TODAY’S BIBLE READING: THE END OF THE WANDERING GENERATION; GOD IS NOT MANIPULATED; THE MAGNIFICAT
MARCH 14- Numbers 21-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11
OLD TESTAMENT READING: THE END OF “THE WANDERING GENERATION”
The story of the first generation of Israelites in the wilderness is drawing to a close. Numbers Chapters 15-19 describes the 38 years of wandering of the total of 40 years of the journey from the Exodus to the Promised Land. By the time the children of Israel are ready to cross the Jordan River into Canaan, all those who had been over 20 years old at the time when the twelve spies were sent out from Kadesh Barnea would have died. In the last 38 years they would have come full circle, arriving back where they started, the place where they originally gave credence to the faithless report of the ten spies who defied Joshua and Caleb’s report that the Lord was able to deliver their enemies into their hands.
The nation of Israel has received a 38 year chastisement for their unbelief. An entire generation forfeited their right of entry into the Promised Land.
In Numbers Chapter 20, both the death of Miriam and Aaron are recorded (Numbers 20:1, 28).
Unbelief is now revealed in Moses. You will remember that 38 years earlier at Mount Horeb, in the Wilderness of Sin, Moses was commanded to strike the rock (the Hebrew word ‘sela’ indicates ‘a cliff’ and not a ‘boulder’) with his staff (Exodus 17:1-7). This first striking of the rock was a clear picture of Christ (our Rock- 1 Cor 10:4) being “smitten of God” (Isaiah 53:4), punished by the rod of Divine justice that sin be atoned for. The result of justice being satisfied was water from the Rock, which speaks of the life of Christ ministered by the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39).
In the incident recorded in Numbers 20:8 Moses is told to
“Speak to the Rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water.”
Moses disobeys this command and misrepresents God both in attitude and action. In the heat of his frustration, Moses reprimands the people saying, “Listen now, you rebels; shall WE bring forth water for you out of this rock?”
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 (NASB)
Moses misrepresents God in what he says. The water was not to be fetched, nor was Moses called to fetch it. The rock would yield water once spoken to. Whereas the first incident with the “Smitten Rock” represents “Christ crucified” by whom we are reconciled to God. The second incident with the “Living Rock” represents that very same Jesus, risen, glorified and at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12) by whose indwelling life we shall be saved (Romans 5:10). The same Jesus that died for us, rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, to live in us, by the Holy Spirit. We can speak to the Rock. We can speak to the Living Rock to make our requests known, our access having been purchased at the cross.
Moses lifts up his hand and strikes the rock twice with his rod. This is not what God asked him to do. He who was smitten for us needs not to be smitten again.
14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14; NASB)
In this incident of testing, known as “the waters of Meribah”, the Lord proves Himself to be holy. Moses would not bring the assembly into the Promised Land. God’s sovereign hand is seen in this as Moses who represents the Law, points to the Promised Land, but cannot bring anyone into it.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son (YESHUA- of whom JOSHUA will be a type). Romans 8:3 (NASB)
THE SERPENT OF BRASS
Instead of taking God at His word and trusting Him for victory over the descendants of Esau, the Edomites, the Israelites “turn away” and go south eventually passing to the east side of the Dead Sea.
The people become impatient with God and Moses and murmur against them. The LORD sends chastisement— fiery serpents whose poisonous bites infect them with a terminal illness. This death sentence provokes repentance to the degree that the people come to Moses and acknowledge their sin. They ask Moses to intercede for their deliverance.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9; NASB)
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:10-16 (NASB)
We are born again by trusting God’s plan of salvation- Jesus dying on the cross as the serpent who was a sinner, murderer and liar from the beginning (1 John 3:8, John 8:44). He who knew no sin, became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21).
Moses was not commanded to put a serpent on a pole but a serpent of brass upon a standard to be lifted up. What a picture of the cross of Christ!
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4; NASB)
Those who, in obedience to God’s Word, look to Jesus Christ, are saved from the sentence of death that their sin has put upon them.
The 19th century preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a mighty instrument in God’s hand, was converted on a snowy day in Colchester, Essex, England. He ducked into a primitive Methodist Chapel on Artillery Street because the snow prevented him from going to his intended destination. There he heard a barely literate layman get up and expound upon Isaiah 45:22 22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved”, (KJV). He used looking to the serpent on the pole in Numbers 21 as an illustration.
He began thus: 'My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, "Look." Now that does not take a deal of effort. It ain't lifting your foot or your finger; it is just "look." Well, a man need not go to college to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man need not be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look; a child can look. But this is what the text says. Then it says, "Look unto Me." 'Ay,' said he, in broad Essex, 'many of ye are looking to yourselves. No use looking there. You'll never find comfort in yourselves.' Then the good man followed up his text in this way: 'Look unto Me: I am sweating great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hanging on the Cross. Look: I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend; I am sitting at the Father's right hand. O, look to Me! Look to Me!'
Spurgeon then describes the moment that changed his life forever:
"Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. He then said, 'Young man, you look very miserable.' Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made on my personal appearance from the pulpit before. However, it was a good blow struck. He continued: 'And you will always be miserable — miserable in life and miserable in death — if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.'
"Then he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist can, 'Young man, look to Jesus Christ.' There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that moment and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the Precious Blood of Christ."
THE LORD IS NOT TO BE MANIPULATED- THE STORY OF BALAAM
Plans to manipulate God will backfire.
In the final chapters of the book we read of Balaam, a pagan prophet. His inclusion in the Bible gives us a strong warning against attempts to manipulate God.
Much time, energy and effort is spent by Balak, the king of Moab (a type of the flesh) to try to manipulate God.
The victories the Lord granted the children of Israel over King Sihon (of the Amorites) and Og (of Bashan) send fear into the heart of Balak, the king of Moab. He seeks to strategize with Midian in an effort to avoid having their natural resources swallowed up by the Israelites traveling through their land.
4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." Numbers 22:4 (NASB)
In an effort to curse Israel, King Balak hires the pagan seer Balaam who had an international reputation for supernatural dealings.
Balaam lives at Pethor in northern Syria, some 400 miles north of Moab. First Balak sends messengers on this long expensive trip to solicit Balaam’s help. Balaam gives these flattering dignitaries lodging while he makes inquiry to YAHWEH (the God of the Hebrews) (22:8).
We see many examples of God’s sovereignty in the story of Balaam.
God speaks to whom and through whomever He chooses. He can come to Abimilech and Laban in a dream (Gen 20:3; 31:24). He can come to a pagan prophet, Balaam, and even speak through his donkey.
God did come to Balaam, and perhaps in a dream, as the same expression is used as with Abimilech and Laban:
9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" Numbers 22:9 (NASB)
Like a parent, or good counselor, God often asks questions to someone when they are in the midst of trouble; not because He doesn’t know the answers, but because He wants us to trace our steps and think about our disobedient courses of action. To Adam, He asks “Where are you?” To Cain: “Why are you angry? Why has your countenance fallen? Where is your brother Abel? What have you done?”
God prods us with questions to help us resist temptation or to provoke repentance. In this case, if Balaam attempted to curse Israel he would be bringing a curse upon himself.
God asks Balaam,”Why are you entertaining these proposals to curse those people whom I have blessed?”
As the Lord said to Abraham: 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:3 (NASB)
And the LORD says to Balaam:
"Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." (Numbers 22:1; NASB)
This is the revealed will of God. Jesus reminded His disciples that they are to pray according to His revealed will. This revelation might be called God’s sovereign will of His command.
Balaam tells Balak’s delegation that the LORD (YAHWEH) has refused to let him go with them. (He does not tell them why, nor specifically that they are already irrevocably blessed.)
In his heart, Balaam has not shut out temptation completely. When Balak hears that his first delegation was refused, he sends another much more impressive delegation with a more attractive offer, saying, “Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming.” In other words, “Name your price.”
Balaam refuses this delegation’s offer but offers them hospitality, hinting that there was some hope that he could change God’s mind.
19 "Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me." Numbers 22:19 (NASB)
In His infinite mercy, God came to Balaam again at night, and said to him:
"If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do." Numbers 22:20 (NASB)
What are we to make of this? Did God change His mind? His original precept (His will of command) stays the same. But Balaam compromised his obedience, having kept the door open to temptation. God, knowing the bent of Balaam’s heart, sovereignly chooses to use Balaam for His purposes and prove that He is not be manipulated. He therefore implements a strategy for His own choice purposes, a permissive will, that will work with Balaam’s sinful heart.
In the Bible we see that God in His perfect knowledge works with sinners, those who violate His will, to accomplish His Sovereign will of decree, which will not be thwarted. We saw this with Pharaoh who repeatedly hardened his heart. Only later we discover that God hardened His heart to demonstrate His power and glory. For God works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).
Jesus said 29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” (Matthew 10:29; NASB)
35 "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' Daniel 4:35 (NASB)
Throughout the Bible we see that God uses people and actions He disapproves of, that are in opposition to His moral will of command, in His sovereign will of decree. God used the sinfulness of those who put Jesus to death to accomplish His choice purpose of redemption.
22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. Acts 2:22-24 (NASB)
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Luke 1:26-56
Dr. Luke, the physician, prepares both his New Testament accounts, His Gospel and the Book of Acts, for a gentleman named Theophilus. Many scholars believe that Theophilus was the attorney working for Paul’s defense, while Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Both his gospel and the book of acts would furnish the Roman authorities a true account of that for which Paul was on trial, the defense of the gospel, and the histories both of Jesus Christ and the resurrection aftermath that spread Christianity across the Empire.
Luke is considered to be a first rate historian as he carefully anchors events in their historical setting. He is also careful to show that Christianity was not a political movement designed to topple Rome but that it was a movement whereby God provided to topple the rule of sin in the heart.
The same angel named Gabriel, who brought Messianic prophecies in Daniel 8 and 9, and brought the announcement of john the Baptist’s birth (Luke 1:19) to Zacharias, is sent to Mary in Nazareth. He tells her that she has found favor with God and will be the mother of the Messiah.
She submits to the will of God, although it remains a mystery to her how she, being a virgin, and having no relations with a man, could become the mother of the Promised Child. Her faith is exemplary as she responds, “Be it unto me, according to Your Word.” (Luke 1:38)
Gabriel tells Mary that her relative Elizabeth has conceived in her old age, encouraging her that “Nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
Mary visits Elizabeth and discovers that the situation is as Gabriel told her. Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting and her child within, the prophet who will testify to the Messiah, jumps with joy. Filled with the Spirit. Elizabeth rejoices with Mary, saying, “Blessed among women” (not ‘Blessed above women’) and “Blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Elizabeth recognizes Mary her younger cousin, as the mother of her Lord.
Mary responds to this fulfillment of God’s Word with a song of praise, often referred to by its Latin name from the verb 'magnify', “the Magnificat”
46 And Mary said: "My soul exalts (Old English- doth magnify) the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Luke 1:46-47 (NASB)
In both Elizabeth’s and Mary’s words, we see that both of these women personally recognize their need for Jesus as both their Lord and Savior and welcome His arrival.
Pastor David
So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, J.B. Phillips paraphrase)
New Life Community Church, Concord, MA 10742
Meeting Sundays at 10:30 AM at the Emerson Umbrella for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA
Mailing Address: Post Office Box Five, Concord, MA 01742
Church Offices: 35 Bypass Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773 978-369-0061
Home Office: 978-371-3176
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