God’s Revenge Unleashed

Numbers 31 (NLT) Then the Lord said to Moses, “On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors”… They attacked Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. All five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived… But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle. “Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the Lord at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the Lord’s people. So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man. Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves… “From the army’s portion, first give the Lord his share of the plunder—one of every 500 of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Give this share of the army’s half to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord. From the half that belongs to the people of Israel, take one of every fifty of the prisoners and of the cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give this share to the Levites, who are in charge of maintaining the Lord’s Tabernacle.”

Some chapters of the Bible like today’s reading make us as Christians wish they were never recorded because it seems to show God in poor light. What is God speaking to us through this horrendous bloodshed He ordered and was it recorded incorrectly?

Bitter Consequences

Numbers 5:1-3,6-7,12-15 The Lord gave these instructions to Moses: “Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease or a discharge, or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person. This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them”… “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty. They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged… “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “Suppose a man’s wife goes astray, and she is unfaithful to her husband and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself, even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act. If her husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself, the husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense, for it is a jealousy offering—an offering to prove whether or not she is guilty.

Another chapter that rocked my understanding of God and His ways and I am certain any other reader would feel the same way.

Why is God so partial to women and how are men ever held accountable rather than just women?

The Precision and Perfection of God

Exodus 38:1-3,8-10,21 They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze. They made all its utensils of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and forepaws… They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely twisted linen, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts… These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

To those of us who are bored by numbers and details, this chapter might seem a bit uninteresting but when we consider their purpose and use, we can really appreciate the significance of what God accomplished.

One of the odd aspects of this tabernacle was that all the articles made of pure gold was never to be seen by man while everything made of silver, brass and fine linen was visible to the eye.

What could God speak to us through these hard to comprehend details and how can we apply it in our lives today?

Redemption From Bondage

Exodus 2:2-3,7-8,14-15,20-22 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank… Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother… He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well… He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

The people of God, the Israelites, certainly were a blessed lot. They grew in number regardless of Pharaoh’s attempts to cut them down and punish them with hard labour.

I often wonder how terrible life must have been then because there was no sense of human rights and no one to stand up for the cause of the suffering people.

What message does God have for us in all of this persecution and why the focus on one man, Moses?

The Power of Sin

Genesis 34:1-3,13,30 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her. His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her… Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor… Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

When I read this chapter, my first reaction was to cringe because of what Simeon and Levi did. Their actions did not reflect well on their family and us as their family in Christ.

I was wondering if I might be able to skip this chapter and look for something more suitable to share but with God, there is nothing in His word that He does not speak to us through and therefore I’m at it.

What is the point that God is speaking to us through this horrible incident and is this just a dark reality of our faith?

The Mighty and Good Shepherd

Genesis 33:4-5,12-14,18-20 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked. Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant”… Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

What a blessed journey this has been for Jacob, a journey that took 20 years to complete filled with treachery, deception, labour for love, sincere hard work, fleeing from bondage and so much more.

Jacob’s faith is revealed when he credit’s God for his significant family and wealth and his changed heart shown when he insist that Esau accept his extravagant gifts as an offering of thanks for his warm reception.

What lingered as a question to me was why he did not simply go back with Esau to his homeland after all these many blessings?

The Sacrament and the Tithe

Genesis14:14-16,18-24 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people… And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself.” Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ “I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share.”

I’m wondering what took me so many years to study the Bible a little more intently as I am doing now and I regret the time I lost and the many opportunities lost with it to share God’s riches with those I am blessed to fellowship with. However, when I do consider Abram and the age at which God was using him so powerfully, I do believe that it is never too late and God continues to be in control of our lives and His will for us 🙂

Here is the tale of a bitter-sweet victory for Abram and the people of Soddom as they first lost many and were restored few along with their possessions. Abram achieves victory over the 5 kings with only his 300+ men whereas the 4 kings and their troops from Sodom and Gomorrah were no match to these same 5 kings.

Obviously God’s hand is visible in Abram’s victory and what a fitting response that this victory was marked by honoring God through the feast that followed.

The question that hung in my mind was why Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to celebrate and why did Abram refuse the gifts offered?

Genealogies and Women

Genesis 10:2-4,6-7,21-22,32 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim… The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan… Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born. The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram… These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.

Genealogies are generally boring and we often wish we could skip them and probably do. However, knowing that this is God’s word compels us to consider what God has had penned and why. To help me understand, I referred to Barnes’ notes on the Bible and here are a couple comments I found interesting.

In this chapter there are 70 names, exclusive of Nimrod, of heads of families, tribes, or nations descended from the 3 sons of Noah – 14 from Japheth, 30 from Ham, and 26 from Shem. Among the heads of tribes descended from Japheth are 7 grandsons. Among those from Ham are 23 grandsons and 3-great-grandsons. Among those of Shem are 5 grandsons, one great-grandson, 2 of the fourth generation, and 13 of the fifth. Whence, it appears that the subdivisions are traced further in Ham and much further in Shem than in Japheth, and that they are pursued only in those lines which are of importance for the coming events in the history of Shem.

During this period the race was rapidly increasing under the covenant made with Noah. From Shem to Abraham were ten generations inclusive; and, therefore, if we suppose the same rate of increase after as we have supposed before, there would be about fifteen million inhabitants when Abraham was thirty years of age. If, however, we take eight as the average of a family, and suppose eleven generations after Shem at the one hundredth year of Abraham’s life, we have about thirty million people on the earth. The average of the three sons of Noah is higher than this; for they had sixteen sons, and we may suppose as many daughters, making in all thirty-two, and, therefore, giving ten children to each household.

Considering the above, I do believe this genealogy now becomes significant to us because we are witnessing how God brought His covenant with Adam and Noah to pass. Suddenly the one family that we previously thought improbable has grown at an explosive rate and we are now considering 30 million people on earth located in different regions, of different races and new cultures.

One question that has been on my mind is why there is only a mention of men, does this mean women have no significance to God and what are we to understand from it?

First we must remember that God created both men and women in His own image and therefore God loves us all (Gen. 1:31). When the fall of man occurred, God certainly punished women to be subjected to their husbands and this has caused women to at times suffer greatly under their husbands. Here’s a few comments I took from GhanaWeb:

However, God hates exploitation and abuse of all kinds (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 27:19; Isaiah 10:1, 2). The Mosaic Law condemned rape and prostitution. (Leviticus 19:29; Deuteronomy 22:23-29) Adultery was prohibited, and the penalty was death for both parties. (Leviticus 20:10) Rather than discriminate against women, the Law elevated and protected them from the rampant exploitation common in the surrounding nations. A capable Jewish wife was a highly respected and esteemed individual. (Proverbs 31:10, 28-30) The Israelites’ failure to follow God’s laws on showing respect for women was their fault, not God’s will. (Deuteronomy 32:5) Ultimately, God judged and punished the nation as a whole for their flagrant disobedience.

The fact that men Scripturally have been assigned to take the lead in the congregation and the family does not mean that women are being discriminated against. To prosper, both the family and the congregation need women and men to play their respective roles with love and respect.—Ephesians 5:21-25, 28, 29, 33.

Jesus consistently treated women with respect. He refused to follow the discriminatory traditions and regulations taught by the Pharisees. He talked to non-Jewish women. (Matthew 15:22-28; John 4:7-9) He taught women. (Luke 10:38-42) He protected women from being abandoned. (Mark 10:11, 12) Perhaps the most revolutionary step for his time was that Jesus accepted women into his inner circle of friends. (Luke 8:1-3) As the perfect embodiment of all of God’s qualities, Jesus showed that individuals of both sexes have equal value in God’s eyes. In fact, among the early Christians, both men and women received the gift of the holy spirit. (Acts 2:1-4, 17, 18) For those anointed, who have the prospect of serving as kings and priests with Christ, there will be no distinction of gender at all once resurrected to heavenly life. (Galatians 3:28) The Author of the Bible, Jehovah, does not discriminate against women.

I pray today that you and I have learnt that all of God’s word is good and when read with God’s leading, we can begin to appreciate and understand God in a right and fitting manner and therefore continue to submit ourselves to His yoke rather than the impossible yoke of Satan.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

The Hardest Lesson

1 Timothy 2:8-15
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Never has it been such a challenge for me to write a devotional as it is today. The reason is the message in today’s chapter which is certainly very controversial and I pray you receive it as a word from God. I have no physical father here on earth anymore but I am blessed with 2 mothers, a grandmother, a beautiful wife, a precious daughter and my loving sister and so women have a very special place in my life. When I read the word today of the role of a woman, I was shaken not because I did not read this passage before but because God laid it on my heart and wants us to understand the purpose of it. Paul was not a male chauvinist and therefore wrote these words but as in everything penned in the Bible, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. What is God saying to us today and is it relevant to our day and age?

The Lord created woman after he created man to be a support and companion to man (Gen. 2:22). It was Eve who was deceived by the serpent and not Adam but she did not deceive Adam, rather she persuaded him (Gen. 3:17). God punished women with severe birth pains, a desire for their husbands and that they would be under the husband in their relationships (Gen. 3:16). Therefore women are not expected to teach or command authority over men in churches. However, women have a key role in the spiritual upbringing of their children and are encouraged to teach and take charge of their children and direct them to God. Men are expected to lead the home and the church, are expected to be in prayer at all times and in all places and are called to love their wives and children the way God loves us. In God’s eyes all mankind is His special creation and He did not send His son Jesus to die only for men but for all mankind. I know this is a difficult passage to digest but I pray that you would approach it with prayer and submission.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Whose Slave Are You?

1 Corinthians 7:17, 19, 23
Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.… Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts… You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

I’ve spent most of my day thinking about these verses and trying to understand what my place is where our Lord Jesus has assigned me to? I am a husband, dad, brother, son, friend, neighbour, tenant, colleague, subordinate, immigrant, national, foreigner, etc. Am I better off in each role and am I bad at any? Does my culture differentiate me, does my faith necessitate that I amend my relationships, am I subservient to others or am I too forceful? What is God instructing us?

It is the duty of every Christian to be content with what the Lord has blessed them with. Our comfort and happiness depends on what we are to Christ, not what we are in the world. No one should try to make his faith or religion a reason to break any natural obligations like marriage. We should quietly and happily deal with the situation we are placed by God’s grace and seek ways to glorify Him. Our lives are not our own but His who gave His life to save ours. He has placed us in our situations to glorify Him and become more like Him. Hope you agree with me and are willing to be slave to Christ rather than a slave to the world?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy