Numbers 19
Purification statute: formulaverses 1-10
And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron
saying
This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded
saying
Speak unto the children of Israel
that they bring you a RED HEIFER without spot
wherein is no blemish – and on which never came yoke
and you shall give her unto Eleazar the priest
that he may bring her forth without the camp
and one shall slay her before his face
and Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger
and sprinkle of her blood directly before the
tabernacle of the congregation SEVEN TIMES
and one shall burn the heifer in his sight – her skin – her flesh
her blood – with her dung – shall he burn
and the priest shall take cedar wood – hyssop – scarlet
and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer
THEN the priest shall wash his clothes
and he shall bathe his flesh in water
and afterward he shall come into the camp
and the priest shall be unclean until the even
And he that burns her shall wash his clothes in water
and bathe his flesh in water – and shall be unclean until the even
And a man that is CLEAN shall gather up the ashes of the heifer
and lay them up without the camp in a clean place
and it shall be kept for the congregation of the
children of Israel FOR a water of SEPARATION
it is a purification for sin
And he that gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes
and be unclean until the even
and it shall be unto the children of Israel
and unto the stranger that sojourns among them
for a statute for ever
Use of Purification formula: Dead bodiesverses 11-19
He that touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean SEVEN DAYS
he shall purify himself with it on the third day
and on the seventh day he shall be clean
BUT if he purify not himself the third day
THEN the seventh day he shall not be clean
Whosoever touches the dead body of any man that is dead
and purifies not himself – defiles the tabernacle of the LORD
and that soul shall be cut off from Israel
BECAUSE the water of SEPARATION was
not sprinkled upon him – he shall be unclean
his uncleanness is yet upon him
This is the law – when a man dies in a tent – all that come into the tent
and all that is in the tent – shall be unclean SEVEN DAYS
And every open vessel – which hath no covering bound upon it
is unclean
And whosoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields
or a dead body – or a bone of a man – or a grave
shall be unclean SEVEN DAYS
And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the
burnt HEIFER of PURIFICATION for sin
and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel
and a clean person shall take hyssop
and dip it in the water
and sprinkle it upon the tent – and upon all the vessels
and on the persons that were there
and on him that touched a bone
or one slain – or one dead – or a grave
and the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the
third day – and on the seventh day
and on the seventh day he shall purify himself
and wash his clothes
and bathe himself in water
and shall be clean at even
Refusal of purification meant deathverses 20-22
BUT the man that shall be unclean – and shall not purify himself
that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation
BECAUSE he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD
the water of SEPARATION has not been sprinkled
on him – he is UNCLEAN
And it shall be a perpetual statute to them
that he that sprinkles the water of SEPARATION
shall wash his clothes
And he that touches the water of SEPARATION
shall be unclean until even
And whatsoever the unclean person touches shall be unclean
and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until even
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke (2708 “ordinance” [chuqqah] means statute, custom, appointed, something prescribed, enactment, regulation, or decree)
DEVOTION: The LORD is establishing the priesthood and regulations regarding how to cleanse someone who has been near a dead body.
There were 14, 700+ people killed in the rebellion of Korah and his friends. There was a good chance that most of the people in Israel had been near a dead body.
Now the LORD sets the prescribed action that needed to be taken by the priests in purifying the children of Israel. God wants them to know that they were considered unclean by HIM because of their nearness to dead bodies.
HIS requirement for all the children of Israel is that they had to be clean when they came to worship HIM. Anyone coming in the state of uncleanness was to be cut off from Israel.
So we have this decree from the LORD regarding cleansing of the people without them having to offer a sin offering of an animal every time they were unclean. There was a mixture of the waters of purification.
Once this was administered by a priest the people involved could be considered clean in the eyes of the LORD.
Our purification came from the blood of Jesus Christ. HIS sacrifice was much greater than that of a red heifer without blemish. We are declared clean because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We can come into the presence of the LORD anytime because of this cleansing of our sin.
CHALLENGE: Our access is open 24/7 to our Savior because of HIS sacrifice. Take advantage of this opportunity to communicate with the Creator of the Universe.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin. (5074 “separation” [niddah] means impurity, filthiness, set apart, menstruous, flowers, or uncleanness)
DEVOTION: The LORD wanted the children of Israel to know the difference between what was holy and what was unclean. What was holy was pure. What was unclean needed to be cleansed!
This chapter is dealing with those who have touched a dead body or entered a home with a dead body or touched a grave. These acts caused an Israelite to be unclean. Anyone who was unclean could not come near the tabernacle.
If they came near the tabernacle unclean, they were to be put to death. The cleansing agent for purifying someone who had committed this unclean act was water mixed with the ashes of a burnt red heifer.
The heifer had to be red. The blood of the heifer had to be sprinkled toward the tabernacle seven times. The heifer had to be burned outside the camp. The ashes included cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool were gathered after the heifer was burnt. They were gathered into clean containers and kept in a clean place until they were needed to make the waters of purification. This water was applied only to individuals who were ceremonially unclean. All people who were unclean were considered impure before God. No impure person could go near the Tabernacle.
When someone was unclean this water was sprinkled on them as part of the process of cleansing. They had to be sprinkled two times, on the third day and seventh day, in seven days. If they were not sprinkled they had to be put to death.
Today we can see how the blood of Christ has to be applied to our lives for us to be declared clean in God’s eyes. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. If the blood of Christ is not applied to someone’s life, they would spend eternity in the lake of fire.
The children of Israel had a choice regarding the application of the ash-water. We have a choice regarding the application of the blood of Christ into our life. Are we sharing this truth with those around us???
Confront anyone who thinks they can be a Christian and going to heaven, if they have never applied the blood of Christ to their life by making a personal commitment to HIM through their confession of sin. Too often people think they are on their way to heaven because of other reasons.
CHALLENGE: God is a holy God. HE demands CLEAN individuals. Only the BLOOD of Christ cleanses us from all sin!!
: 13 Whosoever touches the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifies not himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean, his uncleanness is ye ton him. (2398 “purifies” [chata] means cleanse, to make a person or object ceremonially clean, purge, reconciliation, or to purify oneself)
DEVOTION: There are people who will not follow the instructions of the LORD no matter what the consequences. There was a group of individuals who would not purify themselves after they touched a dead body. They didn’t care what the LORD wanted them to do. This was considered open rebellion against the LORD.
What was to happen to those who were not willing to obey the LORD? They were to be cut off from the children of Israel. Not sure if it meant death or to be sent out of the camp for the rest of their life. It was a severe form of disobedience to the command of the LORD.
The LORD had just faced an open rebellion and HE had dealt with it but there were still members of the Israelites who would feel like those who died had not really done anything wrong.
God wanted HIS people to understand that HE only wanted pure people in HIS camp. There had to be obedience to HIS ordinance. There had to be unity in the camp. There had to be obedience in the camp.
This is true in the church today as well. There needs to be a time of examining ourselves to make sure we are not in the state of uncleanness in the eyes of the LORD. Only we can do it for ourselves. There might be people who see us walking away from obedience to the LORD.
God provides a way to return to HIM from an unclean state to a clean state when there is un-confessed sin in our life. We have to watch what we touch or what touches us.
We also always must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of any sin in our life. Once this is done we can go to the LORD and ask forgiveness for that sin and restore our fellowship with HIM.
CHALLENGE: The water of purification turned unclean people into clean people. The blood of Jesus Christ does the same for us. Praise HIS name!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, and on all the vessels, and on the persons that were there, and on him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave. (2891 “clean” [taher} means pure, ceremonially clean, ethically clean, free from impurities according to cultic regulations and requirements, especially understood as necessary to be culturally pure in the eyes of God)
DEVOTION: Is there a clean person in the camp that can administer the water of separation. It didn’t seem to have to be a priest that went to a place where there had been or were dead individuals. The water of separation or purification was available to made sprinkle upon a tent or a vessel or a person that had come in contact with death.
We need clean people in our churches. We need clean people who are willing to help those who are unclean. This includes those who don’t know Christ as their Savior who are still dead in trespasses and sins. This also includes those who have established a relationship with the LORD but have become unclean.
Our responsibility is to encourage those who are unclean to become clean. We have to stay clean in the process. We have to watch what we touch. We have to watch how we act.
There are too many individuals who like to condemn those who are unclean without bringing the water of purification to them. Most of our world is in the state of uncleanness and we need to minister to them in any way that we can to show them the way to a proper relationship with the LORD.
Are you available to help those who are unclean? Are you available to encourage those who are discouraged?
CHALLENGE: We need individuals who are in proper relationship with the LORD to minister to those who are not.
: 22 And whatsoever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until even. (5315 “soul” [nephesh] means a human being, living being, self, heart, mind, body, appetite, desire, or the inner being of man)
DEVOTION: This verse is concerned with touching something that is dead. The children of Israel were concerned with what makes them unclean and clean. The LORD provides a definition to help them understand that if they want to enter into HIS presence, they need to be clean. This was mainly concerned with external cleansing.
Today we can also be concerned with not only external cleansing of our bodies but the internal cleansing that only comes with confession of sin. The children of Israel didn’t enter the present of the LORD unless they were ceremonially clean according to the standard that HE set down for them because if they did, they would die right away.
This is not true today. Some people can come into a church building with sin in their hearts and minds. They can be there for show and for no other reason. God knows the hearts of all those who attend church. There are many churches that are not true to the Word of God but those who are will preach to these individuals about their need to confess their sin and become clean in the eyes of the LORD.
The Bible says that “IF we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins.” This is necessary for a proper relationship with the LORD. This needs to be done daily as each of us sin daily.
There is a group of people who claim to be believers who think that they have stopped sinning and therefore don’t need confession on a daily basis. This is wrong thinking. Each day genuine believers have to face the LORD in their devotional like with confession of sin and ask for the restoration of the LORD. Then they can go on to ask the LORD to help them with whatever they are facing.
If an individual thinks that they are sinless they have not studied the Word of God enough.
CHALLENGE: Confession of sin leads to restoration and blessing. Lack of confession leads to false hope. The only person who was sinless was Jesus Christ and HE died for the rest of us.
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)
Tabernacle of the congregationverse 4
Tabernacle of the LORDverse 13
Water of separationverses 13, 21
Ashes of the burnt heifer of purification and running water put into vesselverses 17-19
Clean person take hyssop and dip in water sprinkle it on unclean person
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Ordinance of the lawverse 2
Statute (Perpetual)verses 10, 21
Lawverse 14
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 2, 13, 20
Tabernacle of the LORDverse 13
Sanctuary of the LORDverse 20
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)
Strangerverse 10
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Uncleanverses 8, 10, 11, 13-17, 19-22
Sinverses 9, 17
Not purifyverses 13, 20
Defileverses 13, 20
Unclean peopleverses 11-22
Coming into tent with dead person
Open vessel with no covering
Touching one who is slain
Touching a grave
Clean person touching unclean person
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Cleanverses 9, 12, 18,19
Separationverses 9, 13, 20,21
Purifyverses 12, 19, 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverse 1
Aaronverse 1
Children of Israelverses 2, 9, 10
Red heiferverses 2-10
Eleazar the priestverses 3–8
Man that is cleanverse 9
Congregation of the children of Israelverse 9
Water of separation: purification of sinverses 9, 13, 20, 21
Israelverse 13
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Statute foreververses 10, 21
Cut offverses 13, 20
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QUOTES regarding passage
19: 1-5: And old problem (v1-5) It was a conditioned reflex: whenever the Israelites faced a difficulty, they complained about it to Moses and Aaron and wept because they hadn’t stayed in Egypt. Difficulties either bring out the best in people or the worst; they either mature us or make us more childish (James 1: 2-8. Israel’s words and attitudes revealed clearly that their hearts were still in Egypt. What a picture of the professed Christian who still loves the world (1 John2:15-17 and turns to the world for help whenever there[s a problem! (The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe ) (New)
19:9–10a The ashes were carefully collected by a ritually clean person into a clean vessel and stored in a clean location outside the camp for safe-keeping until they were needed. The term translated “kept” (mišmeret) may have a more emphatic meaning here, that of “safeguarding service” similar to the usage in Num 3:28–38 and 4:27–32. Those responsible would ensure the purifying ashes were carefully stored in a ritually pure container, placed in a clean locale, and guarded against any contamination that would render them useless for further application.
The ashes were safeguarded for use in the water of cleansing for purification from sin or other form of impurity. The “water of cleansing” (mê niddâ, “waters of removal”) would be made efficacious for ritual cleansing by the addition of the ashes of the red cow and other burned products that were also cleansing agents. In a very real sense the purification property of blood and other reagents was reconstituted when the fresh (“living”) waters were added, making the mixture ready for sprinkling as a purification offering. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, p. 308). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
Numbers 19 details the ritual purification process that would be continuously available to the people without having to sacrifice an animal every time there was a death in the family, so it facilitates the maintenance of a holy community of faith. Maintenance of purity and sanctity as a reflection of individual and community holiness in separation from the world’s forces is important for all who desire a healthy relationship with a holy God. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, p. 301). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
As usual, purification involved vicarious sacrifice so the community must provide a red heifer without defect or blemish … that had never been put to work in plowing. Though this was a sin offering (v. 9), it was different because its purpose was not expiatory. Its purpose was not to remove sin itself, but to remove the contamination of sin which death represented. A red animal perhaps symbolized the blood. (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. 237). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Then the heifer was totally consumed by fire, along with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool. These three materials were also used in the ritual of purification of skin disease (Lev. 14:1–9). Cedar was chosen because it is evergreen and aromatic, the hyssop because of its application of the blood at the Exodus (cf. Ps. 51:7; Ex. 12:22), and the scarlet wool because it symbolizes the blood itself. (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. 237). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The preparation (vv. 1–10). There are several unique features about this ritual. The animal chosen was not male; it was slain outside the camp, away from the tabernacle and the altar; it was slain by a layman and not a priest; the blood was not caught and poured out before God but burned with the carcass; and the ashes were gathered to be mixed with water and used for ceremonial purification.
First, the animal that was selected had to be without blemish, red in color, and never yoked for service. The red color may point to the blood being shed, but perhaps the color speaks of the red earth out of which the first man was made (Gen. 2:7). The name “Adam” comes from the Hebrew word adamah which means “red earth.”
Aaron’s son and successor Eleazar led the heifer outside the camp where a layman killed it in the presence of the priest. The word used for the slaughtering of the animal is not the word used for sacrificing an animal, and there is no altar involved. Eleazar caught some of the blood and sprinkled it toward the tabernacle seven times.
The carcass with the blood was then burned, and the word used here is not the normal word for “the burning of a sacrifice.” While the body was burning, Eleazar dropped three important items into the fire: cedar wood, hyssop (a porous plant that absorbs liquid), and scarlet wool, all of which were used in the cleansing ceremony for a healed leper (Lev. 14:4, 6, 49, 51–52; and see Ps. 51:7).
Because of their involvement with a dead body, Eleazar and the man assisting him were considered ceremonially unclean and had to wash themselves and their clothing before returning to the camp in the evening. A man ceremonially clean gathered up the ashes into a container and placed it in a clean place outside the camp, accessible to the people. He too had to wash before he could return to the camp. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (p. 81). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
19:1–22 Water for purification. The law commands purity and holiness. Before leaving Sinai, Israel had driven out from the camp all unclean persons. At this point, a way of purifying from sin and uncleanness was provided. The reason for putting this law here is found in v 20: if anyone is unclean, he defiles the sanctuary. Thus, the concern is the same as in ch. 18: offences against the sanctuary bring wrath upon Israel by offending the holiness of God. The ashes of the red heifer must be mixed in water, and the water is then to be used for cleansing. This was not new. Moses had also mixed the blood of calves with hyssop, scarlet wool and water to sprinkle the people and the scroll of the covenant (Ex. 24:6–8; cf. Heb. 9:19–22). Hebrews teaches that sin cannot be cleansed without shedding blood (Heb. 9:22). Yet this sprinkling with the ashes of a heifer only cleansed the flesh; the blood of Christ cleanses the conscience (Heb. 9:13–14). If anyone neglected the water of cleansing, he would be cut off from his people. He would be deliberately spurning what God had provided, and thus committing wilful sin, done in full knowledge of God’s law. The same principle attaches to Christ’s sacrifice. If anyone refuses to believe in him, he is condemned already, because he has not believed on the Son of God (Jn. 3:18). He has turned his back upon the only means that God has given to remove his sins. (Naylor, P. J. (1994). Numbers. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., pp. 186–187). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
19:9, 10 The ashes of the heifer were used in sacrificial rituals. The ashes were added to water, and the resultant mixture was used in certain rites of purification. for purifying from sin: What might be regarded as magical in a pagan context is here a visible symbol of God’s inner work of purifying a person or object from sin. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Nu 19:9–10). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 9. And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, &c.] A man, a clean priest, as the Targum of Jonathan; in after-times great care was taken that the priest concerned in the burning of the red cow should be pure; he was separated from his own house seven days before the time, and every day he was sprinkled with the blood of all sin-offerings then offered, that it might be sure he was free from any pollution by a grave, or a dead body; and for the same reason they made a causeway on double arches from the temple to the mount of Olives, over the valley of Kedron, lest any unseen grave should be in the way; and when he came thither he was obliged to wash or dip himself, as before observed; and so he that gathered up the ashes was to be clean from all ceremonial pollution: the Jews sayn, that they pounded the ashes; if there were any black coal in them or bone, they did not leave it in them, but sifted them in stone sieves; and not the ashes of the heifer only they took, but the ashes of the cedar-wood, &c. mixed with them; and these they put, as the Targum of Jonathan says, into an earthen vessel enclosed in a covering of clay: and lay them up without the camp in a clean place; they were divided into three parts, according to the Targum of Jonathan, one part was put in the Chel (or the enclosure of the court of the tabernacle), another in the mount of Olives, and the third part was divided among all the wards of the Levites, with which the Misnah agrees; Jarchi makes mention of the same division, and of the use of each; that the wards had was without the court, that the citizens might take of it, and all that needed to be purified; that in the mount of Olives was for the priests, to sanctify other heifers with it; and that in the Chel was for a reserve: and it shall be kept for a reserve for the congregation of Israel as ashes may be kept a long time, if well taken care of, because they are not subject to any corruption or putrefaction; and so was, as Bishop Patrick observes from Dr. Jackson, a figure of the everlasting efficacy of Christ’s blood: and, according to the Jews, these ashes of the first heifer must last more than 1000 years; for they say the second that was burnt was in the time of Ezra, though they reckon seven more afterwards before the destruction of the second temple, in all nine; and the tenth they expect in the days of the Messiah, which are past; he, being come, has put an end to this type by fulfilling it in himself: and the use of them was for a water of separation; being put into water, and mixed with it, was for the cleansing of such as were separated from others for their uncleanness, and was a purification of them for it, as follows: it is a purification for sin; or it is sin, not an offering for sin, properly speaking; the heifer, whose ashes they were, not being sacrificed in the tabernacle, nor on the altar, and wanted other rites; yet it answered the purposes of a sin-offering, and its ashes in water were typical of the blood of Christ, which purges the conscience from dead works, when this only purified to the sanctifying of the flesh, Heb. 9:13, 14 and is the fountain set open for sin and uncleanness, Zech. 13:1 where both the words are used which are here, and in the preceding clause: ashes are known to be of a cleansing nature, and so a fit emblem of spiritual purification by Christ; and the duration of them of the perpetuity of it. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 798–799). London: Mathews and Leigh)
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!!)
Walking with someone implies being in step with that person and sharing his friendship and fellowship. A preeminent purpose of our devotional life is to keep ourselves in step with God, to check, as every new day opens and closes, that we are in harmony with HIM. (p. 83, On Being A PASTOR by Derek J. Prime & Alistair Begg)
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don’t want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like – even famous people you don’t know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
(Quiet Walk)
SINLESS PERFECTION?
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning….Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. 1 John 3:8-9
The man or woman who is righteous will show that by living a righteous life; the one who is not righteous shows it by not living a righteous life. That is why this reference to the devil is so significant: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” That is his characteristic, his nature, his habit; that is his way of living. That is the thing that is so true of the devil: He sins from the beginning; he goes on sinning. “And that man,” John says in essence, “who goes on sinning is therefore the man who is proclaiming that he has the kind of nature that the devil has. He does not have the new nature that the Christian has.”
We must remember that the apostle here is speaking about all Christians. Now some of the people who believe in sinless perfection tell us that the apostle here is only talking about some Christians. But at this point they become inconsistent, because they forget the message of verse 6; they say he is only speaking about some, but John is speaking about all Christians: “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” If a man does not abide in Christ, he is not a Christian at all; to be a Christian means to be abiding in Christ. Now there are some who would have us believe that you can be a Christian without abiding in Christ, but surely that denies the whole doctrine of rebirth. We are in Christ or we are not, and if we are not in Christ we are not Christians at all. “If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9); if we have not been born of the Spirit, we are not Christians. You cannot be in Christ one day and out the next; every Christian is in Christ and abides in Him. John is not only speaking to certain Christians—he is speaking to all Christians.
A Thought to Ponder: We must remember that the apostle here is speaking about all Christians. (From Children of God, pp. 76-77. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Christian Metaphors
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
Christian believers and their characteristics are described in terms of many colorful metaphors in the Bible. In our text, Christ calls us “my sheep” and has also said: “I am the good shepherd,…and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14- 15). If we are truly His sheep, then we will surely follow Him, receiving safety, peace, and nourishment.
He has also said: “Ye are the salt of the earth:…Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). We are therefore expected to bring the salt of preservation and joy to a bland, tasteless, and otherwise decaying world, and the light of salvation to a dark, sinful world.
In another beautiful metaphor, the Lord Jesus has likened us to fruitful branches: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5).
The apostle Paul compares us variously to soldiers, to athletes, and to farmers: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ….if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits” (2 Timothy 2:3, 5-6).
With regard to our Christian life and witness, Christ said we must be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). The apostle Paul compares us to individual members in a great body (1 Corinthians 12:27). Peter says we, “as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,” and also are like “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5, 9) to offer up spiritual sacrifices.
There are many other beautiful and meaningful figures of speech in the New Testament, all of which help us to appreciate the richness and fruitfulness of the Christian life.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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