Scripture Reading:
Numbers 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72;
Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 11:4
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to,
Cry if I want to,
Cry if I want to,
You would cry to, if it happened to you.
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Today the Israelites are a bunch of cry babies. We don't need to be able to interpret the sounds of their cries because the Bible interprets them for us and tells us that they are crying because of their lack of faith that God can lead them victoriously into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. May I remind you that Noah was given a prophecy that Ham's line through his child, Canaan, would be cursed. This curse was tied to the events that occurred before the Great Flood. The Nephilim bloodlines were still present through the people who settled the land of Canaan. This is whose land this present generation of Shem's children are supposed to go and defeat in order to fulfill this prophecy. There is just one problem with getting this prophecy fulfilled, Shem's children are a bunch of spiritual wimps. Honestly, I understand the intimidation they may have felt, but God has proven Himself strong to the Israelites by delivering them from the Egyptians, by miraculously feeding them in the desert, and by directly speaking to Moses, their leader. They must trust Him to defeat the giants in the land. Only two men in the camp believe that God is with them and will defeat the Canaanites. Those men are Caleb and Joshua.
God, disgusted and angry over the Israelites lack of faith, tells Moses that He is going to wipe out these people and start over using Moses to create the a new people of promise. In order to defeat evil, God wants to partner with people of faith like Moses. Moses, showing his love for the people with grace and humility, pleads with God not to destroy them. He reasons with God that it will look bad to the people of the earth. God will not be reflecting the long suffering kindness of His personality. There are huge lessons to be learned from Moses. First, we can reason with God. Second, it pays to understand God's character. When we pray to God we should always confirm to Him that we know He is loving and gracious. Finally, God listens when we pray and our prayers affect change. Do you realize this when you pray?
God decides not to kill the Israelites, but God gets angry again. Are you picking up on a pattern here? Yes. God is angry with their attitudes and pronounces that because of their lack of faith, none of this present generation of Israelites (excluding Caleb and Joshua) will enter the Promised Land. They will wander in the desert one year for every day that they had explored the Promised Land. The spies were in the land for 40 days, so they will wander for forty years. There's that number forty again! Their children will enter, but they will wander in the desert for forty years until they have all died out. Have you ever considered that some times your actions and attitudes bring on the wilderness experiences you have? This is not always the case, but it can be a reason. Our sin can create our trials. There are consequences for sin.
What consequences in your life have been the result of your sin? What about consequences in your life that are caused by other people's sins? This is a pattern on earth that cannot be avoided. It is best to recognize it. Living in truth is a good thing.
Mark 14:53-72
The High Priest, after hearing many false witnesses and contradictory testimonies about Christ, finally gets to the crux of the matter. He asks Jesus, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?" Jesus answers, "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven." Whoa. Picture the horror on the faces of these men. They tear their robes and scream, "BLASPHEMY!"
After reading so much of the Scripture, you and I know that a Redeemer Child is destined to come to earth and die for mankind. The question is, "Who is that child?" Jesus claims that he is that child. Only when he is facing the trial that will bring about his sacrificial death is Jesus willing to reveal this truth. Jesus must die. That is God's plan to save mankind from the curse of sin. Making this statement to the religious leaders at this trial during the Passover season will secure Christ's sacrificial death, just as the Scriptures predicted. Jesus fulfills his destiny. It is the beginning of the end for Satan, the demons, and evil.
Do you believe Jesus is the Redeemer Child that saves the world from sin?
Psalm 53:1-6
Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." Vs. 1 Vs.2 "God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks God."
Conclusion: vs. 3 "But no, all have turned away from God; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not even one!"
What is God telling us here? He is telling us that we are all sinners. There is no perfect person who does good. We are human. He pursues us. We do not pursue Him without His gracious prompting. Notice that Vs. 6 cries out, "O that salvation would come from Mt. Zion to rescue Israel!"
Today we see Jesus marching to the cross to bring that salvation!
Proverbs 11:4
Riches won't help you on the day of judgment. Whoa. Yep.
What are you seeing? Keep reading. You're doing great!
Blessings,
Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
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