King James Bible Study – [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. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Friday, March 08, 2024
Chapters: Numbers Chapters 31-32
Message: Predestined For Christ
Hello My Friend,
I read this this morning, [God’s people have their trials. It was never designed by God, when he chose his people, that they should be an untried people. They were chosen in the furnace of affliction; they were never chosen to worldly peace and earthly joy. Freedom from sickness and the pains of mortality was never promised them; but when their Lord drew up the charter of privileges, he included chastisements amongst the things to which they should inevitably be heirs. Trials are a part of our lot; they were predestinated for us in Christ’s last legacy. So surely as the stars are fashioned by his hands, and their orbits fixed by him, so surely are our trials allotted to us: he has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us.] -Charles Spurgeon
Wow, to think that the trials of our lives are predestined in order to direct our path is quite frightening. I mean was it really God’s plan for me to grow up in poverty, to be molested as a young girl, or get involved with a man who turned my life upside down? The truth is, yes and no. I do believe that God has appointed trials for us to endure, I do not believe that God appointed for us trials that would harm us. Wicked evil comes from Satan, he is responsible for the sick minds of those who abuse and defile people. We are given something called freewill and sometimes we end up walking into someones evil freewill. This is not to say that we are responsible for the bad things that happen to us, but it is to say that the trials are what leads us to Christ in the first place.
[Romans 5:1-5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.]
Hope for the saved, born again Christian is not the same hope that the world has, their hope lies on worldly wealth, possessions, and believe it or not, vengeance. You see, wicked evil is something that every person will encounter saved or not, and how we react to it can consume us in anger and hate. However, those who find Christ also find His protection as well as vengeance as He will avenge anyone who harms His people, even if they walked into the fire so to speak. As we continue in the reading of Numbers, God, did not forget what the Midianites did both in their bringing idol worship to Israel, and also what Balaam did in their attempt to put a curse on the children of Israel. It was time for vengeance and commands Moses to gather an army.
[Numbers 31:2-3,6,8-9 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. 3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. 6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. 8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. 9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.]
[afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.] I do not know if it would be humbling or discouraging to know that you are going to die after you did something. I imagine that it is quite devastating to find out that you have, but a short time to live, that is, even if you are conscious to what is going on. This is why it is important to make sure that you know where your soul is going once your body takes its last breath. We are all appointed death, but we make the choice of where our soul will go, [Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.]
Now, Moses, could have just walked away after hearing that news, but he did not and in fact, was quite angry that the army did not follow orders to execute all who were involved. The soldiers returned with great joy, expected to receive great recognition for a job well done, but since they did not exactly what they were told, they got reprimanded instead.
[Numbers 31:14-19 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. 15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. 18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.]
[kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man] Why was this important? These were not babies or toddlers that did not know any better, they were old enough to know the ways of the Midianites as well as the false gods they worshiped. Once a child gets old enough to actually understand what sin is and admit that they have sinned, that is known as the age of accountability and that is when they must come to the knowledge of Christ themselves. While there is no specific age for accountability, if we had to give a number it would be somewhere between ten and twelve, derived by our knowledge of when Jesus was a boy about that age and know who His father was.
[Luke 2:42-43,48-49 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?]
Keep in mind that accountability has to do with ones state of mind, children and adults who have special needs and are unable to comprehend what sin is are not going to be cast into hell because they do not know any better. God, uses those with special needs to humble us, and remind us that all life is truly precious, [Luke 14:21-24 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.]
You see, it was all about putting away the evil, if they were allowed to keep them all alive, then they would have brought idol worship back into Israel as well as their sinful ways. God, has a great deal of mercy for all mankind, if He could, He would save all them all, but that is a choice that each and every one of us has to make. Now, after the army had done what they were commanded to do, God, orders another census, this time of the people that survived as well as all the goods, which would be divided in half.
[Numbers 31:27-30 And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation: 28 And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep: 29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD. 30 And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.]
[And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle:] A levy is a sum of money raised to pay taxes, tolls, or in this case, to pay the army for their hard work. Let me tell you, the military are some of the most overworked and underpaid people in every country and most of them do it for the love of their country and not for the money. And this is why God had instituted the levy for those who had gone to war. Did you notice that a priest was to be present in infantry as well? Notice that for a war to be won two factors need to come into play, God and the intent. Do not mistake Christ’s love for man as condoning what the world does or what His people do. When Jesus does return, He is coming with a vengeance, and a fierce army.
[2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:]
God, is never opposed to war, He will destroy all who cause His people to sin, but if that sin is of our own doing then, we can expect judgment from God Himself. The key to keeping ourselves out of sin is to stick to Jesus like glue, and this includes finding a church home and becoming an active part of the congregation. Those who do not have a church home or are not active in their church are far more likely to fall into sin than those who are faithful. Now, when the tribes of Ruben and Gad saw the land they destroyed was vacant and abundant they no longer wanted to live in the promise land, they wanted to set up their families in Gilead. They went to Moses for permission to take possession of the land for themselves.
[Numbers 32:1-2,4-6 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; 2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, 4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: 5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan. 6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?]
[Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?] In a sense, Moses was saying, “So, you are telling me that you want to take possession of land that was only made vacant because of the entire army of Israel while the rest of the people have to cross over and fight for theirs?” This is a reminder that it is the responsibility of every saved, born again Christian to assist the lost in knowing whether or not they will be able to cross over into the promise land, [Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.]
Moses, was actually more concerned about how the rest of the people would react, he goes on to tell them how it would more than discourage them, they will never cross over. He also gives them a grim warning.
[Numbers 32:7-9,14-15 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? 8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 14 And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. 15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.]
[For if ye turn away from after him…and ye shall destroy all this people.] There are two warnings here, one; they would be accountable for discouraging them from crossing over themselves, and two; they will die in their sin. Saved, born again Christians are the only ones who can tell the lost about Christ and this is why we are sent out into the highways and compel them to receive Christ as well. How many lost people do you think walk into a church to learn about Christ? Not very many. Those who know the truth, but do not tell it are just as guilty of sin as those who are ignorant to it, [James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.]
So, the Reubenites and Gadites agreed to help the rest of the tribes cross over and fight for their inheritance, and while Moses accepted their vow he also gave them another warning.
[Numbers 32:20-23,25 And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, 21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, 22 And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. 25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.]
[But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD:] Moses implies that their own sin would eventually bring its own punishment along with the guilt of not helping them as they said they would. You see, while those who receive Christ as their Saviour will stand guiltless before God, through their faith in Him alone, that does not exempt them from facing the trials and tribulation that come should they choose to live their lives being of the world, [1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.]
We are called to be in the world, and not of it for the sole purpose of being an advocate for Christ. It is not all about us, we are saved and heading for THE PROMISE LAND, it is about leading those lost souls to Christ. More too often, those who choose to live in the world will influence others to do the same. When the people learned that the Reubenites and Gadites were getting the land half of the tribe of Manasseh decided that they wanted to stay too.
[Numbers 32:31-33,39-40 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours. 33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about. 39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.]
[and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph,] God,may fuss at us, chasten us, and even deny us certain things that we desire if we have disobeyed Him or it is in our best interest, but if we have accepted His Son as our Savior, then we are one of His, and that means He will protect us for life. While we cannot avoid every bad thing that happens to us, we can do our best to keep ourselves from suffering more than what is appointed to us. Nevertheless, should we fall into the wicked devices of the wicked we can know that God will work it out for good to those who love Him, [Romans 8:28-30 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. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Numbers 31:23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.]
Today’s Prayer: God, It never ceases to amaze me just how loving and merciful you are to us, no matter what we have done with our lives. While You have us in the world, You keep us out of it by living our lives in a way that pleases You. While we do not need to do anything to keep our salvation we truly are blessed as we remain faithful to You. We are here for Your purpose, even if that means we must fight some wars. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, mercy, grace, and the strength to stand by our faith, let us never be ashamed or fear sharing our faith, and let us keep working to be the best we can, and not for the sake of our own lives, but for the sake of the lost, as we have the promised land awaiting us. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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