Read Numbers
21-22 & Mark
7:14-37
To discover:
As you read consider how God’s desire to bless Israel
is evident.
To ponder:
(C21) Israel
here fight only when attacked. Their first victory is at Hormah where almost forty
years previously they were defeated (14v45). It comes as God’s answer to their
prayer and commitment to “totally destroy” their enemies. We will need to
remind ourselves at numerous points that Israel’s
destruction of the Canaanites was God’s judgement on peoples that engaged in
the most appalling practices (Gen 15v16, Deut 9v4). Moreover, it is not as
extreme as the final judgement Christ will execute (Rev 14v9-11). Such things
are the good and just response of a loving God who is outraged at sin.
We see
however that Israel’s
success is due to grace not any righteousness in herself. At the very point the
previous generation were kept from the land for sin, and having witnessed God’s
victory, this generation grumble again. And so with the poisonous snakes God
now stands against them. But the people acknowledge their sin and ask Moses to
intercede. God instructs Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole. Those bitten
who look to it for deliverance are essentially expressing faith in God for
salvation, and so live. Christ refers to this event: As sinners already under
condemnation, we are to call on him and look to his death on the cross for
eternal life (Jn 3v14-18).
With a
reminder that Israel
still look to the sunrise, the place of new dawn, they continue quickly towards
Canaan. God mercifully provides water, and total victory
over the Amorites, in whose land they settle. The song portrays the victory as
over the Amorite god Chemosh. Before then granting victory over Bashan,
the LORD reminds Israel
they need “not be afraid” for he has handed Bashan over
to them. So he is the source of their victory. When overwhelmed by sin or
difficulty, this reminds us we can only conquer our spiritual enemies by
looking to God’s power and dressing in his armour (Eph 6v10-20).
(C22) The
plains of Moab
are where Israel
remain for the rest of Numbers and Deuteronomy. Moab’s
terror shows that God’s purpose of bringing the nations to know he is God is
being fulfilled. They send messengers to ask Balaam, a pagan prophet to “curse”
Israel, seeing
him as somehow having the power to grant Moab
victory. Throughout Balaam says he can only say or do what God commands, and God
commands he doesn’t curse Israel
“because they are blessed.” So God will ensure his promise to bless Abraham’s
descendents will be fulfilled. They will enter the land. Indeed, as Israel
begin to face enemies, God will not even allow this prophet to speak against Israel,
let alone allow armies to conquer them. This is how certain the culmination of his
blessings for us in Christ are (Rom 8v37-39).
When
offered reward by a second delegation, Balaam nobly says he will only do as God
commands. God tells him to go with the delegation but is then angry that he
does! This suggests Balaam’s motive was wrong, hoping he could curse and so be
rewarded (2 Pet 2v15-16). This is confirmed when God persistently resists him not
only through an angel, but the astonishing miracle of enabling a donkey to
speak. The sense is that just as the donkey said only what God determines, so
must Balaam! Balaam’s path was a “reckless one” (22v32). He was blinder to his
spiritual danger than a donkey (22v31). Whether done for financial gain or not,
it’s a warning to all tempted to nod at God’s commands and then just disobey
them.
Praying it home:
Thank God that in Christ, we can overcome whatever forces
stand against us. Pray home the armour of God in Ephesians 6v10-20.
Thinking further:
We cannot just discount such an extraordinary miracle, or
suggest it was simply metaphorical. The type of literature (genre) and intent
of the author must determine how we view it. And it comes not in the form of
poetry or parable, but in a book and wider context that is clearly relating
historical fact. Of course the Israelites knew donkeys don’t talk. But that’s
what makes it miraculous, focusing out attention. The text is very clear “the
LORD opened the donkey’s mouth” (22v28), using the donkey for his purposes as
easily as he can cause a big fish to swallow Jonah, or a smaller fish to
swallow a coin for Jesus.
If you receive this post by email, visit bible2014.blogspot.co.uk and make a
comment.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment