March 14- It's Gonna Be a Fight

March 14, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 21: 1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56;
Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11

Numbers 21:1-22:20

Sometimes I hear people talk down the founding of the America because the European immigrants dominated the native American Indians and forcibly took their land.  Reading the Bible helps one realize that conquering other people's lands is a typical human endeavor.  Humans have always taken over other people's property.  Does that make it right?  Not necessarily, but that's just the way it is.

Today we see the Israelites begin to eliminate and fight the various people groups who occupied the territory of Canaan in what God had called Israel's Promised Land. They are doing this because God is telling them to take the land. We learned earlier in our reading that God intends to vomit the Canaanites out of the land because of their idolatry and unbelief in the One True God. We also learned in Genesis and in Deuteronomy that this land is inhabited by the half-breed Nephilim. God will use the Israelites to fight evil in a very real sense. The cleansing of the land by the Israelites is required to literally preserve the human race and protect it from the hybrid DNA of the Nephilim. See the writings of Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Appendix I of Messianic Christology, for further study of the Nephilim. Also, see my powerpoint of this topic-A Study of the Nephilim.

Numbers chapter 21 begins with the defeat of a King named Arad. This king attacks the Israelites.  The Jews pray to God, promising to eliminate all of the Canaanite towns in this area. God is pleased with their response and helps them defeat the Canaanites.  Remember, Noah prophesied that Ham's descendants from Canaan would be cursed.  God is now going to use the Israelites to fulfill that prophesy. This will be an extremely long and bloody process.

After this victory the Israelites set out on the road to go around Edom.  Guess what they do next?  Yep.  They murmur and complain against God and Moses. Wow.  What a surprise.  I'm shocked.  Let's see how God punishes them this time...oh, with snakes!  He sends poisonous snakes to bite them and they die. The people repent and God tells Moses to put a symbol of a snake on a pole, raise it over the people, and those who look at the snake in faith will be healed.  The bronze snake on the pole is the symbol for the medical community to this day.  It is also a symbol of Christ. Jesus refers to this symbol of himself when he is speaking with Nicodemus in the book of John.  He says,

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14-16

So we see that the snake on the pole is a picture of Christ on the cross.  It is his death that brings healing to our souls.  How can one man's death heal many people? It is because through one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and through one man, Jesus Christ, salvation for sin was accomplished.  He is the final sacrificed Lamb who died for the sins of the world.

The Israelites go on the move after this incident and request to go through the land of the Amorites.  Their king is named Sihon. King Sihon refuses to let them cross his land. Instead, he attacks Israel.  Israel wins the fight and captures all the towns of the Amorites, including the capital city of Heshbon.  Moses then directs the people to an area called Jazer.  They drive out all the Amorites who live around there and then they start towards Bashan.  Bashan's king is named Og. Og is one of the most well known of the ancient Nephilim. The area around Bashan is known as a hot bed of these half fallen angel- half human hybrids. In Psalm 22:12 Jesus mentions the area of Bashan when he is hanging on the cross. The Scriptures say, "Many bulls surround me; the strong bulls of Bashan encircle me." Jesus is referring to an attack by Satanic forces. This area and the people in the land literally represent the evil forces of the universe. King Og attacks the Israelites but is defeated. Yay, God.


After this the Israelites travel to the plains of Moab.  You may remember that the Moabites come from Lot who slept with his two virgin daughters in the cave after he fled from Sodom and Gomorrah and his wife had been turned into a pillar of salt.  What a soap opera this is!  The king of the Moabites is named Balak.  Balak sends word to a local prophet named Balaam.  He requests that Balaam curse the Israelites to prevent the demise of the Moabites. We don't really know that much about Balaam. God speaks to Balaam and tells him to not curse the Israelites because He (God) is with them and He has blessed them.  Balaam only decides to go see King Balak when God tells him to do so.

What can we learn from the Israelites today?  One lesson is that you have no chance of defeating evil in your life unless God is fighting for you.  Another lesson is that God judges the wicked and He does defeat evil.  He also desires to cooperate with us, even though we are sinful people, to accomplish His righteous work on earth. What a privilege to serve God and work with Him to fight evil on earth.

The Israelites have proven over and over again that they are a hard- hearted and rebellious people.  They are chosen to do this work not because they are the most holy people, but because God has decided this is how it is going to be.  He is going to show His glory and power through these fallible people.  Can you handle that?  Do you flinch at God's sovereignty? He also chooses to cooperate with you to accomplish His purposes on earth. Are you always faithful and righteous?  Probably not. Remember, this is His story. It will unfold as He sees fit.  He loves humans, is merciful, and includes us in the glory of bringing redemption to the earth. Does the bloodiness of this process offend you? Well, you can always create your own universe and tell your own story if you don't like this one!

Prayer:  Lord, help me to understand Your ways, at least a little bit.  Help me to trust You and rely on Your goodness.  Keep me from the sin of thinking that I am worthy to judge Your actions.

Luke 1:26-56

As we read the Bible we know that the central character of the Bible is Jesus Christ.  In the Garden of Eden the story of mankind unfolds with sin infecting the human race and God unrolling history towards the day that a Redeemer Child will make all things right. 

Today Dr. Luke gives us details about how that precious child is born.  The angel Gabriel is once again sent out to proclaim good news. This time he goes to a virgin teen named Mary.  She is the cousin of Elizabeth, who we met yesterday. Gabriel tells her that she is a favored woman.  He says that the Lord is with her. Not surprisingly, she is confused. He tells her that she is going to become pregnant and have a child who will be called the Son of the Most High and is going to be holy. Mary asks a good question.  "How am I going to become pregnant when I am a virgin?"  I think it is interesting that Luke, who is a physician, writes the only gospel account that mentions this. Gabriel says that the Holy Spirit is going to come upon her and God is going to overshadow her. Then she will be pregnant.  The baby will be the Son of God and will be holy (meaning he will be sinless and set apart).  Wow.  Mega-wow. Weird. She is going to be that woman in history that everyone has been waiting for, the woman chosen to bring God into the world!

The plan of Satan to thwart the birth of the Messiah through the creation of the Nephilim (Genesis 6) will not succeed. Jesus will be born of a woman's seed and will defeat the seed of Satan as prophesied by God in Genesis 3:15 which says,

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Remember that Eve thought that the problem of sin would be solved by one of her kids because of what God said in the Garden. I don't think anyone could completely grasp that God's plan was to have God come to earth in the form of a human to accomplish defeating Satan, but that the baby would actually be conceived through the Holy Spirit. I know that people were not aware of when this would take place. I can guarantee you that Mary could not believe that she was the chosen vessel for this job.  Many ancient fertility cults and religions focused on goddess worship that included a distorted view of this story of a woman birthing a god. Now we have the real McCoy.  It is a much quieter and humbler picture than the ancient cults anticipated.

Mary goes to spend time with her pregnant cousin Elizabeth.  John the Baptist, who is in Elizabeth's womb, leaps in her womb when Mary enters their presence. Elizabeth pronounces that Mary is blessed because she is carrying Elizabeth's Lord and  because Mary believes by faith what God said He would do will come to pass.  This is reminiscent of Abraham's belief that God would bless the world through him. Remember, faith equals righteousness. Mary believes and says, "Amen" to God's promise.


Mary now sings a song.  This is her "amen."  This is her "right on" to God. It is like the great battle songs of old, proclaiming the accomplishments of a hero. Certainly to defeat the forces of evil is a victory. This song is known as the Magnificat.  Here are some truths in the song that the Holy Spirit gave Mary:

• Mary states that she needs a Savior. Vs. 47
• God is to be praised because He uses the humble person to accomplish His great purposes. Vs 48
• Mary is blessed because of His holiness and the great things that He accomplishes in her. Vs. 49
• His mercy is from generation to generation. Vs. 50
• He is mighty and scatters the proud. Vs. 51
• He puts down the mighty and elevates the lowly. Vs. 52
• He feeds the hungry and takes things away from the rich. Vs. 53
• He did not forget His promise to bless Israel and bless the world through Abraham. Vs. 54
• He is merciful to Israel forever. Vs.55

Everyone in Israel was aware of the purpose that God had given to the nation of Israel.  The Messiah would come from these people. Mary is realizing this and is overwhelmed with humility and thankfulness that God is going to use her to bring the Messiah into the world. Please note that Eve was instrumental in bringing us sin and Mary is instrumental in bringing us the Savior.  God uses a woman in both of these pivotal points in His story. With God all things are possible.

How has God done the impossible in your life?

Psalm 57:1-11

This psalm was written when David was hiding in a cave trying to escape from Saul who was trying to kill him.  Have you ever felt the need to cry out to God for protection?  Using this psalm would be a good way to talk to God about it.

Proverbs 11:9-11

Here are some true concepts:  Evil words will destroy one's friends.  Upright citizens bless a city.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton