Numbers 13
List of spies sent out by Mosesverses 1-16
And the LORD spoke to Moses saying
Send you men that they may search the land of Canaan
which I give unto the children of Israel
of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man
every one a ruler among them
And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them
from the wilderness of Paran
all those men were heads of the children of Israel
And these were the names
of the tribe of REUBEN – Shammua the son of Zaccur
of the tribe of SIMEON – Shaphat the son of Hori
of the tribe of JUDAH – Caleb the son of Jephunneh
of the tribe of ISSACHAR – Igal the son of Joseph
of the tribe of EPHRAIM – Oshea the son of Nun
of the tribe of BENJAMIN – Palti the son of Raphu
of the tribe of ZEBULUN – Gaddiel the son of Sodi
of the tribe of JOSEPH – namely the tribe of Manasseh
Gaddi the son of Susi
of the tribe of DAN – Ammiel the son of Gemalli
of the tribe of ASHER – Sethur the son of Michael
of the tribe of NAPHTALI – Nahbi the son of Vophsi
of the tribe of GAD – Geuel the son of Nachi
These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land
and Moses called Oshea the son of Nun – Jehoshua
Moses gives spies instructions on what to look for in landverses 17-20
And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan
and said to them
Get you up this way southward and go up into the mountain
and see the land – what it is and the people that dwell therein
whether they be strong or weak – few or many
and what the land is that they dwell in
whether it be good or bad
and what cities they be that they dwell in
whether in tents – or in strongholds
and what the land is – whether it be fat or lean
whether there be wood therein – or not
And be you of good courage
and bring of the fruit of the land
Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes
Spies bring back fruit from Promised Landverses 21-24
So they went up – and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin
to Rehob – as men come to Hamath
And they ascended by the south – and came unto Hebron
where Ahiman – Sheshai – Talmai – the children of Anak were
(now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt)
And they came to the brook of Eshcol
and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes
and they bare it between two on a staff
and they brought of the pomegranates
and of the figs
The place was called the brook Eshcol
BECAUSE of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel
cut down from thence
Spies gone for forty daysverse 25
They returned from searching of the land after FORTY DAYS
Spies give report to Mosesverses 26-29
And they went and came to Moses – and to Aaron
and to all the congregation of the children of Israel
to the wilderness of Paran – to Kadesh
and brought back word unto them
and to the congregation
and showed them the fruit of the land
And they told him and said
We came unto the land whither you sent us
and surely it flows with milk and honey
and this is the fruit of it
NEVERTHELESS the people be strong that dwell in the land
and the cities are walled – and very great
and moreover we saw the children of Anak there
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south – and the Hittites
Jebusites – Amorites – dwell in the mountains
and the Canaanites dwell by the sea
and by the coast of Jordan
Caleb tells people get up and go into the landverse 30
And Caleb STILLED the people before Moses
and said
Let us go up at once – and possess it
FOR we are well able to overcome it
Ten spies give a bad reportverses 31-33
BUT the men that went up with him
said
We be not able to go up against the people
FOR they are STRONGER than we
And they brought up an EVIL REPORT of the land which they had
searched unto the children of Israel
saying
The land – through which we have gone to search it
IS a land that eats up the inhabitants thereof
And all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature
and there we saw the GIANTS – the sons of Anak
which come of the GIANTS
and we were in our own sight as GRASSHOPPERS
and so we were in their sight
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land and Moses called Oshea the son of Nun – Jehoshua (3091 “ Jehoshua” [Yahowshuwa] means Joshua, Jehovah is salvation, or the LORD is salvation)
DEVOTION: Names are important in the Hebrew culture. Each name means something different. We don’t usually care what a name means but some people look up names in a “baby name book.” They look for just the right name. Some pick names of famous people. Some have family names. This is different from the Old Testament naming of individuals.
Here we see that Joshua was going to have a special relationship with the LORD. His name was used in the New Testament for Jesus Christ. Moses had a special relationship with him from a youth as he picked him to be his assistant.
God wants those who are followers of Jesus Christ to know that they will have new name given when they get to heaven. Not sure what that new name will be but it will be one of endearment to the LORD.
Too often we make too much about our name. We should wait for the time when God calls us by our new name. God loves us so much and wants us to know that HE knows all our names.
CHALLENGE: Joshua changed from a name that meant “salvation” to Jehovah is salvation. The desire for salvation is real and the giving of salvation comes only from God.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not, And be you of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. (2388 “be of good courage” [chazaq] means to strengthen oneself by summoning all of one’s remaining strength, grow firm, strong, strengthen, to hold fast, or to make firm)
DEVOTION: How do you usually feel when you go into a strange place? Are you excited about working at a new location? Do you ever get lost going to a new place? Here we have twelve men going into a strange land to find out the facts concerning the Promised Land.
God had promised them that HE was going to give them the land. HE was going to give them strength in battle. HE was going to lead them. They had all kinds of promises from God. However, we have many promises from God but the important fact is that we need to believe or trust in the LORD.
These men were to scout the land and bring back a report. It was a land that was new to them. It was a land that would have many good points and some bad points.
Moses told them to be of good courage as they entered a new land. Where was the courage to come from? It was to come from the LORD and HIS promise. It was to come from their understanding of all the great things the LORD had done in the past. It was not to be just human courage alone.
We are to have courage when we enter a new relationship with individuals who don’t know the LORD. We have to look for open doors to witness to them. We are not to be politically correct by not bring up the name of Jesus when a door is opened. We don’t have to as it has been said “Jam a Bible up their nose.”
These were God’s people going into a land that was promised to them. There should have been no fear because the LORD was with them. They should have looked at the land from a heavenly perspective not a human perspective.
CHALLENGE: However, we know which perspective they saw the land in. It is sad because we tend to do the same thing even today.
: 27 And they told him, and said, We came to the land whither you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. (7971 “sent” [shalach] means to cause to go somewhere, dispatch, to inform by a messenger, direct, or give free play to)
DEVOTION: We all need direction in our life. We have individuals who want to tell us what to do for the rest of our lives. Sometimes it is parents or teachers or friends who have an idea what we should do with our lives.
Once we graduate from high school, we have to make a choice as to whether we will go to college or just find a job for the rest of our lives. It is not easy to know what we should do as teenagers.
Here we have the children of Israel being sent by the LORD to the Promised Land. They were to go in and through the strength of the LORD defeat the people of the land but they were afraid because ten of the twelve spies gave an evil or bad report about the possibility of winning the land for themselves.
We sometimes listen to the wrong advice instead of trusting the LORD when HE sends us in a certain direction. Following the LORD is never easy. Ask the disciples of the New Testament.
The LORD has called all believers to serve HIM in the local church. Each believer is given a certain ability or gift from the LORD. We are to use our gifts to serve HIM as we reach people around us with the message of salvation that is provided by Jesus Christ. We are to all give a testimony to those we meet.
Once we enter the church we are to trust the LORD to gift us in a certain area of service. It might be to just clean up after a fellowship meal. It might be to take the offering. It may be to sing.
CHALLENGE: We are to serve the LORD wherever HE sends us and in whatever area HE has gifted us. We are not to sit, soak and sour in the local church. We are to serve.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great,and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (5794 “strong” [‘az] means fierce, mighty, powerful, having strong military capability, fortified, cruel, intense, or shameless)
DEVOTION: Do you have giants in your life that you are afraid of on a regular basis? What do you do with the giants when you talk to the LORD in prayer? Here we have the spies reporting to the people regarding all that they saw in the land.
There seems to be a negative spirit in the life of the ten spies. They only saw the obstacles rather than the power of God. They looked at every obstacle as something that couldn’t be defeated.
Their God was small and the people of the land were giants by comparison. Their thoughts were that God was not able to give them the land. They saw that it was a land full of milk and honey. They saw that the fruit grew so big that two men had to carry one vine. They saw the pluses of the land but concentrated on the negative.
We have a tendency to do the same when we are supposed to step out in faith regarding something in our life. We look at all the obstacles instead of the power of God.
Has HE demonstrated HIS power in your life in the past? Have you seen HIM send blessings in places you never thought they would come? Are you always thinking negative regarding the LORD’S ability to provide for you needs?
All of us can fall into this trap. It is a trap of the devil. He wants us to doubt the abilities of the LORD. He wants us to look at all the negative factors in any decision.
CHALLENGE: Depend on the promises of God to lead you to the right place at the right time and to provide for all your needs. That is where every believer should be in any new adventure the LORD sends our way.
: 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. (3201 “well able” [yakol] means to overcome, to prevail, endure, to have ability or have strength)
DEVOTION: The LORD commanded Moses to send one leader from each tribe to go into the Promised Land and spy out the land. Moses picked one man from each tribe and instructed them in what they were to look for and what they were to bring back with them from their time in the land.
The spies were gone for forty days. They traveled throughout the land. They found what Moses told them to look for. They even brought back some of the fruit of the land. It took two men to carry ONE cluster of grapes. It was truly a land of milk and honey.
Upon their return they reported to Moses. Caleb spoke up as soon as the report was given and told them to go up and conquer the land.
However, there was two reports given by the spies when they returned from the land of Canaan. The majority report was that they were not able to conquer the people of the land. There were giants in the land. They were afraid.
Calab and Joshua believed God. He believed that God would give them the ability or strength to overcome giants and anything else they found in the land. They trusted in the promise of the LORD.
So one group promoted FEAR and the other promoted TRUST. The majority were against the conquering of the land.
We sometimes doubt God’s ability to give us the victory. Sometimes we think that God doesn’t want us to have a victory. God had shown the Israelites HIS miracles in Egypt and on the way to the Promised Land and they still didn’t believe that HE meant to keep HIS promise to them and give them the Promised Land.
We have the testimony of the Word of God and of people around us that God is still keeping HIS promises. If we are going to do something that will bring HIM glory, HE wants us to succeed. Do we believe that? Let us remember to claim the strength God promises as we face the giants in our lives.
Our land is full of people who don’t love the LORD. The majority report could be that “we are not able to reach our world for Christ.” There is a lot of FEAR in the churches of America. This needs to change. There should be an attitude of TRUST. If God told us to “Go ye” we should be going. We are fully able to reach our communities for Christ, if we step out in faith. Many leaders don’t even have the desire to reach their communities for Christ. They are satisfied with those they have in their pews. They are inwardly motivated rather than outwardly motivated. Many people in the pews say that they are “TOO BUSY” to reach their world for Christ.
No excuses for not reaching neighbors for the LORD. The LORD is coming. HE has HIS rewards in HIS hands. Will the church in America receive many of those REWARDS? Will HE say “well done” to the majority of the Biblical churches in a America or in the country in which you are living?
CHALLENGE: Remember that God is bigger and more powerful than any obstacle HE puts in our path. Victory is promised to those who are faithful.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandment of the LORDverse 3
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 3
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Wilderness of Paranverses 3, 26
Wilderness of Zin to Rehohverse 21
Children of Anak [Giants]verses 22, 28, 33
Egyptverse 22
Amalekitesverse 29
Hittitesverse 29
Jebusitesverse 29
Amoritesverse 29
Canaanitesverse 29
Men of great statureverse 32
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Not able to overcomeverse 31
Evil reportverse 32
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Good courageverse 20
Able to overcomeverse 30
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 16, 26, 30
Children of Israelverses 2, 3, 32
Men to search land of Canaanverses 2, 4-15, 17-25
Caleb: able to overcomeverses 6, 30
Report of Caleb
Let us go up at once
We are able to overcome
Joshua = Oshea = Jehoshuaverses 8, 16
Cluster of grapes that took two men to carryverse 23
Pomegranates and figs
Report of spies after forty days in landverses 25, 26
Aaronverse 26
Congregations of the children of Israelverse 26
Land flowing with milk and honeyverse 26
Bad report: Ten spiesverses 28, 31-33
people are strong
cities are walled
children of Anak: giants
they are stronger than us
evil report
men of great stature
we are like grasshoppers
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 20. And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, &c.] That is, what the soil of it is, whether it be rich and fertile, or whether it be poor and barren, which would be seen by the fruits it produced, this being now the fruitful season of the year; and so the Targum of Jonathan, “and what is the praise of the land, whether its fruits are fat or lean;” plump and full, rich and juicy, or otherwise, as their grapes, olives, &c. whether it was a land flowing with milk and honey, abounding with all good things, and those of the best sort, or no: whether there be wood thereon or not; timber for building, and other manual operations, or wood for fuel, which are great conveniences in a country; though the Targum of Jonathan interprets it of fruit-bearing trees, which bear fruits fit for eating, or not, as apples, pears, figs, pomegranates, &c. and be ye of good courage; and not be afraid of being taken up for spies, suggesting, that the power and providence of God would protect and preserve them, in which they should put their trust, and be of good heart: and bring of the fruit of the land; as a sample and specimen of what it brought forth, which would serve to encourage and animate the people in general, to go up and possess it: now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes; when they and the other summer-fruits were coming to their perfection; and which was a proper season to see them in, and bring a sample of them; though Chaskuni suggests, that it was a more dangerous time to bring off fruit, because the keepers of the vineyards were then there; and hence they needed strengthening, and are bid to be of good courage; the Targum of Jonathan is, “the day on which they went was the 29th of the month Sivan, the time of the first ripe grapes;” and as this month answers to part of our May and part of June, and it being at the latter end of that month, it must be about the middle of June; by which we may observe the forwardness of grapes in the land of Canaan, the time of vintage now drawing nigh. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 764). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
13:17–20 Moses faithfully reiterated to the tribal scouts the instructions given him by the Lord. They were directed to explore the land of Canaan from which their ancestral tribal leaders had journeyed some four hundred years earlier during a time of famine. They were to head northward through the hill country regions later to be known as Judah, Samaria, and Galilee (“go up”) starting in the Negev (“southlands”). They would reach as far north as Rehob of Lebo-Hamath in southern Lebanon. Biblical texts indicate that the Negev region stretched southward from Hebron (Qiryat Arba) into the Zin Wilderness region, whereas in modern times the term denotes the region from Arad and Beersheba southward to Elat on the Gulf of Aqaba.
The scouts’ primary objective was to reconnoiter the land to provide the answers to a series of questions Moses posed concerning the quality and productivity of the land and the military strength of its inhabitants. Though the specific time (day/month) frame is not provided, seasonal data was noted in the instructions and in the produce brought back by the scouts. This was the time of the first harvest of the vineyards (v. 20), hence late summer or early fall (late July to early September), several months after the departure from Mount Sinai in early spring. The questions move from general to specific in a pattern of pairs that focus on the land and its peoples. As noted above, the very questions portend the possibility of a negative response. The land as a gift from God would surely be good, as suggested by the phrase “flowing with milk and honey.” At the center of the chiasm, noted in the “Structural Outline of Numbers 13–14” in the above excursus, was the question, “Is it good or bad (evil)?” Their response at the conclusion was one of both/and rather than either/or. The land is good, but the people are bad news. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, pp. 218–219). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
The NIV translation of וְהִתְחַקְתֶּם (wehiṯḥazzaqtem) as “Do your best” seems weak for this strong verb, a Hithpael perfect with the waw consecutive, used as a command, from the verb ḥāzaq meaning “show yourselves courageous!” The act of heroism was in fact the bracing for thievery! They were told to take a sample of the fruit of the land, not a purchase from a stand, but the seizure from a field. Since the whole of the land was to be theirs, including cities they had not built, vineyards they had not cultivated, and trees they had not planted (Deut 6:10–11), in a sense the taking of the sample of the fruit of the land is a sampling of that which would all become theirs. (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 809). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
13:17–20. The route of the explorers was north from Kadesh through the Negev and on into the hill country. The Negev (lit., “south”) refers to all the desert of southern Canaan, especially the area from Beersheba south. The hill country consisted of the mountains of Judah, north to the hills of Ephraim, and all the way to the heights of Galilee. In Moses’ time the hill country was populated primarily by the Amorites, and the plains and valleys by the Canaanites (cf. comments on v. 29). The mission of the spies was clear: to determine the nature of the land itself and ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of its inhabitants (vv. 18–20). The reason for the route Moses suggested was probably his intention to attack and penetrate Canaan from that direction. There certainly was no plan originally to enter the land from the east through Jericho. That was not only far off the main Egyptian access to Canaan but it involved the hazard of passing near the heavily fortified defensive positions at Jericho and Ai. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). Numbers. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 229). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
13:1–20 In this chapter sending out the spies was ordered by the Lord. In Deuteronomy 1:19–22 it was suggested by the people. Doubtless God’s instruction was in response to the people’s request, even if their attitude was one of unbelief. The names of the twelve spies are given in verses 4–15. Notice particularly Caleb (v. 6) and Hoshea (v. 8). Moses called Hoshea by the name Joshua (v. 16). Moses asked the twelve spies to bring back a complete report concerning the land and its inhabitants (vv. 17–20). First they were to go to the Negev in the South, then to the hill country in the central part of the land. (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 181). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
At the conclusion of the list of the scouts’ names, emphasis is given to the person of Joshua, whose former name was Hoshea. The inclusion here serves several purposes in the narrative: (1) to highlight his role as a leader, (2) to portend his role as a spokesman for God, and (3) to provide a structural marker for the chiastic rhetorical structure of the passage in which contrast is made between the faithful leaders—Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb—and the faithless ten scouts who held sway over the Israelite congregation. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, p. 218). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
In this list Joshua is called Hoshea (8; cf. Deut. 32:44), which probably means (God) ‘is salvation’, or (God) ‘saves’. Verse 16 explains that Moses later renamed him Joshua, which means ‘the Lord is salvation’, or ‘the Lord saves’. It is not explicitly stated that it was on this occasion that his name was changed to Joshua. Indeed, that the list of spies calls him Hoshea suggests it was done later and indirectly confirms the antiquity of this list.3 Though some earlier passages use the name Joshua, they must be anticipating his subsequent change of name (e.g. Exod. 24:13). Other important name changes include Abraham’s (Gen. 17:5), Sarah’s (Gen. 17:15) and Jacob’s (Gen. 35:10). The Greek version of the Old Testament translates Joshua by Jesus. (Wenham, G. J. (1981). Numbers: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, p. 131). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The Hebrew word Hoshea means “salvation”; the new form of the name Joshua means “Yahweh saves”; the latter form is the Hebrew spelling for Jesus (Yʾshua). (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 806). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
For reasons not entirely clear, Moses changed the name of Hoshea (hôšēa‘, “salvation”) to Joshua (yehôšūa‘, “Yahweh is salvation“). (Merrill, E. H. (1985). Numbers. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 229). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them. This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God’s purposes. (Quiet Walk: Walk Thru Bible Devotions😉
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
If the mighty works, which have been done in thee [Capernaum], had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
Matthew 11:23-24
Sodom and Gomorrah were given an opportunity. Read the story in Genesis 19. But consider what the names of these cities suggest to us; Sodom has become a symbol of everything that is false and ugly in man as the result of the Fall. Sodom and Gomorrah suggest profligacy, born in the very gutters of sin, with marauders walking the streets with eyes that stand out in lasciviousness those were the characteristics of the life there. Now what our Lord said in Matthew 11 was that the case of Capernaum and Chorazin and Bethsaida was worse than that of those Old Testament cities.
Now this can mean but one thing, which is that the judgment of all men and women is ultimately going to be in terms of their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not told that the moral life of these cities was the same as that of Sodom and Gomorrah. We can be perfectly certain it was not; there were none of those evil men roaming the streets in their lusts. There was nothing like that at all, and yet they were worse than Sodom and Gomorrah! Why? Here is the answer: He had lived in Capernaum; He had walked its streets and made it His headquarters. Not only that, it was there that He had worked some of His most mighty and marvelous deeds. It was out of these cities that people like Peter and Andrew and Philip had come, and where our Lord had manifested His glory in a most signal manner. Yet these people went on living as if He had never come at all; that is the source of judgment.
A Thought to Ponder: The judgment of all men and women is ultimately going to be in terms of their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. (From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 100-101. By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven — consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him. (Quiet Walk)
TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1 John 3:5
Why did the Son of God ever come into this world? When we think about the Lord Jesus Christ and especially about His death on that cross on Calvary’s hill, what is its purpose? Is it just something about which we sentimentalize? What does it represent to us? What is the explanation of it all?
That is the question that John answers here, and let me put the answer in a negative form. Our Lord did not only come to give us a revelation of God, though that is a part of the purpose. He said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9), and we also read, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). But that is not all, though He indeed revealed the Father and has come to do that. In the same way, He has not only come to teach us about God. There is incomparable teaching there, such as the world had never known before and has not known since, but He did not come only to do that. There is also, of course, the example of His life, a matchless one, but He has not come only to give us an example of how we should live in this world. He is not just a teacher or a moral exemplar; He has not come merely to give us some kind of picture as to the nature and being of God. All that is the re, but that is not the real reason, says John.
He has really come, he says, because of our sins, because of the predicament and the position of men and women, because of this whole question of law. He has not come only to instruct us and to give us encouragement in our endeavor and a great example. No; there is a fundamental problem at the back of it all, and that is our relationship to God in the light of God’s holy law.
A Thought to Ponder
He has not come only to instruct us and to give us encouragement in our endeavor and a great example. (From Children of God, pp. 51-52, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Stronger than Hate
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Luke 23:34
Within twenty-four hours of his mother Sharonda’s tragic death, Chris found himself uttering these powerful, grace-filled words: “Love is stronger than hate.” His mother, along with eight others, had been killed at a Wednesday night Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina. What was it that had so shaped this teenager’s life that these words could flow from his lips and his heart? Chris is a believer in Jesus whose mother had “loved everybody with all her heart.”
In Luke 23:26-49 we get a front row seat to an execution scene that included two criminals and the innocent Jesus (v. 32). All three were crucified (v. 33). Amid the gasps and sighs and the likely groans from those hanging on the crosses, the following words of Jesus could be heard: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (v. 34). The hate-filled initiative of the religious leaders had resulted in the crucifixion of the very One who championed love. Though in agony, Jesus’ love continued to triumph.
How have you or someone you love been the target of hate, ill-will, bitterness, or ugliness? May your pain prompt your prayers, and may the example of Jesus and people like Chris encourage you by the power of the Spirit to choose love over hate.
By Arthur Jackson (Our Daily Bread)
Christ in You
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
The New Covenant includes a mystery Paul had the privilege of revealing to the Gentiles (Colossians 1:24-29). The history and prophecies of the Old Covenant contained a few hints of God’s plan for the last days, but the focus was centered on the “fulness of time” when the Messiah would come (Galatians 4:4).
Paul seemed thrilled to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) and to have the responsibility of unveiling “the grace of God which is given me to you-ward” (Ephesians 3:2). More than the obligation, Paul felt a dread judgment if he failed (1 Corinthians 9:16). It follows that we should be clear in our own declaration of this mystery.
Simply put, the mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Obviously, that is the result of salvation. The new message is the completed work and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The promises of the prophets and the long history of Israel tend to obscure the eternal plan of God (Ephesians 3:11)—thus the detailed effort of the New Testament writers to amplify the “whosoever will” aspect of the gospel message.
“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven” (1 Peter 1:10-12).
Now it is possible for the whole world to have a personal and eternal relationship with Jesus Christ. (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
The Word of God says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
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