Numbers 20
Miriam diesverse 1
Then came the children of Israel
even the whole congregation into the desert of Zin
in the first month
and the people abode in Kadesh
And Miriam DIED there and was buried there
People rebel because of no waterverses 2-5
And there was NO WATER for the congregation
and they gathered themselves together against Moses
and against Aaron
And the people CHODE with Moses and spoke
saying
Would God that we had died when our brethren DIED
before the LORD
Why have you brought up the congregation of the LORD
into this wilderness that we
and our cattle should DIE there?
Wherefore have you made us to come up out of Egypt
to bring us in to this evil place? it is no place of seed
or of figs – or of vines – or of pomegranates
neither is there any water to drink
LORD commands Moses to speak to the rockverses 6-8
And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly
to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
and they FELL on their faces
and the GLORY of the LORD
appeared to them
And the LORD spoke to Moses
saying
Take the rod and gather you the assembly together – you
and Aaron your brother
and SPEAK you to the ROCK before their eyes
And it shall give forth his water
and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock
so you shall give the congregation and their
and beasts drink
Moses disobeyed the LORDverses 9-11
And Moses took the ROD from before the LORD
as HE commanded him
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together
before the rock – and he said to them
Hear now – you rebels
Must WE fetch you water out of this ROCK?
And Moses lifted up his hand
and with his rod he SMOTE the rock TWICE
and WATER came out abundantly
and the congregation drank – and their beasts also
LORD judges Moses and Aaron for unbeliefverses 12-13
And the LORD
spoke to Moses and Aaron
BECAUSE you believed ME not
to sanctify ME in the eyes of the children of Israel
THEREFORE you shall NOT bring this congregation into the
land which I have given them
This is the water of Meribah
BECAUSE the children of Israel STROVE with the LORD
and HE was sanctified in them
Moses asks permission from king of Edomverses 14-19
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh
to the king of Edom
Thus says your brother Israel
You know all the travail that has befallen us
How our fathers went down into Egypt
and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time
and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers
and when we cried to the LORD
HE heard our voice
and sent an angel – and has brought us forth
out of Egypt
and BEHOLD- we are in Kadesh
a city in the uttermost of your border
Let us pass – I pray you – through thy country
we will not pass through your fields
or through the vineyards
neither will we drink of the water of
the wells
we will go by the king’s highway
we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left
until we have passed your borders
And Edom said to him
You shall not pass by me
lest I come out against you with the sword
Israelites ask a second timeverses 19-21
And the children of Israel said to him
We will go by the highway
and if I and my cattle drink of your water
then I will pay for it – I will only
without doing anything else
go through on my feet
And he said
You shall not go through
And Edom came out against him with much people
and with a strong hand
Thus Edom REFUSED to give Israel passage through his border
wherefore Israel turned away from him
Aaron gives Eleazarverses 22-27
And the children of Israel
even the whole congregation journeyed from Kadesh
and came to mount Hor
And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Hor
by the coast of the land of Edom
saying
Aaron shall be gathered to his people
FOR he shall not enter into the land which I have
given to the children of Israel
BECAUSE you REBELLED against MY word
at the water of Meribah
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son
and bring them up to mount Hor
and strip Aaron of his garments
and put them on Eleazar his son
and Aaron shall be gathered to his people
and shall DIE there
Aaron dies on mount Horverses 28-29
And Moses did as the LORD commanded
and they went up into mount Hor
in the sight of all the congregation
And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments
and put them on Eleazar his son
and Aaron DIED there in the top of the mount
and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was DEAD
they mourned for Aaron thirty days
even all the house of Israel
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. (5307 “fell” [naphal] means fall down, fall prostrate, fall to the ground, or collapse)
DEVOTION: Dealing with people can ware any leader down. It is hard to work with people who always seem to find something to complain about. It is hard to live with someone who seems to always see the glass is half empty.
Moses and Aaron stand before the people as leaders who have shown the LORD’S power over and over again but the people still only think of the day they are facing right now. They don’t remember the past or the promises of God.
Remember that I keep repeating two things that those who are followers of God carry with them into the new life they have in fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Each of us carries with us the sins of selfishness and laziness. We want God to provide everything for us without us doing any work. We want what we want when we want it and there is no waiting period.
Here we have them prostrate before the Tabernacle waiting for the LORD’s response to the current crisis. The LORD comes when they pray. HE answers to the prayers of righteous men. HE answers our prayers. HE wants us to come to HIM in every crisis.
It would be great to have the LORD come down each time we pray but we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. HE gives us the answers to our prayers because of the ministry of Jesus Christ and our standing with the Father.
Now God gives an answer to their need for water and HE expects Moses and Aaron to follow HIS instructions to the letter.
That is what HE expects of us. Do we always follow HIM correctly? NO!! Neither did Moses and Aaron.
CHALLENGE: Turn to the LORD during each crisis in your life. HE will answer with a way we should respond to that crisis. It is up to us to honor HIS answer.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 And Mosses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. (5221 “smote” [nakah] means strike, smite, hit, slay, kill, or beat)
DEVOTION: When the LORD gives a direct command, do we obey it? Does HIS word tell us what to do in certain circumstances? Does HE leave doubt as to what HE wants us to do regarding reaching the lost with the gospel? Does HE in this passage leave any doubt regarding what HE wants Moses and Aaron to do to produce water from a rock?
The children of Israel are complaining again. They didn’t have any water. They wanted water. They blamed Moses and Aaron for leading them to a place where there was no water. Moses and Aaron go before the LORD. The LORD tells Moses to SPEAK to the ROCK and water will come out for the children of Israel.
Here we find Moses angry with the children of Israel. God told him to speak to the rock. Moses said “must we” bring water out of the rock. He was angry and didn’t obey the command of the LORD and didn’t give God credit for the water. Water did come out of the rock.
God honored Moses. Moses didn’t honor God. Moses didn’t believe the LORD. He thought he was doing what the LORD wanted him to do. God judged him. The judgment was that Moses would not lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land.
Moses had an anger problem. He knew he had the problem. He still didn’t listen to the LORD. He did it his way. The problem is that the ROCK in the Old Testament represented Christ. These verses are tied to I Corinthians 10: 4 in the New Testament. Christ was to die on the cross once for those who were to become followers of God. HE was not going to die twice. HE was not going to be struck twice. HE was only going to die for our sins ONCE.
Today God gives us instructions through HIS word the Bible. In the Bible HE tells us what is to happen in the life of a Christian. HE informs us what is to happen in the life of the Church. HE doesn’t leave anything out. We are going to suffer for HIM. HE doesn’t promise a rose garden here on earth. Too often we have false teachers saying that everything will go perfect if we become a follower of Christ. We will have health and wealth. That is not true. Some can handle wealth, not all. Some will have health problems that will bring glory to God.
We are to follow HIS instructions. When things happen, we need to give God the glory. If we take all the glory or even some of the glory, HE will have to judge us. Are we giving God the glory in our personal lives? Are we giving God the glory in our churches? Are we hitting when we should be speaking???
CHALLENGE: Obey the LORD correctly!!! Follow HIS instructions regularly. Never take credit for what HE IS DOING!!!
:12 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because you believed ME not, to sanctify ME in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (539 “believed” [‘aman] means to stand fast, verified, stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to have faith, put one’s trust in something or someone, or to lean upon)
DEVOTION: Moses and Aaron have seen the LORD work many times. In each rebellion they saw the LORD work a miracle to prove that HE was there and could do whatever was necessary to keep the children of Israel in line with their leaders.
This time it was the key leaders who didn’t trust the LORD fully. They acted on their own. They did something the LORD had not told them to do. They took credit for something the LORD was doing instead of something they were doing on their own.
This was rebellion on the part of the leadership. God had to judge Moses and Aaron for their actions.
There penalty was that they would not enter the Promised Land. They were going to die before this event. Aaron died soon while Moses died after he looked at the land from a distance.
Today we need to have leadership that are obedient to the LORD. We find that some leadership wants to compromise the teaching of the Word of God to please people or to make sure that the group stays together no matter what.
There are people in the pews that want the leadership to not be so Biblically correct when it comes to social issues. They think that their issue is more important than obeying the Bible.
If leadership gives in to these people or allows these people to get under their skin and they do something that is not pleasing to the LORD. They have to be judge. Moses and Aaron took it upon themselves to take credit for something the LORD was doing. They didn’t correctly obey the LORD. They did what they thought was right to show the people they were in control.
God wants the credit for each blessing HE sends our way. If we take credit for it we are not giving God glory which is the best thing we can do with any blessing. We need to give God the glory for the miracles HE is working in our lives.
CHALLENGE: If any blessing comes our way we need to give God the glory first and foremost. HE is the one who is blessing us.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 13 This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and HE was sanctified in them. (7378 “strove” [riyb] means strive, contend, chide, debate, to make complaint, quarrel, or oppose)
DEVOTION: It is always good to question God about what is happening in your life. The LORD wants you to be honest with HIM at all times. If there is something happening in your life that doesn’t seem right to you, you can go to the LORD and ask HIM about it. Many of the saints of old asked the LORD many questions about the circumstances HE allowed in their life.
We know that the LORD has informed us that nothing happens in our life that has not been sent by HIM. Everything HE sends into our life is for our spiritual good or growth. It is hard to understand at times. Imagine being Job when all of his possessions and family were taken from him.
Here we have people arguing with the LORD. There is a difference between asking the LORD for reasons and arguing with the LORD about what you think should happen when you think it should happen.
We are not to argue with the LORD but we are to go to HIM with our concerns. We need to lay our plans before the LORD and ask HIM what HE thinks and HE will either open a door or close a door.
God demonstrates HIS holiness by showing HIS power over nature and our thoughts concerning miracles. They still happen today. HE has lost no power over time. We always have to honor HIM when HE acts and not take credit ourselves. That was a problem for Moses and Aaron when they used the “WE” word in the Bible record.
CHALLENGE: The LORD wants up to go to HIM with our concerns but also to accept what HE allows in our life because it is for our growth and good. Even when we don’t understand at times.
: 16 And when we cried to the LORD, HE heard our voice, and sent an angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt: and behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of your border (6817 “cried” [tsa‘aq] means to shout, to cry out with an appeal for something or some actions, be summoned, to make outcry, clamor, a call for help or raise a cry of wailing)
DEVOTION: Who is Moses talking to in this passage? He is talking with the Edomites regarding going through their land to the Promised Land. He is asking permission to travel on the King’s Highway that went through their land. He promised not to eat or drink without paying for whatever they needed.
Now he gives a history that the Edomites knew. They knew that the LORD had taken them out of Egypt when the tenth plague hit the land. They knew that the Egyptian army was drowned in the Red Sea. News traveled fast in that day. The people of the Promised Land knew all about what was happening via caravans.
Who are these Edomites? They are descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. So they were cousins to the Israelites. They were supposed to act like family. This didn’t happen.
Sometimes family can be your worst enemy. This was the case here as the Edomites brought an army out to fight the Israelites. They were carrying a grudge because of Jacob stealing his brother’s birthright and blessing. Family usually doesn’t forget the past.
The Israelites had to go around their territory but they were going to receive judgment from the LORD for their treatment of the Israelites. God expects families to work together.
God answers the prayers of the Israelites not only in Egypt but throughout their travels when they depended on the LORD instead of themselves. We need to depend on the LORD and wait patiently for HIS answer to any situation we find ourselves in. HE answers in HIS timing not ours.
CHALLENGE: This time the answer was to wait awhile for HIM to defeat the Edomites.
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)
Cried to the LORDverse 16
LORD answered their prayerverse 16
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Door of the Tabernacleverse 6
Fell on their facesverse 6
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God (Elohim)verse 3
LORD (Jehovah)verses 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 23, 27
LORD appearedverse 6
Glory of the LORDverse 6
Told Moses to speak to the rockverse 8
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)
Angelverse 16
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Desert of Zinverse 1
Egyptverses 5, 15, 16
Waters of Meribahverses 13, 24
Kadesh – king of Edomverses 14, 16, 22
Edomites say NOverses 18, 20, 21, 23
Mount Horverses 22, 23, 25, 27
Land of Edomverse 23
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Against Moses and Aaronverse 2
Chodeverse 3
Evilverse 5
Must WE (not giving LORD glory)verse 10
Rebelsverses 10, 24
Moses hitting rockverse 11
Unbeliefverse 12
Strove with the LORDverse 13
Vexing of children of Israelverse 15
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Sanctifyverses 12, 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Children of Israelverses 1, 12, 13, 19, 21, 24
Offered to pay Edom for water
Land given to them
Whole congregationverses 1, 11, 22
Miriam verse 1
No waterverse 2
Mosesverses 2, 3, 6
Aaronverses 2, 6, 8, 12, 23-29
Not enter the land
Reason; rebellion at Meribah
Stripped his High Priestly garments
Dead
Congregation mourned him for 30 days
Brethrenverse 3
Congregation of the LORDverse 4
Door of the Tabernacleverse 6
LORD commands Moses to SPEAK to rockverse 8
Eyes of the children of Israelverse 12
Brother Israelverse 14
Refusal of Edomverses 14-22
Eleazar – son of Aaronverses 25-28
Becomes high priest
Aaron dies because of rebellionverses 26, 29
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Miriam diedverse 1
Death of Aaronverse 29
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QUOTES regarding passage
An old problem (vv. 1-5): And old problem: 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 Christians who still loves the world (1 John 2: 15-17) and turns to the world for help whenever there’s a problem. (The Bible Exposition Commentary)
20:6 Moses and Aaron retreated to that sacred locale where God so often revealed himself, and they fell prostrate upon their faces in their usual position of entreaty and intercession. As they lay face down at the front of the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to them in the form of the fire-encased cloud, demonstrating quite visibly the divine presence and imprimatur upon his servants. When one demonstrates the attitudes of humility and servanthood, God’s presence and blessing are realized most fully. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, pp. 325–326). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
24 The idiom of death, “Aaron will be gathered to his people,” is characteristic of the OT narrators, particularly when the death is of a notable person of faith in God (see Gen 25:8, 17; 35:29 et al.). The expression seems to be a double entendre: (1) the laying of the body in the grave is a return to the dust from which man has come (Gen 3:19); (2) but the person will be gathered to his people in the realm of the life beyond death. Although Aaron was about to die and would not enjoy the blessings of the Land of Promise, he would still have his part in the life to come.
Further in this passage we have another notice of the culpability of the two brothers in the rebellion at Meribah. Aaron had joined Moses in rebellion against God (v.12); the impending death of Aaron was a precursor of the death of Moses as well (see Deut 34). (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, pp. 872–873). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
After they climbed Mount Hor.… Aaron died on the mountain. His priestly garments and office were transferred to his son Eleazar. The death was necessary as Aaron had been precluded from entering Canaan because of the incident at Meribah (vv. 12, 24). Nevertheless, the whole community … mourned for him for 30 days. Later they mourned Moses’ death in Moab for 30 days (Deut. 34:5, 8). (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. 239). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Both Moses and Aaron had rebelled against God when Moses smote the rock, so neither of them would enter the Promised Land. On the first day of the fifth month of that fortieth year (33:38), Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar went somewhere on Mount Hor because it was now time for Aaron to die. Moses would say good-bye to a beloved brother and Eleazar to a revered father. Aaron was 123 years old (33:38–39).
However, Aaron’s death didn’t interrupt the ministry of the priesthood, for Eleazar took his place. As John Wesley used to say, “God buries His workmen but His work goes on.” In fulfillment of the law (Ex. 29:29–30), Moses took the holy garments from his brother, Aaron, and put them on Eleazar. He probably anointed him as well for the new office. When Moses and Eleazar returned to the camp without Aaron, and the people saw Eleazar dressed in the robes of the high priest, they knew that Aaron’s life had ended. They mourned for Aaron for thirty days, which takes us now into the sixth month.
Eleazar was the third son of Aaron (Num. 3:2); the first two, Nadab and Abihu, were slain by the Lord for defiling the tabernacle with false fire (Lev. 10). Before becoming high priest, he was the chief leader of the Levites for caring for the tabernacle (Num. 3:32; 4:16). He would assist Moses in taking the census of the new generation (26:1–3) as well as in commissioning Joshua to succeed Moses (27:18–23). When Israel had conquered the land, Eleazar helped Joshua assign each tribe its inheritance (34:17; Josh. 14:1; 19:15).
Moses has experienced two family funerals, two confrontations with critics in the camp, and a personal failure at Kadesh; yet he picks up his rod and goes right back to work. Victorious Christian service, like the victorious Christian life, is a series of new beginnings. No matter what mistakes we’ve made, it’s always too soon to quit. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (pp. 86–87). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
Ver. 24. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, &c.] That is, shall die, for this phrase is a periphrasis of death, and is used in common both of good and bad men, and designs death in general, without regard to persons and places men go to at death: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel; the land of Canaan; and Aaron the priest, and so Moses the lawgiver, not being suffered to enter into that land, shew the weakness and imperfection of the law, and of the Levitical priesthood, and the insufficiency of them, and of obedience to them to bring men to, and give them an entrance into the heavenly glory; that is done by another person, the antitype of Joshua, even Jesus: because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah; that is, you Moses and Aaron; their unbelief is called a rebelling against the word of the Lord, for which it was threatened them, that they should not bring the people of Israel into the land of Canaan, and now the threatening begins to take place, see ver. 12. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 805). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
Miriam is the first to die, and her brother Aaron followed her four months later. Hundreds of thousands had passed away; their carcasses fell in the wilderness. And the new generation which has come up also murmured like their fathers and their brethren. Such is the heart of man! “Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!” The Lord commanded Moses to take the rod and speak to the rock, and He promised that the rock should give water. No word of displeasure came from the lips of the gracious Lord, who had compassion with His people. Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He had commanded him. But he also had his rod in his hand with which he had smitten the rock, according to the Lord’s command in Exodus 17:5–6. But the words Moses spoke were far from being gracious. “Hear now ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” God had not called His people rebels. And Moses’ words are far from meek. He makes it appear as if he could supply the water. “They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes. Because they provoked his spirit so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips” (Ps. 106:32–33). And greater still was his failure when he took his rod and not the blossoming rod of Aaron and smote the rock twice. The first smiting of the rock in Exodus 17 with Moses’ rod, the rod of judgment is the type of the death of Christ. This should not be repeated; one smiting was enough just as the death of Christ once for all has opened the floodgates of divine grace. Aaron’s rod, the type of Christ in resurrection, was sufficient, and but the word spoken would bring forth the water. But the anger of Moses marred this scene. He completely lost sight of the gracious Lord and misrepresented Him by his action. “Moses failed, departed from the rich grace of God, fell back on judgment, and judgment accordingly dealt with him.” It was a grievous sin, and on account of it he was not fit to lead Israel into the land. And Aaron, equally weak in faith, shares Moses’ fate. Edom then bars the way for the hosts of Israel and would not let them pass through their land. And Aaron dies on Mount Hor, after Moses had, in obedience to the Lord, removed his priestly garments and put them upon Eleazar. (Gaebelein, A. C. (2009). The Annotated Bible: Genesis to Deuteronomy. (Vol. 1, pp. 339–340). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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!!)
Jesus has sent us into “all the world” (Mark 16:15) to speak for Him. And “all the world” means that your voice is needed in your church, your neighborhood, and your community. Wherever you go, God will arrange an opportunity for your voice to be heard. The world is a banquet to which you have been invited to be the keynote speaker. And with Jesus Christ as your agent and His Spirit your speechwriter, the content of your message will be exactly what people need to hear. Don’t look now – but you’re on! (p. 59 Signs of Life by David Jeremiah)
Your second half will be a slower version of the first, with fewer and fewer successes and very little significance. But if you take responsibility for the way you play out the rest of the game, you will begin to experience the abundant life that our Lord intended for you. (p. 164, Half Time by Bob Buford)
Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week – at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ. (Quiet Walk)
THE DIVINE SEED
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him. 1 John 3:9
The power of sin is not immediately destroyed in us. God has chosen to do this work gradually. This word “seed” is rather significant. Does that not simply mean God’s method and plan in every realm? In the realm of nature, you sow the seed, but it may be weeks and months and perhaps years before you get the full bloom. Why does God do it like that? My answer is, I do not know, but that is God’s method; it is His way, and it seems to me that is what we are taught in the Scriptures. We are taught about being “babes in Christ,” we are taught about growing and developing, we are taught about “growing in grace.” John has already dealt with that when he said, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).
It is a process, a development, and surely if we do not interpret a section like this in that way, then it means that we are denying what he has already told us in the first chapter: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (verse 8).
John’s object in writing is “that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (2:1). But why is that if the Christian is immediately delivered and made perfect? This is a great mystery. It is not for us to understand, but we must face the facts. We must realize that experience, the experience of the greatest saints, denies the teaching of sinless perfection, and we see that it is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.
John exhorts us to strive to purify and cleanse ourselves and to interpret Scripture in our daily lives. We do not just have to submit and resign ourselves in order to be made perfect; we are to understand the Scriptures and their doctrine. We are to see their implication and to implement them in our daily lives.
A Thought to Ponder: Sinless perfection is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture. (From Children of God, pp. 79-80, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Rooted and Built Up
“Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7)
The Christian walk must be “rooted” and “built up” to endure. The word picture goes back to the parable of the sower. “Some [seeds] fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away….the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended” (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21).
According to the Lord of the harvest, some will respond “with joy” to the gospel message, but without any root they will not last in either their joy or their Christian testimony— they “fall away” (Luke 8:13). Just what is involved in a “root” that stabilizes and provides nourishment for the seed of the gospel in the human heart?
Fervent love for God’s Word and for the work of the ministry is surely a foundational element—“being rooted and grounded in love, [we] may be able to comprehend…the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
The root also requires being “stablished in the faith”—all the “counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). “Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). These factors should make us to “be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). With good roots, we will “build up,” being affirmed in the faith, increasing in that walk with real thanksgiving. (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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