregnant and so cannot give milk.  It must be red; thus making it rare and unique and we know the colour red is significant in the Bible.  This is the only sacrifice where the colour of the animal matters.  Unlike other sacrifices the blood is not drained out - everything goes on the fire.  Hyssop was used in the cleansing of lepers [a symbol of sin], and was offered to Jesus to drink from while he was on the cross.  Cedar was resistant to disease and rot and of high quality, and some people think the cross Jesus was crucified on was also made of cedar.  Scarlet wool was also a type and a shadow of the blood that was necessary to cleanse from sin - we see it used for the curtains and the veil of the tabernacle, the high priest’s garments, the table of the showbread, a sign for Rahab, and the mock kings robe that was put on Jesus prior to his crucifixion.  I never cease to be amazed at the level of detail that God shows and the extent to which the entire Bible points to Jesus.  The burnt mix was required in order to be made clean, and those requirements were fulfilled through the death of His Son to cleanse us from sin - isn’t that wonderful?  Hebrews 9:13- 14 puts it beautifully: “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Chapter 20 switches to what must be the bane of Moses’ existence – put yourself in his shoes [sandals] for a few minutes.  These whining, whinging, complaining Israelites don’t know when they’re on to a good thing, they just don’t appreciate him.  The number of times he’s interceded on their behalf - don’t they remember Dothan and his mates? And here we are again like a broken record they moan, “Why did you bring us here to die, why didn’t we die when our brothers died, o how life was great before you brought us out!”  Ungrateful bunch!  As if that isn’t bad enough, we are back at square one in Kadesh of all places -what great memories we have of this place [not! See Numbers 14].  And now Miriam is dead.  I have had it with these people, even though I’ve asked God to be merciful, sometimes I wish he would strike them all and be done with it!  At least then I wouldn’t have them banging on about Egypt!  

All this and more was probably boiling on the inside of him, such that the man who was referred to in earlier chapters as being the ‘most humble man on Earth at the time’ [Numbers 12:3], allows what appears to be pride and frustration to cloud his judgement.  He not only disobeys God’s instructions but he clearly places himself in the provision of the miraculous water.  The anger and contempt shown in his speech is out of line with the holiness of God that he is meant to portray to the people, and in that split second, the destiny of the “deliverer” of Israel is cut short. Ouch.  The dream that he has held onto since his youth, the one that led him to give up all the pleasures of the palace, that made him spend hours with God, incessantly interceding and pleading, managing, shepherding [and sometimes even herding] the Israelites is going to end without him seeing it to completion.  How it must have hurt.  One who was so mightily used by God blew it in one moment of weakness.  It is a very potent reminder that we should not allow our sense of ‘self righteousness’ to direct our actions.  The last thing we would want would be for an error of judgement to terminate our destiny.

I do feel for Moses, the guy had to deal with some pretty intransigent people, however it is clear that their behaviour did not excuse his.  Now he has to also supervise the passing of the mantle to Eleazar, Aaron’s son.  All in all, Numbers 20 must mark the lowest point of Moses’ life - he loses both siblings at either end of the chapter and loses himself in the middle.

Chapter 21 marks the start of the Israelites conquests, God allows them to cut their ‘battle teeth’ on smaller conquests before they face more major battles, and yet they soon revert to type, speaking now not only against Moses but against God also.  They actually show signs of exceeding the previous generation in unbelief.  A stark reminder of how if one does not keep the wonder and awesomeness of God and who He is at the forefront of one’s memory it is very easy to forget and lapse into unbelief.  We will also see this in subsequent chapters in the generation that came after Joshua. God has to send a reminder in the fiery serpents to bring them to their senses and have them repent of their utterances.  The people then once more have an opportunity to witness the saving grace of God, this time through the bronze serpent upon which they must look to be healed.  Isaiah 45:22 says “ Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Indeed there is no other than God and it is a privilege and a blessing to call him Father.

Morenike Olubode

2 CORINTHIANS 8:12

12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Feruary Fast

Ms

Russel Tiffin

The Lord's People

Mon, 21/02/2011
The Book Of Numbers Chapters 16 to 18

NUMBERS 16

Korah, Dathan and Abiram

Commentary

2 CORINTHIANS 8:11

11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

Yinka Dosumu

truetolove2811

Daniel Vaduva

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