Hush

"And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth." Numbers 12:1-5


Like Aaron and Miriam (Moses' brother and sister) we often think we know a better way. We too frequently believe that because we have a thought that we need to express it. We do this despite knowing better. Aaron and Miriam had been eyewitnesses to the glory of God and should have know better than to speak out against Moses. Today we have the benefit of David's words regarding the people of God, "And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." (1 Chronicles 16:20-22) There are many things that we as Christians do not understand. The key is to take those question and go to God with them rather than speak out against your brother or sister. God told us to come to Him in those situations. "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9) Just as God had a reason for bringing Moses and Zipporah together, He also has a reason for a situation you don't understand. Remember, there is only one Judge. We have enough to worry about just trying to keep ourselves saved. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Matthew 7:1-3

Letting Go

"And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:11-14

Like the Children of Israel leaving Egypt, we often battle fear and anxiety as God moves us toward a future that we can't see. As humans we have a tendency to want to cling to the past. The past wasn't great and we prayed for God to deliver us from it, but when we look forward into a future that feels unfamiliar, we long for the familiar. We fear uncertainty, because uncertainty could mean death. When you've been a victim your primary concern is survival. Survival isn't living, but it isn't physical death. Survival maybe fine for the world, but it is not good enough for those who are in Christ. We as Christians have a great promise from our Savior. The Bible records these words in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:9-11) Jesus didn't lay down His life just so we could turn around (spiritually as well as physically) and go back to our old lives. God wants us to live an abundant life both in this world and the next. It maybe tempting to look back during the course of our journey, but keep in mind that what you are seeing behind you is a mirage. It looks tempting, but once you go back to where you thought it was it disappears. Those fond memories you had get crushed by the torture and torment you had forgotten. Leave the past behind and stay focused on your promise. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

The First Harvest Is For Those That Believe

"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest." Ruth 1:16-22

In the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, we find tremendous lessons in faith that we can relate to today. As the chapter begins we find Ruth her mother-in-law Naomi and her sister -in-law Orpah on their way back to Bethlehem. All three of them widows having lost their husbands in the land of Moab. Naomi, her husband and their two sons had journeyed to Moab because of famine in Israel. Now how often do we as Christians seek to run away from a problem rather than asking God what He would have us to do? Naomi fled only to be forced to return to the place she fled. While in Moab Naomi's husband and her two sons (who had married Ruth and Orpah) died. As a result of the tragedy that had befallen them, the three were headed back to Bethlehem. However, Naomi managed to convince Orpah to go back to Moab, because she felt there would be no life for her in Bethlehem. Ruth on the other hand would not be moved and clung to her mother-in-law. Ruth exhibited the kind of faith we as believers need today. She trusted God in the face of fear and adversity. She refused to allow the seeds of doubt sown by Naomi to take root in her spirit. She placed her faith in God and was rewarded. Maybe that is where her great grandson David found the confidence to write, "For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." Psalm 37:22-26 People of God don't give in to doubt. Remember what David and Ruth never forgot, no matter what you've done or what situation you find yourself in, if you will just hold on to your faith in God, He will deliver you. Another import point from chapter one of the Book of Ruth is the fact that they returned to Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. Bethlehem means "house of bread" and the barley harvest was the first harvest (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary). Now I don't have to tell you that it was not a coincidence that God brought them back to Bethlehem/the house of bread for the first harvest. Bethlehem was the place where Jesus, "the bread from Heaven" (John 6:32) was born. In addition the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John also tells us that Jesus fed the five thousand with 5 loaves made from barley. Strengthen your faith with these words, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:35-37

Righteousness : We Owe Him That Much

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Isaiah 53:3-7

The Prophet Isaiah, in the 53rd chapter of the Book of Isaiah, provides us with a glimpse into the suffering the Jesus endured on our behalf. Isaiah makes a point of emphasizing the fact that the pain that Jesus suffered was due to our sin and iniquity. We are responsible for His suffering (as the Apostle Paul points out), "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;". (Romans 3:23) As a result, we who believe and call ourselves Christians owe it to Jesus to live a holy and righteous life. If we don't, then what we are saying in effect is: Jesus, You didn't suffer enough. The writer of Hebrews makes this same point in chapter 6 of the Epistle to the Hebrews. He writes, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." (Hebrews 6:4-6) Please understand, I am not saying if you make a mistake you are condemned, for that would contradict scripture. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) But what I am saying is that we have to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by our flesh as Paul points out in Romans. If we say that we are Christians, but continue to walk and pursue a life dedicated to glorifying our flesh we shame Jesus. The profession of faith we made was a lie to please others, but the truth is revealed in our actions. As Christians we must not only profess Jesus with our mouths, we have to live a life dedicated to Him. Do you believe the gospel? Then meditate on and put into action Jesus' words captured in Mark 1:15, "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."

I Give You Me

"After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:1-6

In the fifteenth chapter of Genesis we find Abram (prior to God changing his name to Abraham, Genesis 17:5) receiving the word of God. After putting Abram at ease by telling him not to fear, God speaks these word to Abram, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." (Genesis 15:1) How awesome and mind blowing is that? The one and only true and living God, whose majesty is described in this manner: "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:8-11) That God just told Abram I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. Can you imagine that same God making the same statement to you? You can't? What if I told you He already did? Remember Paul's letter to the Philippians? This is what he wrote about Jesus, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:6-8) Jesus, who is one with the Father, shielded us from death by dying for us and became our reward through His Resurrection by giving us everlasting life. Yet like Abram sometimes we fail to grasp the sufficiency of the gift we have received and only focus on what we feel we don't have. As a result we would all be wise to meditate on the words of our Savior, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Sanctify Yourself

"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap." Joshua 3:5-13

In the course of their journey from Egypt, the Israelites would on occasion be required to sanctify themselves because they would soon be in the presence of God. You see in those days they would purify themselves with water and refrain from sexual relations so that they might enjoy God's presence for a specified period of time. In addition notice that before the Children of Israel could cross over into the promise land they first had to be sanctified. Also notice that God chose twelve priest to uphold the Ark of the Covenant and carry the word of God (the Ten Commandments, Exodus 25:21) before the people and lead them into the promise land. We as modern day Christians have the distinct privilege of being blessed by God sending His only begotten Son to sanctify us. We as the body of Christ have the privilege of being sanctified by God himself ("Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:23) so that we might be able to be with Him forever. Instead of water it is the blood of Christ Jesus that cleanses us from sin. And notice, after the resurrection God chose twelve to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and present the Word of God before the people. God chose twelve to lead us into the Kingdom. The Ark was a testament of God's promise to the Children of Israel. Jesus is our promise of an everlasting life. "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Galatians 1:3-5) "And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many." Mark 14:24

It Ain't Easy

"And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount." Numbers 20:23-27

Have you ever wondered why or how Christians in prominent positions fall? Well one very important reason is that it is not easy to live a righteous life. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23), the Apostle Paul reminds us. If it were easy everyone would live a sin free life and never disobey God. Very few people can claim to have served God as faithfully as Aaron did. Yet before he could inherit the promise he was stripped of his priestly robes and left to die on top of mount Hor. You see we are engaged in constant warfare against our fleshly desires. The flesh has very persuasive ways of making you think that you are right even when God tells you that you are wrong. In the case of Moses and Aaron they felt justified in their anger against the Children of Israel. After 40 years of service to an often ungrateful people your body and mind becomes fatigued. Today many who call themselves Christians give in to fornication, masturbation, pornography, lust and adultery because they feel justified in their flesh. They believe they have denied themselves long enough and feel a need to indulge themselves. But here is the thing, the flesh can never justify you. As the Apostle Paul points out, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:18-25) Notice that in verse 18 Paul points out that although there is no good thing that dwelleth in the flesh, it contains it's own will. That is why we struggle against it. The flesh knows what it wants and it pursues it with a vengeance. But praise God for our risen saviour, Jesus Christ, who defeated sin and the grave and justified us to the Father. It is crucial to our survival as Christians that we not forget "The Way" which is Jesus Christ. If we keep our focus on Christ and his Word (to feed our mind so that it can resist the flesh) we will endure and have victory over the flesh. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32