One Year Bible, March 8

NUMBERS 10:1-11:23
Silver trumpets: There were four basic sounds: (1) call to assemble; (2) moving on (growth); (3) war (struggle); (4) harvest and the day of gladness. The trumpets were made of silver (the price of redemption) and represented the call of the Gospel.

In the Second Month of the Second Year: (See Deut 2:14) They finally left Mt. Sinai, with the idea of entering the Land almost immediately.  BUT, as soon as they left Mt. Sinai, the people COMPLAINED. Not many people know this, but complaining documents character defects and it is evidence of ingratitude and unbelief. It brings spiritual darkness. Most of the time complaining is about circumstances and situations that put uncomfortable pressure on our flesh.  GOD HATES COMPLAINING and sent fire to judge it and purge it.  1 Co 10 and the rest of Numbers show that complaining disqualifies you for the blessings of God. Complaining stops spiritual growth.

Overcoming complaining: First of all, we can't "break" habits. Rom 12:21 says that we "overcome evil with good." That means we overcome a bad habit with a good one. The good habit is praise and thanksgiving. We begin with God, and then pass this on to the people around us. I guess the opposite of complaining is gratitude.

Quail: Sometimes God gives us what we want even if it wasn't His plan (eg. Ishmael). The people begged for meat instead of all that manna, and God sent quail 3 feet deep on the ground and they ate until it was coming out their noses! Important: Psa 106:14-15 says that with the quail, God sent "leanness of soul".....that is, the lack of God's approval and God's anointing.

RESPONSE:   Complaining is a habit. That means it can be changed. But not without learning to be thankful. I must purposefully give thanks to God for His greatness and goodness; give thanks to people around me for even the little things; develop an attitude of being grateful. I already have more than I deserve. I must act like a grateful person. This is not faking it, but it is practicing. I am learning to be a happy person just like I can learn to ride a bicycle - by practicing on the bike. I am forming a new thought habit. I don't want God to "give in" to my complaining and cause me to live with "leanness of soul". 

MARK 14:1-21
The building opposition: It is real interesting to see how Mark shows contrasting responses to Jesus side-by-side. The Jewish leadership hates Jesus and is now plotting to kill Him. Jesus has exposed them and their self-interest and they feel threatened. They are sneaking around behind people's backs, in contrast to the woman who loved Him extravagantly and receives public recognition forever. Then, V.10-11 the hatred of Judas is contrasted with the love of Jesus at the Passover meal with His disciples. Just as the woman poured out the ointment on Him, He is pouring out His life and His Blood in the celebration meal.

RESPONSE:   People then and now seem to be polarized about Jesus. They either love Him or hate Him. They can't seem to ignore Him. And He said people would react to us the same way. I suppose they would have to know that we were Christians for that to happen! That means we would have to live distinctively. Ouch!

PSALM 51:1-19
If you have ever lived with unconfessed sin for a prolonged period of time, and now you don't know how to start repenting, this is a good Psalm to read out loud. It was provoked by a deep sense of sin and a strong desire for forgiveness and cleansing. It was over a year between when David sinned with Bath-sheba, and when the prophet confronted him to repent! By this time, David is in agony and knows the reason for his sin lies in the pollution of his nature.

A few definitions are in order:
transgressions: acts of rebellion.
iniquities: twisting the Truth of the Gospel.
Sin: forfeiture (miss the mark) of "the Life" (Kingdom of God) God came to give.

All of these are red-handed rebellion. "I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it." They are a declaration of independence from God.

Repentance is to turn from self-sufficiency to God, re-connecting with our Life-Source. So this Psalm cries out for pardon, washing and cleansing, restoration of joy, and fellowship with God. "Do not cast me from Your Presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me." "Broken spirit", "broken and contrite heart" are a man with all resistance to God gone. No more excuses. No more cover-ups. But he is subdued by the "fear of the Lord" and is changed, ready to be restored. Verses 7-12 are the nine points of restoration.

PROVERBS 10:31-32
Matt 12:37 says we are justified or condemned by our words.

RESPONSE:   I not only want to know I have God's forgiveness, but I want to feel forgiven. I can only do that when the joy comes back. When I don't have peace and joy, I know something is wrong and I immediately ask God about it. Usually I have sinned with my mouth again, and in addition to repenting to God, I must repent and make restitution to people before the peace and joy come back. That takes brokenness - like subduing a wild horse. I need to be tamed to submission and the longer I resist, the more it hurts. There is nothing like a little spiritual pain to make me change my mind and repent.