From Numbers 17-21 today. Lots of find fascinating. Such as… did you know there was a ‘book of the wars of the Lord’? (Numbers 21:14). Wouldn’t you love to read that book? I wonder what it’s referring to…..
It’s like the book of Enoch, the one a lot of people liked to discredit, but that had some absolutely fascinating things in it. Or the book of Jasper, that David refers to, which again.. FASCINATING.
One thing I had to understand was, that it was completely ok to use all sorts of readings, and learnings, to add to my knowledge and understanding of scripture.
So many people are afraid to trust anything other than ‘the Holy Bible’… I mean, God never called it that, people did.
And.. we forget, that it was originally written in completely different languages, different cultures to our own.
So we read it in English and think ‘that’s the word of the Lord’, not realising, there could be some translation issues, or cultural distortions we’re not aware of. #justsaying. That’s why the version of the bible you read matters, some of the translations are so wrong it irritates me!
I’ve found digging into the original languages an absolute game-changer to my understanding.
And, I’ve found digging into other reference books and writings, exceptional.
Paul said to Timothy – ‘bring out the parchments and the scrolls’ ‘study to show yourself approved’…so, hello?
Today I was reading Numbers 17-21.
I’m only going to refer to things in a big picture sense. You really need to read it yourself. My words here are only conceptual things to provoke you to think for yourself. I’m certainly not trying to teach you WHAT to think, more that you should search the scriptures yourself, ask God, ask the Holy Spirit, ADD TO YOUR LEARNING OF GOD.
Did you know that there was a ‘token against the rebels?’ (17:10)… fascinating…. (I’m fascinated by a lot of things today!)
I was a rebel. Thank God, for the forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
Chapters 18+19, are dealing with establishing Aaron as the High Priest, and elements of the priesthood and offerings.
Again, I’m so grateful this has been superseded. Jesus is the King and High Priest. The book of Zechariah 6 talks about this.
Chapter 20 we come upon the infamous mistake Moses and Aaron made, which subsequently meant, they did not enter the promise land. Aaron lost his priesthood and died.
God’s problem with them? ‘You believed me not, to sanity me in the eyes of the children of Israel’.
Scary! What we say in our mouth, 
what we do, how we react, 
is all recorded, is all measured, it can affect everything that we were destined to receive. Don’t be mislead thinking that the forgiveness of Jesus means this stuff goes away and God just ‘wipes it all clean’ and off you go….What are we missing out because of our little ’slip ups’? We forget to fear God.
I’m noticing how many times Moses asked Kings of the areas they wanted to go through, ‘Can we come through, we won’t touch anything’… and they said NO. They became enemies of God.
Old Habits Die Hard
Israel were in the midst of their 40 year wandering, to clear out that unbelieving generation, and the scripture says, ‘the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses..’ (21:4+5)
God, people are so clueless. They keep going back, doing the same things over and over again. No fear of God.
What is it about Egypt that was so good? It’s like nostalgia. Those ‘good old days’. Those ‘happy times’.
And here we see a foreshadowing of Christ again. He is everywhere in this historical landscape.
The fiery serpents emerge and people start dying. Moses prays, and God gives them instructions to save them.
JESUS CHRIST IS ALL OVER THE OLD TESTAMENT
Jesus refers to this himself when he says ‘if I be lifted up’….He is talking about the Cross.
What I know about reading the scriptures, and absorbing the concepts is, you have to spend time thinking about this stuff. You have to discipline yourself, so when you see yourself opening your mouth in unbelief you shut it, and praise God instead.
When you go to be bad tempered with your family, you stop, take a deep breath, and thank God he is with you. You only let wisdom and peace come out.
And NEVER EVER EVER EVER again question God, get angry at him, say horrible things, demand explanations of him.
NO, do not let it come out of your mouth.
It is not ok. It is not showing your heart. It is showing your unbelief.
Better to shut your mouth and say God, I don’t understand, but yet will I praise you. You are God of the heavens and earth, everything is yours and the fullness there, you know what I need before I ask, you guide me by your Holy Spirit, You have poured out your Spirit without measure, make my eyes to see, my ears to hear, my heart to rejoice’.
Wisdom is the principle thing. Wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
Don’t be like the mob, the uneducated, the unruly – the unsaved.
And don’t miss out on what God has for you!
