Obey God’s Word - Numbers 13-17

Numbers 15:32-36 (ESV)

While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

God is serious about obeying His word.  There are a lot of stories in the Bible about obeying God’s word.  The word obey appears over 100 times in the ESV version of the Bible.   Jesus claimed that love for Him included, rather demanded, that we obey His commands.  

John 14:15 (ESV)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

In the above story we have a man who disregarded the word of God to keep the Sabbath and do no work on the Sabbath.  His desire to build a fire trumped his desire to obey God.  If we think we can walk through life without obeying God, we are utterly foolish.   God demands obedience.  In the Garden of Eden Satan tempted Eve to simply slightly obey God’s word.  That led to the sin of mankind.   When we approach life in utter disregard for His word, this is the consequences.  God may not, today, strike us dead, or have His people stone us to death, be we are still subject to His divine discipline for not obeying His word.   

Pursue These Things: 2 Timothy 1-2

2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

The word pursue in the above context means to follow after something without hostility.   Paul wants young Timothy to continue in the faith.  He wants Timothy to fully embrace following Christ.  But what does that look like?   Paul started this little letter with this statement to his young protégé:

2 Timothy 1:5-7 (ESV)

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  

The way you fan the flame of your faith is to pursue with a passion what Paul has listed for Timothy.  He is to pursue after: 

1. Righteousness - what God has required of all mankind and richly supplied through the death of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
2. Faith - by without no one can please the Lord (Hebrews 11:6)
3. Love - The summation of all of God’s commands (Matthew 22:37-38)
4. Peace - What God has supplied in the death of Christ to reconcile us to God (Romans 5:1-3)
5. Fellowship with other believers - which is our ultimate fellowship with God and His Son (1 John 1:7)

This is what Timothy is to do to demonstrate his growth in Christ.   The same is said for us.  We, too, are to purse what God has intended for us to purse.  

Stealing God’s Glory - John 10-12

John 12:9-11 (ESV)

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

Make no mistake, the reason the religious leaders of the day tried to kill Jesus was out of envy and jealousy.   Jesus was, in their eyes, stealing their glory.   They loved the prominent places in the market place.   

Matthew 23:5-7 (ESV)

They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

When Jesus threatened their place of honor they decided to take Him out.   There has been a long line of those who try to steal God’s glory.  

• King Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:21)
• King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30-33)
• Those building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)
• The King of Babylon (Isaiah 14;12-15)
• Satan to Eve (Genesis 3)
• Satan himself (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Stealing God’s glory is what mankind does.   Jesus came to save us from that sin in particular.   

We Reap What We Sow - Hosea 8-14

Hosea 8:7-10 (ESV)

For they sow the wind,

and they shall reap the whirlwind.

The standing grain has no heads;

it shall yield no flour;

if it were to yield,

strangers would devour it.

Israel is swallowed up;

already they are among the nations

as a useless vessel.

For they have gone up to Assyria,

a wild donkey wandering alone;

Ephraim has hired lovers.

Though they hire allies among the nations,

I will soon gather them up.

And the king and princes shall soon writhe

because of the tribute.

In the verses just before the above passage we read about Israel committing two sins before God. 

1. They selected leaders to rule over them that would not only replace God’s rule, but were not God’s choice.  They disregarded God’s involvement in their political structures.  God calls them out for that in the proceeding verses. 

2. They started to worship idols.  They followed the gods of their neighbors and forsook the God who redeemed them.   

These two acts of disobedience are what lead to them sowing the wind (it represents no control and no substance, but only distraction) and why they will reap the whirlwind.    God is not mocked.  When you reject Him, He will discipline you. 

Galatians 6:7 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

This won’t be the only time Hosea states this thought.  Note:

Hosea 10:12-13 (ESV)

Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is the time to seek the LORD,

that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

You have plowed iniquity;

you have reaped injustice;

you have eaten the fruit of lies.

Because you have trusted in your own way

and in the multitude of your warriors,

God is not mocked.  We cannot sow evil and expect good.  

Love Not Sleep - Proverbs 20-21

Proverbs 20:13 (ESV)

Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;

open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

I hate this verse ... not, really.   But I do come under great conviction from it.  I love sleep.   I love sleep when I have had an exciting time speaking.  The next day I am exhausted and just want to sleep.   I love sleep when I am in fear.  I think if I just go to bed and pull the covers over my head all will be good.   I love sleep on Mondays.    When I was younger I could go days with little or no sleep.   But God tells us in this proverb that loving sleep can be financially detrimental to your health.  We have to remember, however, when studying this subject that sleep is a gift from God (Psalm 127:2).   However, we ought not blame sleep.   What Solomon is teaching us here is that the laziness or slothfulness of those who use sleep as a crutch is to be avoided.  When we fail to be industrious for God we fail to please Him.   God gives satisfaction and blessing to those who use the gifts He gives them to there fullest advantage.   God gives blessing to those who plant, not those who sleep through plowing and planting season.   If we use sleep to recuperate, God is pleased.  That is the intent of sleep.  If, on the other hand, we use sleep as a tool of laziness to avoid work or to indulge ourselves, we do harm to our prosperity.   We should note that begging is not working.   Begging is a form of avoiding work.   Walking around with a rake or broom in your hand beats standing to hold a sign.   God rewards work, not laziness characterized by sleeping.

God Turns Turmoil Into a Tool - Psalms 102-104

Psalms 104:5-9 (ESV)

He set the earth on its foundations,

so that it should never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

At your rebuke they fled;

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.

The mountains rose, the valleys sank down

to the place that you appointed for them.

You set a boundary that they may not pass,

so that they might not again cover the earth.

The above passage speaks to how uncontrollable the waters and seas are, but the passage below speaks to how God controls them (only He can) to use them as source for His creation.   What was a chaotic mess in front of God, before creation (Genesis 1), has become a tool for God, after creation.   The power of these two passages teaches us that there is nothing before God that can’t be turned into a blessing by God.  

Psalm 104:10-13

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;

they flow between the hills;

they give drink to every beast of the field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;

they sing among the branches.

From your lofty abode you water the mountains;

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

God Is Our Refuge - 1 Chronicles 15-19

1 Chronicles 16:19-22 (ESV)

When you were few in number,

of little account, and sojourners in it,

wandering from nation to nation,

from one kingdom to another people,

he allowed no one to oppress them;

he rebuked kings on their account,

saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,

do my prophets no harm!”

The above is from a prayer of David.   David has just brought the Ark to Jerusalem and placed it into the tent of the Tabernacle.   They have celebrated as a nation the return of the Ark to its rightful place.  Previously, the Ark was used in a recent battle, almost like a good luck charm.  It was in the battle where Saul lost his life.   

The first time David attempted to bring it back it was placed on a cart.  One of David’s soldiers died when he reached out to touch the Ark.  However, this time David had the priest carry the Ark, as prescribed by the Law.  Upon its safe return, David breaks out in song.   The above lines reflect what David was hearing from God in his act of praise.   God reminded him that it was God Himself who protected the nation.  It was God who made sure that when they were in the wilderness, under Moses’ leadership, that God would protect them.  It is God who protects and watches over us.   Note what the famous Psalm 91 (probably written by Moses or David) says about God’s protection:

Psalms 91:1-6 (ESV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

This is our theme and hope of life.  It is not by our efforts that we survive this world. It is by God’s power and grace.   He wants us to find refuge in Him.