KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, March 09, 2018
Chapters: Numbers 33-34
Message: Journey To The Promised Land
Hello My Friend,
Some people live in the same house for decades, and they are passed from one generation to the next. Others live out of suitcases because they move so often. The longest I lived in a home was about eight years, and it seems that I have managed to move every three years within the past three moves. I love where I live now, even though it is a little further for my travels to and from work, and hope to be able to stay here for the rest of my life here on earth, unless I get married and things change that way. Our journey’s on earth take us to many places, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes down right ugly, but each one molds and shapes us into who we are today. Did I want to spend my early childhood days living in a home full of bugs and mice because it was all my mother could afford as my father left us? No. Who would?
However, I learned a lot from those years, most of all I learned that God’s hand was there the entire time, protecting us, providing for us, leading us to better things, and shaping us into adults who have integrity, and respected all races and religions. Sometimes in this life we are handed things we would not wish on our enemies, but God’s hand is in it all, even leading up to our salvation should we find Jesus in the midst of it all. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:26-28.
“according to his purpose.” This has been a bad week, although I did not get severely hurt, I literally felt to my hands and knees in the middle of a parking lot. Is there a purpose to being humiliated, conned, victimized when all we were doing was just trying to walk the path God gave us? God did not plan all of this, He is there with us, but He did not literally intend for us to get hurt. However, He does use horrible circumstances to try and bring us closer to Him. When Israel was freed from Egypt did they expect to spend forty years on their journey to the promised land? Did they expect that all of the first generation had to die before they were even allowed to step foot on that land? Did Moses or Aaron expect to not be forbidden to go into the promised land themselves? No one expects these things, and no, God did not plan them before these things happen. God did have a plan, He recounts their journey from Egypt to Jordan over the forty years, reminding them of key points.
“These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month. And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.” – Numbers 33:1-4,38,48-49.
“went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.” They did not want to look at them as it reminded them of God’s judgment. The journey God takes in bringing His people to him is always the best way, even though it does not always seem like the nearest way. God gives an order to Israel on what they were to do when they reached Canaan, they were about to enter a land full of temptation and corruption and commanded to drive out all of the people and everything that would give them cause to sin. He gave them all a stern warning, once they crossed over the Jordan what would happen if they did not.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.” – Numbers 33:51-56.
“and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.” Did you ever live with someone who caused problems wherever they went? It is not easy, and for some reason they never leave. This is what Israel had to deal with because they never fully drove them all out. Do you see where God said, “that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.” This is where the Jews lost a lot of their land and were scattered all over the world for years after God forced them out when He judged them. There is a reason we are not to dwell together with unbelievers, they either bring us to their side or become a thorn in the side to us for a long time. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” – II Corinthians 6:14-18.
Apart from Eleazar and Joshua, God appoints one man from each tribe to be in charge of making sure that the land is divided as God specified. “These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance. And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli. The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” – Numbers 34:17-28.
“to divide the land by inheritance.” When you think about all the things we possess, it is God that supplies, it is He who uses others to give or allow us to purchase or stay where we are, whether it is a home, land, or even a RV. I no longer own a home, I rent, I am living on land that belongs to someone else and paying to do so. When you think about it, we are all living on land that is not our own because these are not our real homes, we have mansions awaiting us when we get to heaven. Of course, it is Jesus that is preparing our dwelling places and dividing it accordingly. This is where our works do count, the more we have done for the LORD, the bigger our inheritance will be. Keep in mind that if we never get to do anything for the LORD except trust Him as our Saviour we are still better off than having everything we ever wanted without Him. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – Matthew 6:19.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.” – Numbers 33:4.
Today’s Prayer: God, I know that Your hand is in everything that I go through on this journey You have me on. I also know that You are always there for me, protecting, providing, and even chastening sometimes. Lord, help me endure the travels, to serve You with all my heart, mind, and soul, and remove any hindrances that may be keeping me from reaching the promised land. Open my eyes, help me to see beyond the surface and envision the amazing life You have for me once I leave the earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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