Numbers 6
Rule of Nazariteverses 1-8
And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying
Speak unto the children of Israel – and say unto them
When either man or woman shall separate themselves to
vow a vow of a Nazarite
to SEPARATE themselves unto the LORD
he shall SEPARATE himself from WINE and STRONG DRINK
and shall drink no vinegar of wine
or vinegar of strong drink
neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes
nor eat moist grapes – or dried
All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is
made of the vine tree – from the kernels even to the husk
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall NO RAZOR
come upon his head – until the days be fulfilled
in the which he SEPARATED himself unto the LORD
he shall be HOLY – and shall let the
locks of the hair of his head grow
All the days that he separated himself unto the LORD he shall come at
NO DEAD BODY – he shall not make himself unclean for his
father – mother – brother – sister – when they die
because the consecration of his God is upon his head
All the days of his separation he is HOLY unto the LORD
If rule violated then sacrifice and renew vowverses 9-12
AND IF any man die very suddenly by him
and he hath defiled the head of his consecration
THEN he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing
on the seventh day shall he shave it
And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles – or two young pigeons
to the priest – to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
and the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering
and the other for a burnt offering
and make an atonement for him
for that he sinned by the dead
and shall hallow his head
that same day
And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his SEPARATION
and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering
BUT the days that were before shall be lost
BECAUSE his SEPARATION was defiled
End of Nazarite vowverses 13-21
And this is the law of the Nazarite
when the days of his SEPARATION are fulfilled
he shall be brought unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation
and he shall offer his offering unto the LORD
one he lamb of the first year without blemish
for a burnt offering – and one ewe lamb of the
first year without blemish for
a sin offering
and one ram without blemish for peace offerings
and a basket of unleavened bread
cakes of fine flour mingled with oil
and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil
and their meat offering – and their drink offerings
And the priest shall bring them before the LORD
and shall offer his sin offering – and his burnt offering
and he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace
offerings unto the LORD
with the basket of unleavened bread
and the priest shall offer also his meat offering
and his drink offering
And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his SEPARATION at the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation
and shall take the hair of the head of his SEPARATION
and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the
peace offering
And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram
and one unleavened cake out of the basket
and one unleavened wafer
and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite
after the hair of his SEPARATION is shaven
and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD
this is HOLY for the priest – with the wave breast and heave
shoulder – and after that the Nazarite may drink wine
This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed
and of his offering unto the LORD for his SEPARATION
besides that that his hand shall get
according to the vow which he vowed
so he must do after the law of his SEPARATION
Priestly blessing of children of Israelverses 22-27
And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying
On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel – saying unto them
The LORD bless you – and keep you
the LORD make HIS face shine upon you
and be gracious unto you
the LORD lift up HIS countenance upon you
and give you peace
And they shall put MY name upon the children of Israel
and I will bless them
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD (6381 “separate” [pala’] means to do something wonderful, to be unusual, to do a hard or extraordinary or difficult thing, or fulfill something special)
DEVOTION: This was a special time in the life of an individual who wanted to give a set period of time to the LORD. The period usually was a short time of service for a special project.
Samson was a judge of Israel who was a Nazarite from birth. He was told this fact by his parents but his life was not influenced by the vow that was made by his parent.
He was around dead bodies because he killed the Philistines who were enemies of Israel. He was captured by the Philistines and when they cut his hair he lost all his power. So the vow of a Nazarite gave him extraordinary power to judge Israel for a time period when they needed a judge.
If we want to serve the LORD today, we don’t have to take a vow of a Nazarite we can just come to a local church or ministry and ask what you can do for the LORD for a given period of time. The church needs individuals who will serve for a special period of time to serve the LORD.
Many of the cults require their people to serve for a time period. It has worked for them because it is a Biblical concept that should be practiced by Biblical churches to help them grow in the LORD.
Too often we say that just a small group of people can’t make a difference for a short period of time but they are wrong. This is a concept that the LORD used among HIS people in the Old Testament.
CHALLENGE: Do you have a given period of time to serve the LORD for a special project? Ask the LORD what HE would have you do.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. (5144 “separate” [nazar] means consecrate oneself to deity, dedicate, to be a Nazarite, to deal respectfully, or to cause to remain separated from something)
DEVOTION: When God establishes a law HE doesn’t leave anything out that HE wants done during these special times of service by people who are not from the tribe of Levi. This is a time period when an ordinary Israelite can serve the LORD in a way that is considered HOLY.
So during this time period there are things that need to be done and things that are not allowed to be done. The top of the list was that those committing themselves to a short time of service were not to touch or drink anything related to wine or grapes or raisons. They were not to try to serve the LORD while under the influence of alcohol. This is probably what was done by the two sons of Aaron who offered strange fire before the LORD and were killed.
Our senses need to be keen when we serve the LORD because we are always looking for the fiery darts of the wicked one. He is shooting them at us every chance he gets. He has many other fallen angels called demons in the New Testament.
The battle is real and the LORD wants those who HE leads to a special time of service to come forward and serve. Are you in the LORD’S army? Has HE called you to a time of special service for HIM?
CHALLENGE: Obedience is necessary for the LORD to receive glory.
: 9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he has defiled the head of his consecration, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. (5145 “consecration” [nezer] means dedication, Naziriteship, ordination, diadem, consecrated head, or head of hair which is long)
DEVOTION: Accidents happen in our life. It even happened to those who promised the LORD a special time of service. The LORD understood these facts. HE made allowances to those who had sworn a vow of service.
Here is a man who had someone fall dead beside him. It was not his fault. He didn’t make it happen. It just happened. Did the LORD know that it was going to happen before it did? YES!!
Sometimes we might ask why the LORD allows these things to happen to people who want to do something special for HIM at a given time. We don’t know the answer but we know that everything that happens in our life is for our good. Even people who try their hardest to serve the LORD have these things happen.
What are they to do? They have to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and start over with their vow. We need to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the LORD according to the book of Romans. There are many New Testament sacrifices we can offer that are not animal sacrifices.
We are never to give up if the LORD allows an obstacle in our way serving HIM for a special vow we have made to HIM. The Nazarite was to take a new time period and perform his vow to the LORD. The LORD would honor him/her for their commitment.
Think about the gift of the Holy Spirit that you received at the point of salvation and ask the LORD to give you direction for special service for a special time period.
Once the vow was kept the person was to cut their hair which was one of the signs that he was committed to a vow. The hair was to be burned with the sacrifice. It was a sign that he had completed his vow and the LORD had accepted his service.
CHALLENGE: There are consequences to sin. In this case it happened suddenly. It still has to be confessed. We have to keep short accounts with the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: (1288 בָּרַךְ בָּרַךְ [barak /baw·rak/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 285; GK 1384 and 1385; 330 occurrences; AV translates as “bless” 302 times)
DEVOTION: It is a pleasure when someone blesses us and brings positive words of affirmation to our lives. The blessing that Moses instructs Aaron and his sons to give is to all the people of Israel. This blessing was to be given as a benediction by the priests to the people of God. This manner of blessing even continued in the New Testament church.
The word “bless” is used for the first time here in Numbers 6 and it appears to be a seal of affirmation for the nation. The instructions that God had given to the nation of Israel before they began their journey was complete; each tribe recognized their lineage, the leadership of the army was established and the roles of the Levitical priesthood were instituted. In conjunction with this preparation, God declared through Moses that Aaron and his sons were to pronounce this priestly blessing upon the people of God. This framework identifies the divine author (God) and the human mediator (Moses) in verse 22.
Aaron and his sons were the representatives of God, instructing and administrating the blessing. The priesthood was responsible for bringing the Israelites before God as their mediator and being a messenger of God. The blessing indicated that God would grant His gracious care and peace upon them as they left His presence.
While this benediction was one that the Jews cherished and repeated through the centuries, it was also cherished by believers in the New Testament as well. Paul seems to have adopted this formula of blessing and uses it in 2 Corinthians 13:14 to close his letter. As believers submit to the authority of God and follow His instructions, God’s blessings will be present.
Challenge: To be blessed of God is to be obedient to His word. It begins with repentance and trusting Christ as our Savior and then learning, growing and adjusting our lifestyle to conform to God’s stated principles and values. Is there some area where the Holy Spirit is compelling a change of thought, attitude or lifestyle? Obedience to God’s word leads to blessing. The Lord desires you to be blessed!. (Brian Miller)
: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. (6440 “countenance” [paniym] means face, presence, before, or sight.)
DEVOTION: Moses continued to receive instructions from the LORD. There were instructions regarding those who would make a Nazarite vow to the LORD. This is a promise for a time period of special separation unto the LORD. All the rules are listed. These were individuals who wanted to serve the LORD in a special way.
Finally, the LORD commands Moses to bless the children of Israel with a benediction. This benediction wasn’t for the individual but for the whole nation.
They are to be blessed and kept by the LORD. They are to have the LORD’s face on them. They are to have peace with HIM and with those around them. They are to receive the grace of the LORD. These are special promises to HIS children. HE wants them to know that HE is going to care for them.
When Moses was up in the mountain, he saw the hind part of the glory of the LORD and his face shone for a while after that sighting. He had to wear a veil to keep the shine of his face from hurting the children of Israel. He still covered his face when the glory of the LORD had worn out.
Here we have a benediction that presents the blessing of the LORD on HIS people. The LORD gave to Moses the commandment to bless.
Moses is saying that God wants HIS face to shine on HIS people. This second mentioning of HIS face seems to mean that the LORD has a smile on HIS face when HIS face is lifted up regarding HIS people. HE enjoys the service of the children of Israel.
We want the presence of God with us on a daily basis, and if we have HIS face toward us we can have peace in all of our activities. With God, we can do anything with the assurance of HIS blessing. In HIS presence we only want to do those things that are pleasing to HIM. We want HIS smile. We are in HIS presence each day. HE blesses us when we are filled with HIS Spirit.
Are we manifesting the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives daily? Are we singing, and thankful and submitting??? This will bring the blessings of the LORD in our lives! Remember that these blessings are not always material things.
CHALLENGE: Realize that the LORD wants to smile on HIS children. Do our faces manifest the favor of God in our lives?
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)
Benedictionverses 24-26
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)’
Tabernacle of the congregationverses 10, 13, 18
Priestverses 11, 16-20
Sin offeringverses 11, 14, 16
Lamb
Burnt offeringverses 11, 14, 16
Lamb of first year
Trespass offeringverse 12
Lamb of first year
Door of the Tabernacle of the congregationverses 13, 18
Peace offeringverses 14, 17, 18
Ram
Meat [meal] offeringverses 15, 17
Unleavened bread
Drink offeringverses 15, 17
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law of the Nazariteverses 13, 21
law of his separation
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 2, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20-22, 24-26
God (Elohim)verse 7
LORD’s face shineverse 25
MY nameverse 27
I will bless themverse 27
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)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Uncleanverse 7
Defileverses 9, 12
Sin offeringverses 11, 16
Sinnedverse 11
Trespassverse 12
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Separateverses 2-6, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 21
Holyverses 5, 8
Consecrationverses 7, 9, 12
Atonementverse 11
Blessverses 23, 24, 27
Keepverse 24
Face of God shineverse 24
Graceverse 25
Peaceverse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 22
Children of Israelverses 2, 23, 27
Vow of Nazariteverses 2-17, 21
separate to the LORD: NO
wine
strong drink
vinegar of wine
vinegar of strong drink
liquor of grapes
eat moist grapes or dried
eat nothing made of vine tree
kernels even to the husk
no razor: hair is holy
not come near dead body
Not make himself unclean for
father or mother
brother or sister
consecration
Holy unto the LORD
If defiled suddenly
Shave his head
Eighth day bring offering to
tabernacle
End of Nazarite vowverses 18-21
shave the head
hair put in fire of peace offering
wave offering
may drink wine
Aaronverse 22
Aaron’s sonsverse 22
Blessing on children of Israelverses 24-26
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
27 The words of the conclusion formula may be the most surprising of all; for here the Lord says that this prayer is the means of placing his name on his people. Since the name Yahweh is itself a term of blessing whereby the eternal God states his relatedness to his people, these words of blessing could not be more appropriate. The prayer is designed to help the people experience the reality of the blessing of the Lord whose delight is to bring that blessing near; his promise is that he will do just that very thing.
Surely this is a prayer that needs to be recovered by the believing community today. Christians may read these words and find in them, not only the Lord’s special covenantal relationship with Israel at Mount Sinai, but also a reflection of the covenantal relationship God has with his people, the church, through the work of Savior Jesus, in whom we have experienced preeminently the smile of God. The threefold invocation of the name of the Lord is not going to be lost on Christian readers either:
May the Lord Yahweh as Father, Son, and Spirit
bless his people and keep them,
cause them to know his presence and his grace,
and allow them to sense his smile and his peace.
Amen! (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, pp. 755–756). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
6:22–27. In pronouncing God’s favor on the people, the priest was to use a formula for blessing. This beautiful blessing may be only a model, as the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” is a model for prayer, but its purpose is clear: it communicates the desire of the Lord to invest His people with His name. The name of the Lord is tantamount to the Lord Himself so that this blessing becomes a petition that God might live among His people and meet all their needs. He alone can bless His people, keep them, look on them with favor (make His face shine and turn His face toward them), be gracious to them, and give them peace. (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. 223). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
The pronouns in this benediction are singular, meaning that God’s blessings come to us personally; but there is a plural pronoun in Numbers 6:27, “I will bless them.” God blesses the nation by blessing individuals, and by blessing the nation, He blesses the world. God promised Abraham, “I will bless you … and you will be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2, niv). We bless the world by sharing God’s truth, often one person at a time.
We need the blessings that God lists here: to be cared for by the Lord who watches over us; to have the smile of His face upon us and the riches of His grace given to us; to have Him pay attention to us when we call; and, as the result of these things, to enjoy His peace in our hearts. Peace (shalom) is one of the great words in the Hebrew vocabulary, and it means much more than the absence of storm and trouble around us. It involves quietness of heart within us, spiritual health and spiritual prosperity, adequacy for the demands of life, and the kind of spiritual well-being that rises above circumstances. George Morrison defined “peace” as “the possession of adequate resources,” which is what Paul had in mind when he wrote Philippians 4:6–20. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (p. 29). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
6:27 invoke My name. The name of the Lord represented His person and character. The priests were to call for God to dwell among His people and meet all their needs. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nu 6:27). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Aaron and his sons are commanded to bless the people (6:22–27). It is difficult to determine why this passage was placed in this context; it would more logically follow 3:1–4 or 3:38. Two reasons can be given for its present position: (1) the Nazirite vow did not give the Nazirites priestly prerogatives; (2) not just the Nazirites could expect the Lord’s blessing; all Israelites were to consider themselves blessed of God and in close relationship with him. The various phrases of the priestly blessing explicate what it means to bless. When the Lord blesses, he gives himself to his people; he assures them he is their keeper; he is their light; he will bestow grace upon them; he will look upon them with love as a father and will give them wholeness and fullness of life and peace. To pronounce these assurances is to put God’s name on them. To receive this benediction, then, is to be named God’s children and as such to be and to receive all that God assures them he will make and give them.
An important factor in this passage must not be overlooked. Aaron and his sons are not to pray or call this blessing down upon the people. As anointed and ordained priests they stand in the place of God and speak authoritatively in his name. They put the name of God upon the people. Here we have a clear statement of the function of those specifically ordained to represent God in the assembly of the Lord. (Van Groningen, G. (1995). Numbers. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 90). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
Ver. 27. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, &c.] Call them by his name, the people of the Lord; call upon the name of the Lord to bless them, and pronounce the blessing on them in the name of the Lord, in or by the name Jehovah, as Jarchi, three times used in this form of blessing: and I will bless them; really and truly bless them, bless them with blessings indeed; with all sorts of blessings, temporal and spiritual; with solid and substantial ones; and such are blessed, and will remain so, their blessings are irrevocable and irreversible; and unless the Lord blesses, in vain do the priests bless, or any of his ministers pronounce a blessing; their’s lies in words and wishes, his in real facts; they can only pray and wish for the blessing, it is he only that can give it, and can ratify and confirm what they declare and pronounce, according to his revealed word. Some refer the relative them to the priests, as if the sense was, I will bless the priests that bless Israel, for God will bless them that bless his people; but Aben Ezra thinks it belongs both to Israel, and to the priests, that God would confirm and establish the blessing of the priests pronounced on Israel, and bless the priests also, who needed the divine blessing as well as the people, and being found in the way of their duty, might expect it: the Targum of Jonathan is, “I will bless them in my Word;” his essential Word, Christ, in whom his chosen ones are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and who is the promised seed, in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 734). 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!!)
Moments with YOU by Dennis & Barbara Rainey:
Well-Driven Nails (Part Two)
It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. ECCLESIASTES 7:18
When I was a young lad growing up in southwest Missouri, it seemed as though the preacher in our little church would tilt that pulpit of his, and hellfire and brimstone would come smoking out into the pews. He preached about the almighty God who was just and righteous in His judgments. Not all of what the preacher said was healthy, but as a boy I learned to have a reverential awe of the One who held my destiny in the palm of His hand.
We rarely hear sermons today about the fear of God. Reverential awe has been largely replaced with much softer, sweeter emotions. We’ve traded the fear of God for the love of God, not realizing we need both of them to keep us balanced and secure.
Nail Number Two: Fear God
Believers in past centuries talked about living “in the presence” of God or living “before the eyes” of God. Keeping their view of Him high and majestic drove them to change their world, because they knew that the Lord God almighty was watching. And they never forgot it. Living for God is not about kicking back and seeking ease. It is serious business. Rather than seeing the promises of God as ways to increase our checking-account balances and meet our own needs, the Bible calls us to “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). It’s not about entertainment and feeling good. It’s about seeing Him for who He is and seeing ourselves accountable to Him on a moment-by-moment basis. And real life is being accountable to others who share our pursuit of reverent, holy living.
DISCUSS
What is your perception of who God is? As you look back on the past few days, what would you have done differently if you knew God was there, watching?
2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine “bema” that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds “on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). (Quiet Walk)
UNDERSTANDING TRUTH
But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
In 1 John 2:21-22 John is dealing with the particular truth of the birth of our Lord: “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” These people, because they had the Holy Spirit and His enlightenment, understood the doctrine concerning the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He had come to perform. If they had not received the Spirit, they could not have done that; but they did understand these things. They understood the doctrine of the two natures in one person. They had an unction that enabled them to explain these things—“we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).
This is the wonderful thing that is true of Christians. They may not have much natural ability, but if they have the Holy Spirit they can understand this truth, and that is why the Christian faith is not only a faith for philosophers—it is a faith for anybody. It is not something that depends upon the natural man’s ability; it is an enlightenment, an unction. The Holy Spirit enables men and women to see and to understand something of the glorious nature of salvation. Though they may be simple, though they may be ignorant, though the world may dub them as being unintelligent, if they have this enlightenment they understand things that the greatest natural philosopher cannot understand.
That is what John says: “You understand these things; the other man does not.” Or we can put it like this: Because they have this anointing, Christians understand error and are able to save themselves from deviations from the truth. Simple people have heard and recognized the centralities of the faith when the more learned have become confused and have tended to go astray
A Thought to Ponder: The Holy Spirit enables men and women to understand something of the glorious nature of salvation.
(From Walking with God, pp. 126-127, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones)
The God Who Provides
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)
God’s provisions for the believer include far more than physical necessities. These are indicated by seven beautiful titles ascribed to Him in the New Testament.
The God of love: First of all, we need love, and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Then “the fruit of the Spirit is love” in our lives (Galatians 5:22) because He Himself is “the God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
The God of all grace: God saves us by His grace, and then we need to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18). This we can do because “the God of all grace…hath called us unto his eternal glory” (1 Peter 5:10)
The God of peace: He satisfies the need for peace in the believer’s soul, and He’s called “the God of peace” five times in the New Testament (Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20).
The God of all comfort: Our God is called “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,” because He “comforteth us in all our tribulation,” enabling us to provide comfort to others “by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
The God of patience: We “have need of patience” (Hebrews 10:36), and this need also is supplied by “the God of patience and consolation” (Romans 15:5).
The God of glory: It was “the God of glory” who first called Abraham (Acts 7:2), and through the Word we also “are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The God of hope: By His Spirit He fills us with joy and peace, with power, and abundant hope—blessing us “with all spiritual blessings…in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Before John Wayne passed away! Most of you know John Wayne as an actor.You may not know what happened to him befoe he died. This is that story!
Robert Schuller’s teenage daughter, Cindy, was in a motorcycle accident and had to have her leg amputated. John Wayne is a big fan of Robert Schuller. He heard Dr. Schuller say on one of his programs that his daughter had been in an accident and had to have her leg amputated.
John Wayne wrote a note to her saying: Dear Cindy, sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you will be all right. Signed, John Wayne. The note was delivered to her and she decided she wanted to write John Wayne a note in reply.
She wrote: Dear Mr. Wayne, I got your note. Thanks for writing to me. I like you very much. I am going to be all right because Jesus is going to help me. Mr. Wayne, do you know Jesus? I sure hope you know Jesus, Mr. Wayne, because I cannot imagine heaven being complete without John Wayne being there. I hope, if you don’t know Jesus, that you will give your heart to Jesus right now. See you in heaven. And she signed her name.
She had just put that letter in an envelope, sealed it, and written across the front of it “John Wayne” when a visitor came into her room to see her. He said to her: What are you doing? She said: I just wrote a letter to John Wayne, but I don’t know how to get it to him. He said: That’s funny, I am going to have dinner with John Wayne tonight at the Newport Club down at Newport Beach. Give it to me and I will give it to him. She gave him the letter and he put it in his coat pocket. There were twelve of them that night sitting around the table for dinner. They were laughing and cutting up and the guy happened to reach in his pocket and felt that letter and
remembered.
John Wayne was seated at the end of the table and the guy took the letter out and said: Hey, Duke, I was in Schuller’s daughter’s room today and she wrote you a letter and wanted me to give it to you. Here it is.
They passed it down to John Wayne and he opened it. They kept on laughing and cutting up and someone happened to look down at John Wayne. He was crying. One of them said: Hey, Duke, what is the matter? He said (and can’t you hear him saying it?): I want to read you this letter. He read the letter.
Then he began to weep. He folded it, put it in his pocket, and he pointed to the man who delivered it to him and said: You go tell that little girl that right now, in this restaurant, right here, John Wayne gives his heart to Jesus Christ and I will see her in heaven. Three weeks later John Wayne died!
You never know how your witness to another will affect their eternity!
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