Barbs And Thorns

Numbers 33:55-56

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.

God knew that the inhabitants of Canaan had lived their lives against the good that God desires for His creation, and embraced darkness and evil instead. So God chose one particular nation to have His actual "rule book" to explain how to live in accordance with how God designed life to work in this world. He wanted this nation to be the example to teach other nations His goodness and how He prospers those who live in accordance with His ways. So He warned them, that if they allow these pagans to remain among them in the land, then they would learn their errant ways and do the things that bring destruction.

God always provides His Word for us to learn His ways, and whenever anyone, Hebrew or not, pays attention to Him and obeys His rules, then they will be sowing good seed in their lives, and reap the benefits and bountifulness God designed into His creation, and God gets the credit. But anyone who refuses His ways, or ignores His rules, doing something else instead; they will not be aligned with the way God designed this world to work, and will suffer the consequences of their poor choices. They will reap disease (dis-ease), poverty and brokenness. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

"A Consuming Fire"

Hebrews 12:25-29

See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks --

We are responsible to pay attention and take to heart into our personal lives what God is saying to us.

If they did not escape --

They were called to account.

when they refused Him who warned them on Earth, --

From Mount Sinai with Moses.

how much less will we, --

We won't escape from accountability, either.

if we turn away from Him who warns us from Heaven? --

God is on His Throne in Heaven.

At that time --

Back in Moses' time.

His voice shook the Earth, --

The Mountain was quaking, an earthquake.

but now He has promised, --

God always does what He said, this is stronger, a promise.

"Once more I will shake not only the Earth but also the Heavens." --

God will "shake;" dislodge, scramble (like dice), destroy, not just the Earth, but also all the "Heavens," the whole Universe!

The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

So all Creation, the whole material Universe, will not only be re-arranged, but totally destroyed, completely burned up, and what will remain will be what always was, God and His Kingdom.

Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, --

God's own, that can never be damaged or destroyed, that will last, perfect, forever.

Let us be thankful, --

Remember to thank God.

and so worship God acceptably --

This is the worship He wants, that He will accept.

with reverence and awe, --

Recognizing His holiness, power, sovereignty, greatness, etc, etc, etc.

for our "God is a consuming fire." --

God is the Maker of all, owner of all, and can dispense with all whenever He wants.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Skin Color

Numbers 12:1,9-10

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ... The anger of the Lord burned against them, and He left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam's skin was leprous--it became as white as snow. ...

Moses' wife was a Cushite, she had black skin. The Israelites were Middle-Eastern, people with light brown skin. When Aaron and Miriam complained because of her shade of complexion, God, in effect, said, "You object to black skin? You want white skin? Okay, Poof! your skin is white!"

When God told the Israelites not to intermarry with the peoples in the Promised Land, He wasn't concerned about skin color; He was keeping them from idolatry and immoral practices. He allowed Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho, to marry Salmon, and be the mother of Boaz, then Boaz married Ruth, who was a Moabitess, whose son was Obed, who was King David's grandfather, in Jesus' genealogy (Matthew 1:5-6). These foreign ladies had embraced Israel's God, rejecting the idols they had previously worshiped. God is always wanting the very best for each of us, morally and eternally, and He is not concerned about our skin color: He made each of us just the color He knew would be best for us. His primary concern is the "color" of our souls: are they scarlet, the deep red of sin? or are they as white as snow, having been washed in the "crimson flood" of the Cross? 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Protection From The Ark Of The Covenant

Numbers 1:52-53

The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard. The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the Tabernacle of the Covenant Law, so that My wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the Tabernacle of the Covenant Law.

God protected the Levites from the lethal effects of proximity to the Mercy Seat where God appeared between the Cherubim. They were the barrier between the Ark and the Israelites. Others who got too close to it or touched it either died (see I Chronicles 13:9) or were afflicted with tumors (see I Samuel 6), or to be put to death, maybe so as to not spread its effects to the rest. Even the Kohathites who were to carry them were never to look at or touch the holy things: they were to first be covered by Aaron and his sons first, then the Kohathites could come in to carry them out (Numbers 4:20). God gave us guidelines to observe so we could be healthy and prosper, while honoring His holy Name.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

If -- Then

Proverbs 2:1-22

If ---- Then

My son, if you accept My words, ... and if you call out for insight ... and if you look for it as ... for hidden treasure, Then you will understand the fear of the Lord ... then you will understand what is just and right and fair--every good path.

Guard you, protect you, save you ... from wicked, perverse, dark ways, crooked paths; also from seductive, sexual sin.

For the upright, the blameless, will live in the land and remain in it; but the wicked, the unfaithful, will be cut off and torn from the land.

God always gives us the choice, whether we want to do right and trust that what He says really is true. It's our own decision to want what is wise or to seek out worldly things and attitudes, which is foolishness. This world is very seductive, in both its attitudes and philosophies, and also in its moral standards that ignore the harm that results from the perverseness and worldly pleasures.

It's our choice.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Easter - Resurrection To Ascension

Jesus rises very early sometime after midnight on the first day of the week.

There is an earthquake when an Angel rolls the stone away from the entrance to the tomb and sat on it, scaring the soldiers half to death (Matt. 28:2-4).

While still dark, Mary Magdalene leads the women to the tomb, and they see that the stone is already rolled away (Mark 16:1-2, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1).

The Angels remind the women what Jesus had said about His suffering and rising from the dead on the third day; then tells them to tell His disciples and Peter to meet with Him in Galilee. Then the women leave (Luke 24:6-8, Mark 15:5-6, Matt. 28:5-7).

Mary runs to Peter and John, saying, "They've taken His body!" (John 20:2).

Peter and John run to the tomb, followed by Mary (Luke 24:12).

Peter doubts, John believes, and they go home (John 20:2-10).

Mary stays, crying. Jesus appears to her first, saying, "Mary!" She believes. Jesus then tells her to tell His brothers to come to the meeting with Him in Galilee (John 20:11-17).

Jesus then appears to the women who are on their way and tells them to tell His brothers to come to the meeting in Galilee. (Matt. 28:8-10).

Mary joins the women and they tell the disciples about Jesus' Resurrection, but they don't believe it (Matt. 28:8, Luke 24:9-11, John 20:18).

That same day, two disciples are travelling "in the country" to Emmaus, and Jesus walks with them. They only recognize Him later as He breaks bread, and then He disappears (Luke 24:13-35).

The two disciples rush back to the other disciples (Luke 24:33).

That evening, Jesus appears to the disciples, but Thomas is not with them (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:16-49, John 20:19-23).

A week later Jesus appears to the disciples again, this time Thomas is with them (John 20:24-29).

Jesus keeps His appointment to meet with the disciples and His brothers in Galilee, and stays on Earth for 40 days, eating, walking and teaching (Matt 28:16-20 Acts 1:3).

Sometime during this 40 days, Jesus fixes breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius (John 21:1-23).

Also during this 40 days, Jesus meets with over 500 people at one time (I Cor. 15:6).

Back in Jerusalem, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus ascends into Heaven (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50, Acts 1:2, 9-11)

This is as accurate as I have been able to put together all these events in order. If anyone else, by their own Bible study and the leading of the Holy Spirit, can improve on this timeline, I would appreciate your input. Thank you.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Mourning Turned To Joy

Luke 23:55-56, 24:1-10

And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. --

Mary Magdalene was a very close friend of Jesus, and was there witnessing His horrific death, and how His body was taken from the Cross and laid hurriedly in the tomb. She must have been deeply grieving for the shameful way her Beloved was treated, and His death.

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; --

There was still one more thing Mary could do for this gentle Man she loved so much: make sure His burial would not be deficient in any of the customs afforded a loved one in burial, so she prepared many pounds of spices and ointments commonly used in formal funereal burials to show respect for the deceased.

and rested the Sabbath Day according to the commandment. --

That day of the death and burial was the day of preparation for the Sabbath the next day, when the Law commanded rest from common work, so Mary and her lady friends used that day to put together the preparations to be applied after the Sabbath.

Now upon the first day of the week, --

The day after the seventh, the Sabbath; the first day of the week, Sunday.

very early in the morning, --

Mary was eager to perform this last courtesy to her dear Lord; it was before sunrise.

they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, --

I'm sure Mary and the other women with her may have been tearful, in mourning and expecting to perform this very distasteful task lying before them.

and certain others with them. --

The women are named later, in Verse 10.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. --

The stone was rolled away after Jesus rose and exited the tomb, Matthew tells us (Matt. 28:2) that the Angel of the Lord came with a great earthquake to roll back the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it, which scared the soldiers half to death.

And they entered in and found not the body of Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, --

First they wondered why the stone was already rolled away, then they did not even find Jesus' body there where they saw it laid two days ago, so they were very confused.

behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: --

Whenever Angels appeared to people in the Old Testament, they looked like young men. This remains true to the stories previously given in Scripture.

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, --

Every time Angels or the Angel of the Lord appeared, they inspired fear in the recipients, and almost always said first, "Fear not!"

they said unto them, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but risen: --

They needed to be told, as this kind of event had never before happened in the history of the Earth, that One would rise, alive, from being dead.

remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." --

Angels aren't given the privilege of presenting the Gospel, that Jesus died fulfilling the Scriptures, and rose from the dead fulfilling the Scriptures, this has been gifted to us; but he could remind these women of the words Jesus spoke to them before.

And they remembered His words. --

They didn't remember before because they didn't understand them before, the concept was too unreal to make sense of. But now that it has happened, it made perfect sense.

And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. --

They obeyed what the Angel told them to do, to go tell the others.

It was Mary Magdalene, and Johanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. --

So Mary Magdalene's sorrow and grief turned into joy and celebration. As did that of the other women with her, who had been with Jesus as He taught and traveled, and they even helped to support Him in His ministry (Mark 15:41, Luke 8:2-3).

So, Ladies, we can also serve, minister to and help support with our own means, the ministries of our Lord. Jesus elevated women's place in society to have equal value with men, so Christianity is the only religion in the world that does not subjugate women's value to be less than a man's. 

We are all to be subject to one another in our daily interactions with others (Ephesians 5:21), and God's order of authority mandates that someone must be in charge to avoid confusion, so the wife is to be subject to her own husband (Eph. 5:22-23ff), but this does not diminish her value in relation to his any more than Jesus' value is diminished in relation to His Father by obeying Him.

And the first person Jesus chose to show Himself to as Resurrected was this same Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-17). She was apparently as dear to Him as He was to her.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!