Numbers 35
Cities given to the Levitesverses 1-5
And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab
by Jordan near Jericho – saying
Command the children of Israel – that they give to the Levites of the
inheritance of their possession – cities to dwell in
and you shall also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities
round about them
And the cities shall they have to dwell in
and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle
and for their goods – and for all their beasts
And the suburbs of the cities – which you shall give to the Levites
shall reach from the wall of the city and outward
a thousand cubits round about
And you shall measure from without the city on the east side
two thousand cubits – and on the south side two thousand cubits
and on the west side two thousand cubits
and on the north side two thousand cubits
And the city shall be in the midst
this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities
Six of Levitical cities were cities of refugeverses 6-8
And among the cities which you shall give to the Levities
there shall be SIX cities for REFUGE
which you shall APPOINT for the MANSLAYER
that he may flee thither
and to them ye shall add
forty and two cities
So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be
forty and eight cities – them shall ye give with their suburbs
And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the
children of Israel – from them that have many you shall give many
but from them that have few you shall give few
everyone shall give of his cities to the
Levites according to his inheritance
which he inherits
Three cities of refuge on each side of the Jordanverses 9-15
And the LORD spoke to Moses
saying
Speak to the children of Israel
and say to them
When you be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan
THEN you shall APPOINT you
cities to be cities of REFUGE for you
that the slayer may flee thither
which KILLS any person at UNAWARES
AND they shall be to you cities for REFUGE from the AVENGER
that the manslayer die not – until he stand before the
congregation in judgment
AND of these cities which ye shall give SIX cities
shall you have for REFUGE
you shall give THREE cities on this side Jordan
and THREE cities shall you give
in the land of Canaan
which shall be cities of REFUGE
These SIX cities shall be a REFUGE – both for the children of Israel
and for the stranger – and for the sojourner among them
that every one that kills any person UNAWARES
may flee thither
LORD defines murderverses 16-21
And IF he smite him with an instrument of iron – so that he die
he is a MURDERER
the murderer shall surely be PUT TO DEATH
AND IF he smite him with throwing a stone – wherewith he may die
and he die – he is a MURDERER
the murderer shall surely be PUT TO DEATH
OR IF he smite him with an hand weapon of wood
wherewith he may die – and he die – he is a MURDERER
the murderer shall surely be PUT TO DEATH
The REVENGER of BLOOD himself shall slay the MURDERER
when he meet him – he shall slay him
BUT IF he thrust him of hatred – or hurl at him by laying in wait
that he die
OR in enmity smite him with his hand – that he die
he that smote him shall surely be put to death
For he is a MURDERER
the REVENGER OF BLOOD shall slay the MURDERER
when he meets him
Accidental deaths covered by refuge citiesverses 22-25
BUT IF he thrust him suddenly without enmity
or have cast upon him anything without laying of wait
or with any stone – wherewith a man may die
seeing him not – and cast it upon him
that he die – and was not his enemy
neither sought his harm
THEN the congregation shall judge between the slayer and
the REVENGER of BLOOD according to these judgments
and the congregation shall deliver the slayer
out of the hand of the REVENGER OF BLOOD
and the congregation shall RESTORE him to the
city of his REFUGE – whither he was fled
and he shall ABIDE in it to the
death of the HIGH PRIEST
which was ANOINTED with holy oil
Rules regarding slayer leaving city of refugeverses 26-29
BUT IF the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the
city of his REFUGE – whither he was fled
And the REVENGER of BLOOD find him without the borders of
the city of his REFUGE
and the REVENGER of BLOOD kill the slayer
he shall not be GUILTY of blood
BECAUSE he should have remained in the
city of his REFUGE until the death of the HIGH PRIEST
BUT after the death of the HIGH PRIEST the slayer shall return
into the land of his possession
SO these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you
throughout your generations in all your dwellings
Murder pollutes the landverses 30-34
Whoso kills any person the murderer shall be put to death
by the mouth of WITNESSES
BUT one WITNESS shall not testify against any
person to cause him to die
MOREOVER you shall take no satisfaction for the
life of a MURDERER which is GUILTY of death
BUT he shall be surely PUT TO DEATH
And you shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the
city of his REFUGE
that he should come again to dwell in the land
until the death of the PRIEST
SO you shall not POLLUTE the land wherein you are
FOR blood it defiles the land
And the land cannot be CLEANSED of the blood that is
shed therein – BUT the blood of him that shed it
DEFILE not therefore the land which you shall inhabit
wherein I dwell
FOR I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 And among the cities which you shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which you shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them you shall add forty and two cities. (5892 “cities” [‘iyr] means towns, camps, small fortified places, permanent residence, inhabitant, or encampment)
DEVOTION: The Levites were not going to be given large plots of land because their inheritance was the LORD. They were going to work for HIM throughout the different tribes as well as at the Tabernacle and later the Temple.
However, they were given small plots of land around a city to live and raise the cattle. The places were small with a measurement of a thousand cubits around their cities. They had a total of forty-two cities throughout the Promised Land. Six of those cities were to be used as cities of refuge.
This was part of the legal system the LORD established for accidental killing of individuals. The one who accidently killed someone was able to RUN to these cities to get away from the avenger of death who was a relative of the one who was killed.
The other forty-two cities were just for those who were from the tribe of Levi to live. The LORD wanted HIS servants to be near to their ministry location. They were available for service in the Tabernacle and community.
So even if there was no one location for the Levites they did receive an inheritance from the LORD that was theirs in the Promised Land. They were provided for by the LORD and by the other tribes of Israel.
So the Levites would serve their time at the Tabernacle and then return to these cities. They would have an income from their time of service and with it be able to raise their families.
Also they could serve as resident priests to help the people in the tribes around their cities. The main help they gave was the judging of those who had accidently killed someone. There were other cases they judged to help the children of Israel life lives that were pleasing to the LORD.
There had to be instruction that they did to help the people remember the Word of the LORD. The people needed to keep the standards the LORD set in the wilderness. That way the nation could be giving glory to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We need to reach our neighbor with our witness for the LORD. We need to keep the standard of the LORD in front of the people. Our churches need to lighthouses in dark places.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that kills any person unawares may flee thither. (7684 “unawares” [shagagah] means inadvertent sin, unintentional mistake, an unfortunate or unintentional mishap, sin of error, or accident)
DEVOTION: The LORD didn’t just care about the children of Israel. Here we have the LORD giving legal protection to those who were considers non Israelites. They were just visiting and they found themselves accused of murder. They even had a place to run to for help.
These six cities were available for legal help to anyone who was in the Promised Land. They would make a decision and the individual would have to live in the city until the High Priest died but it was better than being dead for something that was an accident.
This verse even allowed for foreigners to live in the Promised Land. These individual would not be any of the inhabitants who were presently living in the land. The Israelites were supposed to kill everyone living in the Promised Land when they moved in.
The legal system was supposed to be good for anyone. Today we find that it is not always the case when someone is accused of murder. Some with money get away with it while others will be found guilty.
There are even murders that seem to be related to our political system that never seems to find a guilty party. This happens around the world. They make movies about this type of murder.
God values life. HE judges those who kill for their own personal gain. HE understands that some people are killed accidently even today. There has to be a penalty like living in one location until the High Priest is dead.
CHALLENGE: We are to be individuals who care about life.
: 25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it until the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. (5337 “deliver” [natsal] means recover, rescue, snatch away, recover, to shield from danger, pull out, extricate or take away.)
DEVOTION: The jury pool was large as the congregation of that of the city would judge whether the man was guilty or not. If he was found innocent he was to stay in the city of refuge until the High Priest died. If he was guilty they would give him to the avenger of blood and he would kill him. The case would be closed either way except if the individual who was found guilty decided he didn’t like staying in the city of refuge. If he left the city the avenger of blood who was a near kin could kill him outside the city limits.
God knew that those who were innocent had to have a reason to stay in the city of refuge. The avenger of blood would more than will to wait to see if he left the city. Even the innocent man had to serve time for killing a man accidently.
Today if a man is found innocent he is let go and can life his life without worrying about the legal system or the relative usually. God knows what needs to done to keep society clean. If they live by HIS standards the nation of Israel would be good.
Just like today the nation of Israel didn’t continue to live by HIS rules. They changed to protect the rich or famous. We are doing the same today.
CHALLENGE: The standard God has set has not changed we have!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 31 Moreover you shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. (3724 “satisfaction” [kopher] means bribe, ransom, something give or received as payment or reparation, the price of a life, or sum of money)
DEVOTION: Once someone killed another person for personal gain or for just an act of violence there was no amount of money that could justly cover the loss of life. Once someone was found guilty of murder the judgment of death had to be administered.
Accidental death was a different story. That type of death was covered before and a court had to decide if it was accidental and then the judgment would follow.
Here we have someone who murdered another person for whatever reason and the judgment was death for the individual. There was no other decision that the children of Israel could give. The person had to die.
Today we find that once someone is found guilty of killing someone they can sit on death row for years. There is no quick judgment like this in the Old Testament. It would cause some individuals to think twice about killing someone else.
Death is so common in some parts of the United States that judgment never follows the crime. That is not what God expected of HIS people in the Old Testament and it should not be expected now.
It seems that more and more people are feeling sorry for the killer more than for their victims. They are looking for reasons why the killer killed someone. They think that they should blame their childhood or their parents or the training they received in school or some other reason.
The Bible says that someone who kills needs to be judged quickly or it becomes commonplace in the world. It has become commonplace with no real consequences in most cases. Many neighborhoods are living in fear because we are not judging the way the LORD judged through HIS people in the Old Testament.
CHALLENGE: We need a society that is willing to give someone a fair trial and then a quick judgment of death. This would cause some people to think twice before killing someone today.
: 34 Defile not therefore the land which you shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. (2930 “defile” [tame] means to be foul, contaminated, pollute, or unclean)
DEVOTION: The tribe of Levi were to receive forty-eight cities in the Promised Land to live in as their inheritance from the LORD. They were to be cities whose boundaries extended in a thousand cubits all four ways from the city. The city was to be the center of their land.
The LORD provided a place for people who accidentally killed someone. There were to be six refuge cities for these people to run to before the avenger of blood could catch him. There were three cities on one side of Jordan and three cities on the other side of Jordan.
Once a person was in the city of refuge, the congregation there would judge him. If he was found innocent, he had to stay in the city until the High Priest died. That was his sentence.
If he left the city, the avenger of blood could kill him without consequences. Once the High Priest died, he could leave the city to return home.
The city of refuge was not to take money or ransom for the innocent party. There was to be no bribing. There was no reduced sentence. The LORD wanted the land to stay clean.
If a murderer was let go free, the land would be polluted. If the innocent man was let go sooner than the death of the High Priest, the land was polluted. The murderer was to be put to death.
The LORD believes in capital punishment for pre-mediated murder. This is not a judgment on people who fight in a war. This is not the judgment of those who are law enforcement officers. This is not a judgment on those who protect their homes from thieves.
This is a judgment against all those who kill someone for their own purposes. The LORD made the point that HE was dwelling with the people and HE couldn’t dwell in a polluted land.
Christ taught that if someone was mad at a brother, he was committing murder. Our emotions are not to control us. Our convictions from the Word of God are to give us direction regarding how to handle interpersonal relationships. Murder is not an answer that the Word of God gives those who are followers of Christ.
Today we find that people with money can get away with many crimes that others would have to pay for with time in prison. Does this pollute our land? Are we losing our sense of justice in our land? Is this affecting the church today?
Our responsibility is to give the LORD control over our emotions. We should never let anger lead us down the path of revenge. We should always be concerned with our ministry of reconciliation.
In society, we should allow the law to judge those who murder someone with a proper trial and convictions. Once this is accomplished, capital punishment is proper for the government to administer.
Our land needs to have all those who are murderers dealt with no matter how much money they might have. Justice needs to be equal toward all.
CHALLENGE: The LORD wants us to honor the life of innocent blood. Those who kill for personal gain need to die.
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)
High Priestverses 25, 28
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Statute of judgmentverse 29
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah) verses 1, 9, 34
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)
Moabverse 1
Land of Canaanverses 10, 14
Strangerverse 15
Sojournerverse 15
Enemyverse 23
One witness not enoughverse 30
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Manslayerverses 6, 12
Killverses 11, 15, 30
Murdererverses 16-19, 21, 30, 31
Hatredverse 20
Enmityverse 22
Layer in waitverse 22
Guilty of bloodverse 27
Polluteverse 33
Defileverses 33, 34
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Inheritanceverses 2, 34
Judgeverse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 9
Children of Israelverses 2, 8, 10, 15, 34
Levitesverses 2-8, 13-32
city plus 1,000 yard around
six cities of refuge
forty- two more cities
Slayer vs. avengerverses 11-28
killing unaware
laying in wait
Revenger of blood
Congregation to judgeverses 12, 24, 25
Not guilty of bloodverse 27
Mouth of witnessesverse 30
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Put to deathverses 17, 18, 20, 21, 31
Death of the High Priestverses 25, 28, 32
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QUOTES regarding passage
The avenger of blood is a relative of the slain who will take it on himself to protect the family rights, to avenge his relatives of the loss suffered by the family. In fact, the term gōʾēl often translated “redeemer,” has this basic idea; the gōʾēl is principally the “protector of family rights” (see Lev 25:48; Ruth 3:13). A redeemer is one who redeems the loss sustained by the family. This can be by payment of a price; it may also be in taking of life. In the latter case, one is an “avenger of blood” (gōʾēl haddām vv.19, 21). In his rage against the loss of a family member, the gōʾēl haddām might rashly kill the offender before he found out the circumstances of the death. If the death was not premeditated, or was quite accidental, then the killing of the offending party would add wrong to wrong. Basically, then, the provision of the cities of asylum was another instance of the mercy of the Lord in his provisions for the needs of his people in the world setting in which they lived. We notice that this text does not demand that a relative act as a blood avenger; the assumption is that in this culture this is precisely what he will do. Given the culture, then, the provision is merciful and righteous.
There seems to be no significance to the number of the cities (six), but there is certainly a significance to the placement of them. Three would be on each side of the Jordan River, providing accessibility from any point in the land. Also, the inclusion of three cities of asylum in Transjordan serves further to legitimize the holdings of the two and one-half tribes in the expansion territories.
Verse 15 explains that there will be equal access to these cities by all persons who are in the land, free citizen as well as sojourner or even temporary alien. This provision is another aspect of the grace of God who provides one law for all persons who come under the purview of the Torah of his grace. (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 1002). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
35:6–15. The total number of towns allocated to the tribe of Levi was 48. Six of these would be cities of refuge to which manslayers might flee. These 48 towns were to be assigned fairly from all the tribal territories—more from the larger tribes and fewer from the small ones. If a person committed an accidental homicide, he was to flee to one of the cities of refuge to escape the avenger and thus live to stand trial. Three of these cities of refuge would be east of the Jordan (Josh. 20:8) and three to the west (Josh. 20:7). (See map “The Six Cities of Refuge.”) There anyone accused of manslaughter could find sanctuary among the Levites. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). Numbers. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 256–257). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The nation of Israel had an army, but it didn’t have anything equivalent to our modern police system. If somebody was murdered, the members of the family and clan saw to it that the murderer was punished. However, if a man accidentally killed someone, that was a case of manslaughter, not murder; and it would have been wrong to make him pay with his life.
The man could flee to one of the cities of refuge and present his case to the elders who would hear him and the witnesses. If they thought he was guilty of murder, they would turn him over to the family and the authorities for punishment. If they concluded that he was innocent, they allowed him to stay in the city of refuge under their protection until the death of the high priest. Then he was free to return home. He was not allowed to pay a ransom and be freed sooner (v. 32).
If the man was guilty, he was stoned to death. Murder was a capital crime in Israel for which there was no ransom (v. 32). The blood of innocent victims polluted the land, and the land belongs to the Lord (vv. 33–34; see Gen. 4:10; 9:5). The only way the land could be cleansed was by the death of the murderer.
Guilty sinners today can flee by faith to Jesus Christ and find refuge from the judgment of God (Heb. 6:18). Because Jesus is the ever-living High Priest, salvation is secure forever; for “He ever lives to make intercession for them” (7:25, nkjv). He bore the guily sinner’s punishment; therefore, there can be no condemnation (Rom. 8:1). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (p. 142). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
35:12 the avenger. The meaning of this term is “near of kin.” It refers to the person chosen by a family to deal with a loss suffered in that family. Here the close relative of a homicide victim would seek to avenge his death, but not until proper judgment was made (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nu 35:12). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
35:9–29 Six Levitical cities were to be stationed strategically in the land—three in Transjordan and three in Canaan proper—as cities of refuge, or asylum cities, where a person guilty of unintentional manslaughter might escape blood revenge. Joshua 20 describes the sites that were eventually chosen.
Refuge, or “asylum” (Heb. ha-miqlat), speaks of a place of escape from the “avenger” (Heb., gô’el) for the one who has committed manslaughter. The avenger is the protector of the family rights; the same word is used of the “kinsman redeemer” in Ruth 2:1 (Lev. 25:48). The avenger is more the “rectifier,” the one who makes things right. Again, this is an institution that is highly culturalized, much like the making of vows by a woman in ch. 30. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 230). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 12. And they shall be unto you cities of refuge from the avenger, &c.] Or near kinsman; for as the right of redemption of an estate that was mortgaged belonged to such an one, so of revenging the blood of any one that was killed: that the manslayer die not; by the hand of the avenger, who in the heat of his passion would, could he come at him, fall upon him, and slay him, to avenge the death of his relation on him: until he stand before the congregation in judgment; before the court of judicature, to be examined, tried, and judged, whether the murder was committed knowingly and willingly, or whether through mistake and at unawares: this was done either before the court of judicature in the city of refuge, who took cognizance of such cases directly, that they might know whom to harbour and protect, and whom not; or before the court in the place where the fact was committed: interpreters are divided about this; and Calmet is of opinion that he was examined in both courts, first more strictly in the city of refuge, and then more slightly in the place where it was done, which is not improbable; however, this seems manifest from ver. 25, that the court where it was committed had power to fetch him from the city of refuge, and set him before them, and examine into the case; and, if a proper person, restored him to the city of refuge, whither he had fled. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 866). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
The cities of the Levites were scattered through the land. Genesis 49:7 is therefore fulfilled. The provision of cities for refuge is full of interest. The careful study of the purpose of these cities is recommended. Note especially that they were provided to give shelter for those who had killed a person unawares. The avenger of blood (Hebrew: Goël, which means to redeem) pursued the person and the city of refuge gave shelter. The death of the high priest resulted in liberty for all who were in the cities of refuge. It was the signal that they could return to their possessions (verse 28).
Israel’s history may be easily read in this chapter in connection with the cities of refuge. The innocent blood shed is the blood of Christ. Blood guiltiness is upon the nation. They did it ignorantly, even as He prayed on Calvary’s cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” They are on account of this blood guiltiness kept out of their inheritance, and yet they have had their city of refuge and have been preserved till the time comes when they are set free and return to the possession in the land. And that will be when the Priesthood of Christ as now exercised by Him in glory ends, when He comes forth as the King-Priest to exercise the Melchisedek priesthood. The names of the cities are not given in the book of Numbers. They were: Bezer, Ramoth, Golan, Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron (Deut. 4:41–43; Josh. 20:7). The cities are also types of Christ because they gave shelter. He is our refuge and our biding place. (Gaebelein, A. C. (2009). The Annotated Bible: Genesis to Deuteronomy. (Vol. 1, p. 356). 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!!)
The CHURCH in an age Of CRISIS by James Emery White
According to complied numbers from various news and research organizations, every second, $3,073,640 is being spent on pornography. Every second, 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography. In that same second, 372 internet users ae typing adult search terms into search engines. (p. 104)
The pornography industry has larger revenues than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, ebay, Yahoo, Apple, and Netflix combined.(p. 105)
We are living in a time where Satan doesn’t even hide anymore, and the world still can’t see him. (I Peter 5:8
In addition to national, state and local leadership, voters made incredibly consequential decisions on over 100 ballot initiatives. The results of these direct-to-voter policy races, about 3/4 of which involved potential changes to state constitutions, reveal much about the electorate, perhaps even more than the Presidential and congressional races.
Though ballot initiatives are often written in legalese that is impossible to understand and can address mundane topics, increasingly in recent years, voters have been deciding on weighty moral questions. It’s one thing to vote on best means to achieve a shared vision of reality. It’s another to ask voters to decide between competing visions of reality. Americans are, state by state, doing more and more of the latter these days.
In Louisiana, voters overwhelmingly passed a measure clarifying that the Louisiana state constitution does not include a right to abortion. Called the “Love Life Amendment” by supporters, this lays critical groundwork for challenge to Roe v. Wade. Note also that this ballot initiative was already in the works when the Supreme Court issued a disappointing ruling in the June Medical Services case. I’d say those pro-life Cajuns are showing a level of tenacity the entire movement might learn from.
Oregon voters also showed tenacity, but without the virtue, by decriminalizing the possession of hard drugs, including LSD, Meth, and heroin. This ballot initiative was sold to Oregonians not by questioning how harmful these substances are, but with the promise of reducing the number of people of color in prison and ensuring that addiction recovery is more widely available for those who (and I quote) “need and want it.”
Of course, those two goals could have been achieved through better policies without advancing a flawed and dangerous view of freedom. The idea that legal progress involves being freed from anything that restrains our will or behavior is at the heart of many ballot initiatives, and only ends with people enslaved by their passions or addictions. The kind of freedom that allows fallen people to flourish, on the other hand, necessarily involves common-sense restraints from government and other authorities.
Speaking of casting off restraint, voters in Washington state decided that kindergarteners should be taught so-called LGBTQ-inclusivity, and that the corresponding behaviors should be taught to students beginning in fourth grade. In this case, voters decided to cast off not so much the restraints of government as to use the government to cast off the restraints of reality, including the created goodness of our human bodies and the moral consequences of sexual brokenness.
Meanwhile, voters in Colorado soundly rejected a measure that would have outlawed abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion advocates raised an incredible amount of money to defeat Prop 115 and protect in law the killing of nearly born children. Dressed like “handmaids,” they spread lies about the “safety of the mother” and about pro-lifers only caring about babies until birth. But mostly, they took advantage of a state deeply committed to this libertarian view of freedom, which just four years ago voted in doctor-assisted suicide, also by ballot initiative.
Still, to be clear, Prop 115 failed in 2020 and Prop 106 passed in 2016, not because of the clever and vocal arguments of one side, but because the world’s largest grassroots organization just didn’t show up. Most churches in Colorado, not all but most, would not summon the resources or moral courage to get involved. Colorado pastors, including some who marched with Black Lives Matter just a few months ago, didn’t want to “get too political.” Thunderously denouncing racism from their pulpits, rightly so, they then refused to even mention the killing of hundreds of thousands of babies each year in this country, or even the hundreds of later-term babies killed each year in this state.
My guess is that a similar silence afflicted Oregon and Washington as well. If so, those shepherds missed an incredible opportunity to teach congregants a vision of the world that has nothing to do with partisan politics, but everything to do with seeing and valuing each human life as created by God. They missed an opportunity to put faces and flesh on the parable of the Good Samaritan, discipling their flocks in loving their preborn and school-age neighbors. Instead, unwittingly, a false vision of freedom, one driving so much of our culture, went unchallenged and maybe even encouraged.
(Break Point)
Is Beneficial Your Focus, or What Is Just Permissible? Greg Laurie
Sometimes as Christians we ask the question, “Is it OK for me to (fill in blank)?” But a better question to ask is, “Does this build me up spiritually?”
We need to shift our mindset from focusing on what is permissible to what is profitable.
There are things that build us up, and there are things that tear us down. As Christians, we want to avoid the things that will hurt us spiritually. When we start to do something, we should ask ourselves, “How will this affect me spiritually?”
The apostle Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV).
The Amplified Bible expands these thoughts: “All things are legitimate [permissible–and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].”
Try This Test
The next time you are considering doing a particular activity, ask yourself this:
Does the activity I am considering bring me under its power in any way? You don’t want to be under the power of anything but Jesus Christ.
Do I have an uneasy conscience about it? As Romans 14:23 says, “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (NKJV). Whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful.
You might be thinking, “That sounds restrictive and boring! Can’t a Christian have any fun?” And the answer is, Absolutely!
Change Your Outlook
If you think the Christian life is boring, then you haven’t yet learned how to walk with God. He will change your outlook on life.
I think a Christian can look at a beautiful sunset and enjoy it more than anyone else, because the Bible says God has given us as Christians all things to richly enjoy. There is a deeper level of appreciation on our part.
We can appreciate the simple things in life and find more pleasure and more fulfillment—not because we are looking to things, but because we are looking to God.
Consider the words of Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” That word blessed means, “Oh, how happy.”
Happy Christianity
If you want to be a happy person, then walk with God as closely as you can, as opposed to trying to figure out how much you can get away with and still be a Christian.
The Beatitudes give us insight about what it means to be a happy Christian. For example, Matthew 5 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” In other words, “Happy are the spiritually hungry.”
A happy person is one who passionately desires a righteous life. This phrase for “hunger and thirst” is describing a person who eats and is filled and then is hungry again not long afterwards.
Sort of like eating sushi. After I eat sushi, it’s not long before I’m hungry again. It’s the same idea. A really happy person is hungry for the things of the Lord. You might go to church or your small group or just have a quiet devotional time and it’s a good “spiritual meal” of Bible study and worship. You dig in. You are satisfied.
But you are hungry afterwards and you want to do it again. That is a good sign. That is an indicator of a happy person, a person that is walking with God.
Paul writes in Philippians 1:9, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more…” (NKJV). You should be growing in love. You should be growing in faith. We all should be growing spiritually.
No matter how much you love, you need to love more. No matter how much you pray, you ought to pray more. No matter how much you obey, you ought to obey more.
Blessed are those that continually hunger and thirst for righteousness. We will not be completely satisfied until we see His face, or as Psalm 17:15 says, “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (NKJV).
Divine Discontent
And until that day there is going to be a certain spiritual dissatisfaction—a sense that there is still so much more to learn.
Let me ask you a question. Are you satisfied with your spiritual state right now? I will answer for myself: I am not satisfied. I have a lot to learn. There is a lot of growing that needs to happen in my life still. There are a lot of things in my life that still need to change. It’s true for all of us.
It’s like Paul said after years of walking with the Lord, in Philippians 3:12, “My dear friends, I am still not all that I should be, but I am focusing all of my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (NLT).
It has been said, “He has the most need of righteousness who least wants it.” In other words, if you say to me, “I am really doing well. I don’t really think that I need more righteousness,” you are in greater need than you recognize. A real mark of a spiritual person is that they’re always hungry and thirsty for more and more of the things of God.
A Spoiled Appetite
There are certain things that spoil our appetite, aren’t there? We are told to not snack between meals, and for good reason. Sometimes we feed on spiritual junk food and diminish our spiritual appetites. These aren’t necessarily bad things, in and of themselves, but they take the edge off our appetite.
Periodically we need to ask ourselves the question, “Is this thing that I am engaged in, this relationship, this pursuit, this activity—is it making me more or less hungry for spiritual things?” Does it draw me closer or does it in some way keep me away from Jesus? Is it a wing or a weight in the race of life? Does it speed me on my way, or does it slow me down?
Hebrews 12 says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus” (verses 1–2 NKJV).
Where There’s a Will…
Know this: if you are really hungry and thirsty for righteousness, you will find it. Don’t tell me you can’t find time in your schedule for Bible study. Don’t tell me you are too busy to pray. Don’t tell me you just can’t make it to church. I don’t buy it.
Where there is a will, there is a way. If you really want something, you will put yourself in a place where you are going to attain it.
Blessed is the man or the woman that is continuously hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Move past thinking about what is allowable, and instead embrace what is beneficial for your spiritual life.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Benjamin Davies
Pastor Greg Laurie serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, which has campuses in Southern California and Hawaii. He is the author of more than 70 books, hosts the nationally syndicated radio broadcast A New Beginning, and is the founder of Harvest Crusades and Harvest at Home.
The 2 Marks of a Truly Wicked Person James Johnston Tulsa Bible Church
The psalmist describes two sides of the character of the wicked in Psalm 10:2–11. Structurally each description is five verses long and ends with the inner thoughts of the unjust oppressor, “He says in his heart” (10:6, 11). Two words summarize these wicked oppressors: arrogant and aggressive. Their pride and violence spell disaster for anyone who stands in their way.
Arrogant
First, the wicked oppressors are arrogant. The trouble they cause flows out of self-importance.
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. (10:2)
Where does this abusive pride come from? For one thing they forget that the rich and poor were both created by God. We did not make ourselves. We did not choose which family we were born into and the opportunities we were given. We did not decide how intelligent we would be, how wise we would be, how self-motivated we would be. All this is from God’s hand. The writer of Proverbs says, “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2). The wicked forget this. They like to view themselves as self-made men, like sharks made to swim at the top of the food chain. This pride is Darwinian at its core—a survival of the fittest that grinds the poor into the dirt. And in their arrogance they think God will never do anything. They have nothing but contempt for God and laugh at any idea of judgment.
In fact, they do not worship God. They worship themselves.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” (10:3, 4)
The word “for” (v. 3) tells us why the wicked pursue the poor. They turn on the poor and the helpless because they first turned against God.
What does it mean to boast in your desires? That is an unusual phrase. The wicked are proud of their desires. Their cravings are a virtue. After all, didn’t they succeed because of their will to win? Their greed got them where they are.
One of the most powerful illustrations of this came from the 1987 Oliver Stone movie Wall Street. The main character, Gordon Gekko, was modeled after high-powered traders who ran the financial markets like masters of the universe. In one famous scene Gekko delivers a speech to the nervous shareholders of Teldar Paper Corporation.
Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A.
This quote struck a chord because it hit so close to home. The spirit of American materialism declares that greed is a virtue, that in fact greed is the foundation of success. This is the mind-set of the man or woman who boasts of the desires of his or her soul. They boast because they believe it is a good thing never to be content, never to be satisfied, always to want more. And in their greed they grind the poor into the ground to get what they want.
It is sobering to notice that these wicked men and women renounce God by his personal name, Yahweh (“the Lord,” v. 3). This implies that these oppressors are not foreigners; they are Israelites who knowingly reject the God of Israel. In their greed they loved money and possessions more than God. In their pride they did not look for him. Finally they denied that God even exists.
Greed and pride can turn your heart away from God today too. You may have grown up knowing the Bible, but you are living for yourself. Jesus said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). The wicked boast in their desires, but the Scriptures say, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
You might assume that someone who openly rejects God would be struck down by lightning. But atheists often prosper. People who give themselves to gathering money often get rich. And because they have laughed at God and have still been successful, their arrogance grows. They assume that they must be invincible.
His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them. (10:5)
Because he is affluent, he is convinced that nothing can touch him. He has the latest tech gadgets; he drives a new Aston Martin; he goes on the best vacations; he wears new clothes. Success has blinded his eyes to God’s judgment—it is too high for him.
Here is what he thinks in his heart of hearts:
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” (10:6)
The wicked man is thoroughly deceived. He thinks that the blessings God reserves for the godly belong to him! It is the blameless man who shall not be moved (Psalm 15:5; 16:8), but the wicked “are like chaff that the wind drives away” (Psalm 1:4). The wicked think they can set up their children to prosper after them. They can put them in the right schools and introduce them to the right people and leave a trust that will provide for them. But the Scriptures say that “the generation of the upright will be blessed” (Psalm 112:2). In his pride the wicked man has believed a lie.
Aggressive
The wicked man is not only arrogant and proud, he is aggressive and violent. This is the second part of the psalmist’s description.
First, his words are violent.
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. (10:7)
In the summer of 2012, northeastern Oklahoma was a tinderbox after weeks of drought and triple digit temperatures. On August 2 a devastating wildfire in Creek County burned 58,500 acres, destroyed 376 homes, and left hundreds of people homeless. As it turned out, the fire was started by a single cigarette. A wicked man’s words are like a spark that ignites violence.
In fact, sins of the tongue are the most common kind of violence in the Psalms. C. S. Lewis notes,
I think that when I began to read it these surprised me a little; I had half expected that in a simpler and more violent age when more evil was done with the knife, the big stick, and the firebrand, less would be done by talk. But in reality the Psalmists mention hardly any kind of evil more often than this one, which the most civilised societies share…. It is all over the Psalter. One almost hears the incessant whispering, tattling, lying, scolding, flattery, and circulation of rumours. No historical readjustments are here required, we are in the world we know.
Evil shows itself most often in verbal violence. In fact, the Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 10:7 to show that everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, are under the power of sin (Romans 3:14). And James says,
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. (James 3:6)
And from a violent heart come violent actions.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might. (10:8–10)
The wicked man is treacherous. He ambushes the unsuspecting. He doesn’t do his work in cities where he might get caught but rather hunts in the villages where people trust each other and don’t lock their doors at night. His eyes shift around stealthily, watching for his victims. He lurks. He hides his net. God help the man he catches because not only is he treacherous, he is also merciless. He cares nothing about the people he attacks, whether they are good or bad or whether they have families depending on them.
Why does he attack the poor? For one thing, his heart is bad. Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). His words are full of “cursing and… oppression” (10:7) because his heart is full of cursing and oppression. His very nature is to use whatever power he has to use and exploit others.
The poor are also easy victims. A poor man doesn’t have connections; who will go to bat for him? A poor man may not know his rights. If he is an immigrant, he might be ashamed that he can’t speak English well, and he might not have the confidence to stand up for himself. A poor woman can probably be frightened and silenced. If she gets pregnant, you might be able to intimidate her into having an abortion. The poor can’t hire a lawyer, especially not one who can fight the legal department of a large company. A poor man doesn’t have the clout at City Hall that comes from owning a business and providing jobs in the community. The poor are easy prey for the wicked. This is why the Scriptures command us to “defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:9).
Ultimately he oppresses the poor because he thinks no one will call him to account. Verse 11 tells us his thoughts.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
“The arrogance of the wicked expresses itself in injustice, but their root problem is their utter disregard for the Lord.” They no longer sense any accountability to God. They decide that God has not stepped in to stop them because he doesn’t know or he doesn’t care. So the wicked give free rein to the violence in their heart.
In fact, they have badly mistaken God’s silence. God is not forgetful, and he is not negligent. Instead God is patient and kind with sinners, giving them every opportunity to turn away from their sin and repent. The Scriptures warn us not to draw the wrong conclusion when God is patient with our sin.
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:4, 5)
If God doesn’t stop you or strike you down when you sin, don’t think this means he doesn’t know or doesn’t care. God is kind and patient, and he offers you every opportunity to turn away from your sin. The wicked mistake God’s patience for negligence. The godly recognize God’s kindness and run to him.
Taken from The Psalms: Rejoice, the Lord is King, by James Johnston. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Il 60187, www.crossway.org.
The Psalms are treasured poetry that reflect the prayer and praise of ancient Israel. Every generation opens the Psalms for inspiration, comfort, hope, and encouragement. They’re also are a rich source of truth about God, humanity, and salvation. The authors of the New Testament understood this, quoting the Psalms more than any other Old Testament book to establish key doctrines. The Psalms tell the story of God’s anointed king, his kingdom, and his people. They point forward to the Messiah—David’s Greater Son who reigns forever and ever.
In the first volume of a three-volume commentary on the Psalms, pastor James Johnston walks readers through Psalms 1 to 41, offering exegetical and pastoral insights along the way. Accessible and engaging, this resource will help anyone interested in studying, teaching, or preaching the Bible read the Psalms in a deliberately canonical and Christ-centered way.
1 Timothy 2
Public worship should include intercession for our nation’s leaders.
INSIGHT
Praying for our state, national, and world leaders is a biblical responsibility and should be a part of our regular public worship. The ultimate focus of our prayers for our country and its leaders is evangelism. Paul teaches that we are first to pray that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (v. 2). In a free and peaceful setting, our love for God should flow easily and, therefore, evangelism should be a natural result. God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v. 4). Is this your greatest desire as well? (Quiet Walk)
Mack, having struggled with drug abuse and sexual sin, was desperate. Relationships he valued were in disarray, and his conscience was beating him up. In his misery, he found himself unannounced at a church asking to speak with a pastor. There he found relief in sharing his complicated story and in hearing about God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Psalm 32 is believed to have been composed by David after his sexual sin. He compounded his wrongdoing by devising a sinister strategy that resulted in the death of the woman’s husband (see 2 Samuel 11-12). While these ugly incidents were behind him, the effects of his actions remained. Psalm 32:3-4 describes the deep struggles he experienced before he acknowledged the ugliness of his deeds; the gnawing effects of unconfessed sin were undeniable. What brought relief? Relief began with confession to God and accepting the forgiveness He offers (v. 5).
What a great place for us to start—at the place of God’s mercy—when we say or do things that cause hurt and harm to ourselves and others. The guilt of our sin need not be permanent. There’s One whose arms are open wide to receive us when we acknowledge our wrongs and seek His forgiveness. We can join the chorus of those who sing, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (v. 1).
By Arthur Jackson (Our Daily Bread)
GOD IS LOVE
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8
“God is love.” No one can answer against that; one trembles even to handle it; it cannot be analyzed. I simply want to point out that John does not say merely that God loves us or that God is loving. He goes beyond that. He says, “God is love.” God essentially is love; God’s nature is love; you cannot think of God without love.
Of course he has already told us that God is light in exactly the same way—that was the first pronouncement. “This then is the message….God is light” (1 John 1:5); and in exactly the same way “God is love” and God is spirit. This battles the imagination; it is something that is altogether beyond our comprehension, and yet we start with it.
Augustine and others deduce from this the doctrine of the Trinity. I think there may be a great deal in that; the very fact that God is love declares the Trinity—God the Father loves the Son, and the link is the person of the Holy Spirit. Ah! this high doctrine; it is beyond us. All I know is that God, in the very essence of His nature and being, is love, and you cannot think of God and must not think of Him except in terms of love. Everything that God is and does is colored by this; all God’s actions have this aspect of love in them and the aspect of light in the same way. That is how God always manifests Himself—light and love
“Therefore, because that is the fundamental postulate, because that is so true of God,” John is saying, “that works itself out for us like this: Because God is love, we ought to love one another. For ‘love is of God.’” In other words, love is from God, love flows from God. It is as if John were turning to these people and saying, “God loves, and this love I am talking about is something that only comes from God—it is derived from Him.”
A Thought to Ponder: God, in the very essence of His nature and being, is love.
(From The Love of God, p. 43, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
Family Structure: Wives
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.” (Colossians 3:18)
This instruction has created an undue amount of “interpretation” over the past century. The terminology is not unclear, but the culture (particularly in the Western world) has resisted the idea that God has specifically designed the structure of the family—beginning with the role of the wife and mother in the home.
She is to “submit” to her husband. The Greek word is hupotasso, a compound term that simply describes an “orderly arrangement.” Obviously, the instructions assume obedience to the design for human procreation “from the beginning of the creation” (Mark 10:6-7) and an understanding of the judgment handed down to humanity in Genesis 3.
That sentence on women (through Eve) is placed on all women, since “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14). Also included in the description in Genesis 3:16 is that the woman will “long” (Hebrew teshuqateh) for her husband, and her husband will “have power” (Hebrew mashal) over her.
The arrangement, therefore, is designed to prevent further debility and to protect the woman through the man’s willing obedience to love her sacrificially and unconditionally, as “Christ loved the church.”
Ultimately, of course, all obedience is voluntary. Wives are to “arrange” themselves under their husband’s authority, knowing that the instructions are given by an omnipotent and omniscient heavenly Father whose care for each of us is greater than we can imagine.
This basic family structure is “fit in the Lord,” promising us that our obedience will ensure His care and blessing within the most intimate of all human relationships.
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
Bill writes (AR): Today’s humor:
It was Saturday morning and my brother, an avid hunter, woke up ready to go bag the first deer of the season. He walked down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise he found his wife sitting there, fully dressed in camouflage.
My brother asked her, “What are you up to?” His wife smiled, “I’m going hunting with you!”
Although she had never gone hunting before, my brother reluctantly decided to take her along. They arrived at the hunting site. He set his wife safely up in the tree stand and told her: “If you see a deer, take careful aim on it, and I’ll come running back as soon as I hear the shot.” Not 10 minutes passed when he heard an array of gunshots. Quickly, he started running back. As he got closer to her stand, he heard his wife screaming, “Get away from my deer!”
Confused, he ran faster towards his screaming wife. And again he heard her yell, “Get away from my deer!” followed by another volley of gunfire.
Now within sight of where he had left his wife, he was surprised to see a cowboy, with his hands high in the air. The cowboy, obviously distraught, said, “Okay, lady, okay! You can have your deer! Just let me get my saddle off it!”
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