TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-28
Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
Like many young couples, Kirsten and Lee Hildebrand anticipated a suburban life, being involved in their church and raising their children. Life changed dramatically, however, after the Hildebrands attended a multiethnic inner-city church and sensed God leading them to move from the suburbs to the city.

After the Hildebrands renovated their own home in the run-down Milwaukee neighborhood of Sherman Park, the dream grew to include buying surrounding homes, fixing them up, and renting them affordably to low-income families. Joined by two other believers, the Hildebrands formed City Ventures LLC and got started. Ten years later, in addition to restoring over seventy houses, the Hildebrands have also demonstrated God's resurrection power to transform lives.

As we saw yesterday, Jesus' perfect sacrifice brought about true forgiveness of sins. But Jesus came not only to save us from sin, but also to save us for eternal life. In other words, the crucifixion can never be separated from Jesus' resurrection. That's why in the first part of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul emphatically defends the truth of Christ's resurrection. and then considers the implications that would be true if indeed Christ hadn't been raised from the dead. Without the resurrection, the apostolic claims about Jesus would be false (v. 15). Without the resurrection, sins would not be forgiven (v. 17) because Jesus' death would have been in vain.

The good news, however, is that Jesus Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. As we saw in our study on December 10, death entered the world through Adam, but life has come through Jesus (v. 22). In addition to making eternal life possible, today's passage also shows that Jesus' Advent can't be separated from His Second Coming. Although believers have been forgiven their sins and have begun eternal life with Christ, the final defeat of Christ's enemies and the destruction of evil and death must still occur. As believers, we anticipate these final events with joy and awe.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Some people claim to believe in Jesus as a good person but deny His resurrection. As we've seen, both must be affirmed. Just as we're forgiven our sins because of His death, so also we're raised to new life because of His resurrection. The truth of Jesus' resurrection is most visibly seen through the reality of our own transformed lives and of other believers throughout the world. If you are looking for an inspiring book to read during the holidays, consider the classic by David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 16:13-20; Ephesians 2:19-22
No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 3:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
About 450 years before Jesus' birth, the Greeks constructed a massive temple in honor of the goddess Athena. This huge structure was only slightly smaller than a modern American football field and was tall enough to house a 40-foot statue of Athena! This imposing building dominated Athens and must have been very impressive. Twenty-five hundred years later, however, most of the Parthenon lies in ruins and its former glory can only be imagined.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus also began a massive building project, which would result in something far bigger and more glorious than any ancient (or modern!) building. But Jesus didn't begin His project by assembling famous architects or vast quantities of building materials. Instead, Jesus began with very unconventional supplies—twelve followers who were often slow to grasp who He was and what He was doing.

Today's account from Matthew records Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah. Today we learn more about the conversation that followed Peter's bold declaration. Jesus' questions about who people thought He was were intended to show that the true Messiah couldn't be understood by human insight alone. That's why Peter's confession was only possible by divine revelation (v. 17).

Jesus' next declaration (concerning the rock upon which the church was to be built) has caused much debate through the centuries. The easiest way to understand what Jesus meant is to realize that the confession of Jesus as Lord (which Peter declared) has always been the true basis for the church.

This understanding is confirmed in Ephesians 2, where Paul tells us that the household of God is built upon the apostles and prophets. Most likely Paul is referring to the early preaching about Jesus by which the gospel spread and the church grew. The foundation for this proclamation is Jesus Christ Himself, through whom the church continues its amazing growth.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps you're wondering what the Parthenon has to do with Christmas Day! When it was built, people thought that the Parthenon would last forever. But when the church began, outsiders either dismissed it as insignificant or tried to destroy it. But today millions of believers around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas services will occur in elaborate buildings, private homes, and outdoors. Hymns will be sung in thousands of languages. All this is because Jesus Christ is the church's true foundation. Hallelujah!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 8:6-13; 9:11-15
There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ. - 1 Timothy 2:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
On November 4, 1979, rioting students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans hostage. For the next fourteen months, direct communications were cut off between the United States and Iran's newly formed revolutionary government. Contact with the hostages was only possible through other countries, such as Canada. Despite military rescue attempts, in the end it was the work of intermediaries, such as an Algerian diplomat, that brought about the hostages' release on January 20, 1981.

The Iranian hostage crisis illustrates the key role that intermediaries play in resolving seemingly insurmountable hostilities. When face-to-face negotiations aren't possible between two parties, a third party can act as a bridge. This understanding of mediation is helpful in order to grasp Christ's role as the mediator of the new covenant. We might think of fallen humanity and a perfectly holy God as two parties that cannot meet face-to-face without some type of mediator.

The old covenant made with Moses at Sinai offered some provisions to bridge the gap. Even so, human inability to keep this covenant (Heb. 8:7-8) pointed toward the need for a new covenant that would be completely effective in removing sin (v. 12). Just as the new covenant is superior to the old one, so also the mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ, is superior to the old covenant's mediator, Moses.

The change of covenants doesn't imply that God somehow changed His mind, but rather that God graciously provided one means of dealing with sin that was provisional until His final means, the perfect sacrifice of His Son, could be enacted. In this way, Jesus' blood accomplished what animal blood could not, namely a truly cleansed conscience (Heb. 9:14). Thus the new covenant guarantees our eternal inheritance.

Jesus as our mediator is one example of His present ministry on our behalf. Tomorrow we'll see that Jesus is also our High Priest.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One of the unique aspects of Christianity is that it emphasizes a personal relationship with God, only possible because of our mediator Christ. Christianity isn't an external set of do's and don'ts, but an internal change in which a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and fully reconciled to God the Father through Jesus' atoning work. With this in mind, ask yourself if you've fallen into the trap of viewing your faith as rules to obey instead of a relationship that transforms from the inside out.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-16; 7:23-25
Such a high priest meets our needs–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. - Hebrews 7:26
TODAY IN THE WORD
Did you ever have a teacher who was simply impossible to please? Hopefully, many of your teachers tried to help you, but if you're like most people, there was one who seemed to expect you to fail or to delight in finding errors in your work. If you needed assistance, you dreaded approaching this teacher.

No one wants to feel stupid for needing help or put down for doing something wrong! Many people view God as a mean teacher. They're sure that He's waiting for them to sin so He can inflict some punishment on them. How sad to misunderstand so completely the truth about our Lord.

We continue studying Jesus' present ministry for us by focusing today on Jesus our Great High Priest. Earlier this month, we studied important passages that stressed Jesus' humanity (see Dec. 3-11). Hebrews 2 teaches that Jesus' incarnation enabled Him to become a merciful and faithful High Priest because He truly experienced suffering and temptation. Yet because He overcame that temptation, He could make atonement on the cross for our sins.

Hebrews 4 develops further what it means that Jesus is our High Priest. Because He not only died and was resurrected, but has gone before us to heaven, we can be confident that we'll receive help when we come to God with our needs. At the same time, however, we need to hold tightly to the truth about Jesus Christ—the very goal of our study this month!

In Hebrews 7, a slightly different point is made by contrasting Jesus with the Levitical priests. Unlike those whose priestly service ended when they died, Jesus has a permanent, eternal priesthood. Additionally, the sacrifice He made is complete, not needing to be offered repeatedly. Thus the salvation that He offers is perfect. In other words, our salvation is dependent on what Jesus has already done, not what we have or haven't done ourselves.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Even if you've been a Christian for a while, you may still have faulty ideas about Jesus. Maybe you're sure Jesus can't really understand your struggles with sin. Or maybe you think you have to overcome temptation before you can come to Him. Perhaps you're avoiding God because of some failure. Well, good news! Jesus does indeed understand your struggles and invites us to come to Him—in fact, He's praying for you right now! As you anticipate a new year, consider memorizing Hebrews 2:18, 4:15-16, or 7:25.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 7:23-25; John 17:20-26
Christ Jesus . . . is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. - Romans 8:34
TODAY IN THE WORD
The young man was filled with shame. When he was needed most, he had failed the One who meant more to him than anyone. Perhaps in his tormented soul he remembered these words: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).

Imagine what these words meant to Simon Peter. No doubt they encouraged him after he had denied the Lord, strengthening him for his upcoming years of preaching the gospel.

We all know how encouraging it is when people pray for us, but we can sometimes forget the staggering truth that Jesus Christ, our Lord, is praying for us . . . constantly. In our reading today from Hebrews 7, we see a vital part of Jesus' present ministry on our behalf. These verses also confirm what the Gospels reveal repeatedly, namely that Jesus prays for people. He prayed for His disciples, for little children (Mark 10:16); He even prayed for His enemies while on the cross (Luke 23:34).

In John 17, Jesus prays for those who would come to faith through the faithful proclamation of the original disciples. If we could trace the chain all the way back through the centuries, we see that we ourselves are among those for whom Jesus prayed!

Notice that first Jesus prays for unity. The link between this unity (v. 21) and the gospel message (v. 20) indicates that what unites believers is the truth about Jesus Christ, not necessarily common backgrounds or interests. Moreover, this unity reveals to the world God's love.

Next, Jesus prays for the glory that will be eventually experienced by all believers. This side of heaven we see that glory only partially, but Jesus' prayer on our behalf assures us that one day we'll see His true glory fully.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today we continue the focus on Jesus our Great High Priest that we started yesterday. We see that prayer is a vital part of His priestly ministry. Even our closest friends can't have the intimacy and insight that Jesus has as He intercedes for us. Take some time to meditate on the image of Jesus praying for you . . . right now—just as He has been all along and will continue to do forever. It may be helpful to make a list in your journal of ways that this truth can change your perspective on your struggles.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 4:1-5:1-11
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
On June 6, Operation Overlord began the largest air, land, and sea landing ever attempted by the Allied forces. In what's also known as the Normandy invasion, 5,333 ships, eleven thousand planes, fifty-five thousand vehicles, and over 175,000 troops descended upon northwestern France. They were met with fierce resistance and some of the bloodiest battles of World War II ensued. The casualties were staggering: Allied forces lost 9,758 . . . 6,603 of which were American.

Although the losses were tremendous, D-Day was also the decisive turning point that thwarted Hitler's advance and contributed to the war's end.

Many who lost their lives understood that victory is often only possible through great sacrifice. We find this same truth in the book of Revelation. Chapter 4 opens with the apostle John receiving a heavenly vision. The brilliant description of God's throne emphasizes God's utter holiness and inapproachable glory. This scene of heavenly worship may seem far removed from present reality, and we may feel like Isaiah who cried out, “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips,” when he saw such glory (Isa. 6:5).

This sense of inaccessibility is intensified in Revelation 5, when John sees a scroll in God's right hand. Some Bible scholars believe that this scroll records the events leading to the end of time. At first it seems as if no one will be found worthy to open this scroll. John weeps because he understands that if the scroll remains sealed, God's glorious purposes will not be set in motion. After the elder's words (v. 5), John probably expected to see the Lion of Judah, but instead he beheld the Slain Lamb. Here we see graphically that there could be no hope of release from sin's grip or the final complete defeat of evil apart from Jesus' death . . . the perfect sacrifice that led to everlasting victory.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
For the past few days we examined aspects of Jesus present ministry; we conclude this month's study by considering Jesus' return and future glory. Revelation 5 shows the link between Jesus' present ministry and the future. Here we see that Jesus' death purchased people from all over the world (v. 9) so that they might become a kingdom and priesthood to serve God. Here we see the glorious future that awaits us because of Jesus' past and present work.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 19:11-21; 20:7-10
Many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some of the most brutal oppressors in history have claimed to be spiritual leaders. Consider, for example, Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. Kony says that he has been guided by spirits and that he's only enforcing the Ten Commandments; in truth, he has led a campaign of evil and terror. For nearly eighteen years the LRA abducted children, some as young as five, to fight in its army. These children were brainwashed by constant exposure to horrific violence, often beginning with the massacre of their own parents or siblings. All together, over 20,000 children have been abducted, and although Kony has recently agreed to cease fighting, the emotional devastation that he wreaked will continue for years.

It's difficult to comprehend this kind of evil, but the book of Revelation makes it clear that those who commit such atrocities don't have the final say. Our two passages for today record the final defeat of the beast, the false prophet, and Satan.

Through powerful and graphic images, the vision that John saw presents Jesus Christ as God's utterly victorious warrior. Because Jesus is perfectly faithful and true, He alone is able to execute judgment and to make war in conformity with God's perfect justice. His many crowns emphasize His total authority. The fact that His robe is dipped in blood before the actual battle anticipates His complete victory.

The battle itself is almost anticlimactic. The invitation to the birds (v. 17) indicates there will be many casualties, but the beast and false prophet are captured before the battle begins! They are cast into the lake of burning sulfur and the remaining evil forces are killed by Christ's sword, the Word of God. Revelation 20 shows that Satan himself will be thrown into this fiery lake, despite his attempts to destroy God's people. In the end the false trinity—Satan, the beast, and the false prophet—face eternal torment. Revelation 19 and 20 assure us of God's total sovereignty and Satan's sure defeat.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It's easy to think that evil has the upper hand around the world when we read the newspaper or watch the news. There's no shortage of horrific situations in the world today. This is why we need to know the truth presented in today's passages. Although talk about God's judgment isn't popular today, who really wants a world with no accountability for evil whatsoever? This week as you hear about current world events, focus on the great hope that believers have knowing that one day evil will be destroyed completely.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 21:1-7; 22:1-5
Here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. - Hebrews 13:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. . . . If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Lewis captures an important truth here—human beings were created for a world untainted by the Fall. That's why our deepest longings can't be met by worldly things or even other people. We were made for unimpaired fellowship with God, which will only be possible in heaven, “the city that is to come” (Heb. 13:14). But standing in the way is the continuing presence of evil and the complete transformation of our own bodies. Revelation 19 and 20 (yesterday's study) assure us, however, of the final, complete destruction of evil. After all evil is vanquished,

God will fulfill His promise to dwell with His people fully (Rev. 21:3).

Looking toward heaven is a fitting way to conclude this month's study. We began with John's teaching about Jesus' deity and humanity. During Jesus' first Advent, humans beheld God's glory more fully than ever before. In the heavenly Jerusalem, we'll behold God's glory as never before possible, because we'll be prepared as Jesus' cherished bride. Every source of pain, sorrow, and suffering will be gone, and God Himself will tenderly wipe away all the tears that we've shed.

Revelation 22 promises that one day believers will finally see God face-to-face. Recall Jesus' promise in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Because we will have been resurrected, we'll be able to behold God's full glory, the splendor of which will make the sun unnecessary.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Revelation 21 and 22 offer a wonderful conclusion to our year-long study of God's good and perfect gifts. Here we see Jesus, the Lamb whose blood redeemed us; God, in whose glory we'll bask; the Spirit, whose life-giving presence flows freely; and heaven, where we'll enjoy perfect fellowship with our triune God and with each other. In each one of us, there's an ache for heaven, our final destination. Instead of New Year's resolutions, commit to meditating on these two chapters monthly throughout the upcoming year.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 1:1-19
Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. - Numbers 33:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Welcome to a new year, full of new goals to set, new hopes to dream, and new challenges to meet. You may or may not make a list of resolutions, but everyone has a choice to make as another year begins: will you or will you not follow God wholeheartedly? We all know what the answer should be, but Jesus wouldn't have called it “taking up your cross” if it were going to be easy.

The critical component in the equation is faith. Faith is the difference between obedience and disobedience, and Israel in the book of Numbers shows us a textbook case study in what faith, or the lack thereof, can do.

Today's reading finds the Israelites at Mount Sinai, where they had been for nine months (cf. Ex. 19:1). It had been just over a year since they left Egypt. They had seen God prove His supremacy through the plagues, display His mighty hand at the parting of the Red Sea, and show His provision in the miraculous manna. He had manifested His presence after the consecration of the tabernacle (an event that is recounted again later in this book). Israel had the opportunity to see God lead them like no other nation, yet some of them still didn't have faith (1 Cor. 10:1-5; Heb. 4:2).

But we know the story of Numbers doesn't have the happy ending Israel would have wanted. The Hebrew name of this book means “in the wilderness or desert,” a title that captures both the geographical setting and the spiritual condition that runs throughout the book. God's command for the census had a very clear purpose: preparation for war (v. 3).

Israel at this point had no home, and God was drawing the battle lines that would have led them to the Promised Land. But instead of displaying God's might and taking their inheritance by faith, all but two of the Israelites numbered by this census spent the rest of their lives wandering in the wilderness due to their lack of faith.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Another theme that emerges in this passage is the picture of the servant leader; God delegated leaders from each tribe to serve Moses. God has almost certainly placed you in a similar situation. You are called to serve Him and those He has placed above you, and there are also people in your life who look to you for wise guidance. The key to succeeding in both roles is faith. Ask God to give it in abundance!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 1:44-54
The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. - Isaiah 8:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many scholars have difficulty with the number 603,550. And if you really stop to think about it, you might have trouble comprehending how Israel could have amassed an army of that many men. To put the figure into context, consider that as of the 2000 census, the city of Boston's total population was less than 590,000. If we factor in women, children, and the tribe of Levi, the number would well exceed one million. You might imagine the entire population of the city of Philadelphia encamped around Mount Sinai to get a picture of the population of Israel here.

Though some think that this number poses a translation problem, not to mention a logistical nightmare, in the end we have no reason to doubt that God was fully capable of shepherding such a large group of people. Indeed, the sheer number of the people isn't the most impressive factor in this passage; the glory of God is far more awesome. The reverence that the Lord demanded regarding the tabernacle should inject a healthy dose of fear into our hearts.

The tribe of Levi was set apart for God's service, a theme we'll study in greater depth in the days to come. For today we can simply observe that God dictated strict rules regarding the place where He dwells, and the consequences for disobedience were stiff.

An outsider who approached the tabernacle was to be killed (v. 51), and the presence of the Levites encamped around it prevented the wrath of God from burning against Israel (v. 53). As would happen many times in Numbers, the wrath of God usually brought terrible plagues against the offenders, often resulting in death.

With such a large crowd of people who were essentially homeless, imposing order was difficult. What made it possible was the unmistakable presence of God—and for the time being, the nation of Israel obeyed (v. 54).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul calls the body of a believer the “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19). Paul uses that fact to condemn sexual immorality, and we should have great reverence for the fact that we're indwelled by God in every aspect of our lives. If He gave special handling instructions for each mere object in the tabernacle, how much more care should we show for how we use our own bodies and maintain the condition of our spiritual hearts?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 3:1-13
The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. - Numbers 3:12–13
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the world of fairy tales, firstborn children are involved in some bizarre bargains. In Rumpelstiltskin, the miller's daughter exchanges her future child for the spinning of straw to gold. Rapunzel's parents gave her up for an herb called rampion. Perhaps because of these fabled lopsided deals, the phrase “giving up your firstborn” has become synonymous with paying a ridiculously expensive price.

But in Israel's history, the concept of surrendering the oldest son could never be exaggerated, for it was the price God exacted at the Passover. Most people familiar with the story know that the Lord claimed the lives of the oldest sons of Egypt and spared the sons of Israel, but the story didn't end there. Today's reading informs us that God claimed the firstborn of Israel as well.

In His mercy, God made a substitution of His own. Instead of taking the eldest sons for tabernacle service, He set apart the entire tribe of Levi, the tribe of Aaron and Moses (cf. Ex. 2).

We need to make an important distinction here. Only the direct descendants of Aaron were actually priests (v. 2); the rest of the Levite males were to serve as assistants to the priests. Even though Moses was from the Levi tribe, he was not authorized to have the same priestly access as Aaron and his sons (Ex. 40:35).

This substitution was more significant than it might seem at first glance. Tomorrow we'll examine further the details of this exchange, but for now we can focus on the bigger picture—God created this provision without being asked, which shows that He had no interest in depriving Israelite families of joy. He had the power and authority to do whatever He wanted, but He saw fit to create a plan that would reward His children.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The generosity of God is impossible to fathom. Everything within our control is on loan from God. That should change the way we look at everything in our lives: our belongings, relationships, talents, and responsibilities. As you go throughout the day, take note of all that God has given to you and enjoy it to the fullest. But also look for opportunities to take what He's given you and use it for His service.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 3:38-51
The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal. - Exodus 13:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Edgardo Mortara was taken from his parents when he was just six years old, but there was no mystery to this apparent kidnapping. The year was 1858 in Bologna, Italy, and Pope Pius IX had ordered the police to apprehend the young boy because a servant girl had secretly baptized him. His parents, being Jewish, were forbidden by law to raise a son that the Roman Catholic Church viewed as a Christian. The case drew international attention, but Edgardo never returned to his family.

Today's passage describes a far different method for dedicating children to the Lord.

The Levites became a ransom for the firstborn of the other tribes, but it wasn't a total exchange. The firstborn were still to be consecrated, or set apart, for the Lord (cf. Luke 2:23 when Jesus was presented at the temple for this purpose). But this consecration didn't involve removing the sons from their families; practically speaking, Israel's families remained intact. The number of Levite males was almost identical to the number of firstborn males from the other tribes. These numbers have troubled some who work out the math. If there are 22,000 firstborn sons in Israel, then there are only 22,000 families with any sons over one month old. How to account for 600,000 adult sons from 22,000 families? This would mean the average family had over 30 sons.

The best explanation seems to be that after the Passover, God decreed that the firstborn of every family in Israel would be consecrated to Him. Although God still claimed those sons as His own, He took the tribe of Levi in their place for His service. In addition, God demanded that every firstborn son that had been born since the Passover be counted. The 22,000 were the firstborn sons that had been born since the Exodus.

This passage shows that God didn't make decisions about His children arbitrarily. He counted every head because He valued every child He claimed as His own.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God commanded that the firstborn son in every family be “redeemed” with a sacrifice (Ex. 13:13). How humbling, then, to know that by faith in Christ, we are redeemed by the blood of God's firstborn (1 Peter 1:18-19)! And just as God placed a ransom for each and every son He claimed, He values you individually and has claimed you as His own. Take courage and comfort in knowing that you are His!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 5:1-4
I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. - Leviticus 11:44
TODAY IN THE WORD
Throughout most of history, scientists have had no understanding whatsoever about infection. In the late 1800s, Louis Pasteur's revolutionary discoveries in microbiology disproved the long-accepted theory of spontaneous generation, an idea that life or even disease could spring from nonliving matter. (Ironically, some evolutionary scientists still cling to a similar theory.) His work proved for the first time that diseases were caused by tiny living organisms and could be transmitted from person to person.

God knew something that scientists took thousands of years to figure out: a diseased person could contaminate an entire camp. But His command in today's passage isn't strictly practical medicine. It was a symbolic reminder of spiritual purity as well. The dwelling place of the Lord was not to be defiled. This command showed Israel that impurities have no place in God's presence or among His people.

The Israelites weren't perfect apart from the impurities described in these verses, but it was important for them to observe a proper respect for the Lord's presence—the land was different because He lived there, and these people were to be different because they were His.

Notice that the Israelites obeyed. That's a key fact in a book categorized by failure. Israel's main weakness at this point was not a failure to obey the letter of the law—although those instances would come. Instead, the critical flaw in the nation of Israel would later prove to be a lack of faith and a lack of appreciation for what God had done for them. It was good that Israel followed the instructions God gave through Moses, but obeying a series of commands is not enough to please God. Every unclean thing must be removed from His presence and from the dwelling place of His people to prevent the spread of both physical infection and spiritual impurity.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sin spreads in our lives and among people like an infection. If God is absolutely pure, we should honor His presence within us by addressing any impurity in our own hearts and encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same. Avoid the tendency to let the behavior of others to set the tone for our own conduct. Instead, employ God's zero-tolerance policy on your own sin. Allow the Holy Spirit to convict and purify your heart and life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 6:1-21
Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the Lord. - Numbers 6:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
English hymn writer Frances Havergal once visited Areley House where ten people were staying, and she prayed, “Lord, give me all in this house.” And the Lord answered her prayer. The unsaved accepted Him, and the wayward believers were rejoicing in His name by the time her five-day visit was over. It was on the last night there that she penned the hymn that begins, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee,” and ends with the line, “Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.”

That decision of complete surrender to God was at the heart of the Nazirite vow, and it was not a choice that was made lightly—or frequently. In most English translations, the word Nazirite appears only five times outside of this passage, most notably in the story of Samson. Scripture does point to other probable examples such as Samuel and John the Baptist, but we can deduce that such voluntary vows of consecration to God were somewhat rare.

An Israelite man or woman who took the Nazirite vow would be truly set apart for the duration of the vow, sometimes for life. It would have been impossible to “blend in” with hair that had never been cut, never drinking any wine or fermented drink, and never attending the funeral of a family member. Those three aspects of the vow created separation unto God on a personal, social, and familial basis. This truly was a surrender of the whole life.

The ceremony at the conclusion of the vow consisted of five offerings as well as the shaving and burning of the Nazirite's hair, and the various offers give us another picture of the holistic nature of the vow. The provisions made were no small financial expense, either. A male lamb, an ewe, a ram, flour cakes, wafers, oil, grain, wine for the drink offering, and the added stipulation of whatever else the person could afford to offer (v. 21). Nazirites gave all they could give to the Lord.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This passage indicates no reward for taking the vow other than being set apart as holy unto God. Would that be enough motivation for you to surrender your appearance, social celebration, family connections, and your possessions for any period of time? Can you sincerely pray to God and ask Him, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee?” God can use your surrender to do amazing things, but don't make the choice lightly.

[Soldier4Christ]

Prone to Wander

The book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch. Appropriately, the Hebrew title, Ba-midbar is translated “in the desert.” The book journals the desert wanderings of Israel from the beginning in Sinai to the arrival in the Promised Land.

The nation of Israel spent 40 years “wandering” in the wilderness. Their venture into the desert is often depicted as a type of banishment. They were living in-between—no longer existing day-to-day in the bondage of Egypt, yet 40 years away from their arrival in Moab.

When we think of “wandering,” we mean aimlessness or, perhaps, lostness. Yet the Israelites were not really wandering in that sense. They indeed had a destination. God knew where they were going, and He knew where they had started.

After all, it was God who had miraculously delivered them from slavery in Egypt. After staff turned into serpent, and water turned to blood, they walked free from Ramses's land after more than four centuries of increasing servitude.

Under Moses' leadership, the nation headed toward the Promised Land—assured of God's guidance. God led them by dramatic and supernatural means: by cloud, by fire, with the manna falling from the sky.

Although we say the Israelites “wandered.” God was clearly leading them. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that, during these years, God's people wandered from Him. Again and again, the Israelites failed to trust God. Numbers 11:1 says, “Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard [it], His anger was kindled.”

The wandering of their hearts is uncomfortably familiar. How often we, too, doubt God's leading. Although we have seen His work in our lives, we distrust His provision for our future.

Hymn writer Robert Robinson penned the hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” which depicts the struggle of the sinner. He writes:

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

The Israelites did arrive at the Promised Land, but not without many years of wandering. As we journey, may we be reminded of God's guiding hand in our own lives. May we follow close and not be prone to wander away.