NUMBERS 15:16-16:40
Presumptuous sin: There is no atonement for knowing and willful, defiant sin. Gathering sticks on the Sabbath got the guy the death penalty! The Sabbath is a principle of "the rest of God".
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Heb 4:9-11)
This is speaking of the "rest of faith". When we are "in faith", we are at rest. The "labor" is getting into that faith. The opposite of grace is NOT effort, but it is "earning". The effort and labor are what we must do with our minds and emotions and wills. They must be instructed to trust God, to believe God, to depend on God. The blue ribbon on the hem of their robes served as a reminder not to "whore" after substitutes for God (especially in times of UN-rest), because God truly is enough.
Gainsaying of Korah: (Jude 1:11-12) "Gainsaying" is to contradict the Truth. It is a lust for power. Korah tried to usurp authority because he was blinded by greed for power. It is an antichristian attitude and action. "They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD." (Psa 106:16) Hell opened up and swallowed the guilty, with fire consuming the 250 imposters of ministry. But just to show how persistent SIN is, the congregation took up their offense the next day, and God sent a plague among them to destroy them too! V.48 defines a true intercessor, when Aaron rushed out and stood between the wrath of God and the people. It says "he stood between the dead and the living; and the plaque was stopped." The plague among us NOW is "sin and death" and it is destroying the planet! A true intercessor stands "between the living and the dead" in prayer to stop the dying. I think about this a lot when I pray for people who are dying in the "plague".
RESPONSE: God really hates the disrespect of the authority He put into place. It is as if a person challenged God Himself. Does that include parents? And pastors? And rulers? The devil is a usurper with no real authority of his own. That's why he wears his crowns on his horns (Rev 13:1). He rules by force (horns) and intimidation, not real authority. So when we challenge those in authority, we had better be sure God told us to do it, or we are emulating the devil! When the disciples disobeyed the governing authorities when they preached, they did it with a submissive attitude. So when they were arrested, they didn't whine, but "took their medicine" (eg. Acts 4:18ff). All of this is important because we live in a hostile environment and must be prepared to be a sacrifice.
MARK 15:1-47
The greatest point that Mark makes about the travesty of trials Jesus was put through, is that He stood silent when asked about the charges made against Him. Part of the reason could be that Pilate was probably looking for any excuse to let Him go, and Jesus wouldn't give it to him.
In the black darkness, Jesus cried out to God, he "gave up" His spirit, and about a half-mile away in the Temple, the veil was torn from top to bottom. The way into God's heart was open! He was not planning His revenge! The hateful, the cruel, the hypocrite, the proud, the selfish, the ignorant, the mockers --- the way is open for them to come to God.
RESPONSE: Jesus died in the dark (v.33). I had never realized that before reading this. Being Pentecost, there may have even been priests in the Holy Place preparing the bread to wave before the veil when it split! Then He was buried in a BORROWED TOMB. What a loving, tender thing for a man to do for another - to prepare His body for burial and then to lay Him in his own tomb - after first taking the body down from the cross. I wonder if he wept while he worked.
PSALM 54:1-7
The people David delivered from the Philistines, then went behind his back to King Saul in betrayal and told Saul where to find him. Once more, David depends completely on God to deliver him. "Save me ", "vindicate me", Hear my prayer", "give ear to the words of my mouth". And David miraculously escaped.
PROVERBS 11:5-6
The righteous enjoy security and the ways of the wicked are dangerous and destructive.
RESPONSE: Have you ever been betrayed by people you were trying to help? David didn't do much about it but just go on. Instead of talking about it, David told God on them and asked for God's help. He doesn't sound like much of a complainer. And God vindicated him and delivered him. In the past, I have tried to vindicate myself and it never worked out very good. It's better to not defend ourselves, not demand our own way, not walk about with our nose in the air while we wait for God to "show them" who they were dealing with! God isn't as interested in our outward and physical life as He is in our character. He will strip off the outward stuff just to expose and change our character. David spent 13 years being chased around like this!
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