King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Monday, March 06, 2023
Chapters: NUMBERS 25-27
Study: Try The Spirits But Trust Christ
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
I was talking with my beloved last night and we got on the subject of religion and all the different religions we had come across on our journey until we became Independent Baptists. I tell you what, the devil can pull you in all sorts of directions to keep you from where you need to be. It is fitting that we were talking about this as we come to the chapters for today. And as I was reading the chapters, this passage came to mind,
[1 John 4:1-4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.]
Yesterday, we read about Balak and how he used Balaam to try and put a curse on Israel to get God to turn on them. Well, both of them learned the hard way that you cannot curse God’s people, but what they failed to realize was the one thing that can. While they were all sitting there in the plains of Moab, the Israelites started becoming friendly with the Moabites and Midianites. As we continue in the reading of Numbers, we learn that they did more than become friendly, they started worshiping their false gods.
[Numbers 25:1-3,6-8 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.]
[So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.] The plague which had broke out among them due to their worship of Baal killed twenty-four thousand people and would have continued had Eleazar not put away the sin the way he did. Now, God does not recommend killing those who lead His people to worshiping false gods, but we are to remove them from our lives otherwise it will bring a lot of pain, maybe even death. And we cannot feel sorry for them as they brought it upon themselves, [2 John 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.]
How sad is it that these were the people that Moses married into, even his own children were Midianitish? Now, because of one woman who encouraged them, thousands died as a result of the plague brought on by their worshiping these false gods. Well, I am not going to say that I understand all of God’s methods, we do not really know what is going on with people. I will say that God’s methods toward His faithful are thought out, planned out, and He sees things that we do not see. When Phinehas took the initiative to execute these two who brought all this evil upon Israel, God commended him.
[Numbers 25:11-13 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.]
[even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood;] The Aaronic priesthood is called everlasting because it was to continue, and did continue, throughout the whole Jewish dispensation, until the coming of Christ. Christ, would then make an everlasting covenant with His believers in the making of them spiritual priests, [Revelation 5:9-10 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.]
You can call God mean and cruel for using just judgment, but it is that just judgment that not only gets us to repent, it brings a revival to lead others to Him. Now, after that fiasco, God commands Moses to take another census of the new generation.
[Numbers 26:1-2,7-11 And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all that are able to go to war in Israel. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty. 8 And the sons of Pallu; Eliab. 9 And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD: 10 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign. 11 Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.]
[Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.] Do you see what happened here? The children of Korah, this was the man who led to the rebellion of the two hundred and fifty and God sending the earthquake that swallowed them all up. God, did not end their children’s lives because of the sins of their parents, which means that even though some may contribute to leading people astray, each and every one of us are responsible for our own sin. Now, all, but two of the first generation, are of the new generation that would be able to go into the land of promise, who by now are in their thirties to fifties.
[Numbers 26:51-55 These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty. 52 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him. 55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.]
[six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.] The first generation had six hundred three thousand, five hundred and fifty people, that means that there number decreased by one thousand eight hundred and twenty people. God’s people will keep decreasing in number until the very last soul to receive Christ gets saved, and that is when He is coming for His people as the tribulation will begin, [2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.]
Each new generation begins on average every twenty years, and sadly, with each generation there are less believers of God, and even less believers of Christ. This is why the new generation of today has very little faith, and that number will continue to get smaller until Christ returns. Nevertheless, Jesus, will not return until the very last soul to get saved gets saved. Now, after the census of the Israelites was complete, another census was done of the Levites as well.
[Numbers 26:58,62-65 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram. 62 And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. 63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.]
[there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered,] All, but two of the eldest from the first generation were granted entrance into the promised land. This is more proof that each person is accountable for their own soul, and it also proves that why we must hold on to that belief until the end of our lives here. We must understand that there could have been more souls that lived, God, would have saved any of the first generation had they just repented, and believed. Now, in regards to Moses and Aaron who could not go onto the earthly promised land because of their sin that is not the same thing, they forfeited earthly blessings, not heavenly ones. We know this to be true because during the transfiguration of Jesus Moses was standing there,
[Matthew 17:2-5 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.]
Another reason for the census was to give an account of how many were from each tribe so that when they reached the promised land they would be appointed a specific amount of land according to how many were in each tribe. Moses gave the instructions that once they got into the promised land, they would divide it according to the number of people in each tribe, the daughters of Manasseh hearing this came to Moses with a question.
[Numbers 27:1-5 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. 5 And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.]
[Why should the name of our father be done away] As long as we have not believed in Christ in vain, God is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sin, and even help us get out of it should we fall into it. Yes, we do have to continue to confess sin after we are saved, it is not to keep our salvation, it is to keep us faithful to God. God, confirms several times throughout the Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments that we do not get denied a part of His inheritance due to others sins and confirms this with His response.
[Numbers 27:7-9 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. 8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. 9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.]
[then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.] All who believe in and receive Christ as their Saviour get more than an entrance into the promised land, they inherit a portion of land, and also become heirs with Christ and God Himself, [Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.]
God, is the one who decides when we are born and when we die, sometimes it is to strengthen us, heal us, grow us, or empower us through our grief. Sometimes it is show His Son, His grace, His mercies, or His wrath, but not one person dies for the sins of someone else. While we never lose our place in the Kingdom of God, we can lose out on earthly inheritances when we sin. God sent Moses up to mount Abarim, it gave a perfect view of the promised land. It was there that He reminded Moses of why he would not be joining them.
[Numbers 27:12-17 And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. 13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. 15 And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, 16 Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.]
[set a man over the congregation,] Before God took him to paradise (that is where saved souls went until Christ’s passion), Moses wanted to make sure that there was someone to lead them there when he was gone. God never leaves His sheep without a shepherd. As much as we would like to believe that we can stay faithful to God on our own, we need that guide, someone to keep us going in the right direction, and that is where Jesus comes in, He is not only our Saviour, He is our Shepherd also, [John 10:9-11 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for making the way to the promised land simple, it is only by our faith and trust in Your Son that we can enter. It is truly a journey as we walk the path You take us, we will face lots of plagues and famines along the way, sometimes by our own doing. Nevertheless, You are faithful and just to forever forgive us of all our unrighteousness when we come confessing our sin. The trials and temptations we endure now will be all worth it when we get to receive our eternal inheritance. Lord, lead us and guide us as we travel this earth, abiding in our temporary dwelling until You come and get us, keep us reminded of Your promise and let us be a walking, talking testimony of Your Son in our lives. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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