Numbers 11:24-13:33 + Mark 14:22-52 + Psalm 52:1-9 + Proverbs 11:1-3
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Old Testament – Today in Numbers chapter 11 we read about God’s Spirit resting upon 70 leaders! I loved verse 29 where Moses responded to Joshua’s protesting of Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp: “”Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!”” This is great humility on Moses part! He was not threatened by others using gifts of the Spirit in public. “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” These words of Moses remind me of a more modern day quote I read somewhere that went something like this: “We are all called to be saints.” I like that… Do you believe that you are called to be a saint? How will you be made to be a saint? Or, perhaps I should ask, through Whom will you be sanctified?
Below is an image for Numbers chapter 13, where we read about twelve scouts exploring the Promised Land, and Moses sending them out in verse 17 & 18: “Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go northward through the Negev into the hill country. See what the land is like and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many.”
New Testament – This week we will be reading about Jesus’ passion in the Gospel of Mark. Today In Mark chapter 14 verses 35 & 36 we read this about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Going a little farther, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” What a powerful prayer here from Jesus! Jesus knows what is coming. He knows what the road to Calvary will bring. He knows that God has the power to take this suffering away from him – BUT, here’s the amazingly important piece of this prayer, which I think each of us would do well in praying in our prayers – “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This is such a powerful prayer from Jesus to God. We get a glimpse here of a prayer from the Messiah to the Father – and again, I think we would do well to pray this in our prayers as well. This of course is very similar to the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus taught in Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount, when we pray – “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done.” Not our will, but Thy Will be done. In your prayer life, do you model Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and in the Lord’s Prayer? Do you pray that not your will – but God’s perfect will – be done?
In today’s readings in Mark we also read about Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. This image below from artist Ambrogio Bondone Giotto from around 1300 A.D. called “The Kiss of Judas” captures the unfortunate scene:
Psalms – Verse 9 in Psalm 52 stood out to me today: “I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will wait for your mercies in the presence of your people.” Are you looking forward to praising God forever? Are you willing to wait for God? If things don’t seem to be moving as quickly as you would like them to in your spiritual life, will you still wait for God? And will you do so in the presence of God’s people? Do you believe that being part of a church community can help you during a time of waiting for the Lord? And do you believe that you can help others in your church to wait as well? Then, together you can look forward to praising God forever for what he has done and will do.
Proverbs – Proverbs chapter 11 verse 2 is so true and is something I personally need to be reminded of constantly – “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Let us pray for humility…
Worship Video: Psalm 52:9 reminded me of the song “One True God” by Mark Harris. Here’s a great live version of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xuTmGRYFqM
Do you know our One True God? Click here to meet Him!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray for humility in your life. Pray for wisdom today. Pray that you won’t be trapped by pride.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Have you ever struggled with pride issues? How did you overcome those issues? Do you agree with the Proverb today that pride can lead to disgrace? Do you think it’s true that wisdom comes with humility? Do you ever pray to God to keep you humble? Do you think this might be a good prayer to pray on occasion? Or maybe even very often? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus,
Mike
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= Ramona:
Numbers 11:24-13:33
Exodus 19, 5 Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine.
6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]. These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites.
7 So Moses called for the elders of the people and told them all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. (Amp)
Exodus 20 18 Now all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, and as [they] looked they trembled with fear and fell back and stood afar off.
19 And they said to Moses, You speak to us and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die.
We begin one of my favorite sections in the Bible, a section that so typifies the natural man, man controlled by the flesh instead of by the Holy Spirit. I copied in the above two passages found in Exodus 19 and 20 because it shows me how double minded we can be and that double mindedness leads to an instability that is unable to handle the things of God. James states in his letter to the New Testament church, 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (NKJ)
The next fifteen chapters or so reveal an Israel with a double mind, unstable in all her ways, the next fifteen chapters reveal how man will justify his/her actions and behaviors to validate a personal agenda which centers on self-interest. The next fifteen chapters or so lay out case studies for us to observe, take note and be forewarned on the traps the enemy will use to block us from receiving our promise, and that enemy is more us than Satan.
We can also observe how sedition and rebellion begins with leadership, Aaron and Mirium, Moses’ older sister and brother, and filters down to the crowd.
The Book of Numbers has always been a place of personal conviction exposing tendencies in me that are selfish and self-serving every time I go through this book.
1 Corinthians 10:
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did …11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
Mark 14:22-52
27 “All of you will desert me,” Jesus told them. “For the Scriptures say,
`God will strike the Shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
Never argue with God when He tells you something about yourself, even if you don’t agree with Him. Just accept what He say, “You’re greedy; you’re stingy; you have a temper.” Just accept it and move on and allow God to work it out within you. If you disagree with Him what He has said about you will be proved in public.
29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” 50 Meanwhile, all his disciples deserted him and ran away
All means all, no one left out. Striving to prove God wrong dealing with something He’s shared with us about us, is a waste of time and energy. Something I know full well by experience.
Psalm 52:1-9
When there seems to be relentless persecution and there is someone who we once admired out to take our life, literarily and figuratively, this is a great Psalm to mediate on. I don’t think any of us have been hounded like the soon to be King David as he waited for God to bring to pass, in His timing, David’s true purpose: King of Israel the shepherd of Israel.
Proverbs 11:1-3
A man or woman of “pride” is a stubborn man because he/she refuses to submit to words of wisdom that does not come from out of their own mouths. A man or woman of “pride” will do anything to anyone to maintain his or her reputation, even at the expense of truth. And anything built on a lie will collapse, even a “white” lie because half the truth is a whole lie.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= Micah Girl:
HUMILITY. Everything today convicted me of the need for humility-utter and total dependence on God–focus on His will and renown and not our own.
Moses, we are reminded, was the most humble man who ever lived He was not jealous when the Spirit of God fell on others, he saw God face to face and yet never did that bring him to a place of pride. His brother and sister complained to God about him, and yet he begged for God to have mercy on them.
Jesus in the garden is the ultimate picture of humility in the garden, completely submitted to the Father’s will in spite of suffering and betrayal.
Then both the psalm and the proverb–
Psalm 52
7 “Look what happens to mighty warriors
who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead
and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”
8 But I am like an olive tree,
thriving in the house of God. I trust in God’s unfailing love
forever and ever.
Proverbs 11
2Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Do you think maybe God wants me to depend on Him instead of anything else in my life??? Hmmm….
Micah Girl
======= Jessica:
So, Moses was married to Zipporah and the Cushite woman? In reading about Moses, often I find myself wondering about Zipporah. She comes to visit Moses with her father, but nothing more has really been mentioned of her so far. I’m wondering about Moses’ roles as a husband and father. Does anyone have any info about this, or know any interesting texts to read on this subject?
Jessica
======= John:
Jessica,
The Rabbis tend to identify Zipporah as the dark-skinned Cushite women (despite the fact that the word means Ethiopian),….
John
======= Cory:
Mike,
You asked, “Do you believe that you are called to be a saint?”
Aren’t we all saints?
Cory
======= John:
Cory,
1 cor 1:2
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:” NAS
“saints” – (Gk. hagios) holy or saint. Once again with “holy” we get the idea of one “set apart” or distinct”
King James version is “called to be saints”
Christians saved by the blood of Christ also referred to as “saints” – (Romans 8:27, 15:25-26; I Corinthians 16:1; Ephesians 1:15, 18; 6:18; Colossians 1:12,26; Jude 1:3; Revelation 8:3-4)
Also Chrisitans are priests called to bring a living sacrifice.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” NIV
John
======== Ann:
Does anybody know who this naked, mystery guy was? He was mentioned at the very end of our readings today in Mark. I’ve never noticed him being mentioned before and was curious if he has any significance or just one of the millions that followed Jesus?
Ann
======== John:
Ann,
“Does anybody know who this naked, mystery guy was?”
Speculation was that it was Mark, the writer of this gospel, but it is just that – speculation.
John
======== Emily:
Thank you so much for today’s blog. But thanks a zillion for the picture of sun, the snowy mountains, the lake and ice blocks. This is one of the prettiest pictures I have seen. I am stunned by the beauty God has created in this world. And yet most important thing that God has created is LOVE. : ) I love God.
Emily
======= John:
Numbers 13
Moses told the people in Deut 1:21
“See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
But the people ALL came to Moses and wanted to check it out first. It wasn’t God’s idea to send out spies, He responded to what the people wanted.
Again, the Israelites had witnessed often the power and authority of God, yet they still did not trust his Word nor had faith in God that they would prevail upon the inhabitants of Canaan.
The report was positive on the land, but negative about the dangers of the inhabitants. Even with some exageration on the negatives.
How often when we lose faith and trust in God, do we envision our own situation in the negative and our difficulties and problems are magnified?
Caleb wanted to go ahead – he had faith. The others argued against it. How many times in groups do actions get paralyzed by people sitting around wanting to analyze the situation?
Perfect place to make the comment: ‘O ye of little faith’.
John
======== Ramona:
Numbers 11:24-13:33
Thoughts from Today’s reading:
1) Be careful what you ask for you may just get it:
Considering the people didn’t ask God they complained, murmured and griped, about there lack of meat and the manna, “The what is it?” food, our own approach to God or our leaders who we go to when things don’t go our way should be closely examined. What we crave may just kill us. Cory, “Bald Man” noticed yesterday that the people never when to God with their complaints, they went to Moses. When we complain to others about what is not happening in our lives, we are in truth, dumping our “trash” talk on them and charging God with a misdemeanor or possibly even a felony.
2) When we complain about one thing, we will complain about something else. Miriam and Aaron, older siblings to Moses, used a pretense, Moses’ wife being a Cushite/Ethiopian to get their digs-in. The real issue was not Ziporiah’s ethnicity but Moses’ relationship with God,
“Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?”
In reality, no the Lord hadn’t really spoken to them because the people didn’t want to hear from God for themselves.
a. Now all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, and as [they] looked they trembled with fear and fell back and stood afar off. And they said to Moses, You speak to us and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die. (Exodus 20:18-19 AMP
3) We have an obligation to check/rebuke the sin of others when we are in a community.
And the Lord said to Moses,
If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed for seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp for seven days, and after that let her be brought in again. So Miriam was shut up without the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought in again. (Numbers 12:14-15 AMP)
The missteps of others, as well as the things we do wrong, in other words, our sins, will delay our journey along the path that God has called us to walk.
4) A group consensus doesn’t make it right. If almost everyone is agreeing to a line of action, if it is not what God has said, then it “ain’t” right. I have heard my pastor say this often, “I am aware that a crowd does not make a congregation.” Numbers does not mean “Truth.” Are we hanging with the crowd or are we part of a congregation? We can be like Aaron and Miriam trying to give the perception that we are hearing from God hiding the fact that we have chosen to fear His voice instead of listen to His voice.
To cover up our communication break, we pick on the one who has kept the line of communications opened. In leadership there is the one who is the Visionary, like Moses, and those who are called to fulfill or to help bring that vision to past. We may have some part of the vision but we may not have the BIG PICTURE.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
========= Pat:
The verse that stood out to me today was Mark 14:38, “Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is strong but the body is weak.” I intend to memorize this verse and include it in my daily prayer life.
God Bless!
Pat
======== Mae:
Reading Numbers 12 I felt a truly ache reading verse 12 and 13 “12 Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth.” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” ~ Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby … it feels like a person that just has been reborn and died at birth … Came so close and lost it within a matter of hours? Questioning God’s Word from the start … I love Moses for being humble. That’s the best way to react when people attack you for spreading Gods Word. It happens to me all the time (okay … I am NOT comparing myself with Moses here!!! LOL) when I talk about God’s Word. People get defensive, get angry and choose to walk away from me. All I can do is pray for them. They’re not rejecting me, they reject God. Which is a great loss!!!!
Brings me to the Questions of the Day: Have you ever struggled with pride issues? How did you overcome those issues? Do you agree with the Proverb today that pride can lead to disgrace? Do you think it’s true that wisdom comes with humility? Do you ever pray to God to keep you humble? Do you think this might be a good prayer to pray on occasion? Or maybe even very often? ~ Well, yes, I have struggled BIG time with pride issues! I always thought the world was revolving around me. “Oh poor me”, “Look what others do to me”, “I’m the victim, always”. I got stuck in selfpity for awhile. Big bad world with terrible people!!! People would see the situation and called me on it, they’d be honest to me and tell me “Mae, this is not all about YOU!!! Why are you complaining all the time! Get up and make the best out of it”. I’d dismiss them right away and look for another person who’d listen to my selfpity. But you know, it would get old for them to. I would NOT listen to anyone who came with the truth, I just didn’t believe them! “Come on!!! Look at me!!! You should feel sorry for me! The world is against me!”. I held my head high and had pride. But … pride is stupidity … so at the end it was me and stupidity left! LOL And the people who helped me through this, were not worth much either. They were as stupid as I was! Since I realised and learned that my life is not about me but about the people that are close to my heart and even the people who I hardly know, since then on, my life got so much better! I made so many good friends since my rebirth! All because I’m a humble person, who put her pride aside and listens to people instead of doing the talking all the time! I love listerning to testimony’s, I love listerning to people with more life-experiences than I have, I love listerning to advice … I feel blessed that God took the pride away from me. It makes me a better person. I don’t have to say “I’m sorry” so much! hee hee hee I’m proud of myself, for who I am, for what I do and for how I life. But pride is not in my way … pride can indeed lead to disgrace. I wasn’t ashamed of myself at that time, but a lot of people would be embarressed for me. I thought I knew it all better, I’d make a scene here and then a scene there. Because I wanted to make my point. Alway thinking that I was right … but all I did was making a disgrace to me and my family. “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” And yes, I do think true wisdom comes with humility … the wise are humble, how many times do we read that in Proverbs? And it’s true! Sure, there are times I want to respond to something or someone without thinking. But counting to 10 (mississippily) helps me and the Holy Spirit helps me to, because yes, I’m still praying to God to keep me humble. And He answers my prayers, He still does. Till today and I’m sure forever, as long as I do believe that His Word is true! It’s me believing in Him!!!! As soon as I give up, it will be harder for the Lord to work with me. If He’s not welcome, it will be very hard for Him to guide me, to protect me … So I will always keep my heart open for Him! I want to live a good and protected life!
Mark 14:38 “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak”. ~ I love this … keep praying or you will give in to temptation … how true is that? When we stop praying, stop going to read and listen to Gods Word. How fast will the enemy take his chance and leads you to temptation? I know my spirit is stronger than my body … that’s why I’m keeping my spirit awake and I feed it with Gods Word. That’s how I know what I should and shouldn’t do. It keeps me away from sinning, intentional sinning. I want to life throughout Gods Word! I want to follow the 10 commandments … I mean, it’s His commandments! Not 10 suggestions!!!!!
Psalm 52:9 “I will praise you forever, O God,
for what you have done.
I will trust in your good name
in the presence of your faithful people”.
Well everybody … I’m on fire today! I feel God’s presence right as I woke up this morning! I’m so happy today! I feel strong and furfilled!!! Uplifted!!!! Even though it’s raining outside I see and feel the sun!!!!!!!!!!
Mae
======= Art:
Re. pride vs. humility: it’s one of those things that’s absolutely insidious for me. At the very moment when I begin to imagine that I’ve gotten beyond pride/ego, the very act of thinking it brings it back in force!
I find a remarkable parallel between Proverbs 11:2b (“…with humility comes wisdom.”) and what we read today in Numbers 12:3 explaining why Moses had such an extraordinary, intimate relationship with God:
“(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)”
One can look skeptically on such a rhetorical superlative from an historical perspective, but if we believe that scripture is truly God-breathed, then it’s not such a stretch at all. Only God *could* know that Moses was the most humble man on earth! And this makes clear that He values humility very highly indeed. For how else can His will be done through us?
I think of it as similar to electrical resistance and conductivity. If we have a lot of resistance (i.e., pride) we will not conduct God’s ‘electricity’ and power and accomplish the work he wants to effect in the world through His people.
The Proverbs and Numbers passages are an amazing backdrop for the Mark passages today in which the Son of Man humbles himself in the most fundamental way — allowing himself to be captured and led away to what he knows will be a most painful and humiliating death. It’s hard to imagine anything more humble than that! Praise God that he drank of that cup for us!
Art
======= Mick:
One problem with pride is the way it creeps up on you. I like the saw, “I used to be too proud but now I’ve got perfect humility! Perhaps the clue best to use is that if you’re conscious of pride in others its almost certainly your own besetting sin.
Mick
========== Luch:
Numbers 12:1-3 is quite impressive in several ways.
We have a major leader marrying someone outside his faith and the Lord disciplines NOT the one who married the cushite woman, but the ones who complained against the one who married a cushite woman. The phrase that lingers and is worth pondering is “And the LORD heard it!” The LORD hears my complaints and criticisms. And sometimes, as in this passage, complaining provokes God to act. Hmmm.
Luch
======== Christy:
Numbers 11:24-13:33 ~ Mark 14:22-52 ~ Psalm 52:1-9 ~ Proverbs 11:1-3
26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
These men were taken unaware. Going about their day, yet they prophesied. Amazing. For God is of his word. Saying he would pour out his Spirit on these men. Yes all of them.
“When there are prophets of the LORD among you,
I reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
How sweet it would be to be spoken to face to face. Father God that one day I would have a life worthy of this. Lord give me compassion for those that sin against you. Oh these wicked people. I resignate with your wrath rather than Moses’s cry for forgiveness. This women Mariam speaks badly of him, God vindicates Moses by giving her leprosy. Yet in the next breath Moses cries out to God for healing. Teach me to let it be my cry for mercy and yours to discipline. Let me have faith that you will discipline. The women did not go unpunished. Seven days outside the camp. Yet it wasn’t at the hand of Moses. Father God I fear that I will yet again become weak if I openly cry out for healing and mercy for the wicked. Father show me, protect me and birth in me a mercy and compassion that is not riddled with fear of man’s control but a love for the people you have created. A compassion likened to what I have for my children. Yes, new every morning. Swift to confront the wrong, deliver discipline, correction and then a lavish of kisses, smiles and hope for a future. Show me how to translate this to my adult relationships.
Mark
30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice[c] you yourself will disown me three times.”
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.
I thank you Lord that you know how I will hurt you before it happens. You are clothed in compassion, prepared for my betrayal before I even breath a word of it. Lord I pray that in the hidden place in my heart you would cloth me with this compassion for the harms my loved ones will inflict on me. I see that you don’t foretell my future to me for I would try and change it. Yet please give me your Spirit of compassion, an inner knowing and forgiveness for what is yet to come. That those I love would be drawn to repentance by my kindness.
51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
LOL. Wow, what fear this man must have felt to leave his cloths behind.
Proverbs
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Yes Lord, I see it. My pride comes when I think I most be perfect in the keeping of all things good before my children. Yet my choices have bridled me with those fixed on making ungodly choices. For this I must forever remain humble before you, seeking your covering and provision for my children. For I can’t alone model a holy marriage before them. I can only be honest with them and model what to do in one that has broken trust, walls, sin and opposing beliefs. Yet praise God, I can by God’s instruction, do that. I can also call upon other couples that have a Godly marriage to model that for my children. This is not a curse but a bless. For children must be raised in the community of Christ. I don’t have everything my children need. Yet I can honestly and humbly tell them where my life falls short and to direct them to look at another’s life in that area. This is not for shame but for grace. God never intended for us to carry all the keys. No shame is in my heart when I need to direct my children to another to learn math, music, etc. So I will not carry shame for any area in my life that I am not a good teacher or model for my kids. I will be honest with them and direct them lovingly to those that can and will teach them.
Christy
========= Steve:
“Do you pray that not your will – but God’s perfect will – be done?”
Mark 14:35-36 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
I picked this verse because I struggle doing His will even though I know His will is and will always be, the best and the right choice. Will is a very powerful thing, our will, His will and free will, there all paths we’re free to choose. Satan chose his path when he fell from heaven saying (Isaiah 14:14) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High”. Jesus always did the will of the Father.
How can I live doing His will instead of my will? Doing His will is the ultimate form of humility, surrender and honor we can give the Lord. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We submit to the will of God because we know by His word and through our relationship with Him, that He is 100% reliable, unchanging and completely trustworthy. His love for us is totally pure. We can trust that choosing His will over our will is the right path that leads to wholeness, wisdom, peace and the joy that accompanies fruitfulness.
Steve
======== Ann:
I heard, I think, Pastor Jame McDonald talk about this in one of his teachings on the radio the other day, where he said we should be praying for God to bring us and keep us “low”. By “low” he was referring to being “humble”.
I have been praying since then for God to bring me low.
I like the words from Jimmy Needham’s song “Being Small”:Whenever I climb too high
Keep my feet on the ground
And when I get full of me
Turn me upside down
You know pride and not just summer
…Come before the fall
So if You that’s gettin’ bigger
I don’t mind being small
Being small
Being small ~ Jimmy Needham
Stay In Christ Jesus,
Ann
======= Emma:
Thank you, Mike and Ramona, these words of wisdom are such a blessing to my life. God bless!
Emma
======== Cathy:
Yes, we have to pray God to take out the pride we are linked to. Humility is a big virtue and we can experience it in our daily live.
May god bless.
Cathy
======= Mitch:
OT – (paraphrase) Send some men to explore Canaan – the land I am giving you….
They have seen all the miracles, have been led by God in their trek through wilderness, and YET spies (except for Joshua and Caleb) are scared and give a bad report (o ye of little faith!)
…They don’t trust God’s Word. Do we do that- experience the miracles of salvation, know He is there and working in our lives, and YET do not trust His promises.
Mitch
======= Dee:
What I noticed in Numbers I didn’t notice before is when all twelve went to the promised land to check out the ‘giants’, 10 of course came back murmuring and complaining and Caleb was the one that spoke up and said “We can do this, we are well prepared and able to take the land. I always thought Caleb and Joshua came back and spoke up. I know that they were the only two who make it amongst the original tribe into the promised land, however I thought Joshua chimed in the same as Caleb. In every group, there is a leader, who stands on their own and is courageous and very convicted in their beliefs. Where there is a leader in bunch, there usually is at least one follower to back them up, in this notion, the follower who sided with Caleb of course is going to be Joshua, the same one that tried rebuking Moses(or God) for having the two elders prophesying at the camp. How amusing..
Mark 14:22-52
Today we were exposed to the communion they shared, which I always enjoy, the openly active part of “remembrance” of Christ and what He did and they actually got to break bread with the Fathers Son prior to His crucifixion. I always thought that was neat. I agree with Ramona though about the conviction and teaching in Jesus’ voice about all will desert Him. Poor Peter, always opening his mouth when he needs to keep it closed. It makes me think of what Judge Judy on tv says to lots of people in court which is so true and wise: God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice, speak once. In this case, Peter should just nod and listen and not speak immediately, because God will have the last word when it is all said and done.
Psalms 52, I am with Mike in the commentary today on mentioning the “wait on the Lord” and congregate with other believers. I truly believe that is the best medicine when you are going through something is to fellowship and minister to others with same or common needs. Wait it out together so to speak until God’s deliverance comes, because it is coming, we just have to trust and “wait” on Him and live our life each day in and through Him.
Yes, I do pray for wisdom each day, and more memorization of Bible verses. That is something every Christian could strive for and aim at each day, to armor up with the Word of God, when we are in the Wilderness and being attacked by Satan, the Word will make you a free creature, free from bondage, depression, anger, sickness, and whatever the devil is dealing, we have our defense which is the ever present Word of God!!! Amen
Dee
======= John:
Numbers 11
“Before God provided the meat for Israel (which they asked for, but didn’t really need), He first provided them more leadership and oversight (which they didn’t ask for, but really did need).” – David Guzik
“they prophesied” – in this Hebrew Tense it is not predicting future – but rather singing praises to God.
This also went on with the two in the camp. Moses attitude seems good – I wish more were filled with the spirit and sang praises to God. So it should also be today – we should never be threatened in a ministry by others when they are truly filled with the Spirit and working for God.
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Quail make a migration over the Sinai wilderness every year; it has been recorded that Arabs living near this region could catch between one and two million quails during their autumn migration, using nets.
Notice that what was good (the giving of the Holy Spirit) took place in the center of the camp nearest God. The birds fell outside the camp.
The Israelites craved the food of Egypt (symbol of the World), and disdained the food provided by God. They didn’t remember their bondage, but the pleasures of the “world” (Egypt).
[Do we today have cravings for the remembered pleasures of our past sinful life???]
Now a lesson was to be taught – the people were given over to their “cravings”. In the midst of all the singing of “praises to God” by the elders – the people went nuts collecting the quail. The least (family???) had sixty bushels. Before it could be consumed – they were struck with a great plague.
“This was a strict judgment, but it was a help to Israel because it taught them to not be ruled by their craving, then it was a huge help to the nation. Promised land people must be ruled by more than their physical or emotional appetites.” – David Guzik
[Is it any different today for us??? Do we focus on God or sometimes do we give in to physical or emotional cravings????]
God always provides first, before standards, trials, and/or tests (A lesson from Leviticus). Here the people could have focused on God throught the elders’ prophesying – and given up their physical cravings. They chose not to – and their are consequences.
John
======= John:
Numbers 12
Miriam being listed first indicates she was the protagonist in this confrontation – (perhaps why she was punished).
The Cushite (Ethiopian) wife is a smokescreen, the real issue is pride and jealousy of Miriam and Aaron.
Some Study bibles try to explain away this reference to an Ethiopian wife. Before you dismiss it – do know that Josephus mentions Moses marrying an Ethiopian princess when he was still in Egyptian court. The group in the wilderness was mixed – Egyptians and Jews – so perhaps the Ethiopian wife left her place in Egypt and followed along (she saw all the plagues everyone else did, and perhaps became convinced of the God of Israel.)
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(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
Some say that this was added afterwards – perhaps by Joshua. Another explanation is an alternate translation:
“I think the word is not rightly understood; anav, which we translate meek, comes from anah, to act upon, to humble, depress, afflict, and is translated so in many places in the Old Testament; and in this sense it should be understood here: ‘Now this man Moses was depressed or afflicted more than any man of that land.’” (Clarke)
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Moses, in a Jesus like moment did not answer these accusations – but the Lord heard it.
At the tent – God outlined why Moses was special.
“face to face” literally is mouth to mouth. It does not mean Moses saw God’s face – but communicated with Him directly.
“sees the form of the Lord” – never saw God. God is a spirit, but did see the form of the Lord – and as I have said in the past my belief is this is always the pre-incarnate Jesus coming to earth in the Old Testament. Jesus is God – so yes, you see God, but not God the Father.
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Miriam is punished, and Aaron appeals to Moses and Moses appeals to God –
“Yet, God allowed her to live with the outward display of her inward heart for seven days – and allowed the whole nation to know it.” – David Guzik
[Leprosy or skin disease is always symbolic of sin.]
John
======= John:
Numbers 13
In Deut.1:20-25 – this plan for sending out a “scouting” group came from the people when Moses said – ‘go and take the land”.
“Since the people of Israel initiated this excursion, perhaps Moses only came to God asking how to send out the spies, not if he should send out the spies.” – David Guzik
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Moses instructions are strange – God had said the land was theirs and had already described it to the people. Yet “here, go see for yourself” is the indicated instructions.
And so they went for forty days. Forty being the biblical number of “testing,probation”.
Hebrew Legend has it that Joshua and Caleb were the two bringing back the “fruit” of the land. The rest had just their stories.
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The ten others presented a case of (at first) good land, but strongly held.
Caleb said – onward, having faith in God’s Word????
The reponse was some exaggeration, some lies, and some truth – but definately an underlying fear.
It is now up to the wandering tribes – would they believe in God’s Word, or become faint of heart and rely on their own fears and emotion? How do we react today when presented with what we know we should do (by God’s Word), and what our physical and emotional senses tell us??????
John
======= John:
Mark 14:22-52
The hymn traditionally sung at the end of the Passover feast was the “Hallel” (Psalm 113-118)- called “Praise to God” – and ending with the foreshadowing words of ‘bind the sacrifice with ropes and take it to the altar’.
Sissysue makes note and I agree with Ray Stedman and a good many others that this man (who lost his robe) was “Mark” himself. The reading involved for an explanation is the last paragraph in the link Sissysue provided in her post.
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[A repost from 2/09/07 on Gethsemane for those new to the board or who may have missed it back then.]
Gethsemane
Gethsemane means “olive press”. The person cited below has an excellant video series “That the World May Know”. I saw the one on the olive press and a bag of olives is laid on a flat stone, and then this “HUGE” stone is place on top and by sheer weight and gravity the oil is squeezed out.
“Jesus spent the last few hours before His arrest in an olive grove (John 18:1) at a place called ‘Gethsemane’ (Matthew 26:36). It is likely that this was a cave somewhere on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39) where the olives of the nearby groves were pressed. As Jesus reflected on the work He was about to do, He, too, was pressed. The great weight of the sin of the world and the coming rejection by His Father led Him to sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44). The image of the great weight of a gethsemane (which means “olive press”) on the precious olives can help us to imagine the pressure Jesus felt as He contemplated the burden He was to bear” (Ray VanderLaan, “The Light of the World,” Volume 4, page 187).
What cup?
“The cup Christ would drink symbolizes the experience He would endure. He would consume the cup of divine wrath to its bitter dregs. Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 49:12, and other scriptures refer to the cup of judgment or the cup of wrath. Christ would endure the fury of God over sin, Satan, the power of death, and the guilt of iniquity.” – John MacArthur
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Satan in the Garden
I believe that this is the bookend attack that first occured in Matt 4.
Luke4:13 “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” NIV
“I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me”(John 14:30)
“This is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke22:53)
The devil had the same objective – to tempt, to persuade Christ from following the Father’s Will. This was the opportune time, impending crucifixion with attendant betrayals, ignomy, Israel’s rejection, etc. – Christ was in deep sorrow. If the Devil can persuade Christ out of the Cross – He wins – God is a liar, and His Word means nothing.
In the wilderness there were three temptations. In Gethsemane there are three waves of attack that send Christ into prayer. the bookend attacks are examples of how to deal with temptation – Scripture and prayer.
Christ’s pattern for us to have victory over temptation:
“be humble, fall on your knees before God in prayer for strength, and then commit yourself to God’s will in the midst of temptation. The latter is the only way to victory.” – John MacArthur
What not to do?
Look at the disciples. They had been warned, but they were personal followers of the Son of God. They were indifferent enough about the situation to fall asleep? Afterall, they had seen the power of Christ. One word from Him and it could all go away. No need for us to be awake in prayer.
So what happened? They ALL abandoned Jesus in their final hour, and could be found huddling in fear in a room after the crucifixion.
Are we (believers) too comfortable in God’s soverignty to be ever vigilant and in prayer with Him? Not to get things our way, but to align ourselves (agree to His will) for what he has in store for us? If not, then we will have the same problems as the disciples at the crucifixion and afterwards.
John
======== John:
Miriam
Looks like Miriam could have benefited from Prov 11:2
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.” NIV
John
======== Vance:
Numbers 11 (NKJV)
25
Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.
[NOTE: TARGUM AND VULGATE READ “DID NOT CEASE”. ]
26
But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.
~~~
32
And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
33
But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague.
34
So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah,
[NOTE: LITERALLY “GRAVES OF CRAVING” ]
because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.
MY NOTE:
In this very frenzied, fast pace of life in America (and in many parts of the world), I pray that we would take time to listen and let the Spirit of God rise up within us and come upon us with His Anointing. Jesus paid for it. May we receive it and be eager for it like these men who shared anointing with Moses.
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2 Corinthians 1 (NKJV)
20
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
21
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
22
who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
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I find Numbers 11:25 and the corresponding note about prophesying very interesting: “…they never did so again.
[NOTE: TARGUM AND VULGATE READ “DID NOT CEASE”. ]
Perhaps harmonizing the note with the verse can yield this interpretation: Perhaps in that particular incident where Joshua tried to stop the two men prophesying, the men stopped prophesying.
However, it may be that the anointing they received that day operated within and upon them in different situations as God willed.
I Corinthians 12 (NKJV)
6
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
7
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:…
11
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
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ALSO, the waiting, receiving, and anointing of the Spirit would satisfy us and keep us from being ensnared and killed by our cravings. “Christ is our life” (Colossians 3)
Vance
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