Sermons, Excerpts, Devotions

Galatians 1:17b-21  

. . . I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was [an apostle], but I went into Arabia.  Later I returned to Damascus.  18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas [the Apostle Peter] and stayed with him fifteen days.  19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.  20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.  21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia.

 Galatians 2:1-2

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.  2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.  I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, my race in vain.

 Galatians 2:9

James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.  They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

 This process of coming and going and coming an going reminds me of a football team going into a huddle before and after each play.  There’s a play, then there’s a huddle.  Then there’s another play and then there’s another huddle.

 Fortunately, we can observe the plays and huddles of the early Christian church in retrospect, and learn from the way they “played the game”.  The plays happen out on the field, but the huddles are when we gather together and decide what our next play should look like.  For Paul, the huddle always happened in Jerusalem . . . and the final agreement in the huddle was:  

 Peter, James, and John will take the left flank and Paul, Barnabas, and Titus the right flank . . .

 So, I have a question for you.  Who is most important person on a football team . . . the one who throws the ball, the one who catches the ball, or the ones who runs the ball, or the one who blocks people trying to prevent the ball from being thrown or run?

 The answer is:  None of the above.  If any one person fails to do his job, the entire team is affected.  This couldn’t have been clearer than when that poor BSU kicker missed the crucial field goal and lost the big game August 23, 2014. At that moment, the most important person on the team was the kicker.  But I really appreciated the coaches response, “We all lost the game.  No one play wins or loses a game”.

 If there is a most important person, it would be The Coach.  

The coach comes up with the game plan before they ever take the field.

He calls the players he wants on the field and the ones he wants in reserve on the bench.

He puts the players through a rigorous training camp before the first game.

He makes sure there is medical help available if a player is injured.

During the games, he signals plays to the huddle from the sideline.

He disciplines the players so they will continually improve from game to game.

He gives pep talks during half time.

 Our Spiritual coach is called the “paraclete” in Greek.  He is a helper, an advocate, and an advisor.  He is the Holy Spirit sent to us by Jesus when He returned to Heaven.

 There’s a saying in churches I have heard many times over the years.  It goes something like, “When people go to a football game, they have no problem shouting and cheering and getting kind of crazy for their team.  So, why are people so reserved when they come together at church?  Isn’t God worth cheering for more than a football team?”

 From one perspective, this sound right . . . but the problem with this idea is that it presumes we are the cheerleaders for God.  We are NOT cheerleaders watching the game from the bleachers.  WE are the players and HE is the one on the sidelines.  He created the game plan, and called us to be players, and gave us our positions to play, and puts us through rigorous training, and protects us from Spiritual injuries, and sends us the play signals.  He also disciplines us (not punishment), and gives us pep talks when there is a timeout on the field.

 We are not just fans watching God from a distance.  There is a book that has become popular in the last few years.  It’s called, “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman.  He writes:

 The dictionary defines a fan as “an enthusiastic admirer”.  “Fans” want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires sacrifice.  Fans may be fine with repeating a prayer, attending church, and putting a Jesus sticker on their bumper, but is that really the extent of the relationship that Jesus wants?

 When these “titans of the faith” in the highlighted verses above got together, they were not just a fan of Jesus . . . they were on the field crashing spiritual armor against spiritual enemies who were trying to disrupt their unity and undermine the gospel message.  And that battle is still going on today. It isn’t just a game.  It’s a spiritual battle with eternal consequences for everyone.  If you’re not experiencing the sound of the enemies arrows pinging off your shield of faith now and then, you may not be on the field where you have been called. Now is NOT the time to be sitting on the bench.  The Christian church needs to have an “all hands on deck” mentality at this time in history.

 In our passage today, there are 5 other people mentioned besides Paul who was writing this letter.  Peter, James, and John (pillars of the faith in Jerusalem), and Barnabas, and Titus.  This is an unlikely team.  Each one had a completely different personality and approach to the gospel of Christ.  The first 3 were all one of the original 12 Disciples of Christ.  And the other 3 were a strange combination of people and personalities.

 Most people are pretty familiar with the impulsive and passionate Peter, who would climb out of a perfectly good boat in the middle of a storm to walk on the water toward Jesus.  He is the one who stated in Matthew 16:16 You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God . . .  And Jesus responded:  Verse 18 . . . On this rock I will build my church.

 James was the half brother of Jesus.  James was a very common name and two of Jesus 12 disciples were named James, but His brother was neither of them.  Jesus’ brother James was a skeptic throughout Jesus ministry and did not believe Jesus was God in the flesh until AFTER He was resurrected and ascended into heaven.  Then he did become a believer and led one of the thriving Christian churches in Jerusalem and wrote the book of James.  But James was a hard man to convince.  He needed concrete evidence before he would believe.

Then there is John.  He’s the one who calls himself “the one Jesus loved”.  He wrote the gospel of John, 3 letters in the New Testament, and the book of Revelation. His unrelenting theme was the Love, and Holiness, and Deity of Jesus.

The next 3 people were a strange combination:

 ·       Barnabas was a Jewish Christian and was well accepted as part of the inside circle of the Jerusalem Council.

·       Paul was of course a Jew who persecuted the Christians but later came to Christ by a vision.  Paul was NOT readily accepted for fear he might be setting a trap for them.

·       Titus was a Greek who had no ties to Judaism what-so-ever but had become a believer and was living for Christ.  Later Paul finds it important enough to point out that Titus had never been circumcised and never would be.  Some were saying that a person had to become a Jew first BEFORE they could become a Christian, therefore had to be circumcised.

 I put them in this order because actually Paul would never have been allowed into the Jerusalem Council if he had not invited by Barnabas.  And Titus would NEVER have been admitted because he was a Greek, but he came with Paul.  So Barnabas brought Paul and Paul brought Titus.  It was kind of an “odd duck” parade coming in to meet with the Jerusalem Council.

 But each had a purpose unique to them . . . just as every believer here has some purpose unique them. But you don’t need to go searching for your purpose . . . go where God is leading you, and the purpose will reveal itself.  Sometimes you may not even discover it until after you already have it!  I doubt that any of these men went out looking for their purpose and then started to work at it.  I think they were all just being, and doing, what God wanted them to do and let Him take care of the rest.

 Paul’s purpose was to establish a written, Christian, theology and doctrine which was desperately needed for these brand new churches.  However, it is still the source of all our Christian theology today.

 James purpose was to point out the practical application of Paul’s theology.  

 He was a concrete thinker and he tells it like it is.  For example: James 1:2 Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of all kinds . . .

 It is not a question of IF you will face trials, but WHEN you face trials . . . here is how you should practically think about them.  Very straight forward and concrete.  Consider it pure joy . . . don’t question God’s hand because you are facing trials . . . Consider it joy.

 Johns purpose was to bring out the love and mystery and awesome character of God of Paul’s theology.

 And finally Peter’s purpose from the beginning was always about the heart and passion of Paul’s Theology.  For example:

 1 Peter 1:2 . . . Grace and peace be yours in ABUNDANCE.

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for ACTION . . .

 The next question is, are you in the process of discovering the purpose God has for you?

Are you a fan on the sideline or a player on the field?

Are you huddling up with other players for assignments, support, and encouragement?

Num 6:22-27

22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites.  Say to them: 24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." '   27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 God wants to bless His children.  Every good father wants to bless his children by protecting them, and being generous to them, and giving them peace.

 Every good father wants his children to know that he will be there to protect them, even to the death if necessary.  He would gladly step in front of a bullet for a child if necessary.  He would take aggressive measures to stop a person who was mistreating his child.  He would keep the child safe from an attacking animal by wrapping his arms of protection around his child.  My uncle and his son were walking through a meadow one time and the son stepped on a hornet’s nest.  He immediately threw his body over his son and took hundreds of stings so his son would not get one single sting.  So the Lord keeps His children even more protected than that.  God wants to bless us.

 Every good father wants to be generous to his children.  His face would shine upon his child as he watched him in his elementary school play. He would give good gifts at his birthday and at Christmas, and take him to a ball game or camping, and would teach him how to build a bird house or fix a car . . . And he would do all these things even though the child had done nothing to earn it.  He simply wants to be gracious to him.  So the Lord is even more gracious to those He has adopted in to His eternal family.

 Every good father wants his child to have peace.  He assures the child that he loves him even when he struck out at bat.  He turns his smiling face toward his child as he is on the starting line of a big race.  The child looks around to pick our his father’s face from amongst the crowd.  He reads stories to his child at bed time, he gives advice when his girlfriend dumped him, tells him the door is always open as he goes off to begin a career and a family.  He gives the child peace to know that his father will always be there . . . no matter what.  There is NOTHING that a child can do that would make a good father abandon his child. And so the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us.

 Now I understand that not every father has all of these traits . . . in fact very few actually do . . . but The Lord has them all perfectly.  But it is hard for many of us to relate to a father like that.  We have learned to protect ourselves.  We have hardened ourselves against receiving gifts that we have not earned by our own merits . . . some times we say we don’t want gifts to protect ourselves from the pain of not getting an expected gift. If we say we don’t want any gifts, then we can not be disappointed when we don’t get them.

And we have learned to console ourselves with “self talk” when we strike out at bat, or look for his face when we start a new project or venture, or expect him to take us back in when we have stumbled and fallen in our lives.  When my oldest daughter was about 7 or 8 years old, we went to a park in the summer that had a creek running through it.  I told her she could play in the water, but she needed to wear her sandals in there.  She begged me to let her go barefoot so I said, “okay, but don’t come crying to me if you cut your foot on something”.  Only a few minutes later, she came back to me with a very stoic look on her face and showed me a very large piece of glass deeply embedded in her heel.  She said to me, “Daddy, I am not crying”.  My heart broke for saying those words to her.  Our father in Heaven NEVER says, “Don’t come crying to me”.

 It is to our own disadvantage when we do not expect blessings from God.  But we have learned that it is a weakness to want a blessing.

 There is a author named Henri Nouwen who has written a book called “Life of the Beloved”.   He tells about a home for the handicapped which he visited to pray with them.  He was part of a liturgical denomination, so when one of the handicapped girls asked him for a special blessing he reached out to make the mark of the cross on her forehead.  She was not grateful.  She protested vehemently, “No, that doesn’t work. I want a real blessing”!

 After praying with the whole group, he told the them that Janet had asked for a special blessing. As soon as he said that, Janet stood up and walk toward him.  Henri tells us in his story:  I was wearing a long white robe with ample sleeves covering my hands as well as my arms.  Spontaneously, Janet put her arms around me and put her head against my chest.

Without thinking, I covered her with my sleeves so that she almost vanished in the folds of my robe.  As we held each other, I said,

“Janet, I want you to know that you are God’s beloved daughter. You are precious in God’s eyes. Your beautiful smile, your kindness to people in your house, and all the good things you do, show us what a beautiful human being you are.  I know you feel a little low these days and that there is some sadness in your heart, but I want you to remember who you are:  a very special person, deeply loved by God and all the people who are here with you.”

 As I said these words, Janet raised her head and looked at me. Her broad smile showed that she had really heard and received the blessing.  When she returned to her place, Jane, another handicapped woman raised here hand and said, “I want a blessing too.”  She stood up and before I knew it, she put her face against my chest. After I had spoken words of blessing to her, many more of the handicapped people followed, expressing the same desire to be blessed.

 The most touching moment, however, came when one of the assistants, a 24 year student raised his hand and said, “What about me?”  I said, “Come.”  He came and as we stood before each other, I put my arms around him and said,

“John, it is good that you are here.  You are God’s beloved son.  Your presence is a joy for all of us.  When things are hard and life is a burden, always remember that you are loved with an everlasting love.”  As I spoke these words, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and then said, “Thank you, thank you very much.”

 How many people here today are thinking . . . “What about me”?  We are sometimes not very good in the church about speaking blessings to each other. We pray for each other when there is a need, but God is much more generous than to simply meet needs.  He goes WAY beyond just meeting needs.  God wants us to be blessed beyond measure! And NO ONE can out bless God.  His blessings are there just for the asking. Jesus said

Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down , shaken together and running over.  It will be poured into your lap.  Luke 6:38

 Asking for a prayer of blessing is like asking for a reminder from God, of how we have already been blessed.  Depressions are often anger at self turned inward.  We need the Lord’s blessings to remind us that we can let go of the self anger. We can stop beating ourselves up. God loves you just the way you are. When we ask for a blessing we are saying:  Remind me Lord, of your love.

 Matt 7:9-12  "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish , will give him a snake ? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

 Remind me Lord of my significance in your holy plan.  Remind me of my value to the body of believers.  When I am hard pressed on every side, remind me that your blessing will not let me be crushed.  When I am perplexed with problems that seem to have no answer, remind me that your blessing can lift me from despair.  When I am being ridiculed and persecuted because of you, remind me that you will never abandon me, or forsake me.  When I face the shadow of death, remind me Lord that even death itself can not destroy my soul.

 Sometimes we need to simply humble our selves and confess that we just need a blessing from God, because we are being too hard on ourselves.  This is not just a New Testament thing.  The Old Testament has examples as well.  Jacob knew the value of asking for a blessing.

 Gen 32:24-29 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."

 But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me ."  27 The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." 29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" 

Then he blessed him there.

 It turns out that “the man” was most likely the pre-incarnate Christ.  Jacob asked for a blessing and received it.  Again many have heard of the prayer of Jabez.

 1 Chron 4:9-10  Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me , and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

 Interestingly enough, the Pharaoh who finally set God’s people free from slavery said:

 Ex 12:31-32

"Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me ."

 Isn’t it interesting that one of history’s most notorious sinners would finally ask at the end, for a blessing from the one true God.  It finally got through to him that God is the source of all good blessings.  

 I pray that you will pray, “Oh, that you would bless me”.

 Num 6:24-27

24 The LORD bless you and keep you;

25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." '  

We are nearing the end of chapter 6 in the book of Numbers.  In quick review from the beginning of the book, God counted and organized the Israelites in the first 4 chapters.  Then in chapter 5 God gave them some maintenance instructions about how to keep themselves pure, about making confession and restitution of sins, and a test for adultery which was a prophesy of our need for a savior, since we have all been defiled in our relationship with God.

 Chapter 6 then describes how a man or a woman may attain a deeper relationship with God by taking the Nazirite vow of separating themselves from worldly ways of living. The prophetic part of this vow is that Christians today have been set apart from the world by giving ourselves over to Christ as a “living sacrifice”.

 So we pick up at Numbers chapter 6 and verse 13.

 Numbers 6:13-15 "'Now this is the law for the Nazirite when the period of his separation is over. He is to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

 From a prophetic perspective, our Christian period of separation is finished when we reach the end of our lives on this earth.  We are then brought to the entrance of God’s presence (the tent of Meeting so to speak).  

 There he is to present his offerings to the LORD: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast — cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil.

 As we stand at the entrance, 3 sheep will be required to proceed.  A pure male lamb, a pure female lamb (ewe), and an adult male sheep (ram) . . . and Jesus Christ fulfills the requirements of all 3 on our behalf.

 1.    The first is what the Mishna calls the holocaust offering.  It is to be entirely consumed by fire.  It represents the sacrifice and destruction of the perfect “Lamb of God” on earth.  Christ took on the fire of Hell on our behalf when He sacrificed his physical body for us. It also produces a pleasing aroma to God since the sacrifice has a perfect purpose for it.

2.    The second offering is the atonement for sin.  It can only be consumed by the priest who is a representative of God. The sin is fully consumed by Jesus Himself because we are not able to atone for sin by our own merit

3.    The third offering is a fellowship offering.  This offering restores our relationship with God.  

Numbers 6:19 After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair of his dedication, the priest is to place in his hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and a cake and a wafer from the basket, both made without yeast.

 The shoulder of the cooked ram was given to the Nazirite along with the unleavened bread and wafer. This was traditionally to be the “left shoulder”.  The “right shoulder” was for the priest.  

 These shoulders represent the returned blessing from God to those who have persevered through the Nazirite vows. God invites all believers to His feast to dine with Him, which is the ultimate demonstration of a healthy relationship.  You eat with friends . . . not enemies.  Jesus gave us back the blessing of the Holy Spirit to restore an intimate relationship with Him.

 These 3 represent Jesus’, God in the flesh, participation in our purification, atonement, and restoration.  They were all fulfilled by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Then came the grain, drink, and bread offering covered with oil which represent our own participation by offering ourselves as living sacrifices.

 And finally, we must also take note that our own participation in the sacrifice is covered with oil.  Even today, it is still anointed and blessed and pleasing to God.  Oil represents our consecration and our sanctification by God.

 I spent quite a bit of time researching various expert opinions about all of the symbolisms involved here, and discovered there is not a universal agreement on what each part means. I have selected the most prominent of interpretations and the ones that I am led to believe are most accurate.  There is however,  a general agreement by all that it does represent the human aspect of the sacrifices.

 So at the end of the Nazirite vow, all restrictions of joy and celebration are removed.  For us, that would be an eternity of joy and celebration with God.  Num 6:20 After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

 So in chapter 6, after the organization of the Israelites and the maintenance instructions and the demonstration of a restored relationship with God . . . God gives one of the most famous blessings for His people.  It is recognized in churches everywhere and is referred to as “Aaron’s Blessing”.  Although this blessing is most often used as a final blessing, in the context of the passage, it may be more accurate for it to be used as an opening blessing.

 Num 6:22-27

22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

 24 The LORD bless you and keep you;

25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." '  

 27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 There is much to say about this blessing, so I will save it for next time.

Last week we saw that taking the Nazirite vow meant separating yourself for God.  Num 6:2.  Most people would take this vow for 30,60, or 90 days, but there were some who were set apart for a lifetime.

You Have Been Set Apart

Just as Samson and Samuel were set apart in their childhood for a lifetime, from a prophetical point of view, Jesus has also set apart every one of us who will take up their cross and follow Him for a lifetime of separation.  New Testament scriptures tell us that God’s mercy is upon anyone who will set themselves apart by denying the pattern of this world so that we can then grow closer to the Lord and obtain an understanding of His truth that the world can never understand.

Paul writes about this lifetime of being set apart and what it means in Rom 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, (None of the following works without the view of God’s mercy) to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your reasonable act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Paul begins this passage with the statement, “in view of God's mercy”.  What “mercy” is he speaking about?  Mercy is: “not getting what we deserve in spite of our sins.”  In our secular world, when you are guilty and everyone knows it, the only option you have left is to throw yourself on the mercy of the court.

In a court of law, there isn’t much mercy to be had . . . but God’s mercy is unlike any other mercy in this world.  In terms of our study in the book of Numbers, God’s mercy was, for God Himself to drink that bitter cup which we learned about in chapter 5.

That cup would have brought us suffering and death but when God saw that we were guilty, He loved us so much, He made Himself flesh so that He could take the punishment for us. His mercy is unlimited.

Your Reasonable Act Of Service

So, in view of God's mercy, how grateful should we be?  In view of God's mercy, what do we have to offer in thanks to Him?  What would be our REASONABLE act of service in view of God's mercy?  How much more obvious can it be?  Our REASONABLE act of service back to Him is to give Him our body, mind, and soul, which He has saved.  He makes us holy and pleasing to Himself when we could not do it for ourselves. Our REASONABLE act of service is to give Him our all.

Jesus gave a parable that showed what is reasonable before God compared to what is reasonable to the world.

Luke 10:30-37 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.  They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.  Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'  "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."  Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

That would be a crazy thing to do, for people living by the world’s standard.  Some worldly people today might be willing to dial 911.  But to put the person in your car, and take him to a hotel, and wash his wounds, and pay for the hotel and amenities, and ALSO for the days following . . .

That’s extraordinary!  To a follower of Christ . . . it just seems a reasonable act of service.  

Being set part as living sacrifice can be so radical at times that the religious people will start to gossip.  Jesus went to the house of Zacchaeus the tax collector one day.  Tax collectors were notorious for taking advantage of other people and taking money that was over and above the required taxes for their own use.  They were legally robbing them.  So, Jesus decided to make a call on this tax collector.

Luke 19:7-10 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."  Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Because of his FAITH, (not his lineage) Zacchaeus discovered the joy of exchanging material wealth for spiritual treasures.  It makes perfect sense to me, but it makes NO sense to the world.  They would call a person who does this a fanatic.

When I worked for Hewlett Packard there were 3 of us who took turns sending out an Our Daily Bread readings every day to people who requested it.  We had 100’s of people getting it 1st thing every morning when they got to work.

The Human Relations Department found out and put an immediate stop to it.  We spent over a year working to get permission to re-establish it.

My worldly friends said, “Why are you fighting for a silly thing like that”?  It was just the REASONABLE thing to do in light of God’s mercy.  It’s LOGICAL.  What seemed extraordinary and above the call of duty to some, was just common place and logical to us.  Its logical to us but not the world.

This “lifetime vow” to follow Christ is not NOT drudgery though.  Sometimes it’s hard work, but never a drudgery.  Just as the lifetime vows Cathy and I made to each other is never a drudgery.  Sometimes its hard work, and sometimes there’s conflict.  Sometimes there’s tragedy, but both of our minds (it is important to have BOTH) have been transformed from thinking about our own selfish welfare to thinking about our unified welfare.

It is logical / reasonable to do whatever it takes to keep the relationship strong . . . and so it is in our relationship with Christ.  He IS my marriage, and my family, and my job, and my hobbies, and my neighborhood, and the grocery store checker, and other drivers on the road, . . . (Am I meddling now?)  

When the world sees a person or a family going to church every Sunday, it might seem reasonable.  But going to church AND a Bible Study AND a prayer meeting AND doing daily devotions AND volunteering to help with the all church Dutch oven cook off AND volunteering at Love INC AND raking leaves for an elderly person through Love Caldwell, AND . . . whatever it is . . . JUST MAKES SENSE TO A BELIEVER.

Let me close with a little story that archeologists found about Cyrus, the leader of the Persian Empire 600 years before Christ.  He had captured an enemy prince and his entire family.  He asked the prince, “What will you give me if I release your wife and children?  The prince replied, “I will give you myself as your slave for life”.  Cyrus was so moved by the prince’s response, he set them all free at no cost.  On the way home, the prince remarked what a handsome and generous man Cyrus was.  But his wife responded, “I didn’t notice.  I couldn’t  take my eyes off of the man who was willing to give his very life for me”.

Believers are like that wife.  We can’t take my eyes off of the one who gave His life for us.  Anything He asks is unquestionably reasonable, and it is a privilege to give every bit of my life to Him in anyway He asks for it for as long as I live.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

What Happens When The Nazirite Vow Is Complete

Your blessings will be multiplied by infinity.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

I don’t think its a coincidence that the most famous Godly benediction in history immediately follows the Nazirite vow.

Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Go Nazirite.  Honor God.  Be set apart for His purpose . . . what ever it takes . . . it’s worth it.

Numbers 6 part 1 / Romans 12:1-2 part 2

 Numbers 6:1-12 6:1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite, 3 he must . . .

 . . . And then it goes on to describe what he must do.  In this chapter God gives Moses some instructions for lay people (non-priests) who want to give themselves to the Lord in a special way.  This was a vow of separation, in dedication to the Lord and it is also specifically for both men AND women.  They might do it just to say, “thank you” to the Lord.  Or they might do it to prepare themselves for some sort of special ministry which will help them be more closely in tune with God’s will.

 This vow is called the Nazirite vow.  The word Nazirite is from the Hebrew term nazir, meaning "to consecrate" and it is derived from the Hebrew root word nazar, meaning "to separate".  The word “separation” is used 10 times in 21 verses. That is a significant clue that the Nazirite vow was all about becoming “separate” for a period of time.  Specifically for the Lord, and specifically to abstain from 3 things which we will see later on.  

 Most often the Nazirite vow would be for a period of 30, or 60, or 90 days.  Even though it was more common for the vow to be short term like this, there were some who were extra special and set apart for a life time.  

 For example, Sampson was set apart as a Nazirite even before he was conceived.  Judges chapter 13 tells us that The Angel of The Lord came to his mother and told her that SHE was to live the life of a Nazirite herself, until Sampson was born, and then Sampson was to live that way his entire life.  This is a fascinating story with much to learn at another time.  Samuel was also set apart for a life time.  There were also some New Testament people who lived as Nazirites.  John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, and according to some secular writings of the day James, the brother of Jesus, may have lived as a Nazirite for a life time.

 But taking the Nazirite vow short term was the most common way of doing it in both the Old and the New Testaments.  There are 3 basic things they were to abstain from.

 1.    Eating or drinking anything having to do with a grape vine.

2.    Cutting your hair

3.    Going near a dead body

 Here is the first requirement of a Nazirite vow is:  3 He must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

 Grapes and wine are symbols of prosperity, joy, and blessings.  This vow was to be a period of setting aside or separating from these good things in order to better focus on God.  We can get so caught up in our pleasures, that sometimes it can wedge God out. So it was trading off good things for God things.  There is a similar practice even today with the same idea.  We call it fasting.  We deny ourselves something good so God will be blessed by us, and we can more clearly hear Him.  If you deny yourself pleasure as a gift to God, you need to make it all about Him and not about you.  Jesus said:

 Matt 6:16  When you fast , do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

 This is a time which is to be dedicated to the Lord.  It is a gift for Him, and not for your personal gain.  It is not a time to say, “well, I need to go on a diet anyway, so I will kill two birds with one stone by fasting . . . I will lose weight and glorify God at the same time”.  It doesn’t count if you abstain from something that was not good for you to begin with.

 The second and third requirements are together for a reason:  5 "'During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long. 6 Throughout the period of his separation to the LORD he must not go near a dead body. 7 Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to God is on his head. 8 Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the LORD.

 The long hair is a symbol of his/her commitment to this vow.  If it is broken, the long hair is like the signature on a contract proving he or she was guilty.

 Also, the pagan religions all around the Israelites had the practice of shaving their heads in devotion to their gods.  Not cutting hair was the opposite of the pagan practice, setting it apart. Perhaps God wanted there to a distinction between those devoted to A god and those devoted to THE God.

 Now you might be wondering like I was how this would be a sign for a woman who already has long hair.  From my studies, many commentaries suggest that a man not cutting his hair was simply to not touch it in any way.  This would also be true of a woman.  She would not touch it, which meant it was let down over her shoulders and was unkept making it as the same sign as a man’s.

 And the last point of the long hair is that it grows out of the crown of your head.  It is the symbol of a spiritually royal crown.  This would temporarily include that person in the royal priesthood even though they were not a Levite.  The person would become spiritual royalty.

 So, the abstaining from wine indicates the separation part of the vow, the long hair represents the royal priesthood status, and not going near a dead body symbolizes the purity of God.

Verse 6 says they can not even go NEAR a dead body.  And verse 7 clarifies how serious this vow is.  They can not go near a dead body, even if it is a family member or someone close to them.  A vow is a vow and there is no mercy in the law for a broken vow.  This would be harder to do for them than it even would be for us today.  When someone dies in our family, we grieve over the person, but then we have people who take the body and prepare it for burial.  In those days, that was the family’s job.  Not only could you not go near the body, you were not able to participate in the family responsibilities of preparing it for burial.

 There are no exceptions to the purity of God.  We talked about this last week.  God can not let even the slightest impurity into His heaven or it would be completely defiled.  God is not just the good buddy in the sky, or the man upstairs.  He is a holy and powerful God who is pure and perfectly loving and gracious.  And He cannot allow anything in His presence that would dishonor that.

 So what if the vow is accidentally broken?

9 "'If someone dies suddenly in his presence, thus defiling the hair he has dedicated, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing — the seventh day. 10 Then on the eighth day he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 11 The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him because he sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day he is to consecrate his head. 12 He must dedicate himself to the LORD for the period of his separation and must bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because he became defiled during his separation.

 In other words, he would have to atone for his sin, (accidental or not because it still defiles God’s purity), by following a purification ritual, and then he must START OVER.  If the vow was for 90 days and suddenly someone dies in front of him on the 89th day, it would take a week to go through the process of purification and then start the 90 days over again.

 You know, this might sound harsh, but most people in our society today have little to no concept of what taking a vow means.  Making a vow to God or even to another person, will always cost you something. I don’t make a vow that says, “I vow that I will let you mow my lawn every week for the entire summer”.  That is ridiculous because it doesn’t cost me anything.  If I vow to mow your lawn for the entire summer, that is a real vow . . . but what is the vow worth if you don’t stick to it?  Very little.  In fact it is frustrating to the person you made the vow to, because they were counting on it and you let them down.  Who knows what consequences that person had to deal with because of the broken vow.

 When you make a vow to God, He expects you to keep it.  If you don’t, there are consequences.

“The dog ate my homework”.  Sorry, there are still consequences anyway.  That is why Jesus tells us when we make a vow to follow Him and make Him our Lord.  FIRST count the cost.  Make sure you understand that you are leaving your old person behind and being born again to become a whole new person.  If you want to keep part of the old person, you are in trouble.  COUNT THE COST before taking up your cross to follow Him.

Luke 14:27-33 Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

 28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

 31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.  

 In our society, vows were made to be broken.  What we mean when we make a vow is that we will stick to it unless it gets hard. Why is our divorce rate so high? Because the wedding vow had little meaning.  When they said “for better or for worse”, they meant “for better or if it doesn’t get too hard”.

 Now, this might seem like kind of a cliff hanger, but I am going to stop here for now.  I will continue this thought next week.  So stay tuned in for the concluding episode of “Going Nazirite - the Romans 12 connection”.

 The points to remember from today for next week are:

 Going Nazirite means:

·      Separating yourself for God by denying earthly pleasures

·      Devoting yourself to the royal priesthood of God

·      Breaking the vow, accidentally or intentionally, must be taken to God for atonement

 Scenes from next weeks episode:  

·      You have been set apart for life.

·      The “living sacrifice” paradox between what is reasonable and unreasonable service.

When studying the Old Testament, there are always 3 views to consider in any passage:

An historical view, a prophetic view, and a personal view

 We are in chapter 5 of Numbers now.  Remember from previous messages that Leviticus and Numbers were God’s plan for removing the old Egyptian ways of life from the Israelites and reestablishing the Holiness of God into their lives.  The first part of chapter 5 gives them some rules to drive home the importance of God’s holiness.  They were to quarantine anything and anyone that may defile the holiness of God. Those . . . Num 5:2 . . . who have an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body.

 That being said, I would like to jump ahead to the whole last section of chapter 5 starting at verse 11. This section is quite long, so I would encourage you to open in your own Bible to read the whole passage first, and I will just include certain verses for emphasis in this article.  Okay, so go ahead and read Numbers 5:11-31 . . . all done? What did you think about it?

 The first time I preached this passage years ago, I groaned and thought, “What in the world am I going to say about this?  Oh Lord, this is a hard teaching.”

 You know, Jesus brought many hard teachings to His disciples too.  In fact, it was quite common for the disciples to misunderstand what Jesus was talking about.  For example, right after Jesus had His conversation with the Samaritan woman the scripture tells us this:

 John 4:31-34  Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 

But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."   Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

 Another time:  Matt 16:5-12  When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread." Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread ? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread?  But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  

Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 These are just a couple of examples.  There are many more.  So why is it the disciples had such a hard time understanding what Jesus was teaching? I’ll tell you why.  They were thinking in physical, earthly terms while Jesus was actually speaking in spiritual, heavenly terms. Not earthly food, not earthly yeast, not earthly bread . . . spiritual.  

 If you and I encounter a difficult passage like Numbers 5, try looking beyond the physical and delve into the spiritual meaning of the passage . . . which can only be revealed, BTW, by the Holy Spirit within us.  This is what we need to keep in mind as we think about this passage.  

 Does that mean the passage was not to be taken literally by the Israelites?  I believe it should be taken literally by them as an earthly example of a spiritual teaching.  So, it was literal for them and is spiritual for us, now that the Messiah has come to fulfill God’s prophecy.

 So, here is the summarized, short, (Bruce’s standard) version.  Then we can go back and look at it in more detail, starting at verse 11.

 If a man’s wife is suspected of unfaithfulness to him, but it can’t be proven, he is to bring his wife to the priest to determine innocence or guilt.  He is also to bring an offering of barley flour, but not to put any oil or frankincense on it.

 Then the priest is to stand the woman before the Lord and put some holy water in a clay jar and pick up a handful of dust from the floor and put it in the water.  Then he is to let the woman’s hair down and put the offering of barley flour in her hands while he holds the jar.  This jar of water is called “bitter” water that has a curse associated with it.

 Then the woman must then take an oath.  It is kind of like an oath during a wedding ceremony where the priest says the words, but the woman must agree by saying, “I do”.  Here is the oath:

 Num 5:19-22

“If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband . . . may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.  May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away.”

Then the woman is to say, "Amen.  So be it."

 After the oath, the priest is to write this oath on a scroll and wash the ink off into the jar of bitter water with the dirt in it.  Then the woman is to drink the water. Then the priest takes the offering of barley flour, wave it before the Lord and put it on the altar.  Then he is to take a handful of the flour and burn it.

 If the woman is guilty, she will get violently ill and her stomach will swell up and her thigh will waste away and she will be accursed by her own people. However, if the woman is NOT guilty, she will not become ill and she will be cleared and given the right to bear children.  Either way, the husband is innocent.  Only the woman will pay the consequences of her sin.

 This is the historical view of what occurred.  Now the for the prophetic and spiritual view.

 So the prophecy begins in verse 17.  We have the Holy Water in a clay jar.  We talked last time about the importance of symbols.  In this case, the Holy Water represents the Word of God and the clay jar represents an earthly human body.

 Ephesians 5:25-26 . . . Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word . . .

The Word in the water that washes her clean.

 2 Peter 3:5 . . . they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

The Word was the water that formed the world out of the water of His Word.

 Isaiah 11:9  the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

 Habakkuk  2:14 the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The water represents the Word of God and the clay jar represents a physical body.

Isaiah 64:8  O LORD, you are our Father.  We are the clay , you are the potter ; we are all the work of your hand.

 So in spiritual terms, the Word of God is contained in a human body . . . and Jesus is BOTH of those. John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 So the jar of water represents Christ Jesus with God’s Word inside Him . . . pure and undefiled.

 But what happens next? The purity of the water is defiled with dust.  Dust always represents death.  From dust you were made and to dust you will go.  Being made dust is death.  Specifically, dust in the water points to Jesus death on the cross.

 There is a famous prophesy of Jesus death on a cross in Psalm 22:15-18.  It is actually the whole chapter, but here is this part of it:  Ps 22:15-18

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,

they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

 Jesus was brought to the dust of death.

 So the body of Christ containing the Word of God took on the dust of death that would ultimately decide our innocence or guilt at the Great White Throne.  Are you still with me?  But that’s is not all.

 He also took on the consequence of our sin.  Not just the dust of death, but the curse was also put in the water.  The ink with the written curse was washed into the jar too. If guilty, there would be a swelling of the belly and the wasting away of the thigh.  

 When a person dies on a cross, it is a slow and agonizing process.  They become completely emaciated on the cross.  The tissues in their belly begins to separate and makes it begin to swell.  The strength of the thigh is an indicator of a person’s strength.  There was no strength left and the thigh would waste away. If there is no strength left in the legs while on the cross to push up and take a breath, the person suffocates and dies.  You see, there is nothing beautiful or pleasing about the cross.  

 The sacrifice represented by the flour was not to have any oil or fragrance of frankincense on it. Oil and frankincense represents the blessings of God, and when Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, there was nothing beautiful about it.  This sacrifice for sin STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN literally.

 HERE’S OUR GOOD NEWS.  Jesus drank the bitter water on our behalf.  We are the bride of Christ, and we are GUILTY of unfaithfulness before God.  We are defiled.  Rom 3:10-18

"There is no one righteous, not even one;  there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless;  there is no one who does good, not even one." "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit."  "The poison of vipers is on their lips."  "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."  "Their feet are swift to shed blood;  ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know."  "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

 If you or I were to drink from that cup, we would have to die an excruciating eternal death.  But Jesus loved us so much, He took the bitter cup and drank it for us and suffered the torment on our behalf . . . so that we can now be presented blameless and pure and able to bring new life into the world. Unashamed before our people . . . even though we do not deserve it.

 Not only did Jesus take on our death for us, but also paid the consequences for us.  If we truly had even the slightest understanding of what Christ did for you and me, we would cry out to Jesus,      “NO!!”         I don’t deserve what you did for me.  I am so sorry my sin has caused you so much anguish because of my weakness in the flesh . . . Oh Jesus, my Lord and my God . . . I will worship and love you with every ounce of my being as long as I live, because of what you did for me.”

 In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed for “this cup” to be taken away.  He may or may not have been thinking about this bitter cup, but either way, He drank every last drop on our behalf.  Only God in the flesh could survive that and still be victorious over death.  You and I never even had a chance.

I have performed many weddings in my career.  I notice that there are lots of symbols in a wedding. A symbol is something ordinary and visible which represents something that is intangible and invisible.  One of the most powerful symbols in a wedding is the wedding ring.  It is symbolic in many ways, but mostly it is an outward sign to the world that this person is set apart for one other person.  It represent a commitment like no other commitment on this earth to remain faithful to this one person only.  The wedding ring is a very meaningful symbol.

 I’m returning to Numbers chapter 4 again, but this time, I want to pay attention to the significant symbolism God is putting in place of some invisible truths for all time.  I will tell you in advance what symbols to be watching for:

 Blue Cloth, Purple Cloth, Scarlet Cloth, and Animal Hide . . .

 Blue represents Heaven, Purple represents royalty, and Scarlet represents sacrificial blood.

The Animal Hide represent the earthly part of Heavenly things.

 The last of the 4 things is simply “animal hide” because no one knows how to translate the kind of an animal the hide was from.  For example:

NIV = Sea Cow Hide, KJ = Badger Skin, NAS = Porpoise Skin, NRS = Fine Leather,

ESV = Goat Skin  Other scholars translate it as:  A Manatee, Egyptian Leather, an Antelope, or a Kosher horse with one horn (Unicorn)  Nobody really knows how to translate that word, but what we can discern with some certainty is that it was a skin or a hide of some sort that was probably exotic and of the highest quality.

 So, be watching for:  Blue Cloth, Purple Cloth, Scarlet Cloth, and Animal Hide . . .

 Num 4:4-6 "This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things.  When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.  Then they are to cover this with hides of sea cows [NIV], spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.

 Take note that the holiest of holy things, (the ark and the shielding curtain) are to be covered with hide on the inside and a solid blue cloth on the outside.  It is important to take note of this because all of the other holy things were to have the colored cloths on the inside and the animal hide on the outside.  The ark of the Testimony (Indiana Jones) was to be kept behind the shielding curtain because it is where the Glory of God resided.  If a person looked at it, they would instantly die.

 Ex 26:31-33 31 "Make a curtain of blue , purple and scarlet yarn (it brings to mind symbols of the Trinity: Heavenly Royalty giving its own Sacrificial blood) and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. 32 Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. 33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

 It is believed this shielding curtain actually consisted of two curtains woven together and was 40 to 60 feet high and 30 feet wide.  It was thick as the palm of a man's hand.  It was woven in 72 separate squares and then joined together.  

 If you are familiar with the resurrection story of Jesus, you know that at the moment Christ died on the cross this curtain was torn in half from the top to the bottom.  Think of the force that would have been required to tear this massive curtain in two from top to bottom!  A 60 foot tear!  This is extremely significant!  

 When Christ made the final sacrifice for all mankind, the curtain was torn open and the Glory of God was revealed.  And I believe His glory rushed out into the world and was made available to dwell in the “ark” of the hearts of men and women who would accept it.

 So, designated priests were to take down the curtain and put it over the ark.  That way they did not have to look at it.  Then it would be wrapped in the animal hide and then all of that would be wrapped in a blue cloth.  The holiest of holies does not require earthly protection . . . so the blue cloth is on the outside proclaiming the Glory of God where ever it went.

 Once the Holy of Holies is covered, then God goes on to tell them how to wrap all of the other holy things:

Numbers 4:7-8 "Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it. 8 Over these they are to spread a scarlet cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.

 The bread that must always be on the plates is called the “shew bread”. It must also not to be burned with fire, but must be eaten or consumed by a person.  And the plate must never be empty.  It is an everlasting bread.  >>> Thou preparest a table before me . . . There is a table which God Himself has prepared in Heaven, so the table is covered in blue.  This is a symbol of God’s eternal provision for mankind prepared for us in Heaven. Then there is the bread that is NEVER unavailable.  Jesus said, I am the bread of life . . . and He taught us to pray, >>>  Give us this day our daily bread . . . This bread is covered by a scarlet cloth which represents a sacrificial and atoning blood for sin.  Jesus was prepared for us, He is eternally available, and He gave His blood as a sacrifice for the atonement of our sin.

 AND ALL OF THIS symbolism was put in place over a thousand years before God, in the flesh, named Jesus, would come to fulfill the symbolism!  Is that not miraculous???  To put a thousand years in perspective, we are in the year 2018.  That would be like someone in the year 1018 prophesying what our life would be like today and be perfectly accurate . . . not a few hundred years . . . A THOUSAND.

 So that’s the table.  Then:

Numbers 4:9-10 "They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lamp-stand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the oil used to supply it. Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of hides of sea cows and put it on a carrying frame.

 The lamp-stand is very important throughout the Bible.  It is like a tall slender table.  A lamp would be put on it to make light in the room.  Maybe like Aladdin’s lamp or something quite different . . . we don’t know. God’s Word is a lamp unto my feet . . . This is all first wrapped in Heavenly Blue and then in animal hide after that.  The symbolism of the lamp illuminates things as they really are without having to grope in the dark to figure out what things are.  God’s Word is a treasure to be protected.

 Ps 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

 Just as they were to keep God’s Word close to them and hidden inside the wrapping, so it is symbolic of God’s Word kept close to us and hidden in the earthly wrapping of our hearts.

 Then:  Numbers 4:11 "Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.

 The gold altar is different than the bronze altar.  The gold altar stood just in front of the shielding curtain.  The gold altar was where they burned incense to the Lord. The incense always represents the prayers of the people.  It is a pleasant aroma to God when we pray to Him.  

 Numbers 4:12 "They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put them on a carrying frame.

 All priests are ministers in different ways but still ministers.  As a kingdom of believer priests, you are all ministers too in different ways.  Their ministry was in the temple.  Our ministry is in the world.  How are you a minister?  Whatever you have done for the least of those on this earth, you have done for Jesus.

 Feeding the hungry, Giving water to the thirsty, Offering hospitality to strangers in your home, Giving clothes to those who have none, Taking care of those who are sick, and Visiting those who are in prison.

Note: there are many kinds of prisons.  There are prisons with bars, but there are also prisons of hopelessness:  lonely apartments, and elder care homes, and prisons of addictions, and prisons of abuse, prisoners to all kinds of sin . . .  Ministering to those who are in prison may just set them free in ways they never thought possible.

 Numbers 4:13 "They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

Ashes represent the old sacrifices which are to be discarded . . . they are not permanent like the sacrifice of God.  The altar itself represents OUR sacrifices to a Holy God who sits in Royalty on His throne.  The old sacrifices were animals but our sacrifice now is ourselves. 

 Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.

 We are living sacrifices given to a Royal and Sovereign God. The sacrifice is Holy, but if the sacrifice is not on-going, it is turned to ashes, which are only to be thrown away.

 So, they have the altar covered with purple, they are not finished yet.

 Numbers 4:14  Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the fire pans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of hides of sea cows and put its poles in place.

 The tools and utensils used by the priests are not covered by anything heavenly.  They are simply covered by the earthly animal hide.  I find it interesting that the accessories were not covered with anything but the hides.  Of everything described, the tools and utensils were the only things not covered by any of the heavenly cloths.

 Isn’t it true that we human and earthly people put so much emphasis on being a tool in the hand of God? Don’t get me wrong, it is a great honor to be a tool in God’s hand to accomplish His will, and we do need to protect it . . . but in the end when we make that final move into the actual presence of God, the tools are not what is going to be revered.

 What will have lasting significance is the Dwelling and Glory of God, and the everlasting bread of Jesus body broken for us, and the lamp of God’s Word, and the prayers of God’s people which are like incense to God, and those who have ministered to the world around them, and those who have become living sacrifices for God.

 How glorious to have the honor of serving a God whom we take joy in loving and worshiping.

I have been traveling quite a bit lately and haven’t put together a regular devotion, so in lieu of that I would like to quote from a book I have been reading lately, “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” by Eugene Peterson:

Nature is the origin of the antiprayer activity called “magic”.  Prayer is willingness practiced before God; magic is willfulness exercised on nature. Magic is the skilled use of natural means to manipulate the supernatural (whether God or devil) in order to bend the natural to respond to our will. The magician is expert in using the concoctions of potions, the movements of planets, and the incantation of sounds in order to impose his or her will on nature.  In the days of the Psalmist, this religion was Baalism.

The comic account in 1Kings 18, in which the priests of Baal gashed themselves with stones so their blood flowed in an attempt to influence the skies to pour rain, is the most famous biblical story of this.  If these priests could only make the vital, life-carrying liquid from their bodies flow in sufficient quantity, surely the life-carrying liquid from the sky-god Baal would also flow.  Elijah by contrast does not “do” anything.  In prayer we do not act.  God does.  In prayer we do not develop a technology that sets the gears and pulleys of miracle in motion.  We participate in God’s action.  “Not my will but Yours”.

Modern technologies are in some ways the successors to pagan magicians.  The means have changed, but the spirit is the same. Metal machines and psychological methods have replaced magic potions, but the intent is still to work our will on the environment whether it involves people or place.  God is not in on it, or He is in on it only insofar as He can be used in ways that accommodate the lordly SELF.

Psalm 114 meanwhile holds the focus on prayer, not magic.  It deals with the way God is acting but with nature as His accomplice.  Nothing here suggests there is something we can do to shape history to our convenience. The earth is not here for us to use.  The earth is the scene of God’s action.  In pride we approach nature to use it; in prayer the Psalmist directs us to join it in praise and celebration of God’s salvation.

 Psalm 114

When Israel went out from Egypt,           the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary,           Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled;           Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams,           the hills like lambs.

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?           O Jordan, that you turn back? O mountains, that you skip like rams?             O hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,           at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water,           the flint into a spring of water.

I agree with Peterson that we often fall back on the magic of technology as a substitute for Christian faith.  This compromise with technology can, if we are not mindful, weaken our dependence on the Lord and strengthen our dependence on the world (Doctors, Scientists, Psychologists, Economists, Sociologists, etc).

We need only to look at many 3rd world countries who do not have technology to see that there are more “faith in God” miracles occurring for them almost daily than we may see in a whole lifetime.

A friend of mine was talking with a pastor from Korea.  During their conversation, the Korean pastor asked my friend what miracles had he seen God do today? He was stumped.  We have not learned to depend on God for daily miracles, but more so on technology.

Numbers 4:1-4  4:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting. This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things.

Numbers 4:21-25 The LORD said to Moses, “Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. This is the service of the Gershonite clans as they work and carry burdens: They are to carry . . .

Numbers 4:29-30  Count the Merarites by their clans and families. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. This is their duty as they perform service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry . . .

The priest were set apart specifically to SERVE. As I have mentioned before, we who are believers have been set apart as priests . . . and the primary purpose of a priest is to serve in whatever capacity the Lord sees fit.

Revelation 1:5-6 To Him [Christ Jesus] who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Serving God is the natural response to Loving God and Worshipping God. Jesus said that the greatest commandment of all is what the Hebrews call, “The Shema”. Traditionally they would teach their children to recite it every night when they went to bed and it was to be recited just before they died. It is a quote from:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

This a proclamation about The Lord God and a command to love the Lord God. Love is the appropriate response to recognizing the holiness of God. What a great place to stop and just bask in all that love, but there’s more.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He told him It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Luke 4:8

If you Love God, you will Worship God, and if you Worship God, you will Serve God. They all go together, Love, Worship, and Service. It’s a package deal. If you take any one of the three out, they all fail. Most believers have no problem with loving God and even coming together to worship God, but it’s easy to overlook our responsibility to SERVE God.

Rick Warren wrote in his book, “Purpose Driven Life”:

The last thing many believers need today is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles.

We have been trusted with the great responsibility as a kingdom of priests to SERVE God.

Now, you may have noticed the priests chosen to serve God were the ones who were 30 years old to 50 years old. They were to give 20 years of their lives in service to the Lord. Then guess what? God has a retirement plan for them.

So does this mean that we only have to serve God from the age of 30 to 50? I don’t think so.

Remember that in those days, the average life expectancy was not as high as it is today. 50 years old was getting close to the end of life. Those who lived over 100 years old were the exceptions in that day, not the average.

What makes sense to me is that God was expecting them (and us) to give the prime time of their life in the service of God. It also doesn’t mean that when they reached 50, they were to sit in a rocking chair and watch the world go by. The older men and women were then required to mentor and teach the younger men and women about how to serve God within each of their clans.

God expects those who serve Him to give the very best parts of their lives in service to Him . . . not just our spare time, or when my family is raised, or when I’m retired, or when I have enough money, or any other reason.

Jesus gave this same teaching:

Luke 9:57-62 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father ." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Following Jesus means serving Jesus. For the Levites, “serving” covered a wide range of duties from simply carrying stuff, to maintaining the temple, to bringing sacrifices to the altar. Have you considered how God would have you serve Him?

There is a dear lady in the last church I pastored whose primary service to the Lord was to make coffee every Sunday. I can tell you she still does it today with as much passion and commitment as anyone else in any other service within the church. She does it with a cheerful heart and in the joy of The Lord. She found her calling.

Numbers 3:11-13 The LORD also said to Moses, "I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD."

 Numbers 3:39-48 The total number of Levites counted at the LORD's command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.

 The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD."

 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

 The LORD also said to Moses, "Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD.

 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons."

 This is kind of a long passage, but it is all necessary to understand that  You have been delivered by the first born of God . . . Jesus

 So, what’s all this stuff about the first born sons and the Levites taking their place?  And what’s up with the five shekels for the extra 273 first born Israelites?  Well, I will tell you.

 Remember the 10th plague God brought on the Egyptians when Moses led the Israelites out of bondage?  The Lord would take the life of every 1st born son in Egypt.  They would all die in one evening.  But if there was the blood of a lamb on the doorpost, the Lord would Passover that house and not take the life of the 1st born son.

 Once that was finished, we see in  Ex 13:1-2  The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me every firstborn male.  The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal." Ex 13:13 . . . Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

 “Consecrate” means to set apart and make holy, or make sacred for God’s purpose.  They were “redeemed” because their lives were spared by the blood of the lamb.  Only the 1st born were saved from the curse, so they were the ones to be set aside for God’s purpose.  This would accomplish 3 things:

 1.    Their 1st born sons would be a constant reminder how God delivered them from slavery.

2.    It showed God’s high respect for human life in contrast to the pagan gods who demanded a sacrificial (and brutal) death of their 1st born sons.

3.    But mostly, it pointed to the day when Jesus (The Lamb of God and first born of God) would shed His blood to protect us from the curse of our sin . . . once and for all.  We who are saved by the blood of Jesus belong to God.  Everyone who puts themselves under the blood of Jesus have been set apart for His purpose.

 At this point in the book of Numbers, God still owned all of the 1st born sons of Israel whether they were a Levite or not.  But God made a trade.  He told Moses that all of the 1st born of Israel who were consecrated and dedicated to God’s work would be traded with the Levites.  He counted all of the 1st born sons of Israel and found that there were 273 more 1st born sons than there were Levites.  So that meant the extra 273 sons had to be redeemed with a price, since there were no Levites to trade for them.  God owned those 1st born Israelites.  And remember from my previous blog, “There is NO COMPROMISE with the law of God”.

 Remember the point that The Law brings death, but The Spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:6).  The only hope for you and me is a savior who can perfectly fulfill or resolve the requirements of The Law.  We simply have to accept Him as our savior and get on board with Him.

 Notice that phrase we Christians use quite often, “We accept Jesus as our savior”.  Really? Think about that for a minute . . . WE accept JESUS?  It can sound almost as if we’re doing Jesus a favor by letting Him save us.  And there can also be a sense that following Him is a sacrifice of our old life.  How ludicrous that view is!

 Here’s how I picture the deliverance of Jesus:

 Imagine you were stranded on a harsh and barren desert island with hundreds of other people.  Everyday was a struggle to survive.  You had to constantly fight for food and water every day, and there appeared to be no hope that you would ever get off of that island.  The name of the island was Sin, and it separated you from the lush and fruitful kingdom named Heaven.

 Then one day a huge ship was spotted coming your way.  As it came closer everyone realized they were going to be saved.  The captain of the ship shouted to all the people on the island that he would take anyone who wanted to come with him to the great kingdom of Heaven.  All they had to do was accept his invitation!  The captain’s name was Jesus.

 Now, that would be a NO BRAINER, right?  There wouldn’t be the slightest hint that you were doing the captain a favor by getting on board with him.  Furthermore, it would be ludicrous to think that giving up your old life on the desert island would be a sacrifice of any kind!  He didn’t have to come to you . . . but He did.  He was doing you a favor, not the other way around.  And what you would leave behind would never be missed for a second.  

 All you had to do was get on board!

 This little allegory falls short of recognizing the great sacrifice the captain had to make to rescue the people.  He would have knowingly chosen to give His blood and die tragically in order to get us on board.

 You and I are like those Israelites who were passed over by the eternal death angel and redeemed back to God for His purpose.  And God’s purpose for you is to BE the person He has made you to BE.  He not only formed you in your mother’s womb, but He has continued to form you (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) throughout your life exactly the way He wants you to be.  You have been set apart as a unique vessel for a specific purpose. That forming process of God may have required some breaking and melting and pouring and buffing along the way, but no matter what you have to go through, it is an honor just to belong to Him, and not a sacrifice AT ALL when you are fully on board.

 Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!   How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?”

Num 3:5-13

The LORD said to Moses, "Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death."

 From this point forward, all priests were to be Levites, but not all Levites were to be priests.  Only Aaron and his sons were priests, and only priests were allowed to offer sacrifices for the people.  The other Levites were still ordained by God . . . but they were under the priestly supervision of Aaron and his sons.  The other Levites were to be caretakers of the tabernacle and everything inside the tabernacle.  

 The tabernacle was a traveling temple.  The permanent temple would not be built for another 500 years by King Solomon.  Since it was to be portable, we will see later on in Numbers that each person was given a task for maintaining and/or dismantling the tabernacle and setting it back up again after a move.

 Some of these tasks may have seemed menial to them, but no matter how small each job was, it was actually a great honor to carry it out because they were ordained by God for those responsibilities.  It was also important for them to understand that each individual was to stick to their own job, even if it seemed menial.  Just as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians . . .

1 Corinthians 12:15-16, 22-23

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.

 How easy it is for us today to let Satan discourage us when he whispers in our ear that we are not an important part of the body of Christ.  We are tempted to compare ourselves to others who are in high visibility positions and wish we had their jobs or their celebrity.  Let me just say this about that . . .  after 60+ years of experience in this world, I am convinced that those of us who are not in high visibility roles within the church may actually be MORE important than the ones who are receiving all the accolades.

 I believe that before I was a church pastor, I was more effective in the kingdom of God than after becoming a pastor.  Once I became a pastor, I no longer rubbed elbows with the hundreds of people I met and worked with in my everyday job and in worldly positions.  Before I was a pastor, I could share God’s love with people 1-on-1 as a peer.  I was able to encourage people with the peace of Christ who were discouraged, and beat up, and beat down, by the world.  I think it was more meaningful in that role than as a person who “gets paid to talk about Jesus”.

 And so it is with you. No one has an insignificant role in God’s plan.  

1 Corinthians 7:17 Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.  This is my rule in all the churches.

You are important and you are most valuable to God just the way you are.  

 Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

 Serve Him wherever He has placed you.  You are ordained by God for a purpose.  Without everyday people being faithful in small things, the high profile people would be nowhere.  Take your call seriously and don’t give up.  He will never give up on you.

 Romans 8:28 We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 And just as God promised Joshua, so He will do for you because of the Holy Spirit inside you.

 Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

 I have a favorite prayer song written by Paul Johnson called Make Us One:

Make us one Father God, Make us one that the world may know you gave your only Son Fill us with the love you’ve given us to share and protect us from evil everywhere

For you have chosen that together we should be a reflection of Your love and unity Cleanse us from our old nature of sin that Your image may be seen in man again

.

 (Laws may make you moral, but they cannot make you Holy)

I am continuing in the book of Numbers.  You may have heard that there should always be 3 points in a lesson, but today I only have a 1 point lesson.  But it is a very important 1 point, and I don’t want anyone to miss it.

 Num 3:2-4

The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.  Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.  Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.  They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron

 Conclusion:  There is no compromise in the law of God.  There are no plea bargains, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse. God needs no jury to decide innocence or guilt.  He is the author of the law and the creator of every person.  There is nothing He does not know about us, inside and out, and every minute of our life.  There is no compromise in the law of God.  

 (Note:  Don’t stop reading yet, it gets better.)

 Jesus said, Luke 16:17  it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.  He also said, Matt 5:48 Be perfect , therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  

 Umm . . . I’m not perfect . . . and neither are you.  Without a savior, we wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance for mercy or grace or forgiveness, because THERE IS NO COMPROMISE in the law of God.

 (Note:  Still keep reading, it will get better.)

 When the law and sin mix together, it always ends in death.  Even the slightest impurity cannot be allowed in the presence of God.  If God let even the smallest sin into His presence, it would spoil everything in His presence.  I have a children’s illustration I use about sin where I take a clear glass of clear water representing a pure life with no sin.  Then I put one drop of red food coloring in the water representing sin. Even one drop of sin ruins the whole batch.  And so it is with sin in our lives, and so it would be in heaven if God allowed even the slightest bit in.  

 (Note:  Here’s where it starts to get better.)

 However, there IS life and forgiveness available to all.  It doesn’t come because of the law though.  It comes because of the Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:6. . . the law kills, but the Spirit gives life.

 Our passage in Numbers demonstrates that there is NO compromise in the law of God, and it always leads to death.  There are also many other examples throughout the Old Testament.  From an earthly perspective, we can’t help but ask, “If this is what happened to Nadab and Abihu, what about us”?  What about us indeed!  The Apostle Paul asked the same question . . . Rom 7:24-25  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!  . . .

 Rom 8:1-4  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. . . . [We] do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

 Again:         2 Corinthians 3:6 . . . the law kills, but the Spirit gives life.

 For some, this sounds like total nonsense.  But the message of God has always required a faith beyond what we consider wisdom in our worldly minds.  The wisdom of the world will never understand the gospel of Christ . . . but God will eventually destroy their limited intelligence.

 See what the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians about this.  Please read 1 Corinthians 1:17-31 on your own, but here is the last part:

 1 Cor 1:26-31  Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, our holiness and our redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

 There is NO compromise in the law of God . . . BUT . . . There is no condemnation for those who live by the Spirit, which shows itself in us by its fruit . . . 

Gal 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love , joy , peace , patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.

 At this point, someone might say, “Well, God only demonstrated that the law brings death in the Old Testament but there is a New Testament demonstration too.  Read Acts 5:1-11 about a husband and wife named Ananias and Sapphira and you will see.

 There is a common worldly response to the law of death . . . “Ultimately EVERYONE will be in Heaven whether you believe or not”.  But Jesus (God in the flesh) responded to this idea with a parable:

 Matt 22:1-14  Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

 "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

 "But they paid no attention and went off — one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth .'

 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."  

 I do agree that EVERYONE in the world is invited to be with God in Heaven, just like in this parable, but just coming to God without being clothed by the Holy Spirit will exclude them from His presence . . . and they will weep bitterly for not taking His offer more seriously.

 We MUST be clothed in the wedding garment of the Holy Spirit.

 I believe that this “unauthorized” fire mentioned in Numbers 3:2-4 was a metaphor for the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Leviticus 10:1-3 there is a more detailed account of the same event.  

 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.”  Aaron remained silent.

 The fire these brothers brought was of their own making . . . in previous chapters the sacrifice was put on the altar and God sent His own fire to consume it . . . these brothers brought a fire that was NOT holy . . . and there is nothing holy that we can bring to God’s table by our own efforts either.

 Remember when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers after Christ’s resurrection in Acts 2?  What did it look like and what did they hear? What they saw were tongues of fire.  The fire was the first anointing of the Holy Spirit, purifying mankind and making him holy, and the loud wind was the movement of the Holy Spirit indwelling mankind. The very word “Spirit” is literally translated from the original language as “wind”.  Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as “wind” in His explanation of being Born Again.  How it comes or where it comes from, we do not know, but we can hear it and feel it . . . it is none-the-less very real.

 Point 1:   There is no compromise in the law of God,  but the Spirit gives life.  2 Corinthians 3:6

Num 3:1  This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai.

 The book of Numbers was a family affair.  As I have said before, God is always the main character, but Aaron and Moses were key figures throughout the entire book of Numbers.  They were brothers.  Aaron was 3 years older than Moses and they also had an older sister named Miriam.  She played an important supporting role in this book as well.

 It would be helpful to review the character and background of these three people before going further into Numbers.  We need to start back in the book of Exodus.

Baby Moses and Family

 In Exodus 1 and 2 we see that Moses was separated from his family shortly after birth.  The Pharaoh of Egypt made a decree that all Hebrew boys were to be killed at birth.  (In our day and time, Pharaoh would have just aborted them before they were born, which is really no different.)  Midwives were supposed to kill the baby while the mother was still on the birthing stool, but they were not doing it.  (I wonder how many babies would be saved today if the abortionist could hold the babies in their hands before killing them?)  So the Pharaoh made a further decree that ANYONE who knew about a new baby boy was to throw him in the Nile River.  Now Aaron had been born before the decree went out, so he was safe, but not Moses.

 Their mother was Jochebed and their father was Amram.

Amram (meaning: Mighty Nation) - father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam

Jochebed (meaning Jehovah is Glorious) - mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam

Miriam - Sister of Moses (at least 7 years older than Moses)

Aaron - Brother of Moses (3 years older than Moses)

Moses - Baby of the family - later to be the greatest of the family

 When Jochebed gave birth to Moses, she hid him for 3 months, but could not risk keeping him any longer, so she made a little boat out of papyrus and tar and put Moses in it and then into the Nile River.  In one sense, she obeyed the decree.  She did throw her son in the river, only inside a floating basket.  Then Miriam (his older sister) hid among the river reeds to keep an eye on Moses.  The Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing at the river and discovered the baby Moses.  She felt sorry for the baby, so Miriam, seizing the moment, courageously approached the Pharaoh’s daughter and asked if she would like to have a Hebrew woman (Moses’ mother) nurse the baby until she could keep him for herself.  That is how Moses’ mother got to keep Moses until he was weaned.  But of course, she had to give him up to live in the palace with the Pharaoh’s daughter, and to be raised as an Egyptian instead of a Hebrew.

Moses’ First 80 Years

 Moses lived in the palace for 40 years, but had a heart for his people and killed a slave driver to rescue one of them.  Then he had to hide in exile by becoming a shepherd in the wilderness for another 40 years.  When Moses was 80 years old The Angel of the Lord called to him from inside a burning bush and told him he was to rescue the Israelites from their bondage.

 At this point Moses had one of those conversations with God that I have had with God from time to time. “Well God, I know YOU can do anything, but I don’t think I can do what you are asking me to do”.  At the memorial service for a good friend, she was quoted with one of her favorite sayings, “God is not looking for your ability, He is looking for your AVAILability.

 God is not constrained by our weaknesses.  But Moses was being stubborn and was painfully self conscious about his inability to speak well.  Here is how it all went down:

 Ex 4:10-16

10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

 14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.

 Aaron’s Role With Moses

And so, from the beginning, the brothers Aaron and Moses became inseparable.  They were a team right up to the end.  They each had their strengths and weaknesses which complimented each other very well.  As long as they worked together as a team, everything was fine, but when the teamwork broke down, it got ugly.  This is similar to the team of Paul and Barnabas in the New Testament.

 Paul was a driver type with little patience toward John Mark who wanted to give up during a mission trip, while Barnabas was more nurturing and want to give John Mark more mentoring.  Since they could not work together as a team, Paul took a different team member named Silas while Barnabas and John Mark when their separate ways.

 Teamwork is a good thing, but there were a few times when Aaron faltered.  In each case, Aaron lost faith that God was using ONLY Moses as their leader . He became bitter against Moses because he wanted to be more that just a mouthpiece.  He wanted to speak his own mind instead and be a leader too.  However God very quickly made it clear to Aaron that without Moses’ leadership, he would be weak and powerless.

 Most notably was when Moses was on the mountain with God getting the Ten Commandments.  He was gone for a long time.  The people began to get restless and lost their faith, and Aaron was overwhelmed by the Israelites demands to make them an idol. So, Aaron conceded out of fear of the people, setting aside his fear of God.  He collected all the gold and silver he could get from the people and the Bible tells us Ex 32:4  He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool.  Look at what Aaron tells Moses though when he asked what happened:

Ex 32:22-24

22 "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' 24 So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"

 Yeah, these people made me do it!  Look at that last sentence.  I just threw some gold in a fire and out popped this calf . . . it’s not my fault.  Really?  Without Moses’ leadership, Aaron became weak and powerless.  But we must remember what happened next.  What happened next explains much of what we will be reading about in Numbers as it relates to the Levites who were given the responsibility of everything Holy among the people.  

The Levites

 Remember that Aaron was a Levite as we read this.  Ex 32:25-29

25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him.

27 Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."

 Moses was drawing a line in the sand and asking people to vote with their feet.  And the ones who responded were the Levites.  So God set them apart and blessed them for purifying the camp and killing those who worshiped the idol they had made and deserted God.  What do armies do even today to deserters?  God was passing judgment on those deserters and the Levites were the ones who carried out the judgment.

 Do not misunderstand what is happening here.  God was not commending them for the killings.  He was commending them for taking a stand with God AT ALL COSTS no matter who it was, sons, brothers, or neighbors.  The Levites would do literally anything to preserve the Holiness of God, and they proved it that day . . . so the Levites were then set apart for the purpose of protecting everything Holy from that time on as they moved toward the Promised Land.  

My son is in the air force at McChord air force base.  The airmen there have the purpose of protecting everything American.  If I tried to force my way onto the base without proper verification, the guards who carry machine guns would use them and ask questions later.

 The Levite priests existed to protect the Holiness of God in the same way the airmen do.  Only the priests had access to the Holy things of God.  It was an honor to be a Levite and a priest.

All Believers are a Holy Priest Too

 1 Peter 2:5

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood , offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 Just like the Levites, those of us who believe in Jesus and made a commitment to Him, have also been set apart and granted access to the Holy things of God.  We have His Holy Spirit within us and we have His Holy word to guide us.  It is an honor for us to be protectors of the Holiness of God, and sometimes that means we need step across the line and take a stand.

 Matt 10:35 34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

 Matt 10:37-39 37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

 I hope you have taken your assignment as priests seriously.  Put on the whole armor of God and prepare yourselves for battle - Ephesians 6:10-18.  I’m sure many of you reading this have taken a stand for Jesus.  You are to be commended, not by me, but by God Himself.

 Now, preachers are taught that a sermon should have three points but this message has only one point, and here it is:

 Those of us who have stepped over the line to take a stand for Jesus have been set apart AS PRIESTS to protect the Holiness of God forever. We have the distinct honor of protecting the Holiness of God in a world that is bent on destroying the Holiness of God.  That means we are the ones :

 ·      who have sacrificed our old way of life for a new way of life and

·      who will to do ANYTHING for Christ no matter how unpleasant and

·      who will take up spiritual arms to do spiritual battle on behalf of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

 1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood , a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 Like the Levites, we are not just forgiven, we have also been reconciled to God.  He is our friend and father.  We have become a people set apart for a purpose and are adopted into the family of God.  Will you stand up for Jesus at ALL COSTS?  Will you not only take a stand in church, but in the world?  With the power of God in you, you can be IN the world but still not OF the world . . . protectors of all that is Holy.  I pray you will.

The 4th book of the Old Testament is the book of Numbers.  There are some census numbers in there, but it’s really more of a diary of what happened to the Israelites after they passed through the parting of the Red Sea, and when they were given the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. 

They began at the foot of Mount Sinai and God told them to “make camp”.  Now, for us, camping is a nice relaxing getaway.  Some of my favorite memories were made among the giant redwood trees along the California coast line nestled in and around the lush green ferns where blue jays, chipmunks, and other wildlife wait patiently for us to turn our backs so they can scamper in a steal any food we may have left sitting out!   

Those old rugged trees and the forest sanctuary around them are majestic reminders of God’s power and creativity.  This may have been a similar experience for the Israelites sitting at the foot of Mount Sinai, but there’s a big difference between my relaxing vacation and Moses having the Israelites “make camp”.  Camping was NOT a vacation for them at all. Camping was something they were going to do every day of their lives, and if they were to survive, they would have to listen carefully and follow the WAY of life God was giving them.

 If you have a Bible handy, you may want to open it to the first chapter of the book of Numbers.  I’m not going to include the whole chapter here, so let me just say that God told the Israelites to count all the people, tribe by tribe, using some very specific counting criteria.  They were only to count the men 20 years or older who were able to serve in the army.  Also the tribe of the Levites were to be excluded, and not be part of the count. So by default the people NOT counted in the census were the young men, old men, and disabled men who were unable to serve in the army, and it also excluded all women, and all Levites.

 So after it was all completed, verse 45-46 in chapter 1 tells us

Num 1:45-46  All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families.  The total number was 603,550.

 And that’s just the army. If you include all those who were NOT counted, there had to be a total of at least 1.5M - 2M people, or even more. As of 2015, the entire state of Idaho had 1.6 million people.  Can you imagine trying to organize and mobilize the entire population of Idaho into a camp?

 Well all I can say is, “it’s a good thing God was there to tell them how to get organized”.

Num 2:1-2  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 2 "The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family."

 First of all, you may ask, what does He mean by “standard” and “banner”?  A “standard” could be thought of as what we call today a family crest.  A “banner” would be a kind of flag or banner identifying each tribe.  Secondly, you may ask, what is the Tent of Meeting?  The Tent of Meeting was “Command Central Headquarters”.  That’s where the tabernacle was, which is where God Himself resided, and anything else that was important, happened there.  It was the center of everything.

 There were 12 sons of Israel (previously named Jacob) and each son became a tribe.  These tribes were to encamp around the Tent of Meeting “some distance from it” because there were a lot of people in each tribe.  There was an average of 125,000 people in each tribe.  That would make each tribe about the size of the entire Treasure Valley in Idaho and the “camp” of 12 tribes would have to fit the population of the entire state of Idaho . . . that’s a big camp!

 Num 2:17

17 Then the Tent of Meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in his own place under his standard.

 Each tribe was designated a specific location where they were to set up.  They were also to raise their “standard” with the banner that identified their tribe. There were 11 tribes around the headquarters, but the tribe of Levi was to set up around the Tent of Meeting and tabernacle in the center.

 Why were the Levites in the center?  Read Num 1:49-51

49 "You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. 50 Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony — over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. 51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near it shall be put to death.

 Remember, the Levites had been set apart.  They were not part of the army.  They were the priests who managed and maintained the tabernacle, and everything that was considered Holy.  The tabernacle was the primary place of worship, or the Holy place.  It represented the power of God . . . and God’s power needs to ALWAYS be at the center of all activity.

 So, taking all this into account, here are some things I think we can learn:

 I. We, as believers, are to camp together

 There is strength in numbers.  Those of us who are a part of the baby boomer generation learned in the 60’s the strength in numbers.  We protested everything we could with sit-ins, and street marches, and mass gatherings like Woodstock . . . We are stronger together than we are apart.  The unity of God’s people is a fundamental teaching within the New Testament as well.

 We are one body with different parts:

1 Cor 12:12  The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts ; and though all its parts are many, they form one body . So it is with Christ.

 We are each a living stone of the temple of God:

1 Peter 2:5  you also, are like living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 Together we are whole, apart we become weak.

 I have heard people compare each individual current day church as each being a tribe.  But it strikes me that perhaps each church does NOT represent a different “tribe”.  We are more like many church families within the same tribe . . . we are all from the Spiritual lineage of Jesus.  We are all under the banner of Jesus and our “standard” (family crest) is The Cross.

The tabernacle is no longer a physical location, but it is in the hearts and lives of every person who is a believer.  We carry our standard with us everywhere we go.  The Holy place where God resides, with all His power, is in our hearts!

 II. We must set up camp and break down camp under our family crest!

 If you are not under your crest at all times, you may be mistaken for the enemy.  This is a very real danger we have in the church today and it is easily overlooked.  Sometimes we try to make church appealing to the world by conforming it to the world’s mold.

 The danger is that we may begin to look so much like the world that no one can tell us apart . . . and we start to look like the enemy.  Some churches find themselves competing with the world by making ridiculous promises that cannot be kept like they do on T.V. commercials.  “If you come to church and become a Christian, all your problems will get fixed and your life will be easy and happy all the time”.  That is as much a lie as the commercial that says if you buy a certain product, everyone will like you and you will be satisfied and happy with life . . . until the next product comes out.

 We do not want to look too much like the world or we may be mistaken for the enemy.  We want to be stationed squarely under the crest of the Cross and Christ crucified. That’s where the greatest power on earth comes from.

 III. Our Banner must be displayed for all to see.

 We want both our enemies AND our allies to see who we are living for.  God does not need any “secret agent” Christians.  Moses said, “The Lord is my banner”.  Solomon said “His banner over me is love”.

 So if The Cross is our crest, The Lord is our banner (our family name).  And if the Lord (God) is our banner, then our banner is love, because the Bible tells us that God is love.  Anyone, Jew or Gentile who is of the Spiritual lineage of Christ . . . being born again into His Spiritual family, is under the banner of the Lord and His love. That is the banner we display for all to see.  That way everyone will recognize which army we are in.  The one under love and NOT the one under condemnation.  We are to stand together under our common banner, the Lord.

 Jesus said, John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (Your banner)  The cross is our family crest and love is our banner.

 IV. We MUST camp around the Tabernacle of God.

 God must always be kept at the center of everything we do and the only one we worship.  This is something that everyone will nod their head at and agree with . . . but what does that mean in our everyday lives?  First of all, an idol is anything that becomes more important than God.  Anything that takes the center of our lives is where our real worship is, no matter what we say.

 Fred Nelson of Harvest Ministries in Billing Montana defines 5 major idols that can displace God from the center of our lives.

 1.    Status or Popularity – These people may be friendly with God but not a friend of God.

These are those who dream of becoming an American Idol or of becoming a corporate CEO or a politician with lots of power.

2.    Lovers outside of marriage – Private relationships outside of God’s will

both physical and/or emotional relationships

3.    Material Wealth – Assets and Money 1 Tim 6:10 the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

4.    Blame – By blaming others I am not responsible for… fill in the blank.  We blame the schools, or our spouse, or our parents, or our kids, or our boss, or . . .

5.    Physical escape – alcohol, or drugs, or video games, or TV, or books, or excessive sleeping.  Anything that helps us escape from putting God at the center of our lives.

 The easiest way to keep God at the center of our lives is to never let any of these idols (and other idols not mentioned here) in to begin with.  Once anyone of these has been promoted to the center of our lives, they are VERY hard to displace, but with the mercy and grace of God, nothing is impossible.

 I. We, as believers, are to camp together

 II. We must set up camp and break down camp under our family crest!

 III. Our Banner must be displayed for all to see.

 IV. We MUST camp around the Tabernacle of God.

An overview of the book of Numbers

I used to enjoy math in school until I reached geometry.  Theorems, angles, area, radius, poly-sided shapes, and making a pie square, all baffled me.  So for years I quietly tiptoed around the book of Numbers in the Old Testament hoping I wouldn’t run across an unexpected pop quiz from The Lord about the dimensions of the tabernacle, or the arc of the covenant (pun intended). 

Imagine my surprise when the Lord put the idea in my mind to preach through the entire book of Numbers spanning 7 months.  Not only did it turn into an exercise of love, but the book took root in my heart as one of my top 3 favorites books of the Old Testament. 

Over the next several weeks I would like to share some of the excerpts and highlights of this very fascinating book.  When approaching any book of the Bible it is always good to begin with the macro, “Big Picture” view.  It is important to understand how it fits in with God’s eternal plan, and in God’s entire written word, The Bible. 

The book of Numbers is part of the 5 collective writings of Moses called the Pentateuch.  While surveying these 5 books, we need to remember that God is the main character throughout and the Israelites only play a key supporting role.  Remember to keep your eye on the ball . . . not on the players. 

Overview 

The book of Genesis identifies how the Israelites came into being, and how they ended up in Egypt. 

The book of Exodus identifies how the Israelites became slaves in Egypt and how God got the Israelites out of Egypt. 

Leviticus describes how God got Egypt out of the Israelites. While in captivity, over hundreds of years, the Israelites lost their traditions and relationship with Yahweh and began to be assimilated into the Egyptian way of life.  Leviticus was all about God purging what they had learned in Egypt and replacing it with a God who is absolute purity and unimaginably Holy. 

They spent approximately 2 years learning about Holy Worship and Holy Living.  They would face impossible conditions during their journey to come that could only be overcome by a Holy and Powerful God. 

It is at this point that the Book of Numbers picks up.  God had taken His people out of Egypt, and taken Egypt out of the His people, replacing it with His Holiness.  And only then would God instruct them how to make their final preparations for entering into the Holy Land which He had promised them way back in Genesis. 

The first 9 chapters of Numbers cover the organization and division of responsibilities while on their journey. 

Chapter 10 through 12 was the first part of their journey which would take them into Kadesh. Kadesh was right at the border of the Promised Land where God wanted them to enter. 

Chapter 13 and 14 was what the Israelites did while hanging out in Kadesh.  They were trying to decide if they should trust God enough to enter into the Promised Land.  They sent 12 spies into the Promised Land and discovered that it was all the wonderful things God had said it was, but they were too afraid to go in and take it because of the cities fortifications and because the men there made them feel like grasshoppers in their presence.  There were only 2 of the twelve spies who recommended going in, but the other 10 scared the people so much, they refused to believe that God could deliver them from the enemies they would face. 

Chapter 15 through 20 describes their wanderings in the wilderness as the consequence of their disobedience to God by refusing to go into the Promised Land.  God told them that because of their disobedience, they would wander in the wilderness until everyone who was 20 years or older had died. The Promised Land would only be given to the NEXT generation of Israelite children who were under 20 years of age. 

There were two exceptions to God’s decree . . . the two men who recommended going into the Promised Land through faith in God.  They were Joshua and Caleb.  And Joshua ended up being the one to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses died.  Moses himself was never allowed to enter into the Promised Land, but God did let him see it from afar. 

Then chapters 21-36 was their return to Kadesh, taking another census, and their final preparations to enter the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River, which was directly across from the most fortified city of Jericho. 

Following the book of Numbers, is the book of Deuteronomy.  This is a book of reminders.  It is God’s reminder of all they had been through in the wilderness.  It is God’s reminder of the laws they had learned . . . namely, the Ten Commandments;  The command to love God, and how to worship God, and how they were to get along with each other and with the world around them.  They were to remember the consequences they experienced when they were NOT obedient.  And at the end of Deuteronomy, Moses gave them a final admonition to obey God and then he officially handed off his leadership to Joshua. 

It was Joshua who actually led the Israelites into the Promised Land which is all described in the NEXT book of Joshua.  And just to finish out the macro view of how Numbers fits into the Old Testament, we can observe what happened to the Israelites after they were established in the new Promised Land . . . their sin nature began to take over once again. 

Therefore, God gave them some heroes (called Judges) as role models to pattern their lives after. But the people weren’t satisfied with the Judges and begged God for a king like all of the other nations around them.  They wanted someone who would just tell them what to do so they didn’t have to be responsible for their own choices.  So God gave them kings.  The problem with having kings is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Most of the kings became totally corrupt and led the people into corruption as well.  So then God provided prophets who would give the kings God’s advice and direction how to lead the people . . . but the kings simply had the prophets killed whenever they didn’t advise them with what they wanted to hear.  The people got so far from God that He had to send them into exile as a last ditch effort to set them straight.  After their spiritual “time out” God brought them out of exile, but of course, it wasn’t long until they went right back to their old sinful way of life again. 

In the end, even the priests had gotten far from God which you can read about in the last book of the Old Testament Malachi.  It is obvious to even a casual observer that the Israelites would never be able to please God by their own efforts and that they desperately needed a savior who would rescue them from the sin that plagued them throughout history . . . Enter God in the flesh.  Ergo, the end of the history of the world part 1.  Jesus was the one who came and divided time itself in half.  Part 1 before Jesus and part 2 after His death, burial, and resurrection (B.C. and A.D.). 

You know, I think you would agree that this macro view of history is a pretty accurate pattern of the macro view in our own lives as well. First God blesses us.  Then Satan tries to mess things up with circumstances beyond our control.  So, we call out to God for help and He does help, but then disobedience leads us back into more trouble.  So God sends people into our lives to get us back on track, but our sins keep haunting us until we finally realize every one of us has a REAL need for a savior who will come into our lives personally and break that cycle of sin.  And this is what gives us hope and peace. 

So, from an historical perspective, how should we interpret what all this means?  And how can we apply it to our lives? 

1.    God has a plan for you and it is better than your plan He makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters. But we keep looking for the greener grass on the other side of the hill.  Just like the Israelites, He has a Promised Land for us if we will just have enough faith in him to take it.

2.    God is Holy and you are not without Him - the reoccurring theme in the Pentateuch is people disagreeing with what God is telling them to do because it didn’t make sense to them at the time . . . and then they regretted it miserably.  Only God can make you Holy.  You can not make yourself Holy or good enough to live in His eternal presence forever. Only God can do it.  The people wanted to try to do it in their own strength, so God gave them all the rules of Holiness, which were impossible for them to keep as mortals, and as we see in the rest of the Old Testament.  So when mankind was finally ready to give up and say, we can’t do this anymore, God came to the earth Himself to save us.  When He came, He called Himself, Jesus.  He made us Holy with the only acceptable sacrifice of absolute purity . . . the Holy Lamb of God Himself.

3.    Everyone has a specific and different role to play in God’s plan Some times I have little discussions with God to let Him know that He made a mistake in giving me the role which I am to play in life.  Like when Jesus called Peter to walk on the water, Peter never doubted that Jesus could walk on water.  He  just began to doubt that he himself could walk on water, even though it was Jesus who called him to do it.  Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to step out in faith to accomplish the impossible mission He has called us to.

4.    God rewards those who take action upon faith alone Hebrews 11:1-2  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.

This chapter 11 in the book of Hebrews identifies a long list of “ancients” who were commended for stepping out on what they could not see.  In fact, there is not one important character in the Old or New Testament who was not called at some point to step out in faith, even though it made no HUMAN sense to do it.

If you have not done so, accept God’s perfect plan for you today and trust the power of His Holiness. Embrace the role God has given you in life, no matter what it is, and the rewards will be greater than anything we could ever ask for or imagine.

My precious mother just went home to be with the Lord.  It was a crushing blow to have her removed from the lives of all of her family and close friends, but we are consoled knowing that she is in Heaven . . . which is her real home and ours as well.  We imagine the love and joy and peace she is now experiencing in Heaven and we rejoice with the angels that she has been given a new imperishable body where there is no pain or suffering or tears, for all eternity!

 Genesis 1:27 God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

 Male and female were created in His image.  We have all inherited His Godly attributes.  One of the primary attributes of God is that He likes to create things.  He imagines it and when He speaks it, it is created.  Men and women are also the only creatures on earth who can imagine something that doesn’t exist and then create it with the God given resources we have at hand.  Sculptures, paintings, architecture, photographs, music, poetry, movies, plays, novels, children’s stories, fictional characters that scare us, or intrigue us, or make us laugh.

 We are exercising Godly attributes when we use our imaginations to create something.  It is this very imagination that Jesus used throughout His life to help us understand what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.  It was easy for Jesus to know what Heaven was like, because Heaven was His home.  That’s where He started.  That’s where He came from to begin with.

 John 6:51  I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

John 8:23  "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world ; I am not of this world

John 16:28  I came from the Father and entered the world ; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

John 8:58  "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am !"

 John 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 The good news is that anyone who is a believer in Jesus as their Lord and Savior also has Heaven as their home.  Jesus promised it to us.  

 John 14:1-6

14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 John 14:23  "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

 My earthly father described a middle of the night exchange he had with my mother shortly before she died. She said to him, “Take me away”. He said, “What”?  And she said it again, “Take me away”.  He replied, “Where do you want me to take you”?  And she said, “I want to go home”.

 In the morning she told my father she didn’t know where she was, but she just had a strong desire to be home . . . and the next day she went home . . . to her real home.  Her perfect home.  Her eternal home.

 Jesus went ahead of us to prepare a home with Him in Heaven.  Titus 2:13 describes Jesus’ coming to take us home as “The Blessed Hope”.  It doesn’t matter if we are in the grave or still living when He comes.  What does matter is whether we are prepared to make Heaven our home or not.

 But here is a surprise. At least it was to me.  A large percentage of people . . . even within the church . . . are afraid that Heaven is going to be boring and that they are not really looking forward to Heaven so much.  They say, “Oh, it’s better than the alternative, but it just sounds kind of boring”.

 For some reason, there is this unbiblical view of Heaven that everyone is going to be sitting on a cloud strumming a harp for all eternity.  Gary Larson has a cartoon about this.  It shows a person sitting on a cloud with a harp and there is a thought bubble above him that says, “I wish I had brought a magazine”.

 I read a book about Heaven by Randy Alcorn who said he owned at least 150 books written about Heaven. The interesting thing is that the majority of all those books say that there is no way we can really know what Heaven is going to be like . . . but of course they follow it up with . . . “but it will be more wonderful than we can imagine”.  If I can’t imagine it, it’s not really all that comforting…

 No wonder believers are not looking forward to heaven.  There isn’t any Godly imagination involved.  How can you look forward to something you could never imagine?  If I can’t imagine it, I’m not sure I want it. How many times have you tried to describe an event or a place that was really fantastic, but when you tried to tell others about it, all you could say is, “well you just have to be there . . .”. Cathy and I took a vacation several years ago that to this day is the best vacation we ever had.  It was in the unlikely state of Vermont.  We try to tell people that Vermont is the best vacation spot on earth, but no matter how much we try to describe it, it’s not really enough to get people to want to go there.

 But even though it’s hard to describe Heaven, I find it interesting that so many authors say we can’t know anything about Heaven.  I believe we CAN get a glimpse.  I did a Bible exercise and counted how many times Heaven is mentioned in the New Testament. The word “Heaven” is used 236 times in the New Testament and the words “eternal life” are used 66 times.  162 of those references are in the four gospels . . . Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

There are 41 references in the book of Revelation, and really the entire book of Revelation is a description of Heaven.  Almost every book in the New Testament has at least one reference to Heaven.

 So if there is so much talk about Heaven in the Bible, WHY CAN’T WE GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE?  The fact is, we DO get a glimpse.  

 The Apostle Paul tells us:

 1 Cor 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror ; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 It may be a poor reflection, but when we look intently at the reflection, we can get a glimpse of Heaven. And in order to really catch the best glimpse Heaven, we need to become very good at using two of the tools God has given us.  The first and most important is His written Word.  

 Constantly Jesus was saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . .”  Jesus was there from the beginning.  He described it to us the best He could according to our limited earthly experience, but all He could do is give some analogies and live a life that will hopefully demonstrate how people will someday live in unity and love with each other . . . as it is in Heaven.

 The other tool  we have available is often overlooked.  It is the God given attribute of imagination and creation.  There is so much of God’s grandeur all around us all the time.  Use your imagination. Can you imagine a world of even greater beauty than what is right now?  Maybe you can imagine a world where there are no weeds or bugs or traffic or mean people . . . what can you come up with as a better place than we have right now.  

 For the early Christians, non-stop feasting was the best they could imagine.  Never hungry, never thirsty.  When was the last time you were hungry and not sure where you could get a handful of rice?  When was the last time you weren’t sure if you could find clean water to drink?  According to their imaginations, you and I ARE in heaven. But it’s even better than that. We need to let Heaven be one of the driving factors that causes us to keep going.  Imagine Heavenly things that are waiting for you at the end of the race! Colossians tells us:

 Col 3:1-2 set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

 Use your God given imagination of His greatness.  Let it draw you in.  In the great Hebrews “Hall of Faith” passage about all of the faithful people of God, it says this:

Heb 11:16 They were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

 They had to use their imaginations to long for a better country, and so can we.  But if your imagination is a little rusty, you can try getting it started by reading Revelation 21 and 22.

Rev 21:3-4  I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

 You see, we are under a curse on this earth.  We have a sin nature.  We are all naturally selfish.  It shows in our children.  You do not have to teach a child how to lie or cheat or steal. That is the natural process for a child if left alone.  We have to TEACH them goodness and righteousness which is actually unnatural.  But in Heaven the curse will be gone.  No one will be selfish any more.  We will get along with everyone perfectly.  Look at Revelation 22:3

 Rev 22:3-5  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

 I want to close with a true story about Thomas Andrew Dorsey.  He is the famous black American who is now known as “The Father of Gospel Music”.  

 I’m not going to take up too much space for his whole powerful testimony, but I will just say that after his wife and baby both died during childbirth he was devastated because he was not with them when they died.  After some time of grieving Thomas was invited to visit a professor friend at the college.  While he was waiting to see his friend, he sat at a piano all alone and he described what happened:

 I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then.  I felt at peace.  I felt as though I could reach out and touch God.  I found myself playing a melody, and once it was into my head the notes just seemed to fall into place:

 'Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand!  I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.'

 It was the Lord that gave me these words and this melody.  I heard Him clearly that night.  He also healed my spirit.  I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to hearing Him and receiving His restoring power.

 And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home.

 Have you ever noticed the reoccurring theme of going “Home” in gospel music?  Most of the best ones were written when they were going through difficult times.  Those who suffer, know the comfort of the Father and desire to go to their real home in Heaven . . .

 I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun . . .

Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home . . .

One glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away.  To a home on God’s celestial shore . . .

Oh Lord, I know, I have no friend like you, this world is not my home I’m just passing thru . . .

 Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand!  I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

 Heaven is not a distraction from living the life Jesus wants us to live . . . it is a driving force that keeps us from giving up.  Heaven is the reward.

 In previous articles we have been looking at Jesus coming to just the right place at just the right time with just the right message in just the right way . . . and now we will finish up the series with Jesus coming as just the right MAN.

 Now, I don’t know if that phrase, “Just the right man” sparks any questions about being theologically correct or not, but I have chosen those words very carefully.  Jesus was a MAN in all respects.  You may be thinking, “so was He God or was He man”?  Good question. We must NOT miss the fact that Jesus was fully man AND fully God but He was made visible to mankind in the flesh.

 When you think about the Christmas story, what naturally comes to mind are the angels, and the shepherds, and the wise men, and Mary, and Joseph, and sometimes even a little drummer boy (who is not in the Bible at all).  If there was a drummer boy, it seems to me that Mary wouldn’t really appreciate drumming going on while Jesus was trying to sleep, but that’s another discussion . . .

The fact is, we only see these parts of the Christmas story in Matthew and Luke.  The gospel of Mark skips it entirely and jumps right into John the Baptist and Jesus ministry.  So what about the gospel of John?  John doesn’t skip the birth of Jesus, but unlike Matthew and Luke who tell about it from an earthly perspective, John tells the Christmas message from a Heavenly perspective.

 I.  God sent just the right Man to be just the right example

 John is the first one who brings out the truth that Jesus was God in the flesh.  We can easily establish that Jesus was the perfect “God/Man” by the Gospel of John 1:1-5, and verse 14.

 John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth

 Now, Jesus being fully God in every way AND yet still fully Man in every way is a hard concept for some people to wrap their minds around.  After all, when Jesus was asked when the final days would come, He said in Matthew 24:36  But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.  

 So, how can He be fully God if He doesn’t know what day or hour it will occur?  Let me try to give you the simple answer from Philippians 2:6-8

 6 . . . who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 You see, when God became a man, He voluntarily restricted the use of His divine attributes to show us the power we ALL have as humans through God, with just the faith of a little mustard seed.  The God/Jesus intentionally restricts Himself from any knowledge or ability that God the Father has, in order to demonstrate how any person in the flesh can and should live.

 But you might ask, “How can we do everything Jesus did?  Didn’t He do so many miracles that no one else was able to do?”  But you might be surprised that the answer is, “No”.  The disciples did many of the same miracles Jesus did at one time or another, and even more that Jesus did NOT do.  I’m not going to take the space in this article to list them all for you, but if you do find a list of Jesus’ miracles and research which ones the disciples duplicated, I think you will be surprised.  Jesus said, John 14:12  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me [That includes you and me if we believe] will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

 Take note.  Jesus never performed any divine act unless it was directed by the Father in Heaven, and neither should we.  That direction from the Father comes through the Holy Spirit, and is now also available to you.  Jesus opened that line of communication through the Holy Spirit, and when directed by God/Jesus, miraculous things can and do still happen.

 So, God made Himself completely man.  He set the perfect example of how God wants us to live.  That’s what made Jesus, “just the RIGHT man” with just the right message, at just the right time, in just the right place, in just the right way, to set just the right example.

 II.  God sent just the right Man to bring just the right comfort . . .

 John’s version of the Christmas story doesn’t include all of the things we typically think of at Christmas time.  John wanted us to know that God came from Heaven to live a life exactly the way we can live our life.  He was as ordinary and plain as they come, so that we can relate to Him and know that He can also relate to us.  There is nothing that we experience on this earth that He also has not experienced.  It is a comfort to know that He really does understand and can empathize with us.

 Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin.

 Only God Himself can become the perfect example for us to follow unlike others in the Bible.  I don’t know about you, but most people learn better when they can first watch it being done.  Then, the teacher watches us as we do it and corrects along the way. Jesus was fully God who became fully Man to be our mentor and guide and to show us how we are to live our lives.

 Some of the best descriptions we have of Jesus as a man was prophesied in the Old Testament.  Some of the classic scriptures describe Him in the second half of Isaiah.  You understand that Isaiah is clearly divided into 2 parts.  Some say they were originally two books that were combined into one.  The first half (chapters 1-39) describes God’s judgment and wrath of Judah, Israel, and the pagan nations around them.

 The second half (chapters 40-66) show how God would provide comfort for the future and salvation from sin. Isaiah speaks more about the coming Messiah than any other Old Testament book in the Bible.

 Jesus was described as both a suffering servant AND a sovereign Lord.  I’m sure they could not fully appreciate the implications of how that would be carried out before Jesus actually fulfilled the prophesy.  The second half of Isaiah is packed full of hope and joy for the future.  It is almost impossible to pick a chapter in the second half of Isaiah that would not show in some way the loving compassion, and mercy, and grace of our Lord and Savior.

 The opening message from God in Isaiah 40:1-2 is one of double comfort . . .

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

 Look at this verse in comparison with Isaiah 61:7

Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

 He begins with a double word . . . comfort.  He follows it up in chapter 61 with double comfort.  Jesus was just the right man who could bring true comfort that would save people from their bondage to sin.

 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

 When you find yourself trudging through guilt and think the troubles will afflict you forever, remember that God came to us as a man in the flesh that we might have comfort, even in the presence of our enemy the devil.  When God came to earth as a Man, He showed His personal compassion for mankind and He comforts those who are His children.

 III.  God sent just the right Man to be just the right Savior . . .

 You know, at the time Jesus was born, there were many people claiming to be the Savior.  Most of them were Zealots . . . who may not have been all that different from the terrorists of today.  They didn’t have bombs, but they were underground warriors always looking for ways to kill Romans and overthrow Rome’s government.  They were trying to be the Savior through bloodshed and violence.  But that is never God’s way.  Jesus became the savior through love and compassion and forgiveness of sin . . . not blood and violence.

 Jesus’ approach was actually the radical approach.  Jesus’ approach was the really hard way, but it was the only way.  The true Savior was God in the flesh who would offer Himself as a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin once and for all.

 The most common descriptions of what Jesus would be like are in chapters 52 and 53 of Isaiah.

 Isaiah 52:13-15

13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.  14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness - 15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.  For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

 Is this not the description of what our God in the flesh did for us on the cross?  The next chapter 53 describes perfectly what the Savior would do for the people.  I am going post the entire chapter for you to read and let it speak for itself.  There is nothing veiled or hard to understand here.  If you are not familiar with this chapter, you may want to have your Bible open with a pen or pencil or highlighter ready to mark places you want to return and read again, and again in more detail.

 Here it is:  Isaiah chapter 53

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God,  stricken by him, and afflicted.  5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  Yet who of his generation protested?  For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.  10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  

 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

 This perfect description of Jesus was given 700 years before He was born.  Think about how far in advance that prophesy was.  It would be like someone making a prophesy in the year A.D.1300 about a person in our culture today!  That’s an amazing miracle in itself, and impossible odds that every part of this long list would be so accurately identified.

 Yes, Jesus came to just the right place, at just the right time, with just the right message, in just the right way, to set just the right example, and bring just the right comfort, as just the right Savior of the world.

 Joy to the World, the Lord has come.  Let earth receive her King!

That’s the REAL Christmas story.  It kind of makes you want to sing about it !!!  May you carry this Christmas story with you throughout this new year of 2018.

 Numbers 6:24-26