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: Sunday, March 08, 2020
Chapters: Numbers 31-32
Message: The Newness of Christ
Hello My Friend,
In reading today’s chapters I could not help, but think of what Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” – Matthew 10:34-39.
“He that findeth his life shall lose it:” The very Prince of peace Himself cautions us that the people we war against the most are likely the people within our own household. Why? When one soul discovers just how sinful they are and in need of Jesus, that is when they find out they no longer want this life, and find new life through Jesus. Then the other souls, refusing to turn to Jesus themselves, start fighting, causing division, and house of any kind that is divided shall not stand. “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:25.
I often compare Israel to America, although America is a much larger country. You too will discover that the more you learn of how Israel became a country, that America was not much different. After God set the new generation of Israel back in order, it was time for them to get ready to enter into the promised land. First, God needed them to take care of some business. Remember Balaam? He tried to get God to curse the children of Israel. Well, God called a war, not on Moab, by whom, this all started, but on Midian. Why? They were the ones who introduced Israel to Baal worship (Numbers 25).
“Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. 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. 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. And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. 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. 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.” – Numbers 31:2-3,6-9.
“Arm some of yourselves unto the war,” We as Christians are fighting a war, and each passing day seems to be more of a struggle. Do you see how Eleazar was there with them with the holy instruments? We need God to get through this war because this is not a war between nations, this is a war between God and Satan, good and evil, and God will get vengeance on any nation that leads His people astray. “And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives,” Even with good intentions, it is not a good idea to bring those who worship false gods into our homes. Why? Because they will not be the ones converted, you will be. Moses commands them to get rid of them, with one exception. “And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? 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. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 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.” – Numbers 31:15-19.
“But all the women children, keep alive for yourselves.” You see, the young girls are trainable, they can learn the ways of God, and then become Godly wives as they learn the ways of God. Women have way too much influence on a man, if she is not a Godly woman, then she will lead a Godly man away from God. “purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day,” In this rather odd illustration, this is a picture of Christ, anyone who comes to Him through their faith and acceptance of the Gospel is baptized in Christ. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” – Romans 6:4.
“even so we also should walk in newness of life.” The more we walk with Christ the more our old life passes away as our new life with Him guides us to blessings unknown. Now that I have tasted the newness of Christ, I never want to go back to the life I lived, as it really had no life to it. This is why I am always on guard when I am anywhere in the world, it is too tempting to want what they have. When the tribes of Ruben and Gad saw the land they conquered, that is was beautiful and large they no longer wanted to go into the promise land.
“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; 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, Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: 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. 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? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land. 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. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.” – Numbers 32:1-8.
“Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?” We are all responsible for making sure others know the Gospel, when we do our part in helping the lost find Christ, God sees our effort and blesses us abundantly for it. “to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.” By they wanting to remain where they were and not go into the promised land, they would have influenced the rest of them to want to do the same thing. Keep in mind that once we are saved it is important to be in the world, and not of the world, we cannot have both. Why? We will eventually become of the world ourselves. Just as ungodly women have a great deal of influence on men, the ungodly has a great deal of influence on mankind (John 17:15). And even though Moses warned them, Moses he allows them their request under one condition, they needed to help the rest of the tribes.
“And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, 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. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” – Numbers 32:14-17,20-23.
“and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel;” You see, while those who receive Christ as their Saviour will stand guiltless before God, through their faith in Christ, that does not exempt them from facing the trials and tribulation that come should they choose to live of the world. “and be sure your sin will find you out.” This is the risk that we take when we live in the world, if we are not one hundred percent grounded on Christ we will fall back into it. I was talking to my guy about the vows I made to God, and how important it was for me to keep them, not even for my own sake, but others. People are watching me, they come to me for guidance, if I lived a secret life of sin it will surely find me out, and all will know about it. While my fear in God is part of what keeps me faithful, the thing I fear most that keeps me faithful is having to explain some sin that would be found out, forget about me having a sin nature, Christ in me is what gives me the strength to fight that sin nature. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” – I Corinthians 10:13.
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 call all of Your children to walk in the newness of Your Son so that we can show Your Son to them. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to resist the temptations of the day and to be a witness to others so they too can know of Your great love, mercy, and grace also. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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