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Join us each week as celebrity guests pitch an idea for a film based on one of the SUPER niche sub-genres on Netflix. From ‘Steamy Crime Movies from the 1970s’ to ‘Australian Dysfunctional Family Comedies Starring A Strong Female Lead’, our celebrity guests will pitch their wacky plot, their dream cast, the marketing stunts, and everything in between. By the end of every episode, Jimmy Carr, Comedian by night / “Netflix Executive” by day, will decide whether the pitch is greenlit or condemned to development hell! New episodes on Wednesdays starting May 28th! Listen on all podcast platforms and watch on the Netflix is a Joke YouTube Channel . The Big Pitch is a co-production by Netflix and BBC Studios Audio.…

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A Daily Journey Through the Unfolding Story of the Bible Based on the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

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A Daily Journey Through the Unfolding Story of the Bible Based on the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

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#Christianity #Society #Religion #1 Samuel #Jacob D. Gerber

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May 23rd: Bible Meditation for Numbers 32 4:29

10 hours тому4:29

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May 22nd: Bible Meditation for Numbers 31 4:32

1 day тому4:32

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Bible Readings for May 22nd Numbers 31 | Psalm 75 – 76 | Isaiah 23 | 1 John 1 The text of Numbers 31 raises many difficult questions about subjects like warfare, genocide, plundering, and slavery. Yahweh instructs Moses to “avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites” (Num. 31:2) for two major events. First, the Midianites were involved along with the Moabites in hiring Balaam, the son of Beor, for the purpose of cursing Israel (Num. 22:7). Second, the Moabites and the Midianites had led the people of Israel astray to worship the Baal of Peor (Num. 25:1–3, 6, 17–18; 31:16). For these crimes, Yahweh commands that they be destroyed—including not only the adult males whom they met in battle (Num. 31:7) but also every male child and every woman who was not a virgin (Num. 31:17). The virgin girls who were captured were available as slaves or as wives (Num. 31:18). Then, the spoils of war were divided into two parts, one part for the people of Israel generally and the other part for those who had gone out into battle (Num. 31:27). This is not an easy passage to read, and many people would point to passages like this as evidence that the God of the Bible is not righteous in all that he commands. What, then, should we make of this? First, we should recognize that attempting to curse Israel and leading them into the worship of a false god represented reprehensible wickedness. Yahweh had called Israel to be his special possession in all the earth, so leading them into apostasy was a horrific crime. This helps us to see that God is not a genocidal maniac. Rather, he commanded this vengeance against Midian and the destruction of all the peoples in the Promised Land for the same reason: justice . In fact, Yahweh had told Abraham all the way back in Genesis 15:16 that Israel would not receive the Promised Land until the wickedness of the people living there reached a tipping point. We see in these stories not unrestrained violence but the kingdom of God breaking into this world, punishing evildoers and preserving the people of God through grace. These scenes are not given to us for imitation today, since all vengeance belongs to Yahweh alone (Rom. 12:19). Rather, these stories announce in advance what King Jesus will do when he returns. He came once in peace as a meek, suffering servant, but he will come again as a mighty warrior king to execute justice among the nations. And as we approach that day, let us heed the words of the psalmist: “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear; and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:10–12). Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 21st: Bible Meditation for Numbers 30 4:20

2 дні тому4:20

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Bible Readings for May 21st Numbers 30 | Psalm 74 | Isaiah 22 | 2 Peter 3 In Numbers 30, Yahweh insists that his people keep their vows. The basic principle is simple: if you make a promise, keep it. Or, as Yahweh himself puts it, anyone who makes a vow or swears an oath or binds himself with a pledge “shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Num. 30:2). Now, the rules for how men should keep vows had no loopholes whatsoever. Therefore, most of Numbers 30 focuses on the subject of the vows and promises that women made. So, a young woman’s father could invalidate a vow the woman made if she remained in her father’s house (Num. 30:3–4). Or, if the woman was married, her husband could invalidate the vow (Num. 30:8, 12, 13, 15)—but in both cases, the father or the husband had to void the vow immediately upon hearing that the woman had made the vow, or the vow would stand (Num. 30:4, 7, 11, 14). Alternately, if a woman was a widow or divorced, then every vow she made was binding upon herself (Num. 30:9). Although it is the case that women were not here given complete authority over themselves, this was not a one-sided law. In Numbers 30:15, we read this: “But if he [the woman’s husband] makes them null and void after he has heard of them, then he shall bear her iniquity .” The phrase “after he has heard of them” probably suggests a longer period of time than on the same day that he hears about it, and in such cases, any guilt the woman would incur for failing to keep her vows would fall on the woman’s husband, and not on the woman herself. 1 The husband was the covenantal head of his wife, and so he bore his wife’s iniquity for faithlessness if he did not properly intervene. The reason that Yahweh insists that his people keep their vows to each other is simple: Yahweh has called Israel to reflect his own glory, and Yahweh’s glory is tied to his covenantal faithfulness. Yahweh is a faithful, covenant-keeping God, so his people must also be faithful to keep their vows. But Yahweh reveals something else in these laws—namely, the principle that guilt for faithlessness may be transferred from a wife to her husband (Num. 30:15). It is on this principle that Yahweh sent his Son into this world—not only to bear his people’s iniquity for their unfaithfulness to him, but to do so as his people’s bridegroom. To his bride, the church, Jesus announces forever that your iniquity is wiped away. Jesus, who knew no sin, was made sin for you, bearing your iniquity and covenantal faithlessness upon himself so that you might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21) and so that Jesus could take you as his wife forever . 1 Timothy R. Ashley, The Book of Numbers , NICOT (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993), 581–82. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 20th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 29 4:22

3 дні тому4:22

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Bible Readings for May 20th Numbers 29 | Psalm 73 | Isaiah 21 | 2 Peter 2 It is difficult to overstate the significance of the calendar of worship that Yahweh gave for his people. Every year, Yahweh commanded the people of Israel to appear before him during three major sets of feasts (Ex. 23:17, 34:23; Deut. 16:16) on top of all the other sacrifices required monthly, weekly, and daily. How does all this apply to those of us living under the new covenant today? First, the calendar of worship in the old covenant managed the time of Israel, just as the regulations about distance and boundaries managed the space of Israel. This goes all the way back to creation: just as Yahweh sanctified a holy place in the Garden of Eden, so he also sanctified time by setting apart the seventh day—the Sabbath—as a holy day of rest (Gen. 2:3). The principle of Sabbath rest, then, formed the theological foundation on which all the other calendar events rested. As Allen Ross observes, “All the feasts were supposed to be observed as complete Sabbath rests even though they might not fall on the Sabbath.” 1 So, we see in Numbers 28–29 the repetition of the command that “You shall not do any ordinary work” (Num. 28:18, 25, 26; 29:1, 7, 12, 35)—and we shouldn’t miss the fact that Yahweh uses this phrase seven times in this passage. Second, the regulations for time in Israel served the same purpose as the regulations for space surrounding the tabernacle: to point forward to Jesus Christ. In the most explicit New Testament reference to the old covenant calendar, Paul writes this: “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are the shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Col. 2:16–17). What substance, then, did Christ bring? The author of the book of Hebrews tells us: “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his” (Heb. 4:9–10). Jesus came to usher in a new creation, declaring his work finished on the sixth day (John 19:30), resting in the grave on the seventh day, and bringing in the firstfruits of a new creation through his resurrection on the eighth day (1 Cor. 15:20). So, under the new covenant, God has stripped down all the many festivities back to only the one primary, overarching theological principle: Sabbath rest. We gather weekly on the new Sabbath during the first day of the week to celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ, looking forward to the day that Jesus Christ will come again to establish his perfect Sabbath rest forever. Maranatha (1 Cor. 16:22). Come quickly, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20)! 1 Allen P. Ross, Holiness to the LORD: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 396–97. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 19th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 28 4:28

4 дні тому4:28

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Bible Readings for May 19th Numbers 28 | Psalm 72 | Isaiah 19 – 20 | 2 Peter 1 It is staggering to consider the sheer volume of sacrifices that were offered on the altar of Israel. When we think of sacrifices, we might imagine an occasional sacrifice here or there, but in fact, the worship of the old covenant was built on perpetual sacrifices. Every day, once in the morning and once at twilight, the priests would offer a male lamb (two lambs each day) as a burnt offering along with an ephah of fine flour with oil for a grain offering (Num. 28:3–6, 8). Additionally, they would pour out a drink offering of strong drink to Yahweh in the Holy Place (Num. 28:7). Then, every Sabbath, the priests would offer two additional lambs, more flour, more oil, and more strong drink, “besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering” (Num. 28:10). More than that, at the beginning of every month, the priests would offer two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs as burnt offerings, as well as more flour and more oil as grain offerings, along with more drink offerings—in addition to another male goat as a sin offering (Num. 28:11–15). And don’t forget the festivals, either. At Passover (Num. 28:16–25), at the Feast of Weeks (Num. 28:26–31), at the Feast of Trumpets (Num. 29:1–6), at the Day of Atonement (Num. 29:7–11), and at the Feast of Booths (Num. 29:12–39), the Israelites would offer entirely different sets of sacrifices on top of their daily, Sabbath, and monthly sacrifices. Numbers 28 gives us some idea of just how unimaginably bloody old covenant worship must have been. There would have been blood everywhere, flowing all the time, and the smoke of the sacrifices would have hung ceaselessly in the air. Accordingly, it must have been quite a shock to see these regular sacrifices come to a grinding halt when the early Jewish Christians instead pointed to the single sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The commandments in Numbers 28 form the backdrop to the letter to the Hebrews, which is a plea to those who were formerly blood-drenched in old covenant worship not to return to it. Why? Because “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). Instead, we need a much better sacrifice, so the author of Hebrews reminds Jewish Christians of how much better the blood of Jesus is: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:14). Does your confidence rest today in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus or in your own daily offerings to God (whatever they may be)? If the sacrificial system of Israel could not take away sins, then what makes you think that your good works can purify you before God? Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 18th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 27 4:37

5 днів тому4:37

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Bible Readings for May 18th Numbers 27 | Psalms 70 – 71 | Isaiah 17 – 18 | 1 Peter 5 Because Moses will not remain with Israel forever, we find Moses making more and more preparations for his looming absence as we continue to read through the end of the Pentateuch. Here in Numbers 27, we find Moses making preparations for his departure in two important ways. First, in Numbers 27:1–11, Moses clarifies the inheritance rights of the daughters of Zelophehad, who had died without any sons to whom he could leave his inheritance. According to the standard law, their father’s name and their family’s heritage would be blotted out from Israel without any inheritance to pass down, unless Yahweh made a different provision. Moses, then, inquires about the case with Yahweh, who makes what would have been an extraordinary decree according to the customs of the day: Yahweh commands that if a man dies without a son, his daughters should receive his inheritance (Num. 27:8)—and if there are no daughters, then the inheritance should pass to the man’s brothers or to his father’s brothers or to his nearest kin (Num. 27:9–11). This law provides some of the background to the story of Ruth, who seeks Boaz as her kinsman redeemer when Ruth’s husband dies along with his brother and his father, leaving behind only the women: Ruth, Ruth’s sister-in-law, Orpah, and Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi (Ruth 1:1–5). Second, Yahweh commands Moses to commission Joshua to take over the leadership of Israel after he is gone, investing Joshua with the same authority that Moses has held so that the entire nation of Israel would obey him (Num. 27:18–20). To commission Joshua for leadership, Moses lays his hands on Joshua, a ritual that carries into the New Testament practice for ordaining both deacons (Acts 6:6) and elders (1 Tim. 4:14, 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6). Sometimes, we think about Christian leadership in terms of the indispensability of the leader. So, when a leader in the church dies and the ministry falls apart, we draw the conclusion that the leader must have been extraordinarily special. While the Bible does acknowledge the tragedy of seeing great leaders die (cf. Deut. 34:8–12), it also teaches that part of Christian leadership means preparing for the next generation. The Apostle Peter wrote specifically about this point. He writes this: “And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things” (2 Pet. 1:15). When his time grew short, he sought to prepare the next generation for following Christ. In your ministry, are you seeking to make yourself indispensable or do you labor with the humility to exalt Christ above yourself? Meditate on the words of John the Baptist, the final and greatest prophet of the old covenant (Matt. 11:11): “[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 17th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 26 4:21

6 днів тому4:21

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Bible Readings for May 17th Numbers 26 | Psalm 69 | Isaiah 16 | 1 Peter 4 The reason our English Bibles call this the book of “Numbers” is that two national censuses are taken—one in the first chapter and another here: “Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list” (Num. 26:53–54). Even though the people of Israel had not yet begun to enter into the Promised Land, Yahweh begins to prepare them for taking their inheritance. Now, the people are not quite ready to enter into the Promised Land. Still, there are two important observations we should make at this point, before Israel begins the conquest for their inheritance. First, the Israelites have not flourished during their wilderness wanderings, but in fact have shrunk. The original census numbered the people of Israel at 603,550 (Num. 2:32), but this census discovers only 601,730 people within Israel’s ranks. Yahweh has been gracious to Israel, but they have brought harsh consequences on themselves through their sin so that all those who rebelled against entering into the Promised Land have died in the wilderness (Num. 26:64–65). Second, do not miss the fact that this census is given to number the people who were able to go to war (Num. 26:2). God will give Israel miraculous victory as they enter into the Promised Land, but the people will be required to fight, following Yahweh into battle by faith. It is interesting, then, to see that the New Testament also speaks of a census and an inheritance. We read about a book of life, in which the names of God’s people are written for judgment on the last day (Rev. 20:12–15). Also, we are promised that we will inherit salvation if we believe on Christ, who is the heir of all things (Rom. 8:17; Heb. 1:2, 14). But we are also warned that the inheritance we have obtained through Christ (Eph. 1:11) will come by battle—not by warfare against flesh and blood, but against the cosmic powers of evil in this present darkness (Eph. 6:10–20). God has promised us victory in Jesus Christ, but we should not be surprised that being numbered among the people of God—that is, having our names written in the book of life—is less like receiving a pass to avoid suffering and struggle and more like being drafted into the army of the Lamb. Brothers and sisters, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God and stand firm against Satan and his schemes (Eph. 6:10–11). Why? Because we stand to inherit Christ himself and all of creation with him through the gospel . Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 16th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 25 4:20

7 днів тому4:20

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Bible Readings for May 16th Numbers 25 | Psalm 68 | Isaiah 15 | 1 Peter 3 As we discussed in our meditation for Numbers 22, the book of Numbers describes Israel’s descent. In the beginning of Numbers, we see the perfect system Israel received that made it possible for Yahweh to dwell in their midst, but then the rest of the book traces Israel’s fall all the way down to extremely dark places of rebellion. Here, in Numbers 25, things continue to get worse as Israel begins to worship the gods of the Moabites and the Midianites. Numbers 25:3 is the tragic statement of the passage: “So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor.” 1 This is the nightmare of the golden calf all over again, with Yahweh’s people worshiping false gods. But just as Yahweh gave the order for Israel’s judges to go through the camp and slaughter any men who had begun to worship the Baal of Peor (Num. 25:5), an Israelite brought a Midianite woman into his tent. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, rose up, took a spear, and pierced the man and his whore (Num. 25:1) through their bellies, and Yahweh relented from his wrath against Israel (Num. 25:7–8). Yahweh was pleased that Phinehas had been jealous for Yahweh, and he blessed all Israel because of what Phinehas did. It is fascinating, though, that when Jesus Christ came, he did not come to punish evil-doers and the worshipers of false gods. We do not find Jesus piercing sinners to wipe away the sins of Israel; instead, we see Jesus submitting to being pierced in order to take upon himself the wrath of God against our sin. Ultimately, the work of Phinehas addressed one problem at one time in Israel’s history. When Jesus Christ gave up his life as a sacrifice on the cross, however, he offered himself up as a once-for-all sacrifice for the people of God. Therefore, in Numbers 25, we can almost hear God hinting at the great work of his Son, saying that the Lord Jesus Christ “has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore, say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel’” (Num. 25:11–13). Today, do not be yoked with the false gods of this world (2 Cor. 6:14), but instead, remember the words of your kind Savior who was pierced for you: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29–30). 1 This is not likely the same Baal whom the prophet Elijah confronts later in Israel’s history. The word Baal simply means “Lord,” and it was a general word used as a title for many gods—including Yahweh, at times (e.g., Hos. 2:16). Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 15th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 24 4:28

8 днів тому4:28

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Bible Readings for May 15th Numbers 24 | Psalms 66 – 67 | Isaiah 14 | 1 Peter 2 Numbers 24 contains the final two of Balaam’s four prophetic oracles, and they take us from the beginning of the Bible all the way to the end, tying together the whole story at once. In his third oracle, in Numbers 24:5–6, notice that Balaam describes Israel in terms of a garden: “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.” We have discussed many times that Yahweh is establishing the tabernacle to be the new Garden of Eden where he can dwell with his people on the earth, but Balaam helps us to see the true significance of Yahweh’s arrangement with his people—by dwelling in their midst, Yahweh wants to make Israel the new, flourishing Garden of Eden. 1 See also the phrase that Israel is “like cedar trees beside the waters.” This is a loaded phrase, as it comes up again in the Psalms to describe the blessed man: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:3). Ultimately, this image shows up in the New Jerusalem: “also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2). This is the reason, then, why Balaam reiterates the blessing that Yahweh had promised to Abraham back in Genesis 12:3: “Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you” (Num. 24:9). Balaam recognized that God was raising up Israel to heal the nations in order to fulfill his promise. And remarkably, Yahweh uses Balaam to announce that he would not do this through the collective righteousness of the nation but through a single figure who would rise up out of Israel. In Numbers 24:17, Balaam prophesies this: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” Yahweh had called Israel to be a light to the nations, but like Adam, they failed in the task that they were given. Israel’s failure, however, did not catch Yahweh off guard—as we discussed yesterday, the disobedience of Israel was apparent even by this point in history. In fact, Yahweh had planned from the beginning to raise a single star out of Israel—his own, beloved Son—who would give his people eternal healing in the New Jerusalem. Blessed is the one whose delight is in the Son of the Lord. 1 For more information on the links between Balaam’s prophetic oracle and Israel’s temple as the new Garden of Eden, see G. K. Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2004), 124–26, 162, 243. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 14th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 23 4:19

9 днів тому4:19

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Bible Readings for May 14th Numbers 23 | Psalms 64 – 65 | Isaiah 13 | 1 Peter 1 In the mind of Balak, the arrangement he was making with Balaam was simple. Balaam would prophetically curse Israel, and Balak would make Balaam rich as a reward. Balak’s mistake is understandable, although certainly not excusable. He genuinely thought about prophets like Balaam in the way that we might think of a gifted salesperson—that a skilled prophet could convince the gods to do whatever he asked of them. Balaam, for his part, is not innocent in this matter. Yahweh did give him permission to go with Balak in Numbers 22, but with a strict condition: “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you ” (Num. 22:20). Apparently, Balaam immediately violated Yahweh’s commandment in some way, since Yahweh’s anger was kindled against him as he went (Num. 22:22), leading to the scene where Balaam’s donkey speaks to him after refusing to pass beyond an angel with a drawn sword—an image reminiscent of the cherubim guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword. In the New Testament, we read that Balaam abandoned himself “for the sake of gain” (Jude 1:11). In other words, Balaam must have conspired in his heart to do whatever was necessary to gain the large reward that Balak was promising to him. What both of these men fail to recognize is that Yahweh is a real person, with his own thoughts, his own intentions, and his own desires. What’s more, Yahweh’s thoughts, intentions, and desires are governed not by some desperate attempt to gain something that he needs, but rather they are the outflow of his own infinite, eternal resources. So, as Balaam begins to prophesy on behalf of Yahweh, the oracles he receives cut through both Balak’s desperation and Balaam’s greed by insisting that “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind” (Num. 23:19). We deeply need to hear this message in our culture today. As the Bible has slipped from its once-central place in the church as the authoritative word of God, we have felt a false freedom to rewrite what God has spoken. When we find his thoughts objectionable, we simply ignore what he says, or we find ways to raise the same question that the serpent did in the Garden: “Did God actually say…?” (Gen. 3:1). Whether we do this because we feel that God threatens our lifestyles or because we see an opportunity for greedy personal gain, we fail to recognize that God is not impressed by our ability to squirm out from under his word any more than he was impressed with the foolishness of Balak and Balaam. When God speaks—especially in the final word he has provided in his Son (Heb. 1:1–2)—do you listen? Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 13th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 22 4:29

10 днів тому4:29

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Bible Readings for May 13th Numbers 22 | Psalms 62 – 63 | Isaiah 11 – 12 | James 5 The book of Numbers begins with a system—a perfect system that Yahweh gave to his people to regulate how they conducted themselves in his presence so that he could live in their midst. Yahweh had set precise boundaries, with promises of blessing for obedience and warnings that whoever transgressed the space of Yahweh’s holiness would be put to death. But as the book of Numbers progresses, the themes change significantly. No longer is there any suggestion that Israel might keep the law and thereby maintain their standing before Yahweh. Rather than grow in obedience, the people of Israel falter in many ways: frequent complaints about their provisions (e.g., Num. 11:1–15), the opposition of Miriam and Aaron against Moses (Num. 12), the bad report of the cowardly spies and the faithlessness of the people (Num. 13:25–14:12), the capital crime of the Sabbathbreaker (Num. 15:32–36), Korah’s rebellion (Num. 16), Moses’s failure to uphold Yahweh as holy in the eyes of the people (Num. 20:10–13), and even more complaining that prompted Yahweh to send fiery serpents into the midst of his people (Num. 21:4–9). The introduction of Yahweh’s perfect law has not reformed Israel; rather, Israel seems to be growing progressively worse . The big theological question that hangs in the background of Numbers 22, then, is this: Given the chance, will Yahweh turn away from his people? They have completely failed, from the least of them all the way up to the great Moses himself. So, will Yahweh curse them, abandon them, and raise up a new people to start over? There is real drama when the messengers of Balak come to Balaam, a prophet, asking him to curse the people of Israel—at this point, Yahweh would have legitimate reasons for listening to Balaam and taking this opportunity to reject his people once and for all. But as though to mark his absolute, unbreakable, covenantal resolve to protect his people, Yahweh moves heaven and earth to prevent the curse of his people. The story of Balaam’s donkey speaking in Numbers 22:22–41 is not a cute embellishment given for the purpose of entertaining children on flannelgraph boards in Sunday School classrooms; instead, it is intended to underscore that fact that Yahweh will not abandon his people, no matter how far they have fallen. We will explore more of the story of Balaam and Balak over the next few days, but meditate on the character of Yahweh as revealed in this passage. If even here we see Yahweh refusing to abandon his people, what better assurance do we have that he will be faithful to us in Jesus Christ? Reflect on Romans 5:10: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 12th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 21 4:13

11 днів тому4:13

4:13

Bible Readings for May 12th Numbers 21 | Psalms 60 – 61 | Isaiah 10 | James 4 As though they had already forgotten that they had just provoked Moses to disqualify himself from entering into the Promised Land in Numbers 20, the people of Israel fall right back into their old habits, saying to Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food” (Num. 21:5). Where Yahweh had largely been patient with their complaints over their provisions in the wilderness, he now sends fiery serpents that bite the people. God had provided for their life up to this point, and now he sends an instrument of death into their midst. To their credit, the people cry out to Moses, acknowledging their sin and asking for Moses to intercede with Yahweh for them to remove the serpents from their midst (Num. 21:7). Yahweh’s response is gracious in two ways. First, he instructs Moses to fashion an image of a serpent out of bronze and to lift that image up in the sight of all the people, explaining that “everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live” (Num. 21:8). Through looking upon this bronze serpent, the people of Israel were healed from the poison of the serpent. Second, Yahweh continues to provide for his people, and we read that as the people traveled on, they came to a well called Beer, where Yahweh told Moses, “Gather the people together, so that I may give them water” (Num. 21:16). The Israelites, rather than looking upon Yahweh’s gift to them with contempt, respond with gratitude by singing a song to commemorate the occasion (Num. 21:17–18). The New Testament encourages us to read stories like this to recognize that Yahweh was indeed gracious to his people but that his grace was of a temporary nature. Even though Yahweh provided for his people water in the wilderness, and even though he healed them when they looked upon the bronze serpent, the Israelites still fell dead in the wilderness, so that none of them entered into the promised land except for Joshua and Caleb. Yahweh’s intentions were never purely temporary, however. In Numbers 21, Yahweh’s ultimate intention was to set the stage for the coming of a greater redeemer and healer than Moses. Jesus, in his conversation with Nicodemus, explains this: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15). And as we today look upon the Son of Man, who was lifted up on the cross for us, Yahweh heals us from the curse that we inherited through the poison of the serpent’s lies in the Garden of Eden, and through Christ’s righteousness, God qualifies us to enter into his Promised Land with him forever. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 11th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 20 4:32

12 днів тому4:32

4:32

Bible Readings for May 11th Numbers 20 | Psalms 58 – 59 | Isaiah 9 | James 3 It takes only four verses here in Numbers 20 to disqualify the great Moses from entering into the Promised Land. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with Moses’s striking the rock with his staff to bring forth water, since he had previously done that in strict accordance with God’s own commandment back in Exodus 17:1–7. But this time was different. We don’t know what provoked his frustration, but Moses and Aaron rise up to defy the people of Israel, saying, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10). In a moment of hot anger, Moses and Aaron stole the glory from Yahweh as the holy God who gave his people water to drink. The two essentially said, “You ingrates! Do you not recognize how much we have given to you these long years?” And in response, Yahweh swore that Moses and Aaron would never enter into the Promised Land because of what they had done. As we reflect on this story, we should first be reminded to pray for our spiritual leaders. Do not too quickly overlook Moses’s longsuffering patience throughout his leadership of Israel through the wilderness, despite their many grumblings and personal attacks against him along the way. Up to this point, through everything Moses had endured, he had never failed to uphold Yahweh as holy. Similarly, our pastors, elders, and deacons carry a heavy burden, and yet they labor selflessly for years to present us complete in Christ on the last day. Nevertheless, a long, faithful ministry can fall to pieces in a single, sinful moment. Pray that God would give our leaders grace not to stumble as Moses did. Second, we should take heed of the fact that not even Moses escaped judgment for profaning Yahweh’s holiness. Moses was not an indispensable part of God’s plan for this world, and if he wasn’t, then you and I should recognize that we aren’t either. God knows all that we do—especially if he has granted us positions of leadership—and his judgment will surely come for those who do not repent. But finally, we should not miss the glimmer of gospel light shining from this story. Moses sealed his fate by striking the rock so that water poured out, but Paul tells us that Jesus was the Rock (1 Cor. 10:4). John, then, bears witness that when Jesus was struck while on the cross, water poured out from his side along with his blood (John 19:31–37). Because Jesus has ultimately succeeded, we cannot fail, because God credits his Christ’s righteousness to the account of all who believe on him. Therefore, those who trust in Christ will never be excluded from the ultimate promised land—that is, the New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven on the last day (Rev. 21). Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 10th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 19 4:15

13 днів тому4:15

4:15

Bible Readings for May 10th Numbers 19 | Psalms 56 – 57 | Isaiah 8 | James 2 As in Numbers 5:1–4, Yahweh commands again here in Numbers 19 that anyone who has any contact with the dead must remain outside the camp until he or she has been purified. The context of Numbers 19 is interesting, since in the next chapter, Numbers 20, we read about the deaths of both Miriam and Aaron. It is possible that the older generation of people who set out from Egypt are beginning to die off, and Yahweh wants the people of Israel to know exactly how they are to deal with their increasing contact with the dead. So, in Numbers 19, Yahweh offers the solution for how Israelites who have come in contact with the dead may be cleansed: although the Israelites were still considered unclean for seven days (Num. 19:11), they could be cleansed by washing with water on the third and seventh days of their uncleanness (Num. 19:12). This would not be just any water, but water mixed with the ashes of a burnt red heifer (Num. 19:10)—and not just any red heifer, but a red heifer “without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come” (Num. 19:2). As we have already seen a few times in the books of Leviticus and Numbers, Yahweh hates death, and death defiles his holiness. Death was never meant to be a part of creation, but rather it invaded God’s creation as a horrific byproduct of sin. Providing for the ashes of the unblemished red heifer, then, is yet one more layer to the complex framework of purity and holiness, since it is no small thing to dwell in the presence of God. Yahweh saw that cleansing from contact with the dead would be a frequent need, and so he commanded that his people have ready access to a pile of red heifer ashes, which served functionally as an “instant sin offering,” available in a clean place outside the camp (Num. 19:9). 1 But even though the system Yahweh establishes is perfect, Yahweh’s people are not. They are unable to keep the demands placed on them by this rigorous plan for cleanness in the presence of Yahweh, and Yahweh will eventually see fit to introduce a better, more permanent solution for making his people clean and holy before him. Therefore, the author of the book of Hebrews addresses the ashes of the heifer directly: “For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:13–14). Through Christ, you have been cleansed so that you might serve the living, holy God. 1 Gordon J. Wenham, Numbers , TOTC (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1981), 164. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.…

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May 9th: Bible Meditation for Numbers 17–18 4:14

14 днів тому4:14