Sunday 8st September
Read Psalm 73
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
Do you ever think, “other people get on better than me?” If you do, you are not alone, and David felt the draw of such a feeling. He starts this Psalm with an assertion about the goodness of God to Israel and to those who are pure in heart but then he confesses that “as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (v:2-3). He recognises that it was not right of him to envy those others but saw that he had nearly slipped by saying, “they have no struggles” (V4)
He goes on to tell why he was tempted to follow them by saying, “they have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong” (v4) and he goes on to list all manner things they have despite the way they behave. “How would God know?” these people say.
In comparison he says, “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence” (v13). In other words, maybe I should just join them in the way they live, but then he knows, “If I had spoken out like that I would have betrayed your children”, in other words my example would lead others astray and then he says all these thoughts swirled around him until he entered the sanctuary of God, the holy place of God’s presence. The place of worship is where the garish lights of the world fade away. “I understood their final destiny” (v17) he says and that, like a dream, they will be swept away – “those who are far away from you will perish …. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge” (v27,28) Don’t let the amazing things around tempt you into dreaming that that is the way to go. It wasn’t and it isn’t.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday Numbers 24:12-25
Balaam leaves but tells Balak again that he had warned his messengers that he could only do what God would allow, no matter how much money he was promised.
Balaam then gives a fourth message which is a prophecy about the future of the people of Israel included in which are verses prophesying the coming of Christ – “I see him but not now; I behold him but not near” – “a star will come out of Jacob” ( v17) – and then predicts victories over the enemies of Israel. This is followed by a prophecy about Amalek whose end will be utter destruction (v20), then the Kenites (v22), and finally he mentions Ashur and Eber and ships of Cyprus (v24). Suggestions have been made about the Assyrians and the Babylonians but whatever the particular links the message Balak hears is that this people will not be able to be defeated and his plan of a cursing of them will not work if God plans to bless them.
Such words remain centuries later about God’s ancient people and though we can see and know that they have disobeyed him and acted in ways that are not right, nevertheless they are God’s people and he will not allow them to be crushed,
When Balaam departs the scene in chapter 24 he seems to have done little wrong. After all, although Balak paid him to come and curse the Israelites, he never did, only blessed them. Yet in subsequent history his name is condemned – e.g “Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.” (Num 31:16) “But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:14.
It appears that accompanying Balak to the top of Peor (Num 23:27-30) and engaging in the sacrificial worship of Balak which would involve fertility rites of prostitution Balaam, though being forbidden by God to curse the Israelites may have suggested to Balak that he may gain his ends by encouraging the people to engage in the sacrifices of Baal. In chapter 25 we see the fraternisation of some of the Israelite men with the Moabite women in their worship of Baal of Peor. This aroused the anger of God who commanded the execution of those who had taken part. God demands loyalty from his people and will not tolerate being one of a number of Gods. When he covenants himself to this people he ‘marries’ them and will not have occasions of ‘adultery’ with other gods accepted. When he said in the ten commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me” he meant it – and he still does.
Wednesday Numbers 25:6-18
The people exhibited sorrow over what had happened after the judgement on the men who had followed the temptation of the worship of the Baal of Peor but while they were still weeping one man brazenly brought a Midianite woman into the camp and into his tent to engage in sex with her.
Not everything is told about what had been happening in the camp but a plague had spread throughout the camp, what kind we do not know but it was extensive enough to have killed 24,000 (v9). The brazen man was Zimri, the leader of a Simeonite family, and the woman, Kozbi, was a daughter of a tribal chief of the Midianites. There was a serious political mixing beginning to take place and the grandson of Eleazar the priest went into the tent and killed both of them with his spear. Phineas by name was commended by God for his zeal and the plague was ended because of his act.
The temptation for God’s people (either Old or New Testament) to take commitment to the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and to engage in pulling other worship into the midst is a serious offence as it attempts to break down what God builds, rending the unity of his family of faith.
After the issue of the sinful mixing of the people with the idolatrous Ammonites on the plains of Moab was dealt with God commanded Moses and Eleazar to take a census of te people – this was a second one because a census was taken in Sinai after they had left Egypt. This census was to prepare te people for their entrance into the land God was giving them and how it was to be apportioned. Each portion of land was to be given to certain tribes and families according to their size so that none were given more than they required.
Names are mentioned including some details about the history of certain individuals, e,g, Dathan and Abiram (v9) who weren’t there, although the line of Korah did not die out (v11), the daughters of Zelophehad who would be given inheritances so his line would not die out (V13), Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons who offered strange fire and died, thus Eleazar taking their place.
All in all, the people who are numbered are a fresh generation from those who had been numbered first because God had judged that first generation who wouldn’t go forward into the land as being unworthy of it and they all died out in the wilderness so that their progeny would inherit the land (v63-65). It is a sobering thought that God is prepared to let generations die out who will not obey his word.
This is the story of Zelophehad’s daughters who made special appeal to Moses because their father had died in the wilderness but he was not one of the followers of the rebellious Korah. As he had no sons then it looked as though his line would forfeit any share in the land and his daughters wanted to appeal against his name disappearing from the Israelite people. Moses brought the case to the Lord and asked him, not willing to take any judgement on the matter himself, and the Lord’s answer was to support the daughters and give them an allocation in the land as though they were sons. The judgement also has application for the future in cases of inheritance. (v8-11)
At the close of tis chapter Moses was reminded that he was not going to be allowed to enter the promised land because of his and Aaron’s sin at the waters of Meribah (Num 20) in not honouring God in obedience. He was to be given a glimpse of the land but would die outside it.
We don’t find him grumbling or complaining about this but what he does is plead with God to provide a leader in his place when he is gone so that the people are not like sheep without a shepherd. God tells him that Joshua would be his replacement and so a process is arranged whereby before the entire assembly Eleazar would perform the act of enquiring of God using the Urim and Thumim stones on his priestly garments to ascertain the will of God. The people would see this and then Joshau would be consecrated by a laying on of hands before the people. It is good for leaders to approve of those who succeed them and this to be seen by those who are led.
