Numbers 14:1-15:16 + Mark 14:53-72 + Psalm 53:1-6 + Proverbs 11:4
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Old Testament – Today in Numbers chapter 14 we read about Joshua and Caleb’s bold faith. They were ready to move into the Promised Land! Again, similar to my thoughts in yesterday’s post, I wonder if sometimes in our lives, when we are on the brink of something new & something big – that is of God – are we like Caleb & Joshua, or are we like the Israelites? Are we ready to move forward quickly and decisively on toward what God is giving us? Or, are we putting on the brakes and starting to complain? Do we sabotage ourselves? This is a tough question to ask ourselves I realize. But I think that if we honestly look at our life, we can oftentimes be more like the Israelites in this chapter – putting on the breaks and really becoming the cause of my own problem… I pray that I can have faith like Caleb and Joshua. I pray that I will boldly move forward to what God is calling me toward. How about you?
Bible.org has a powerful commentary about our recent readings in Numbers titled “Israel’s Failure at Kadesh Barnea” at this link.
New Testament – Today in Mark chapter 14 we read an amazingly powerful statement from Jesus in verses 61 & 62 – “Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?” Jesus said, “I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.” Wow. This is it. This is a statement that changes everything. The question for us is this – is this more than just a statement from Jesus? Do you believe this is Truth?
Psalms – If you’ve ever asked yourself – or ever been asked – why do we need a Messiah? What is our need of Jesus? Well, I think this question is clearly answered in verses 2 & 3 of Psalm 53 – “God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God. But no, all have turned away from God; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not even one!” This is why we need Jesus. With Jesus, we indeed seek for God. With Jesus, we are blessed with the Holy Spirit to begin to have some real understanding. Today’s Psalm reminds me of a powerful blog posting from Tim Challies I recently read titled “Real Guilt and Sinfulness,” which you can read at this link.
Proverbs – We read a powerful Proverb in chapter 11 verse 4 today – “Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living is a safeguard against death.” What are you focusing your life on? Is right living one of your focuses? Think it should be? (right living through your faith in Jesus of course – not “trying” or “working” to live right on your own will or power…)
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of the song “Wake Up Sleeper” by Austin French:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKgHg5gMTBw
Are you asleep? Click here and come Awake!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “The high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:61-62 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray in your heart that you know Jesus as your Christ, the lamb of God who died for your sins and was resurrected, sitting now at the right hand of the Father. Pray for Jesus’ return in glory. Pray, “Come Lord Jesus, quickly Come!”
Comments from You: 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
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= Ramona:
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20).
God had delivered Israel from the bonds of slavery and oppression, yet here they were accusing God of taking them out into the dessert to kill them. Despite all evidence seen with their eyes and heard with their ears, they still accused God of trying to kill them. The two people that brought back a “good” report about their ability to take posses the Promised Land, they wanted to stone, Joshua and Caleb. These two men knew who their God was and knew that it was Him who would fight for them not they themselves.
The Israelites were spared because of God’s name and be a witness to His ability to protect, but also because Moses interceded for them. Here we also see that our sin can be pardoned but the consequences of sinful actions must be played out. To often we think that God forgiveness means, “crop failure” for our consequences, that is not so. God spoke about the cycle of seasons in Genesis and it is a foundation that will never be removed as long as the earth remains. [While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. 9Genesis 8:22)].
Upset that they “blew it” a few try to go to take the land but God is not with them so the enemy chases them. Lesson: Not matter how sincere one might be if God is not with you, you will fail even if you are sincere, you are sincerely wrong. It’s all about obeying the voice of the Lord.
Mark 14:53-72
Jesus’ trial was all about appearances. Those placing him on trail were never interested in Truth, just the facts as they saw them. If they and the people accepted Jesus for who he was, they would have no more jobs. They would not be able to partake of the sacrifices brought to the temple thus their pockets would be empty. They went after the facts, as they saw them, but not the Truth of God’s Word. A crowd, a consensus, a majority vote does not equal Truth: it never did and it never will. Neither does having a lot of facts equal truth. In a trial, lawyers put forth a lot of facts but is any of it truth?
Peter, who told Jesus he would never abandon Him that he would die with Him, finds out the truth about himself. He realized that the facts he stated about himself and the relationship he had with Jesus was not the truth.
Psalm 53:1-6
This is another Psalm that should remind the righteousness of God that any enemy they have will never prevail. I think we fall into the trap thinking that what is on this earth is all there is in life. We forget that we are spiritual beings trying to master the human experiences. Thus we think that this is all there is, it ain’t.
Proverbs 11:4
Money can buy you all the things that the Creator has placed on this earth, but it cannot buy you the Creator, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.
Proverbs 18:10: The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= Peggy:
Today was a powerful lesson to me. The first thing I thought of was how many days in my life I have spent in the dessert. If only I had trusted God and not myself in different matters life would have been very different. I have been struggling with different fears in my life, but I have found myself letting go and letting God do his work. What a relief to have this burdon taken off of me. I’m trying to walk a closer walk with the Lord so I can stay out of the dessert. Thank you for this reading today. Have a Blessed day.
Peggy
======= Robin:
Just a quick comment.
How wonderful and powerful that the ONLY words Jesus used in Mark 14:62 to reply to who he was….”I am” were the same words that God himself used in Exodus to tell who He was. The intense relation and justification to being the “I am”. This just blows me away, how every detail of every WORD seems to be in God’s overall plan to bring His Son to save this world.
God’s best to you all today.
Robin
======= Laura:
Many lessons in todays readings. God is in control we just need to trust him. Those who deny him and are rebellious are reckoned with. Isn’t God’s power and dicipline amazing? He is always the Boss!!!!!
He will take care of all the “grasshoppers in our life” Numbers 13:31-33 NIV, 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, We can’t attack those people they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. Raising doubt among the people (their first sin) They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilm). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes. and we looked the same to them.” Total lack of trust for God and His provision on their part.
I love Caleb’s bravery in this situation. He stood before the crowd voicing an unpopular opinion. Caleb was willing to take the unpopular stand to do as God had commanded. Caleb had the facts, had the right attitude. He trusted God’s promise to give Israel the land. Caleb stated clearly what he believed when he said “We can certainly do it”. What a sign of a true leader who had faith in God.
Laura
======== Phil:
Caleb and Joshua really shone out for me today. I think the text disguises how brave they were to be so bold against so many people. Oh if our political leaders had that kind of bravery…
Phil
======= Sue:
After reading the size of those giants they saw in that promised land, I no longer point fingers accusingly at those other 10 spies. Can you even imagine seeing a land full of people the height of giraffes? That is what recent archeological digs have revealed: Doorposts large enough for giraffes to walk through.
I don’t know about how smug any of the rest of you have been, but I know I felt I would have been a Joshua or a Caleb until I got that information!
And yet, we know that in our weakness He is strong; that is how He is able to display His strength to us and to others, yet how quickly our feeling that:
. If I had been given the opportunity I would never have eaten from the knowledge of good and evil…
. If I had seen all the miracles God performed in Egypt …
. If I …
And yet I look at my own pathetic display of trust in God….hmmm. All my self-righteousness just goes: Poof!
Sue
======= Jake:
i love this
i love the fact that you post these “bible studies”
it helps me so much
i have been having trouble reading the bible lately
and this helps
i know that i cant be the man God wants me to be if i dont read the word
so i just wanted to say thankyou so much for what you are doing it really means a lot to me
my love for you is in Christ
Jake
======= Ramona:
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Things I took note of:
Again, it is impetrative that we learn to examine evidence for ourselves and NOT fall into a “herd” mentality. Groupthink does not equal truth. We are under the assumption that if something is from God it will not require work. If we have to work for something then it must be drudgery and have no value, at least this is a common thought in the USA. God puts His promises in our reach NOT in our hands.
The Promise Land was two weeks away from where they were encamped, but the Egypt they had been removed from geographically was that same Egypt they had embraced within their hearts. . They desired the accouterments of slavery, they wanted someone else, someone other than God, to tell them what to do and where to go. They wanted their Freedom without the responsibility or requirements of obedience and accountability for wrong actions.
Israel’s sin in the dessert is our sin right now, freedom without accountability or responsibility. We want things in our hands, right now, because we don’t want to get up from off our “duffs” to reach out to grasp the freedom we desire.
The writer of Proverbs states:
Pro 21:25 What the sluggard desires will kill him,
for his hands refuse to work.
Busyness and actual work can often be confused and passed off as one and the same. Let us not fall into the trap that Israel fell into. If we are in that trap, take a clue, admitting that you have sinned or in sin is not enough without repentance, turning from the old ways toward God’s ways. The “gang” admitted their sin; however, there was no repentance.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
======= Gina:
Numbers 14:3 -Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”
This verse hit me big time! It reminds me of a song by Sara Groves…”Pictures of Egypt”…she sings of how it seems too difficult to be where we are now – even in our walk with God – and how she wants to go back to her old life….it’s so true sometimes. This journey with God is not always easy…there are still going to be problems and at times, I wonder what it would be like to just go back to my old ways…my old life. But I know too much now…I know I can’t go back…I’ve come to far to turn back…I’ve tasted the sweet life of knowing Jesus and to go back would be the worst thing I could do!
Numbers 14:18 – “The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ ”
This is beautiful! He forgives every kind of sin and rebellion! And even though the consequences of that sin will be carried through generations…I believe that with one person…the generational curses can be stopped! All it takes is one person along the line to put their trust in Jesus and begin to follow Him and the curse can be broken from that time on! Praise Jesus!
In verses 20 and on…the Lord says he will forgive but they will not enter the land….this is so true for us too…when we sin….God will fogive us…no doubt! But we have to be ready to reap the consequences for that sin…because there will be consequences…no matter what. That goodness for the voice of the Holy Spirit! He can lead us and guide us so we turn from sin before it happens!
Jesus said, “I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.”” The question for us is this – is this more than just a statement from Jesus? Do you believe this is Truth?
ABSOLUTELY THE TRUTH!
Psalms today is very humbling….it is a true reminder of our desperate state and need for Jesus, our Savoir!
Todays proverb is humbling for me too…I’m currently on a “get out of debt” journey…I’m a shopaholic so this is tough! Well, I’ve finally gotten serious about it and instead of doing it on my own, I have a great friends who are keeping me accountable! I prayed that God would show me how to be a better steward with the money he has given me…and I’m learning that life is not about new shoes and credit cards! Not having my credit cards to go shopping with has forced me to get my mind off ME (pride issue that I struggle with!!) :0) And just enjoy life a bit more…with out the stress of a bill that will show up a few weeks later!!! I have a long way to go…but I know that “riches” or in my case…new shoes, bags, jeans, jackets, etc…won’t matter at all when I face Jesus on Judgement day! I’m definitely learning how to through my faith in Jesus and trust Him and only Him for my joy!
Gina
======= Mae:
Great readings today!
Numbers 14:9 “Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” ~ I find it painful to see how people can rebel against the Lord when things don’t go certain ways. When I first started going on the streets to talk to people I could feel pretty intimidated by them, but reading more and more in the Bible I come to learn that the foolish will have a potty mouth and just say things very LOUD and I really don’t have to be afraid of them. People who get angry easily are truly helpless, the only thing I can do is pray for them and I do! Intensly!!!
I LOVE Mark 14:61&62 “Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?” Jesus said, “I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.” ~ Amen! Hallelujah!! This is the truth and nothing but the truth!
Psalm 53:3 made me sad “But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one”. ~ Why would someone turn away from God? I need God! I need His Word! I need to read the Bible to stay awake. I need Jesus, I need the Holy Spirit. And I’m so sorry for the people who deny they need the Lord, or the Bible, or the church. We have a lady in church, well, she used to be in our church. She said she doesn’t believe certain things (rebirth, baptism) and now she wants to – how she said it – practise her religion how she wants it and not how the church wants it. She was in our church for almost 5 months, and I feel that this is what someone can get when they turn from God. Having the Holy Spirit gives you Godly wisdom … I feel we need the Holy Spirit! It sounds like me she didn’t understand it at all, when you say “I want it how I want it and not how the church wants it” … well, then you haven’t got a clue how it works … When I go to church it’s my appointment with God, because there is where Gods Word is spoken. It’s not my Pastor preaching is message. No … it’s the Lord talking to me!
Mae
======= Jenny:
Yay! Today is my 6 month anniversary for reading through the Bible! This is the longest i’ve stayed in the word on a daily basis. what a blessing its been!
I think I can relate much to the children of Israel, hearing them whining and crying sounds like me, but I didnt know at the time that it hurt and displeased God, i honestly didnt know.
I love Moses’ fervent and effective prayer! They say fervent, effective praying avails much. We are talking about this a lot at church and God’s been speaking to me regarding this, prayer. Earnest fervent prayer. Not just a short monologue but a dialog where I wait for God to speak, often times I dont, in fact I always cut Him off during prayer. I pray to Him but dont let Him speak to me in that time, i gotta be quiet and just listen.
Numb. 14:24 “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered..”
Mark is very powerful!
Jenny
======= Art:
I find remarkable parallels between Psalm 53 and Numbers 14. In particular:
Psalm 53:1, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” and Numbers 14:11, in which the LORD says to Moses, “How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?”
Imagine God’s frustration! He does so many things for us and we don’t notice or give Him credit, much less praise Him. And how many don’t even believe he exists, even though they are surrounded by evidence — in scripture, in testimony, and from the Holy Spirit. There is so much resonance between these passages and the ones about not having eyes to see or ears to hear (e.g., Ezekiel 12:2, Matt 13:15)
The other big parallel I find speaks to a lack of trust in God… which makes perfect sense for those who don’t even believe in Him!
Psalm 53:5 reads: “There they were, overwhelmed with dread where there was nothing to dread.” which is a neat commentary on Numbers 14:3 in which the Israelites complain (in fear): “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder…”
I’m reminded of the scene, in the Wizard of Oz, in which Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion are about to enter the forest of the Wicked Witch of the West and they work themselves up into a frenzy of unwarranted fear: “lions and tigers and bears! oh my!”
God IS… whether we believe in him or not. And we hold him in contempt when we fear what he has told us not to.
Art
======= Lisa:
Food for Thought!
Did you know that Psalm 53 is almost verse for verse a repeat of Psalm 14?
Hmmm – do we think it was purposeful?
When God wanted to get the attention of a particular person, He would say their name twice!!
Think God is telling us something?
Be still and know …
Lisa
======= Susanne:
Hi Mike, I only just found your blog yesterday and subscribed. I love the idea of not only following a Bible reading plan (which I did on my own anyway) but the way you comment and ask thoughtful questions to make it relevant to me. I’ll keep reading!
As for Question of the Day – I understand “right living” to be a constant mindfulness of the Spirit’s presence inside me… the constant amazing grace, love, and freedom He brings. And with that consciousness, I wouldn’t want to grieve Him.
Susanne
======== Jill:
Hi Mike,
That link you listed by Tim Challies “Real Guilt and Sinfulness,” was an excellent read.
I have been re-reading Tim Keller’s book Prodigal God and this article tied in so wonderfully to things I had been wrestling with.
I would highly recommend each person go back and read Tim Challies artile if you skipped by it. (Mike has the link to it under his comments on the Psalms.
Jill
======= Steve:
Numbers 14:1-15:16
Today’s reading in the book of Numbers reminded me of an out of sync dance couple. Instead of that togetherness and flowing unity that great dance partners have, Numbers metaphorically illustrates how one of the dance partners (the Israelites) is completely out of step with the other (God). Numbers serves as a warning sign to all of us, God wants for us to get in sync with His moves, let Him lead and He will deliver every time with dignity and eloquence. God’s plan is to teach us to dance in His rhythm, drawing us toward His fullness and unity by being conformed to Him. As we move in the same direction as God we join Him as He inevitably directs all of creation towards His return when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
Joshua and Caleb were the only ones in sync with the Lord’s plan for the Israelites. As the Israelites stood before the promise land, they were overwhelmed with fear, fear of the unknown, fear of giants, fear of dying and were overpowered by unbelief. I know that feeling; I can personally attest to blessings that I have missed out on because of giving in to fear and unbelief. Joshua and Caleb represent God’s urging and calling for us to come out of our hiding places (comfort zones) and walk vulnerably in sync with Him, trusting, knowing, believing He is with us, watching us, leading us and bringing us into His wonderful rhythm. Today I choose to live outside of my comfort zone and believe the promises of God by boldly walking in faith.
Steve
======= Greg:
I was prompted by today’s reading to revisit Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Savior”. I am sinful and must die to this every day. I am a man who needs a Savior. So are we all.
Greg
======== Chris:
There has been much talk about nephilim (giants) of late, and how the Sons of God saw the beautiful women on earth in Genesis, resulting in the terrible consequence of sin and the flood, but it wasn’t until today that I actually recognized that the “giants” when Caleb and Joshua and the others accompanying them, referenced that the “Nephilim” were descendants of Anak. It is an interesting study all by itself. There are many who reference that these “Sons of God” were “good angels,” whereas others reference them as “fallen angels” that were kicked out of heaven with Satan. I know, it’s a distraction, but there have been many sightings in archeology of huge giants, even in practically all of the United States as well as other countries attesting to the biblical authenticity of “Nephilim” and “giants.” It seems to have some reference in the book of Enoch. An interesting You-Tube entry that is like seven hours long, but interesting nevertheless, discusses much of the things in Revelations and Enoch. It is called “The Great Harlot Empire of False Religion and Philosophies” and can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/fx_ijDh_BKA.?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent
Hope this is not too distracting, but I do think it is important to understand in this time of recognizing the Babylon of the Bible in Revelation.
Blessings to all who read and love the Word of God,
Grace
Chris
======= Robert:
Numbers 14:18
Tim Challis says, “The Bible tells us in plain terms that we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners”.
Our sinful nature. I don’t really know what to do about that? Its described nicely here as that generational sin that is like DNA. All we can do is be aware of it and make an effort to ask forgiveness but there is nothing I can do. I have to believe Jesus took care of it on the cross. I believe the Holy Spirit must convict me of my inheritant sin and thereby I must confess it to God, even though I may not know what it is. I think it is like confessing something you didn’t do but you are going to take the wrap for it. You can see why this is so hard for people to get their head around and even harder to repent. It takes a good preacher to show us this. I think Peter’s denial in Mark 14 is so much like me trying to really believe that Jesus can take this sin away. I am going to doubt Jesus and thereby I can only accept his Love with no strings attached. He has done something amazing and it really is a challenge to accept it with all my heart, soul and mind.
Robert
======= Mitch:
The ten times the Israelites grumbled about God in the Exodus,
(1) Lacking faith before the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11–12)
(2) Complaining over the bitter water at Marah (Exodus 15:24)
(3) Complaining in the Desert of Sin (Exodus 16:3)
(4) Collecting more manna than they were supposed to (Exodus 16:20)
(5) Attempting to collect manna on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:27–29)
(6) Complaining over the lack of water at Rephidim (Exodus 17:2–3)
(7) Engaging in idolatry in the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:7–10)
(8) Complaining at Taberah (Numbers 11:1–2)
(9) Complaining over the lack of food (Numbers 11:4)
(10) Failing to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1–4)
BUT God is slow to anger.
In Numbers 15:15 ‘You and the foreigner are the same before the Lord’. A picture of Jew and Gentile able to approach and be in relationship with God. Ergo: the whole world.
Mitch
======= Debbie:
So, if we sin because we are sinners, how is it that we deserve God’s wrath? We can’t help ourselves. The state of our world testifies to that. God expects a lot. He made us.
I admit I’m among the worst. I had three abortions when I was younger. No one forced me. It was all for me. I have asked God’s forgiveness many many times. I was told that I ought to start receiving it . . . that He forgave me the first time. I’m told that only God can bestow the Holy Spirit to make me truly born again. I think that while I wait, I might as well try to do the things I think that Jesus would like me to do. I talk to God just about all the time and I feel that I get inspirations, thoughts, scriptures that come to mind, but there is an underlying anxiety that is always there.
Debbie
======= Dee:
What I got out of Numbers today is something I guess I didn’t notice or take thought of before in the readings. The reason they were in the Wilderness for 40 years: Numbers 14:34 Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years-a year for each day, suffering the consequences for your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for your enemy. words from God of course.. Like Ramona said, there is consquences to sin. The wages of sin is death: Romans 6:23. That is exactly what the israelites are going to have to face because they just wouldn’t trust that God will supply all their needs according to his riches and glory: Phill 4:19.
Mark today 14:53-72
Only thing I can think of in these verses is : Poor Jesus, our precious Lord having to stand alone to face the “world” and all its balony that it is made up. Of course I know that the Father never leaves him, which makes me think about life as mortal to this life as it is: no matter who you are or what your position is, when you leave this earth, you face judgement and you see Jesus alone by yourself, no one else is going to stand on judgement day for your sins, just you and you alone. However, it makes me realize that our family, friends, acquaintances may come and go but God is forever, he will neither leave you or forsake you! Hebrews 13:5
Dee
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