Numbers 25
Israel worship false godsverses 1-3
And Israel abode in Shittim – and the people began to commit
whoredom with the daughters of Moab
And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods
and the people did eat – and bowed down to their gods
And Israel joined himself to Baal-peor
and the ANGER of the LORD was kindled against Israel
LORD commanded Moses to kill the menverse 4
And the LORD said to Moses
Take all the heads of the people
and hang them up before the LORD against the sun
that the FIERCE ANGER of the LORD may be
TURNED AWAY from Israel
Moses orders judges to kill the menverse 5
And Moses said to the JUDGES of Israel
Slay you everyone his men that were joined to Baal-peor
Phinehas killed a man to stop plagueverses 6-9
And behold – one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brethren
a Midiantish woman in the sight of Moses
and in the sight of congregation of the children of Israel
who were WEEPING before the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation
And when Phinehas- the son of Eleazar- the son of Aaron the priest
saw it
he rose up from among the congregation
and took a javelin in his hand
he went after the man of Israel into the tent
and thrust both of them through the man of Israel
and the woman through her belly
SO the PLAGUE was STAYED from the children of Israel
and those that died in the PLAGUE were
twenty and four thousand
LORD compliments Phinehasverses 10-13
And the LORD spoke to Moses saying
Phinehas- the son of Eleazar – the son of Aaron the priest
has TURNED MY WRATH away from the children of Israel
while he was zealous for MY sake among them
that I consumed not the children of Israel
in MY JEALOUSY
Wherefore say – BEHOLD – I give to him MY covenant of peace
and he shall have it – and his seed after him
even the covenant of an EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD
BECAUSE he was zealous for his God
and made an ATONEMENT for the children of Israel
Names given of man and woman who diedverses 14-15
Now the name of the Israelite that was slain
even that was slain with the Midianitish woman – was Zimri
the son of Salu – the prince of a chief house
among the Simeonites
And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi
the daughter of Zur – he was head over a people
and of a chief house in Midian
LORD commands the Midianites destroyedverses 16-18
And the LORD spoke to Moses saying
Vex the Midianites – and smite them – for they VEX you with their wiles
wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor
and in the matter of Cozbi
the daughter of a prince of Midian their sister
which was slain in the day of the plague
for Peor’s sake
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. (2181 “whoredom” [zanah] means commit fornication, be a harlot, be a cult prostitute, unfaithful to the one true God, improper relationship with another nation, have illicit intercourse, or be faithless)
DEVOTION: God wants moral purity for HIS people. HE wants them to be pure in their relationship with their spouse. HE wants them to be pure in their spiritual relationship with HIM. HE is not willing to share HIS people with any other god. All the gods that were worshiped by the other nations were not HIM.
So here we find that Balaam wanted to earn his house full of money so he told the Moabites what to do. He told them that they could invite the Israelites to come and enjoy a feast with them. He told the leaders to have the Moabitish women to dress so that they attracted the Israelite men.
It worked. The men of Israel started having improper relationships with the Moabitish women. Remember that Israelites were only to marry other Israelites.
So now the LORD had to deal with the issue of these individuals from each tribe that were having improper relationship with foreign women. It was not only this problem but the problem of their relationship with the false god Baal.
They were not only committing physical faithlessness but also spiritual faithlessness. They were not giving themselves solely to their spouse but also not giving themselves solely to HIM.
The temptations were great in that day and they are just as great today. Christians have to be aware that the LORD wants us to be pure until we get married and then faithful to our spouse for the rest of our lives. HE wants one man to marry one woman and remain together for all of their life.
CHALLENGE: God wants us to make a total commitment to HIM and to our spouse. Only through the ministry of the Holy Spirit is this possible.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 And the LORD said to Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. (7218 “heads” [ro’sh] means chief, top, beginning, principal, a person who is in charge, understood as a head which is the uppermost part of a human body, captain, or choicest)
DEVOTION: God knows that there are leaders and there are followers. It is not the gift of every individual to be a leader. Every group has leaders who cause people to follow them whether they lead in the right direction or the wrong direction.
Here we have a group of people who are headed in the wrong direction and the LORD wants them to be aware that HE does not like where they are headed. So HE orders Moses to kill all the ringleaders of this group that has led the children of Israel to worship a false god and commit improper relations with women who are not their wives.
Why would the LORD want to judge these people publicly? The first reason was that it would take care of the anger God was feeling because of the disloyalty of the people. The second reason was a warning to others not to follow false leaders.
All the Israelites knew the standard that the LORD had set for them. HE had spoken the Ten Commandments to them. HE had written down the Ten Commandment for them. HE had had the priests teach them the meaning of the Ten Commandments.
So HE was not expecting too much of them to obey the Ten Commandments. They were to have NO other god. They disobeyed and were to face the judgment.
CHALLENGE: When we disobey the LORD we have to turn back to HIM and confess our sin and ask HIM to forgive us.
: 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. (4046 “plague” [maggephah] means pestilence, any epidemic disease with a high death rate, torment, slaughter, or infected people)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel seemed to be easily led astray while they were moving through the wilderness. They were giving themselves over to the worship of a false god, Baal. This was happening throughout the history of the children of Israel. They would serve the LORD for a time period but when they thought they could get away with worshiping false gods they would do that as well.
This is happening even today as we look at our society. We know who Jesus Christ is and what HE has done for us but we find the rules of obedience too hard to follow every day. We think that it is too restitutive and so we try to honor the LORD part time and then go and do as we please the rest of the time.
This happens every often today in the lives of those who attend church on Sunday and the rest of the week they feel they are OK to do as they please. Very few study the Word of God daily and try to apply it to their lives.
Like Israel we get bored with doing things the way the LORD wants them done. There is too much fun to have living the way we want to with all the pleasures of this world.
Israel paid a heavy penalty for their disobedience. Twenty four thousand people died because of this sin.
Today we have many diseases that are caused by not living the way that the LORD wants us to live in our Christian life. I am not talking about those who reject Jesus Christ. I am talking about those who say they are followers of Jesus Christ who live lives as if there is no Holy Spirit giving them directions as to what is acceptable to the LORD and what is not.
The LORD is longsuffering. HE is not willing that any should perish. This means salvation but also means that we have to be obedient servants to not receive judgment from the LORD.
Here was a man who was disobeying the LORD’S command and the LORD judged him immediately. Is there areas of your Christian life that are not pleasing to the LORD? Are you willing to give them up NOW!
CHALLENGE: Knowing that the LORD is longsuffering. Are you taking advantage of this in your life? Can this change? Should this change? The Bible says it SHOULD change.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. (7068 “jealousy” [qin’ah] means envy, zeal, ardour, for my sake, or passion)
DEVOTION: How strong do we believe in right and wrong? How about in matters of belief? Do we have a strong passion? Here we have an example of someone having a strong passion regarding protecting the honor of God and helping his people not to die. Twenty and four thousand people died in a plague before Phinehas killed the couple. More would have died if he had not killed them.
God has a passion for HIS people. The children of Israel were being disobedient to HIS commands to not marry outside of HIS people. They were not only having sexual relations with the Midianites but they were worshiping their gods. They were worshiping the god called Baal. They were offering sacrifices to him. Not only to him but to other gods of the Midianites. They were bowing down to them.
The LORD was angry with them for this practice. HE sent a plague to kill them. While they were judging those who started this practice, another man took a woman into his tent to have a sexual relationship. Who were these two individuals? The man was a leader of the children of Simeon. The woman was a princess of the people of Midian. These were leaders. They thought no one would judge them.
Today we have the same command that we should not marry those who don’t know the LORD. Some do and sometimes the LORD is gracious and their spouse becomes a follower of Jesus. Most spouses do not become followers and it causes difficulty throughout the marriage. This marriage effects the children for the rest of their life.
Phinehas was one man who had a passion for God. He saw what was happening to the children of Israel and in his zeal to correct the problem he killed a couple that were openly sinning against the commands of the LORD. The LORD blessed him for doing it. HE promised a covenant of peace. HE promised an everlasting priesthood for the descendants of Aaron.
We need to openly confront the sin of compromise in our churches for the LORD to bless us today. There can be no “politically correct” movements that cause us to not be “Biblically correct” in the church of Jesus Christ. Let’s not be conformed to the world! We are HIS people today. HE is zealous to keep us HOLY!!! We need to honor HIS zeal!!
CHALLENGE: Be zealous for the LORD. Speak the truth in LOVE to those around you. Never recommend a mixed marriage.
: 18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake. (5230 “beguiled” [nakal] means deal subtly, to act slickly, conspired, be crafty, deceiver, to cause someone to believe an untruth, cunningly, to act fraudulently, or act knavishly.)
DEVOTION: Many times the children of Israel didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes with the different nations they were facing. They didn’t know at the time what Balaam has suggested to the Moabites to cause the Israelites to fall into sin.
The nations wanted to cause the Israelites to not be faithful to the LORD. They wanted the Israelites to loss their power. So they schemed to seduce them into worshiping their gods.
It would be easier to conquer a nation that had lost its power. They knew what standards Jehovah had set for HIS people. They knew that it was not easy for humans to keep God’s standards. So they put traps in their way to cause them to fall.
This is true today also. The world doesn’t want a Christian to be fully sold out for the LORD. They will put compromises in their way to see if they will yield to the temptation to not be fully committed.
Too often there are just little steps that take us away from the LORD. Too often it is even other believes who want us to compromise our beliefs to be like them. Too often the church gives in to the demands of those who are not following the LORD and HIS standard.
CHALLENGE: We need to know the standard and follow it will all our heart with the help of the Holy Spirit. HE will give us the strength to resist the wiles of the devil.
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)
Door of the tabernacle of the congregationverse 6
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 3, 4, 10, 16
Anger of the LORDverses 3, 4, 11
Jealousyverse 11
God (Elohim)verse 13
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)
Shittimverse 1
Daughters of Moabverse 1
Midianitish womanverses 6, 14, 15, 18
Cozbi – daughter of Zur
Zur – head over chief people of Midianverse 15
Vex with their wiles
Beguiled in mater of Peor
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels
Whoredomverse 1
Sacrifice to false godsverse 2
Bowed down to false godsverse 2
Worship Baal-peorverse 3
Joined to worship false godsverses 3, 5
Vex with wilesverse 18
Beguiled verse 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Zealousverses 11, 13
Peaceverse 12
Atonementverse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israelverses 1, 4
Mosesverses 4-6, 10, 16-18
Vex the Midianites
Smite them
They vex with their wiles
Judges of Israelverse 5
Children of Israelverses 6, 11
Phinehas: verses 7-13
Son of Eleazar
son of Aaron the priest
killed Israel man
turned away wrath of LORD
zealous for LORD’S sake
covenant of peace
covenant of an everlasting priesthood
because of zeal for his God
made an atonement
Plagueverses 8, 18
Plague killed 24,000verse 9
Covenant of peaceverse 12
Covenant of everlasting priesthood verse 13
Zimri – son of Salu – Simeonitesverse 14
LORD commands Israel to vex Midianitesverse 18
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Hang leaders of those worship false godsverse 4
Everlasting priesthoodverse 13
Man killed Zimri – house of Simeonverse 14
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QUOTES regarding passage
13 As in the Lord’s covenant with Abram, this covenant is God’s doing; it involves his “seed,” and it is lasting (ʿôlām). In the case of Abram, God first chose him; then by Abram’s action of faith, the Lord confirmed his covenant with him (see Gen 12, 15, 22). In the case of Phinehas, he was already chosen by God; but in his action, God’s covenant with him is confirmed.
Most surprisingly, by the action of Phinehas “atonement” (wayeḵappēr) was made for the people; for the plague was stopped (v.9). This chapter is a pivotal section in the theology of the Torah. (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 922). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
25:10–13. The Lord then told Moses that because Phinehas had been courageous in stemming the evil and had manifested great zeal on behalf of the Lord, he and his descendants would receive a covenant of peace. This is defined as a lasting priesthood. Such a promise had been made to Aaron and his sons (Ex. 29:9) but not specifically at that time to Aaron’s grandson Phinehas. This suggests that the office of priest would now be channeled through Phinehas and not any other grandson of Aaron (cf. 1 Chron. 6:4–15). (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. 246). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The action and reaction of Phinehas was radical and extreme, and as one scholar remarks, his zeal became proverbial. Doubtless he would have had his critics who would seriously have questioned whether the sin merited such harsh treatment, but we should take note of the fact that God vindicated him in no uncertain fashion (vv. 11–13). He, at least, was in no doubt as to the seriousness and heinousness of what Zimri had done; and this prompts the reflection that when men differ in their views from God’s estimate of the situation and take issue with Him, it is they who are making the error of judgment, not God. It is refreshing to have this divine testimony concerning what we might call a “hard line” attitude to sin. God is, apparently, not in the least afraid of being thought censorious—or of His servants and champions being thought censorious, either. Rather, it is a question of calling some ugly things by their proper names and dealing with them accordingly. In this permissive and morally decadent age, we could certainly do with some of this spirit.
It is true, of course, that acts of a brutal and barbarous nature, such as Phinehas’s and numbers of others in the Old Testament (e.g., the assassinations of Eglon and Sisera in Judg. 3:21f.; 4:21) raise grave moral issues, as Wenham rightly points out, true also that they may be a reflection of the barbarism of the times. But what we must beware of is the danger of falling into the simplistic expedient of branding them as sub-Christian, as if they belonged to an era when “they did not know any better.” One has only to think of some of the desperate exploits of World War II, and the many cruelties and atrocities that took place on both sides, and which raise many moral problems for the Christian today. Even to mention this is to indicate that we are touching on vast and complex moral questions involving the whole question of whether war with its attendant evils is ever justified. Is assassinating a heathen monarch in such a brutal way worse, or better, or different from using napalm or bombing civilian targets? These are very real questions, and we must not yield to the temptation of giving merely “emotional reaction” answers to them. Primitive, Old Testament barbarities are mere dilettantism by comparison with the horrors of twenty-first-century inhumanity to man. The all-important consideration here is the divine approval given to Phinehas’s act, as indicating that he was zealous with God’s own zeal in the matter, as a result of which atonement was made for the children of Israel, so that they were not consumed (vv. 11, 13). (Philip, J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1987). Numbers (Vol. 4, pp. 250–251). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
The courage of Phinehas (vv. 6–15). Zimri, a leader in the tribe of Simeon (v. 14), not only attended the idolatrous feast but brought a Midianite woman named Cozbi (v. 15) back to the camp of Israel and openly took her into his tent right before the eyes of Moses and the weeping Israelites at the tabernacle door. This was a brazen high-handed sin for which there was no forgiveness. Zimri was a prince in Israel and Cozbi was the daughter of a prince, so perhaps they thought their social status gave them the privilege of sinning.
Aaron’s grandson Phinehas left the prayer meeting and went after the couple, killing both of them in the tent with one thrust of his spear. This stopped the plague, but not before 24,000 people had died (Deut. 4:3–4). Like Abraham when he offered up Isaac (Gen. 22; James 2:21–24), Phinehas proved his faith by his works, and it was “accounted to him for righteousness” (Ps. 106:28–31).
Because of his zeal for the honor of the Lord, Phinehas was given the special reward of a lasting priesthood for himself and his descendants. Phinehas knew nothing about this reward before he acted, so his motive wasn’t selfish. He was motivated by his zeal for the honor of God and the authority of His law. Phinehas went with Moses when Israel attacked the Midianites (Num. 31:5–6), so he wasn’t afraid of a battle. He also was in charge of the gatekeepers at the tabernacle and had the presence of the Lord with him in his ministry (1 Chron. 9:20). Guarding God’s sanctuary was a very responsible task, but Phinehas had the conviction and courage to do it well. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (p. 113). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
25:10–13 Because of Phinehas’ zeal for God’s holiness, the Lord made “a covenant of a perpetual priesthood” with him so that through his family line would come all future, legitimate High-Priests (cf. Ps 106:30, 31). This promise will extend even into the millennial kingdom (cf. Eze 40:46; 44:10, 15; 48:11). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nu 25:10–13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 13. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, &c.] The covenant, and all the blessings of it; so the covenant stands fast with Christ, and all his spiritual seed, Psal. 89:28, 29: even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; or this may be read in connexion with the preceding words, and the sense be, and he and his shall have the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, beside the covenant of peace before promised to him: the Aaronical priesthood is called everlasting, because it was to continue, and did continue, throughout the whole Jewish dispensation, unto the coming of the Messiah, in whom it had its fulfilling end. Now though Phinehas in course was to have the priesthood at his father’s death, yet it is here promised him on account of his zeal, both to assure him that he should survive his father, and that nothing should befall him that should render him incapable of the priesthood; and moreover, that he should have a seed in whom it should be continued; there was indeed an interruption of it in his line for a little while, on some account or other, it being translated into the family of Eli, a son of Ithamar; but then it was restored again in the time of Solomon to the family of Phinehas, where it continued unto the captivity, and even to the times of Herod, and so of the Messiah: in this also Phinehas was a type of Christ, the covenant made with him not only being from everlasting and to everlasting, a covenant that cannot be broken, and will never be removed; but the priesthood founded on it is so too, being established by the oath of God, who swore to him, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek; Christ’s priesthood is an unchangeable one, and does not pass from one to another; his sacrifice has a perpetual virtue and efficacy in it to take away sin, and he ever lives to make intercession for his people, Heb. 7:21, 24, 25, 27: because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel; by executing judgment upon the delinquents, as Christ has made atonement for the sins of his people by satisfying law and justice: and, besides what has been observed, it may be remarked, that there is an agreement between Phinehas and Christ in his very name; Phinehas signifies either the face of him that spares, that is, of God, that spares; Christ is the face of God, the express image of his person, even of him, who, though he spared not Christ himself, yet he spares his people for Christ’s sake; or else he shall look that spares, or and spare; that is, God, who looks upon the person, righteousness, blood, and sacrifice of his son, and spares his people. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 833–834). 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!!)
The Israelites were poised for entry but had a very difficult lesson to learn. The reference to Baal Peor would be remembered throughout biblical history, even into the early Christian church. The worship style related to the Baal cult would from this point on be a constant temptation to the Israelites, eventually becoming one of the key reasons for the subjugation, destruction, and captivity of Jerusalem, Judah, and Israel in the eighth to sixth centuries b.c. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, p. 435). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
The CHURCH in an Age of CRISIS by James Emery White
Few currents have shaped the mindset of our modern world more than pluralization. (p. 55)
The process of pluralization is where individuals are confronted with a staggering number of ideologies and faith options competing for their attention. The sheer number of choices and competing ideologies suggest that no single perspective or religious persuasion has the inside track about the spiritual realm. (p. 56)
How did 9/11 change America’s attitude toward religion? According to those asked, 9/11 changed America’s attitude toward religion in four very profound ways.
1. A chosen nation became a humbled one.
2. The re-emergence of Christo-Americanism
3. Interfaith became cool
4. Atheists came out of the closet. (p. 57)
Ten years letter, when the 9/11 Memorial was dedicated, no formal prayers were offered and no clergy were even invited. (p. 58)
A particular faith used to be wrong on the basis of what one perceived to be truth; now a faith is wrong for claiming there is truth. (p. 59)
God Haters
A Brooklyn College professor dropped his bid to become chairman of the department of sociology due to outrage over his description of religious people as “moral retards.” The controversial remarks, brought to the surface through his bid for chairmanship, come from an essay he published in an online journal in which he argued that religious people are incapable of moral action and that in the heart of Christians in particular you find “self-righteousness, paranoia, and hatred. (p. 59)
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
“Out of the abundance of [a man’s] heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven’s values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart! (QuietWalk)
A CHRISTIAN IS A SPIRITUAL PERSON
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12
What is a Christian? I am never tired of putting forward that question, because I think that of all things that are misunderstood in the world today, this is the one that is most misunderstood. What is a Christian—a good person, a moral person, a formal member of a church, one who pays an occasional visit to God’s house? Is that a Christian? Shame upon us if ever we have given that impression! No; a Christian is a spiritual person. Is that not the statement of the New Testament everywhere—a spiritual man or woman?
A spiritual person is one who has received the Holy Spirit—that is New Testament terminology. Christians are people who are altogether different from those who are not Christians. They are not just a little bit better or people who do certain things. No; they themselves are different; they are spiritual. “We have received,” says Paul, “not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God….He that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Corinthians 2:12, 15). Not so with the natural man. That is the difference.
Now there are some people who say that you become a Christian and then later you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But you cannot be a Christian unless you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that, in a sense, that makes you a Christian. It means new birth; it means being born again; it means, to use the language of Peter, to be “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). It means, to use the language of our Lord Himself, that God is abiding in us. “He that keepeth his commandments,” says John, “dwelleth in him, and he in him” (1 John 3:24). And if you want the best commentary on that, read John 14, those great words of our Lord: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (verse 18); or as some would translate it, “I will not leave you orphans, I will come again.”
A Thought to Ponder: A Christian is a spiritual man or woman.
(From Children of God, p. 140, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Whom to Pray For
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.” (1 Timothy 2:1)
Let no one ever say that he has nothing to pray about, or that he doesn’t know how to pray in God’s will, for it is always in the will of God to pray for other people! This is a great gift that any Christian can give, even if he is penniless or bedridden. There are none so poor as to be unable to afford such a gift, nor can even the wealthiest give a finer gift.
Note just a few of the relevant commandments to believers. First, we are to pray for all fellow Christians: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). We should also pray for the lost. Jesus commanded, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).
There is a special command to pray for sick disciples. “Pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). We are even told to pray for our enemies. “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:28).
We are told to pray for Christian brethren who “sin a sin which is not unto death” (1 John 5:16), though if the sin has already led to physical death (as in 1 Corinthians 11:30), there is no warrant for further prayer in that case. Finally, we are especially admonished to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2), and for the ministries of those who proclaim the gospel (Colossians 4:2-4). In short, in the words of our text, we should offer up supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all people everywhere, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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