Archives for March 2014

God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. Numbers 24:8 (ESV)

The first two oracles of Balaam spoke of Gods unique covenant relationship with Israel, these last two are prophetic and point to Israel’s future kingdom and victory in the land of Canaan. God leads his people into victory just as Jesus alway leads us in victory. see Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57, 2 Corinthians 2:14 and 1 John 5:4

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Numbers 24:17 (ESV)

Without really knowing it Balaam was prophesying about the Messiah which reminds us that the bible was inspired by God and is without error regardless of the tools God used to proclaim or record his word. The star and sceptre point to a future king and find their messianic fulfilment in Jesus.

Jesus’ birth is marked by the appearance of a star in Matthew 2:2 and in Revelation 22:16 Jesus is called the bright and morning star. The sceptre always spoke of authority and rule, in Genesis 49:9-10 Jacob said that the sceptre would never leave Judah, so the royal line from Judah would be eternal, this is also fulfilled by Jesus as the incarnate and risen king.

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Numbers 25:11 (ESV)

We should like Phinehas have great zeal for the Lord to see his name honoured. Phinehas actions are a great example to us of the type of Spirit we should have in killing sin (in particular, compromise, rebellion and lust as 1d earlier in the chapter) in honour of God’s holiness. Jesus cleansed the temple in John 2:13-17 in fulfilment of Psalm 69:9 and we should be violent and ready to act in our spirit for the Lord’s glory too. see Matthew 11:12 and 2 Corinthians 9:3

For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 1 Corinthians 7:19 (ESV)

Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and the law given to Moses which have now been fulfilled and surpassed by Jesus. The main point of this entire section is that when we are called to faith in Jesus we do not need to do anything externally like changing jobs, changing our marital status or cultural / ethnic identity (circumcision), God can use and often does use us in the situation in which he called us initially to reach those around us. No matter what our situation is or how it changes we should be faithful in our devotion to the Lord.

His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. Psalm 21:5–6 (ESV)

This glorious king finds its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus, the Messiah King. In Jesus we see this glory and majesty in John 13:31 and Revelation 5:12. The Joy spoken of in verse 6 is fulfilled in him too, see Hebrews12:2

How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? Numbers 23:8 (ESV)

God is the sovereign king of the universe, his decrees stand and his will is accomplished, mans words are impotent and without any real power unless empowered by God. This is why we pray in line with Gods word and declare his word because our own words have no power but Gods words and thoughts are powerful and effective achieving God’s desired ends. see Isaiah 55:11

For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’ Numbers 23:23 (ESV)

Because as it says in verse 19 God is not a liar and brings his word to pass we can be confident just like Israel that no witchcraft can work on us because God has decreed that we will be blessed and not cursed in Christ. See Colossians 3:3

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

This should go without saying but must be said because of the deceptive allure of sexual sin.

Sexual sin is different to other sins because it makes those involved joined in a spiritual way and breaks union with Christ, it destroys relationship, warps God given sex into a tool of the enemy and warps the mind and spirit of those involved, not to mention the offence this causes the Holy Spirit, the destruction it causes in families and society and the sexually transmitted diseases that can be contracted.

Paul makes clear here and in the next chapter that God intends dignity and honour for us and so Sex is a gift within the commitment and sanctification of marriage only… this flies in the face of everything our culture thinks about sex.

(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:11 (ESV)

Our culture seems to treat marriage like a temporary item of clothing that is put on and then thrown off when another shirt becomes fashionable, this attitude is one of the reasons the divorce rates are so high. Strictly, married Christian couples should never get divorced.

So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.” Numbers 22:19 (ESV)

At first Balam can seem to be righteous but little things like this in the story reveal his true heart and intentions. He sought to bargain with God to his own gain. Balam was certainly gifted and is oracles which we will read about later were inspired by God but he was driven by selfish gain as mentioned in 2 Peter 2:15. Just because God used Balam does not mean he was a true believer in God or in right standing with God.

Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Numbers 22:28 (ESV)

There is an amazing parallel in the account of the talking donkey. The Donkey is a type of Balaam himself being driven by Balak to go in a way that is not right to curse Israel, but they meet resistance from God himself represented by the Angel and God opens the mouth of Balaam like he opened the mouth of the donkey to bless Israel… Balaam is like the donkey. We should beware of being driven by anything against God’s purpose. See Jude 11

you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:5 (ESV)

Paul’s main concern is for the purity of the covenant community (the church) and secondly for the man’s own salvation. Handing the man over to Satan means he is to be shut out form fellowship as part of church discipline. This will leave the man vulnerable to demonic powers, which it is hoped will drive him to put is fleshy ways to death and truly repent.

Cheap forgiveness or easy grace would lead the man and the church into a dangerous place of permitting compromise and sin in its members and would lead the self deceived man to be ultimately banished from Gods presence at the final judgment. Discipline and repentance are crucial for our lives and the life of the church.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 1 Corinthians 5:12 (ESV)

Just because someone sys they are a Christian does not mean they are beyond judgement, in fact in brings us under greater scrutiny, those who claim to be believers should be judged by the standard of Gods word in the community of true believers. This certainly applies to those claiming to be leaders or who are in the public eye. We must boldly keep the body of Christ true and pure by judging ourselves.

And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. Numbers 20:28 (ESV)

The priesthood of Aaron prefigures the priesthood of Jesus Christ, although the Priesthood of Jesus replaces and supersedes that of Aaron. One of the key reasons what Jesus has a better priesthood is that he ever lives to make his promise good and intercede for the people unlike the Levitical priesthood that was always limited by death as we see in Aaron’s death (which according to verse 24 was judicial). See Hebrews 7:23-27 for the New Testament reading on this.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” Numbers 21:8 (ESV)

This prefigures Christ two and is explained best in the words of Jesus himself from John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 1 Corinthians 3:1–2 (ESV)

Paul is calling the Corinthians to maturity in Christ, it is not that he taught them a simplified Gospel, because the Gospel is the deepest and most profound truth in the world. The allusions to infancy, milk and being fleshy is Paul pointing to the immaturity in the hearers of his Gospel message. In them proclaiming themselves to be wise and seeking worldly wisdom, the truth of the Gospel was like milk to them when it is in fact solid food. This happens every week when Sermons are preached at church they are milk or solid food based on the way we hear not the message given. We do not need a change of diet but a change in perspective because the gospel is glorious!

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:15 (ESV)

We need to clearly identify and thank God for our fathers in Christ, those who do not just teach but care for our souls… Our Pastors.

And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. Numbers 19:9 (ESV)

Jesus is the fulfilment of the Red Heifer, Hebrews 9:13-14 compares the blood of Jesus to the ashes of the heifer. In the same way we read about he ready access Israel had to purification from uncleanness using the water for impurity so we have access to cleansing by the blood of Jesus. See 1 John 1:7

Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain … Numbers 20:2–13 (ESV)

The Rock represented Jesus (1 Cor 10:4) from him the living waters come, Moses was meant to speak to the Rock, striking it was disobedient and disrespectful.

so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5 (ESV)

It was common and popular in Corinth for the philosophers of the day to debate using the rhetorical skills espoused in philosophy… Paul makes a point that he did not use these methods is persuading the Corinthians concerning Christ crucified, instead he relied on the power of the Holy Spirit for their conversion. In this way their faith would be built on and reliant on God and not a man and his skill.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 1 Corinthians 2:6 (ESV)

Paul is not against sound teaching, and makes the point that the spiritual and mature are to receive this. He does make the point later that it is spiritual wisdom that can only be understood by those whose eyes have been opened spiritually. We are called to grow so we should be teachable and eager to learn.

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 (ESV)

As believers we are filled with the Spirit of Christ and so know Christ in truth through the Spirit of Truth, unlike the wisdom gained through human ways this is granted by God’s grace through his Spirit. Having the mind of Christ is a very functional thing, and in this context is focused on the communal life of believers walking in obedience, humility and serving each other just as like Jesus our great example. To have the mind of Christ operate in our lives we must put the selfish flesh to death and humble ourselves with the same attitude Jesus had in coming to save us. See Philippians 2:2-5

For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. Psalm 18:27 (ESV)

We are called to walk in humility