Abstain From Every Form of Evil1
Deuteronomy 14:1-21
1“You are the sons of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. 2For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
See how the Lord honored Israel. He spoke of their election, “The LORD has chosen you;” of their adoption, “you are a people holy to the LORD your God;” and of their sanctification, “the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession.” These honors involved responsibilities. They were to continue to be different than other people who did not worship the true God. They were not to imitate the superstition of their neighbors by disfiguring themselves or by any act that showed uncontrolled grief.
3“You shall not eat any abomination. (Anything that is obviously disgusting and repulsive.)
4“These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex,2 the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. 7Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you.”
These may seem like tiny little differences, but God takes note of littles.
8“And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. (God gave these rules to keep the Jews a separate and special people. They could not join in the feasts of the heathen because one or more of these unclean creatures would be brought to the table. Also, the thoughtful Israelite would see these unclean animals around him every day and be reminded of sin. No matter whether he was working or traveling or resting, the watchful Jew would see these animals that represented uncleanness and would be reminded of his need to watch against sin.)
9“Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat. 10And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.”
Even when they relaxed by the river or sailed on the sea, the Lord gave them reminders that sin was in the world. No matter where we are, our faith will be tested and God requires us to obey him.
11“You may eat all clean birds. 12But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 13the kite, the falcon of any kind; 14every raven of any kind; 15the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; 16the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl 17and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, 18the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat.3 19And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. 20All clean winged things you may eat.”
Like the water, the air also had its warnings; its things to stay away from. The danger of being trapped by sin is everywhere. On the land, on the sea, and in the air, there are evils all around. There are snares everywhere.
Snares tuck your bed, and snares sit in your home;
Snares watch your thoughts, and snares stick to your words;
Snares in your quiet, snares in your commotion;
Snares in your diet, snares in your devotion.4
21“You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. (An animal that died naturally was ceremonially unclean because the blood had not been properly drained. They might, however, sell it if foreigners cared to eat it. God requires his people to be stricter than others. Entertainment and practices that might be accepted by most people would be out of place for Christians.)
“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (It is unnatural to make the mother give her milk for the cooking of her own young. God’s people are to do nothing that would spoil the quality and tenderness of their sensitive feelings. We are to be overly careful in not doing anything rough, savage or insensitive. Young people—please keep this in mind.)
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1 1 Thessalonians 5:22
2 ibex - a wild goat with very long horns that curve backwards
3 ESV translators note: The identity of many of these birds is uncertain.
4 Philip Quarles (a poet/theologian who lived during the 1600’s).
Year One, May 2
Let Us Not Become Conceited1
Numbers 16:1-4; 16-24; 26-34
1Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. 2And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. 3They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” (The only thing Moses gained from being the leader of Israel was hardship and trouble. And now there were traitors in the camp who wanted to create a rebellion against him.) 4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
16And Moses said to Korah, “Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17And let every one of you take his censer2 and put incense3 on it, and every one of you bring before the LORD his censer, 250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.” (In this way, Moses informs the rebels that God himself will decide who the authorized priests and leaders really are.) 18So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.
20And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” 22And they fell on their faces and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” (They were instantly ready to plead for the congregation! They did not hold a grudge or seek revenge!) 23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” (If we want to escape from the doom of the wicked, we must flee from their company.)
26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” 27So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. 29If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. 30But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.”
31And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. 32And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. 33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”
The Lord showed his approval of his servants in a very terrible but righteous way. How much more will he uphold the throne of his Son? “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.”4
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1 Galatians 5:26
2 a censer is a container for burning incense
3 incense - something that is burned for the sweet smell it produces
4 Psalm 2:12
Year One, May 3
Oh, Guard My Soul, and Deliver Me!1
Numbers 16:41-50
41But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.”
What amazing boldness! Yesterday they fled in fear when they saw the earth open and swallow up those who had defied the Lord. And now they, themselves, rise up in revolt, and charge Moses with murdering those whom the Lord himself had so justly executed. Is there any limit to human sin? Lions and tigers may be tamed, but humans refuse to be controlled. They follow their own plans, despite every warning and direction from God.
42And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. (This was the second time that the Lord had spoken this way to his servants. And for a second time they fall on their faces in reverent but heartfelt prayer. Moses and Aaron pleaded for those very people who were up in arms against then. This is the true love of God’s ministers. They will never give up on sinners while they have breath in their bodies.)
46And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” (Moses’ spiritual soul could see what others could not. He was aware that danger was near. Those who have close fellowship with God are sensitive to what he will do in a way that others cannot know. Moses told Aaron to hurry. When people are dying, we must not delay our efforts to save them. Lord, help us to fly on the wings of love.)
47So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. (Aaron stood as a champion, blocking the pathway of the destroyer. He came to the front of the danger, as though he would either die with the people, or else if he lived, they should live. Was it not both brave and kind of Aaron to do this for his enemies? What an excellent picture he was of the Lord Jesus, who stood between us and the God who would destroy us for our sin!) 49Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah.
Who killed all these grumblers? Or rather, what killed them? Was it not sin that is a murderer from the beginning? Sin will kill us also unless we keep behind our great High Priest who protects us.
50And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped. (There was a terrible plague of judgment. Then there was a wonderful miracle of mercy. Both were connected with Aaron’s priesthood. After this, one would think that no one would ever argue that Aaron was the right person to hold the holy office of high priest. Yet that was not the case. Sinners are determined to be troublemakers. Sin is deeply rooted in our very nature. Alas! alas!)
We should, by faith, see our Lord Jesus standing between his living people and dead souls, waving his censer, and keeping off death from all his believing ones. He is our shield from the destroying plague of sin and from all the powers of evil. His sacred person blocks the way. God’s anger cannot attack those who are protected by the Lord’s Anointed. Happy are those who have Jesus to stand in front of them. On one side all is ruin. On the other all is safety. On which side of Jesus are we at this hour? Are we with those who live in him, or are we with those who are outside of Christ and are therefore condemned already?2 Lord save us, or we perish.
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1 Psalm 25:20
2 John 3:18, “Whoever believes in [the Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Year One, May 4
I Have Exalted One Chosen From the People1
The question about who should be priests did not stop with the plague we read about in the sixteenth chapter of Numbers. Therefore the Lord ordered a grand solution to end the debate once and for all. It would be a final test that no one could object to.
Numbers 17:1-13
1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, (Staffs were the symbol of authority; much like a king with his scepter. To surrender the staff of each tribe to the Lord was a ceremony that acknowledged that the Lord had the right to choose the priestly family. All the staffs were dead and dry, and it was up to the Lord to choose which one he pleased and give it new life.) 3and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house.”
The Levites had not forgotten the destruction of Korah. Therefore they all agreed that Aaron should represent their tribe in this test.
4“Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” (God has a right to choose his own servants and he will do so whether we will agree with his decision or not. He gives life and fruitfulness to his chosen servants. God also has a right to deal with those who find fault or are jealous about his decisions. He will visit the murmurers one way or another for their offense.) 6Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.
8On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. (A miracle indeed! Here was not only life, but it was instant and had perfect fruitfulness. This was not caused by the seasons of springtime and harvest, but happened suddenly by the divine power! Surely this is the best proof of a divine call to the Lord’s work. The natural person is dead regarding the things of God, but the grace of God makes his servants fruitful before God because they spend time in his secret presence. In this way they are known among the Lord’s people as his chosen servants.)
9Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” (This miraculous proof was meant to stop future quarreling. Otherwise they might not stop until they caused God to deal with them even more severely.) 11Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did. (Moses was a wise man, but he did not allow his own opinions to influence him. His wisdom was in his complete obedience to God.)
12And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?” (They could not go very long without some wicked complaint or another. This time they make light of their sin. They behaved very rudely and complained because God commanded them to control themselves and stop grumbling. They should have known that they were the problem and not God. It is very hard to bring Israel, or actually any of us, to true repentance.)
From this passage of scripture, let us learn that Jesus is our great High Priest. True life comes from him and our souls are saved from that life. That is why Jesus is the true priest of God. If we want true life, we must be joined together with him. If we want our lives to be fruitful and truly useful, we must be joined together with him. If Jesus Christ and his life are not in us, our lives are like dried up branches that are worth nothing more than to be thrown into the fire.
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1 Psalm 89:19
Year One, May 5
I the LORD Your God Am a Jealous God1
Numbers 20:1-13
1And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. (This was a time of great sadness for Moses. Miriam was a virtuous woman, a true princess and prophetess. Her only fault recorded in the Bible was when she and her brother Aaron were jealous of their brother Moses. No doubt Moses sorrowed greatly under this loss.)
2Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!”
They should have been in fear and awe of that terrible judgment. But instead, they evidently blamed the destruction of Korah and his companions on Moses. Even while the two holy brothers were sorrowing over their departed sister, the unfeeling crowd raises an uproar against them. They blame the lack of water on them, as if they could be expected to dig rivers in the desert.
4“Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” (They tormented Moses with the old, worn out claim that he brought them out to die in the wilderness. They also added a new sting. They accused him of not bringing them into the good land of promise, even though it was only their own sin that kept them out of it. People who want to grumble never go very long before they find another hook on which to hang their complaints.)
6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, (These holy men knew where their great strength was. They fell down in prayer and adoration, leaving the matter with the Lord, who was not slow in appearing for them.) 7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” (To show that the Lord is not limited to any one way of doing something, the rock is not to be struck this time, but only spoken to.) 9And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.
Were they not wrong in calling the people rebels and in saying, “Shall we bring water for you?” Certainly Moses was wrong in striking the rock, because he was only told to speak to it. The best of men are men at best.
12And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
See how much the Lord wants those he loves the most to be those who follow him most closely? He wants them to obey him in every single thing. If they do not, he will let them know how sharply he disapproves. A whole life of serving God will not be an excuse for us to do one big thing wrong. “What sort of people ought you to be?”2 We should be careful in thought, and word, and deed. That goes double for being careful about the sin of not believing God!
13These are the waters of Meribah (or quarreling), where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy.
This was one of the most unforgettable of Israel’s sins, because they repeated an old crime, even after experiencing the Lord’s mercies and judgments. May the Lord save us from repeating our sins. Otherwise he may show us his displeasure in a very painful way. Keep us, dear Savior, so that we will not rebel against you.
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1 Exodus 20:5
2 2 Peter 3:11
Year One, May 6
Sing Aloud to God Our Strength1
Psalm 81
This song encourages people to praise the Lord. It tells of his goodness to Israel and cries over the sins and the sorrow that resulted from their misbehavior.
1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Singing should be lively and joyful. We should all take our part in thanking God together.
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.
This “feast day” was The Passover.
4 For it is as statute for Israel,
a rule of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
The Egyptian language was unknown to the Lord in the sense that Egypt had no fellowship with the true God. In much the same way, we read in the New Testament that the Lord will say to the hypocrite, “I never knew you.”2 The first Passover was kept in Egypt to celebrate Israel’s redemption from slavery. The sons of Israel delighted to continue celebrating that freedom.
6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
That is, from the baskets in which they carried the bricks. God set his people free from the slavish business of brick making, as he has also redeemed all his people from the accursed slavery of their sins.
7 “In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.” Selah
They did poorly in that test. Their murmurings were both extreme and loud, and their going back and forth from worshiping God to defying him was obvious. Yet see how, when the Lord was tested by the people, he proved ready to hear them and quick to bless them.
8 “Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
We are told here to expect great things from God and offer great prayers to him. We will be pleased with the large answers God gives to our large prayers. Who would not ask largely if they believed that God would grant their large requests? God has not set a limit on his promise to hear our prayers. If our answers to our prayers are little, it is because our prayers are little. Come then, let those of us who are believers, beg God for the salvation of the whole family, our relatives and our neighbors. Let our prayers today be very great. People sin hugely. Let us pray hugely.
11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!”
See the loving tenderness of the Lord. He grieves over our sins because he sees what they cost us. He knows what we lose by our foolishness and he is sorry for us. He does not condemn us with the cold tearless eye of a judge, but as a father who scolds with a loving sadness in his heart.
14 “I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.”
When God sees his people walking carefully in the “way of obedience,” he either changes the hearts of our enemies or makes them turn their angry steps away from us. “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”3
15 “Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
May our family walk continually in obedience to the Lord. By doing so, we will feed on the precious promises that are “the finest of the wheat.” May we enjoy a close fellowship with Jesus that gives a sweet peace. Holiness is happiness. Therefore, obeying God is true wisdom. We shall have no enemies to fear if we live close to our friend Jesus.
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1 Psalm 81:1
2 Matthew 7:23
3 Proverbs 16:7
Year One, May 7
Turn to Me and Be Saved1
Numbers 21:4-8
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.
At mount Hor, Moses had seen his brother Aaron die, and now, all alone, he has to again deal with the quarreling people. Yet he was not alone. His God was with him. The people were getting tired of living in tents and of the bother of always moving, but they forgot their many mercies. They forgot the great deliverances that the Lord had made for them. Being anxious, bellyaching, and complaining are very easy, but they are also ungrateful, unholy, and useless habits.
5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
How tiring it is to read these same worn out complaints! It is always the same old and cruel false statements against God. But each time there is more sin in it, because it is committed against a longer experience of the divine faithfulness. Discontent is a very unhappy thing. It protests against the bread of heaven and despises the crystal clear water leaping from the rock.
6Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. (They acted like serpents in hissing at Moses and now serpents are sent to punish them. God has many ways of scolding sinners. He who made Moses’ staff a serpent,2 can also use a serpent as his rod to strike Israel. He will sting those who sting his servants.) 7And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
See and admire the meekness of Moses. He prays at once for the annoying people who had been so shamefully lying about him. They had only to say, “Pray,” and Moses prayed. Oh! for the same holy readiness to return good for evil.
8And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
The cure was like what some would call a homeopathic approach. It was “like curing like.” The cure for the disease is found in the very thing causing the ailment. Moses lifted up the serpent that healed the trouble caused by a serpent. Death came by man sinning. The resurrection from the dead came from the man who did not sin. The serpent on the pole was, as it were, executed by hanging on a tree. The living Christ became the Crucified One, who was made a curse for us. A look was demanded of all who were bitten. There was one command for rich and poor alike. They must all look, and look in one direction, for no other remedy was provided. It was the duty of Moses to lift up the serpent, but he could not do more, he had no magic power in his own person to heal the wounded. Even so, ministers are to preach Christ Jesus to us, but they cannot save us. They are as weak as other men in such matters. Our Lord applied this incident to himself. We will read his words in:
John 3:14-17
14“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
We have only to look to Jesus. Whoever we are, we will be immediately delivered from all our sins. One glance of faith brings salvation right now. This gospel is for all mankind. No one born of woman should hesitate to trust their soul’s eternal interests to the hands of the Son of God. Whoever trusts him is and shall be saved.
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1 Isaiah 45:22
2 Exodus 4:2-3, “The LORD said to [Moses], ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A staff.’ And he said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.” See also Exodus 7:10.
Year One, May 8
We Are More Than Conquerors1
The defeat of Sihon and Og took place about this time. Here Moses tells the story of what happened.
Deuteronomy 2:26-37
26“So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon the king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27‘Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left. 28You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot, 29as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God is giving to us.’”
Nothing could be more fair or friendly than this request. Sihon also had good evidence that Israel would act in good faith. The Edomites and Moabites had granted Moses and the Israelites passage through their land, and even though some were against it, their country and people were not hurt by allowing them to pass through their land. Therefore King Sihon should have been at ease believing that Israel would do him no harm.
30“But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day. (When people are mad with sin they only need to be left to themselves and they become hardened against God. Such hardened hearts become their own executioners.) 31And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.’ 32Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 33And the LORD our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. 34And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors. 35Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured. (God could no longer tolerate the sins of this guilty nation and swept it away. How gracious is he to our sinful country!)
36“From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. The LORD our God gave all into our hands. 37Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the banks of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, whatever the LORD our God had forbidden us.” (If we go only where God directs us, and keep away from where he gives us no permission to be, our journey will be a great success.)
Deuteronomy 3:1-5
1“Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people to battle at Edrei. (One battle is over and another begins. Blessed be God, the power that defeated Sihon is also quite able to overthrow Og.) 2But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ (God’s mercies in the past are assurances of his coming favors. He who helped us yesterday is the same today and forever.) 3So the LORD our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivor left. 4And we took all his cities at that time--there was not a city that we did not take from them--sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled villages.” (In this way God’s chosen people will go from victory to victory. Sin, death, and hell, will flee before us. No one will be able to resist the divine power that surrounds us in the battle. When the Lord leads the army, the enemy’s crushing defeat is certain and complete.)
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1 Romans 8:37
Year One, May 9
No Weapon That Is Fashioned Against You Shall Succeed1
Numbers 22:1-20
1Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel.
The Moabites should have rejoiced because the Amorites had been their great enemies and Israel had defeated them. But men who are determined to oppose God’s servants are so irrational that they do not recognize God’s obvious mercy to them.
4And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor who was king of Moab at that time, 5sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. 6Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Moab hated Israel, but did not begin with an open attack. Israel has many dishonest and sneaky enemies, but God will defeat their underhanded plans.
7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message. 8And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” (Balaam was probably surprised beyond measure that God should actually come to him. He had been a mere magician, but now for a while he was filled with the true spirit of prophecy.)
10And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’” 12God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” (What an opportunity for Balaam. The Lord told him about a blessed people. If he had been blessed with grace as well as with the prophetic gift, this was his chance to join with them.) 13So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” (So far so good. Balaam is obedient because he was afraid of God, but will he hold on?) 14So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. 16And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17for I will surely do you great honor and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’” (Balak tempts Balaam with larger bribes. What will the prophet do now?) 18But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. 19So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.” 20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.”
Balaam wanted to go with the princes, because he loved the honor and money he would receive by being unrighteous. God gave him permission to go if the princes come again and pressure him, but not permission to curse Israel. We shall see in our next reading how his evil heart broke this friendly relationship he had with God. He was a great man, a well educated man, and for a while even a supernaturally gifted man. But a grain of grace would have been of more value to him than all this, and because he lacked it he perished miserably. Oh Lord, give us grace rather than great wealth and the most exceptional talents.
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1 Isaiah 54:17
Year One, May 10
Guard Against All Covetousness1
Numbers 22:21-35
21So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. (It does not seem that the princes pressured him to go. Rather, it appears they started off before him. They were evidently already on their way before the angel met Balaam. A covetous person does not need tempting. They are ready to go wherever greed will take them.)
22But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. (Balaam knew he could not curse Israel, but by going along with the princes he showed he was willing to try. God had good reason to be angry about such an evil purpose.) Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. (Why are people so proud of seeing visions since this poor animal saw an angel and saw it before a prophet did?) And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. (Even a dumb donkey shows respect for the angel of God. What does that make those who sneer at anything that is holy?)
24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”
Balaam did not seem to be either surprised or alarmed. He was familiar with supernatural wonders; besides that, he was so involved with the one idea of getting Balak’s reward that he did not fear and he did not care. Greed for gold hardens people’s hearts beyond all thought of consequences. This passion also created the monster Judas Iscariot and others of his kind.
30And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
The best comment on this is to be found in Peter’s Second Epistle; “He was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.”2 Going with the Moabites, in the hope that he would be rewarded for trying to do what he knew was against God’s will, was totally insane. Even a dumb animal had more sense than Balaam did. It was only right that he should be rebuked in this way.
31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse (or reckless) before me. 33The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” (God takes notice of cruelty to animals. The angel takes issue with Balaam for being cruel to his donkey.) 34Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.
He backs down under pressure, but his hearts goes after profit.
35And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak. (He knew what was right, but he still desired to win the rewards of doing wrong. He opposed God as much as he dared.)
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1 Luke 12:15
2 2 Peter 2:16
Year One, May 11
There Is No Enchantment Against Jacob1
Balak was very anxious to have Balaam curse Israel. He took him from place to place and offered one sacrifice after another, but it was all for nothing. The Lord stood between his people and the schemings of their enemies. We will read the inspired record of one of Balaam’s prophetic speeches. They are all so much alike that one will be enough to understand what was happening.
Numbers 23:13-24
13And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.”
King Balak thought that Israel’s great number, or their beauty, or the way their soldiers were positioned might have caused Balaam to be afraid to curse them. Therefore, this time he would let him see only a part of them. Of course his trick did not work, because God does not love his people because there are so many of them. If there were only two or three he would still be sure to bless them.2
14And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. (Moses and Balaam both stood on the same hill, but for very different reasons. The Lord brought Moses up to see the Promised Land. Balak took Balaam up to curse the nation that was to live in the Promised Land. Where we are does not change who we are.) 15Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.” 16And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” 17And he came to him, and behold he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” (This is a question we should all ask and then search the Scriptures to find the answer.) 18And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
“Rise, Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19 God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
God’s guidance does not change and that is why the saints know they are safe. Our enemies can ask God to curse us all they want, but they will not move the heart of God. We are his chosen people and we always will be! “For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Christ Jesus].”3 Not a single word of the Lord will ever fall to the ground. Humans are as unstable as quicksand, but the Lord is as firm as a rock.
20 “Behold, I received a command to bless:
he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.”
No, nor can all the demons in hell stop God from blessing. The promise is not yes and no, but yes, yes.
21 “He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble in Israel.
The LORD their God is with them,
and the shout of a king is among them.”
With these words, Balaam tells Balak that Israel is pure in the Lord’s eyes. He knew nothing but sin could separate God from Israel and he saw that by some means or other the Lord had not seen wickedness in his people. Of course, we know why he did not. A Mediator had come between God and the Israelites. Otherwise, Israel’s sins would have destroyed her a long time before this. Compared with the wicked Moabites and especially the filthy Canaanites, the people in the wilderness were no doubt remarkably pure in Balaam’s judgment. However, if they had to rely on their own righteousness, it would have gone very badly for them.
22 “God brings them out of Egypt
and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
no divination against Israel;”
No evil plan of humans or demons can succeed against the elect of God. We have no reason to be afraid of evil threats. In fact, it would be sinful to do so. It is wrong to fear the superstitions of unsaved people. No magical arts, Satanic devices, or spiteful plans can really injure those whom the Lord loves.
“now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What has God wrought!’”
God’s work will always overcome human accomplishments. It will cause thoughtful people to praise God long after the evil intentions of those who want to hurt God’s elect have been forgotten.
24 “Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up
and as a lion it lifts itself;
it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
and drunk the blood of the slain.”
Balaam predicted the military skill that Israel would have and prophesied the destruction of the Canaanites. Even though he was supposed to curse the Israelites, he actually blessed them.
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1 Numbers 23:23
2 Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
3 2 Corinthians 1:20
Year One, May 12
The LORD Is Slow to Anger1
We find a summary of the history of the tribes of Israel up to this time in:
Psalm 106:13-33
13 But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
After seeing the wonders of the Red Sea and other displays of divine power, Israel quickly forgot them all. Sinners have short memories.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses
and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous work in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
It was a great sin on their part that they spoke of the inheritance that the Lord promised them as though it did not really exist, or was impossible to be won, or was not worth all of the struggles they had to go through to reach it. We must not be careless in thinking about our eternal rest in heaven. Otherwise we become lazy in our efforts to reach our Promised Land.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands.
28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
Although Balaam was unable to curse Israel, he did his worst to harm them. He believed that only sin could rob Israel of Jehovah’s protection, so he advised Balak to persuade the people to join in the immoral festivals they held in honor of Baal of Peor. Balak followed this advice, which was both clever and horrible. The Moabites became very friendly toward the Israelites. Their women captivated the men of Israel and they joined them in their dances and other wild parties that were part of their worship of the Moabite idol. This fiendish plan of Balaam caused the Israelites to act in very wicked ways and this caused the Lord to become very angry with them.
29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
This plague killed 24,000 people. It did not stop until the Lord had finished his judgment against those who had chosen to honor the Moabite idols.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
Phinehas showed a holy zeal for God. A bold blasphemer was daring enough to pollute the camp of Israel with his sin and Phinehas eliminated him. Zeal for God, and anger against sin are highly acceptable to the Lord. One single individual knew what needed to be done and did it and because of him the plague was withdrawn. This teaches us the great value of holy and committed spirits in the church.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.
Moses was the meekest man on the earth2 and even he spoke in anger. We have no perfect example except the Lord Jesus. He was never provoked and never spoke unadvisedly. May we be of the same mind as he was. “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.”3 May we be delivered from getting angry, no matter how much we may be annoyed or irritated.
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1 Numbers 14:18
2 Numbers 12:3
3 James 1:20
Year One, May 13
Keep Your Soul Diligently1
Let us pay close attention to a part of Moses’ last message to the people he had ruled so lovingly.
Deuteronomy 4:9-20; 23-24
9“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children-- (If the Lord himself is willing to teach, let us not be forgetful hearers. Neither let us neglect to pass on his teachings to our children.) 10how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ 11And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.
12“Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. (Moses spends a lot of time here reminding them that they did not see any image or form of God. People are constantly tempted to create an image to make their worship easier. Worshiping symbols and objects is the crying sin of the present age. For this reason, it would be good if all godly people gave up wearing crosses.) 13And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.
15“Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, (People not only dishonor God by worshiping the likeness of something, but they also dishonor themselves.) 17the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”
This is a very complete list. It is intended to include virtually every possible object that people wrongly worship. Whether it is some clumsy object made by an unskilled amateur, or the artistic sculpture of an expert, or the beauty of the worshiper of nature; it is not to be bowed down to. God alone is to be worshiped and because he is pure spirit we should guard the holiness and spirituality of his worship. Get rid of all physical objects no matter how much others may respect them and hold them in esteem. The Lord despises them.
20“But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.” (Special privileges involve special responsibilities. He who has done so much for us must be adored with deep respect.)
23“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the LORD your God has forbidden you. (The command is repeated again and again. God has forever forbidden any attempt to worship him through any image or likeness.) 24For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (He cannot tolerate sin. He does not treat it as unimportant. His holy anger rises up when he see hearts going away from him. He will have all our love or none. Does anything in our lives lessen our devotion to him?)
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1 Deuteronomy 4:9
Year One, May 14
Man Does Not Live by Bread Alone1
We will take another passage from the message Moses gave to the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 8
1“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. (“The whole commandment” or “All the commandments”2 of God must be obeyed.) 2And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (The purpose of the Lord’s actions in our lives is to teach us to place our faith in him. We learn this lesson all too slowly. What sweet words from the Holy Spirit -- “humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna.”) 4Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.”
How much grace have we received in forty years? What wonders have we seen?
5“Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. 6So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD our God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, 8a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
11“Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,”
Temptations grow out of success and wealth. Has the Lord been very good to this household? Then let us not be lifted up so as to despise his poor people or stop worshiping him with a humble spirit. Instead, let us love our Lord all the more.
15“who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ (Oh for grace to keep us from bragging. Boasting is hateful to both God and others.) 18You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.” (Indeed, if the Lord withdrew his grace from us, we would certainly become disobedient and perish in our sins. Keep us, good Lord; keep us always.)
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1 Deuteronomy 8:3
2 New American Standard Version Updated
Year One, May 15
Be Merciful1
From the many laws we select a few of the special ones that the Lord gave to his people. They are each filled with instruction and should be studied carefully.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23
22“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”
Let us pause here and lovingly adore the Lord Jesus. For our sakes, he willingly submitted to the accursed death of the cross. Sin brought a curse on us and our blessed Substitute took that curse that was on us and placed it on himself. Christ became “a curse for us.”2 What a holy miracle of love that Christ would lower himself to our place and die for us!
Deuteronomy 22:1-12
1“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. 2And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. 3And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. 4You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again. (All of these rules are about loving our neighbor as our self.3 Our Lord is very kind and very careful to give specific details. We should also be very careful concerning them and act kindly toward others in every way.)
5“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God. (Wearing clothes made for the opposite sex should be avoided. “We are just having fun” is not an excuse for dressing like someone of the opposite sex. )
6“If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. 7You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. (We must not lack compassion, but act kindly towards the least of God’s creatures.)
8“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet (wall or railing) for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it. (In ancient times, the roof was often used like another room of the house. Concern for life is a duty. Therefore we should keep our homes clean and in good repair. We must not expose ourselves or others to needless risks.)
9“You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. 10You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. 11You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.”
God calls his people to be separate and recognizable. The rules against mixtures in planting, farming, and clothing served to remind them of this. We must plant only the pure gospel, cultivate relationships with honorable motives, and be clothed only in Christ’s righteousness. Mixtures are a disgrace in true religion.
12“You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.” (This was one of Israel’s distinctive marks. Christians should be recognizable by their holiness.)
1 Luke 6:36
2 Galatians 3:13
3 See Mark 12:31
Year One, May 16
All His Ways Are Justice1
We will now read some verses of Moses’ dying song. Like the swan in the fable, he sang himself away.2
Deuteronomy 32:1-20
1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
2 May my teaching drop as the rain,
my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and like showers upon the herb.”
Though the law thunders like a storm, Moses as the mediator was like the soft, refreshing, dew. The Lord Jesus is like the dew was to Israel.
3 “For I will proclaim the name of the LORD;
ascribe greatness to our God!
4 “The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.
5 They have dealt corruptly with him;
they are no longer his children because they are blemished;
they are a crooked and twisted generation.”
The children of Israel did not have the characteristics of saints. They lacked the secret, holy qualities of inner grace by which the heavenly Father recognizes his own children.
6 “Do you thus repay the LORD,
you foolish and senseless people?
Is not he your father, who created you,
who made you and established you?
7 Remember the days of old;
consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
your elders, and they will tell you.
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
9 But the LORD’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted heritage.”
God is their portion and they are his portion.
10 “He found him in a desert land,
and in the howling waste of the wilderness;
he enriched him, he cared for him,
he kept him as the apple of his eye.”
This is where the Lord finds all of us. By nature, we live in a desert land. But notice the wise and tender way he deals with us. He enriches us. He cares for us.
11 “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
that flutters over its young,
spreading out its wings, catching them,
bearing them on its pinions,
12 the LORD alone guided him,
no foreign god was with him.”
The eagle, when its young are ready to leave the nest, will not let them remain idle. She disturbs them and persuades them to try their wings. She even carries them up to teach them to fly. So does the Lord graciously train his people.
13 “He made him ride on the high places of the land,
and he ate the produce of the field,
and he suckled him with honey out of the rock,
and oil out of the flinty rock.
14 Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,
with fat of lambs,
rams of Bashan and goats,
with the very finest of the wheat—
and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.
15 “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked;
you grew fat, stout, and sleek;
than he forsook God who made him
and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.”
This is a sad picture of many who pretend to be Christians. They are like malnourished horses that come under the care of a kind master. They grow fat and then they kick and leap away from the pasture. People increase in riches and then forget the God who gave them all they have.
16 “They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods;
with abominations they provoked him to anger.
17 They sacrificed to demons that were no gods,
to gods they had never known,
to new gods that had come recently,
whom your fathers had never dreaded.
18 You were unmindful of the Rock that bore (or fathered) you,
and you forgot the God who gave you birth.”
Let us never forget our God. It is from him that we have our very existence. We are like the stream that flows from the rock.
19 “The LORD saw it and spurned them
because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.”
The sins of God’s own children are especially irritating to him. He might bear from strangers what he cannot tolerate in his own beloved.
20 “And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them;
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
children in whom is no faithfulness.”
They are not firm; they hesitate and are undecided. When God hides his face from us, it is always for a reason. Our Lord does it to show us that we have done some evil thing that grieves him. How can he, as our Father, continue to smile on us if we do the things that he hates? May all of us be very careful to please God in all things.
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1 Deuteronomy 32:4
2 Spurgeon may be referring to Aesop’s fable of The Swan and the Goose. When the swan was facing death, it burst into song. Or, he may be referring to the proverbial “Swan Song” that dates back to 458 BC; where the (mistaken) idea that swans sing one beautiful song before dying first appeared in a Greek play.
Year One, May 17
The Eternal God Is Your Dwelling Place1
Numbers 35:9-12; 14-16; 19; 22-28
9And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.”
The Israelites, like many other nations, had a custom of blood-revenge. This meant the nearest relative was required to revenge a man’s death by killing the person responsible. To handle the evils connected with this long held practice, places were appointed where the manslayer could flee to and be safe until the time came for a fair trial.
12“The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.”
14“You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.”
These were chosen on each side of the river so that protection would be available for everyone. In the same way, Jesus is a Savior who is freely available to anyone. The roads were repaired and signs set up to direct those who wished to escape the avenger’s wrath. The gospel is made plain, so that he who runs to Jesus will find him.
15“These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there. (No sooner had the fearful deed been done than the unhappy manslayer raced at full speed to the nearest city of refuge, because the blood-avenger was sure to pursue him and demand life for life. Oh! that sinners would hurry to Jesus. Their life depends on it. He is their only hope and certain salvation.)
16“But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.”
19“The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.” (God provided no safety for real guilt. Murder was not winked at. Otherwise, the land would become both poisoned and unsafe. Mercy to murderers would be cruelty to the innocent. Only those who killed accidentally or without premeditation could find shelter in a city of refuge. The spiritual city of refuge, however, far outshines the type,2 because in Jesus, the real sinner finds complete pardon and safety.)
22”But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait 23or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. 25And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, (He was safe there. No avenging hand could touch him. This is a good picture of the security of those who rest in Jesus, the refuge of guilty souls.) and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.”
The death of the high priest brought freedom to the man who had fled for refuge. The lesson here is obvious, because our Great High Priest died on the cross.
26“But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. 28For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.” (We are no longer under the restrictions and conditions that were forced on a manslayer in a city of refuge. We have been set free unconditionally. We have no avenger to fear. We may live in peace. However, this is only true of believers. Are we all safe?)
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1 Deuteronomy 33:27
2 type - something or someone that represents something or someone else, usually in the future. In this case, the city of refuge, where a manslayer could flee to for protection from the avenger of blood, is a type of the Lord Jesus who protects believers from God’s wrath.
Year One, May 18
All His Holy Ones Were in His Hand1
Deuteronomy 33:1-3; 6-17
1This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. (The people of Israel had troubled Moses, but they had not worn him out. They repaid him with evil, but his love for them remained intense. He died with a blessing on his lips.) 2He said,
“The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned from Seir upon us;
he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire at his right hand.
3 Yes, he loved his people,
all his holy ones were in his hand;
so they followed in your steps,
receiving direction from you.”
Love made the Lord reveal himself through Moses. But what shall we say of his divine display of love in Christ Jesus? This is perfect love!
6 “Let Reuben live, and not die,
but let his men be few.”
May God make our little churches alive and strong.
7And this he said of Judah:
“Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah,
and bring him in to his people.
With your hands contend for him,
and be a help against his adversaries.”
May the same blessing be on each believer. We need enough strength to do the Lord’s will and that is all we need. Too much strength would not be a blessing.
8And of Levi he said,
“Give to Levi your Thummim,
and your Urim to your godly one,
whom you tested at Massah,
with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
9 who said of his father and mother,
‘I regard them not’;
he disowned his brothers
and ignored his children.
For they observed your word
and kept your covenant.”
This refers back to the loyalty of the tribe of Levi on several difficult occasions. They not only stayed true to the Lord, but also became the executioners of divine vengeance on their own brothers. They were found faithful and they were entrusted with the sacred ministry.
10 “They shall teach Jacob your rules
and Israel your law;
they shall put incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, O LORD, his substance,
and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”
12Of Benjamin he said,
“The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety.
The High God surrounds him all day long,
and dwells between his shoulders.”
The Lord was Benjamin’s strength. He was with him and gave him power.
13And of Joseph he said,
“Blessed by the LORD be his land,
with the choicest gifts of heaven above,
and of the deep that crouches beneath,”
That is, bless the Lord for the fountains and springs of water that come up from below the earth,
14 “with the choicest fruits of the sun
and the rich yield of the months,”
The sun brings growth and wealth over time. It takes time to develop spiritual maturity.
15 “with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.”
The finest produce and the best gifts are wonderful, but God’s favor is the very best gift. Lord, give us this and we are satisfied.
“May these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the pate (head) of him who is prince among his brothers.
17 A firstborn bull—he has majesty,
and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he shall gore the peoples,
all of them, to the ends of the earth;
they are the ten thousands of Ephriam,
and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
Joseph was persecuted by his brothers, yet he received the richest blessing. He received a double inheritance as each of his two sons (Ephriam and Manasseh) was blessed by his father Jacob. The more the Lord reserves us for his special work, the more blessing we will receive. Joseph was blessed by the Lord and experienced persecution. But persecution may be endured cheerfully because “this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”2
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1 Deuteronomy 33:3
2 2 Corinthians 4:17
Year One, May 19
Underneath Are the Everlasting Arms1
We continue with “the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.”2
Deuteronomy 33:18-29
18And of Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and Issachar, in your tents.”
Here is a blessing for the traveler and a blessing for the person who stays close to home. In both cases the blessing is given to the children of God to rejoice, because the Lord is with them. If we go only where we should and live only where we should, we have the Lord for our companion, and therefore, we may rejoice all of the time.
19 “They shall call peoples to their mountain;
there they offer right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
It is a happy activity to encourage others to worship the Lord. It is good to praise the God who makes even the seas and the sandy deserts supply our needs.
20And of Gad he said,
“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
Gad crouches like a lion;
he tears off arm and scalp.
21 He chose the best of the land for himself,
for there a commander’s portion was reserved;
and he came with the heads of the people,
with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD,
and his judgments for Israel.”
It is a blessing from God to be determined and full of energy in doing the will of the Lord. Too many are uncertain and weak.
22And of Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion’s cub
that leaps from Bashan.”
Strength and courage show themselves in bold ventures. Dan leaped at the opportunity to increase his territory. We ought to be bold for the Lord Jesus and grow the size of his kingdom.
23And of Naphtali he said,
“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
and full of the blessing of the LORD,
possess the lake and the south.”3
What richer words were ever spoken of mortals? Those who are full with the blessing of Jehovah are filled indeed.
24And of Asher he said,
“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
let him be the favorite of his brothers,
and let him dip his foot in oil.”
This is a sweet prayer for our pastor, too. Let him have thousands of spiritual children. Let him provide the saints with very good teaching and guidance. May it be obvious to everyone that his work is greatly blessed of the Lord.
25 “Your bars4 shall be iron and bronze,
and as your days, so shall your strength be.”
This is a blessed promise from God. Our journey through this life is a rough road. We need strength and plenty of grace during our weary days as we travel this temporary life. God will give us both. He will give us the strength needed for every emergency. The saints of God have proved every promise of our Lord to be true. They do not need to be afraid that he will let them down now.
Moses now turns his thoughts to his God, who he praises in glowing language.
26 “There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.”
No one on earth or heaven is so good, so ready, and so able to bless his people.
27 “The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, Destroy.”
and said, Destroy.”
These are very sweet words, “underneath are the everlasting arms.” The arms of God will break our fall or prevent us from falling. They will hold us safely. They will give us peace when life is stormy. And finally, they will lift us up to everlasting glory.
28 “So Israel lived in safety
Jacob lived alone,”
God’s people must stay separate from the world if they wish to be safe.
“in a land of grain and wine,
whose heavens drop down dew.”
Earth’s springs of water and heaven’s dew both bless the chosen of God. All things are full of blessing to those whom the Lord has set apart for himself.
29 “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs.”
As there is none like the Lord, so there are none like his people. They are happy in the present, and secure for the future—since this God is their God forever and ever.
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1 Deuteronomy 33:27
2 Deuteronomy 33:1
3 ESV translators alternate reading - possess the west and the south
4 KJV shoes; NASB locks. Matthew Poole & Matthew Henry see this as possibly a reference to iron ore and bronze; hence, great economic strength.
Year One, May 20
Your Will Be Done1
Moses was not allowed to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the promised land. On this occasion, we will hear from his own lips why he was excluded. It does not appear that he was told about it when the sentence was passed on all those who came out of Egypt; but thirty-eight years later, after Moses struck the rock twice at Meribah.2
Deuteronomy 1:34-38
34“And the LORD heard your words (Not just the actual words themselves, but the inner thoughts of their hearts that were not spoken. “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his way, according to the fruit of his deeds.”3) and was angered, and he swore, 35‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!’”
God’s vow was firm. Not one of that generation crossed the Jordan except Caleb and Joshua. The Lord notices and rewards the faithfulness of individuals and protects his faithful ones from many of the judgments that fall on his misbehaving church. Blessed are they who work hard in all things to follow in their Lord’s tracks.
37“Even with me the LORD was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there. (This was because Moses struck the rock at Meribah instead of telling the rock “to yield its water.”4 This tended to cause the people to honor the Lord less than they should have. If we are placed in an important and influential position, God will not only judge the fault itself, but he will consider the bad effect it may have on his people.) 38Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.’”
The Lord told Moses to encourage Joshua as his replacement as the leader of Israel. To encourage the person who is to take your place is hard for flesh and blood. It is even more difficult if that person has been our servant for years. Who but a meek and humble man could obey the command?5
Deuteronomy 3:23-28
23“And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, 24‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ (Moses prayed humbly for the sentence that kept him from Canaan to be reversed. He may have felt encouraged to do so because the Lord did not swear an oath against him as he did against the people. Moses prayed for others and God answered his prayers. But when he pleaded for himself, it proved fruitless in this case. His prayer was powerful in argument, and was presented in humility, and yet it was denied. It is not everything that a good person asks that God will give. There are some points in which he shows himself supreme and gives us the example to pray, “Not as I will, but as you will”6)
26“But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. (Only Jesus is guaranteed to always be heard by our heavenly father. If Moses’ prayer can be rejected, we should not be surprised if sometimes we are denied.) And the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. 27Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. (The Lord does not always answer our prayers the way we expect him to, but he will always give us his peace. Moses saw Canaan on earth, and as the vision melted away he saw the better land above. He was a great gainer by not having his request granted.) 28But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’” (It is very comforting to know that when one good person dies another is ready to take their place. God is never at a loss. His people will not fail because they lack a leader.)
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1 Matthew 6:10
2 Numbers 20:10-13
3 Jeremiah 17:10
4 Numbers 20:2-13
5 Numbers 12:3
6 Matthew 26:39
Year One, May 21
Your Eyes…Will See a Land That Stretches Afar1
Deuteronomy 34
1Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho (Having finished his work and given his last blessing, the prophet cheerfully climbs toward heaven. Death to the saints is rising to a better place. He followed his upward pathway alone, without an earthly friend, but the Lord was at his side. When our earthly companions say their last goodbyes, we will find the Lord at our right hand.) And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3the Negev, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.
No doubt that keen eye of Moses was strengthened supernaturally for its last earthly sight. In a similar way, we have seen the senses of dying saints greatly strengthened just as they were departing this earth. They have appeared to see and know more than normal minds could have been aware of. Heaven lay open before them, and the land so far away to us, was very near to the eye of their faith.
4And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”
And truly there was no reason for Moses to cross into the land, because it was full of Canaanites. It was better for the grand old man to go to the land called heaven where the wicked can no longer trouble him, than to live through the struggles of war in his old age.
5So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, (Some say, according ‘to the mouth of the Lord.’ The Jews say, “with a kiss from the mouth of God.”) 6and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of burial to this day.
Otherwise, the Jews might have idolized his bones. We do not need to worry about having the place we are buried known. Even Moses sleeps in forgotten soil.
7Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. (Moses represents the law. When Moses died, he was replaced by Joshua, who represents Jesus. As Moses was sweetly laid aside to make room for Joshua, so the law is sweetly laid aside to make room for Jesus. The law still reveals our sin and the law would still condemn us except it has been laid to rest for those who rest in Jesus.) 8And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. (The mourning was long, because Moses was a great man, but it was not too long, because there was other work for the living to do.)
9And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. (Joshua was fully equipped for the work because God had prepared him for it. People may die, but God’s work goes on. When those who seem the most necessary for the church are removed, it still stands.) 10And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
All other prophets fall almost as much short of Moses as Jesus goes beyond him. Taking his whole life into consideration, we may pronounce him unequalled. A man beyond compare in whom the grace of God brought human nature as near to perfection as we can expect it to be this side of eternity. He fell asleep after having been faithful until death. In this same way, in our own humble surroundings, may we be enabled to continue faithfully until we lay down our body and our obligations, and immediately stop working and live in heaven.
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1 Isaiah 33:17
Year One, May 22
Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of Our Confession1
Hebrews 3:1-6
1Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, (This is the most rewarding subject the mind can think about. Studying the Lord Jesus Christ is profitable for our instruction, our comfort, and our best example in life. Moses was the great apostle of the Old Testament and Aaron the greatest high priest under the law. Both picture our Lord. As Moses and Aaron did everything required as an apostle and the high priest, Jesus fulfills both positions completely.) 2who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
Jesus became a servant and was as faithful as the best of servants could be. Even more, he excelled them all.
3For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
Jesus is the builder of the church; Moses was only a supporting column in it. Jesus is God; Moses was only a man. Yet the Jews give great reverence to Moses. Should we not honor and reverence our Lord even more than they do Moses?
5Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Christ’s relationship to God is superior to Moses. He is a Son. Moses was a servant. This also raises the relationship of believers to God far above those who are under the law! We should walk in faith and rejoice in hope. Only by holding tightly to faith and hope can we experience our wonderful position as family members in the household of the Son of God. This is how we can personally realize how much the Lord Jesus outshines Moses.
Stephen, in his sermon given before his enemies, gives us a few more words about Moses. We will finish our study of his history with:
Acts 7:37-41; 44-45
37“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’”
Jesus is this prophet like Moses! Both Moses and our Lord introduced a new form of government. Both were a ruler, a liberator, a mediator,2 and a teacher. Both were mighty in actions and words, which is a combination we find nowhere else. Both were rejected by their own people, but approved by God. Moses led his people through the wilderness toward the promised rest and the Lord Jesus does the same today.
38“This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.”
Moses received the law from the living God. It was a living message of hope. Only the sins of mankind have made the law a message of death. God honored Moses by making him the mediator between himself and his people. God also honored Moses by appointing him to represent the great covenant angel who gave him the law.
39“Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.” (We have read about this before. Will we treat the Lord Jesus in the same way? Will we rebel against him and set up other gods in his place? May the Lord keep this from happening to us!)
44“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David.” (But even though the Israelites had all the outward signs, they missed the inward spiritual grace. Again, may the Lord keep this from happening to us!)
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1 Hebrews 3:1
2 mediator - a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement; a go-between. As used in the Bible, Jesus Christ intercedes between God the Father and Christians; that is, he prays for them.
Year One, May 23
There Will Be a Resurrection of Both the Just and the Unjust1
Having seen the great giver of the law breathe his last, it may be appropriate to look at those passages in the Old Testament that reveal a belief in the resurrection. The first is the important passage from the ancient book of Job.
Job 19:21-27
21 “Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has touched me!”
The patriarch2 Job was in a very sad condition. He pleaded with his cruel friends to not add to his misery, because he was already pushed down enough by the hand of God. Let us be very gentle with those on whom God has already brought trouble. Be kind even if they seem to be a little childish and irritable. Let us put up with them, because we know that pain is very hard to endure.
22 “Why do you, like God, pursue me?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?”
His poor flesh was all a mass of pain and yet his friends put him in a worse mood with their harsh scolding. After talking about his flesh, Job goes on to speak of the better condition that he expected for his body. Here is his famous confession of faith.
23 “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,”
Job knew his Redeemer lived. He was certain of it. He was certain that he had a Redeemer who lived and would rescue his body from its captivity, no matter what might happen to it.
“and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”
He looked to the future, and the victorious second coming of Christ, and his reign over the entire earth. Job’s hope of resurrection was based on Christ’s second coming.
26 “And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God.”
He expected the worms to bore through his skin and eat his flesh, but he believed that his body would rise again and that in his flesh he would see the Lord.
27 “whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!”
Job himself, in his own personality, would look on the Lord with his own eyes, even though the most vital parts of his body and all his flesh would long before have rotted in the tomb. Job is as clear as the sun in his testimony.
Let us now look to Isaiah.
Isaiah 26:19-21
19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
We shall rise when Jesus returns.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
The grave will only be a waiting room for the saints’ bodies during the troubles to come.
21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.
People have experienced great troubles and will continue to have them. God will punish tyrants and evil doers. At the last the dead shall rise from the dust and convict all tyrants of their murderous crimes. Until then the saints, as far as their bodies are concerned, sleep in Jesus.
Let us now hear Daniel.
Daniel 12:2-3; 13
2“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake (This does not refer to the soul that is in heaven, but only to the body that is in the dust of the earth), some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (We see here that both the righteous and the wicked will rise from the grave.) 3“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (May every one of us labor to be part of that brilliant assembly.3)
13“But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” (We will go to our tombs cheerfully and rest. Our position with Christ is secure until Jesus comes in his Father’s glory.)
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1 Acts 24:15
2 patriarch - A man regarded as the father or ruler of a family. Bible patriarchs include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jacob's twelve sons.
3 Hebrews 4:9-11, “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”
Year One, May 24
Behold, the Lamb of God1
Having followed the history of the Bible to the death of Moses, we will take a break, and vary our readings for a day or two by choosing a number of passages from various parts of the Holy Scriptures. We begin by reading the solemn story of our Lord’s crucifixion. The best commentary on it will be our repentance, faith, and love.
Mark 15:16-38
16And the soldiers led [Jesus] away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion.2 (The soldiers called others so that their making fun of our Lord would increase his suffering even more. People were united and wholehearted in mocking their Redeemer. When will his people be as enthusiastic in his praises? Should not the “whole battalion” of believers adore him?) 17And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. (Here was Majesty in misery! Our Lord, who is the King of angels, was spit on by abusive people! Oh, how we should love him for enduring this shame.) 20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
21And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
The Holy Spirit has honored this Simon by inspiring Mark to take notice of him. However, we should not envy him, because we will also have a cross to carry.
22And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
He did not take it, because he did not want to be drugged. He came to suffer in our place, and he intended to go through with it, enduring it to the utmost.
24And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”
“A king my title is, prefix’d on high,
Yet by my subjects I’m condemned to die
A servile death, in servile company
Was ever grief like mine!”3
27And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 28[And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “He was numbered with the transgressors”]4 (He died a criminal’s death with criminals and they included his innocent name on their list of lawbreakers.) 29And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. (Oh! what patience, the omnipotent5 patience that willingly suffered all this!)
33And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. (From noon until three in the afternoon night covered everything.) 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. (He died in full strength, laying down his life voluntarily for our sakes.) 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (The mysteries of the inner sanctuary of the temple were exposed for all to see and the ceremonies of the law were ended. All glory to You our Dear Redeemer of souls.)
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1 John 1:29
2 battalion - A unit of soldiers, probably several hundred in number
3 From the Works of George Hebert, circa 1853
4 ESV indicates verse 28 as missing in some manuscripts and is included as a footnote
5 omnipotent, omnipotence - all powerful, almighty, absolute and supreme power, having unlimited power.
Year One, May 25
This Precious Value…Is for You Who Believe1
1 Peter 2:1-10
1So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation-- 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
That is to say, if we are truly believers, God has entrusted us with a spiritual and everlasting life. Therefore, let us be finished with the evil fruit of the old nature. We are born into a new world. Let us throw aside the contaminated and germ infested clothing of our former life. Anger, cheating, and speaking evil of people, are as ugly in a Christian as the rags of a dead mummy would be for a living person. From now on, it is our job to live and practice the truth. We should rejoice in our gracious God and be gracious ourselves. We want to know the word of God. We want its strengthening power to grow our new life toward perfection.
4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Our desire to be holy is because we are so closely related to our Lord Jesus. He is the foundation, and we are the stones of the spiritual building. Others may speak out against us, as they did at him, but God has chosen us, and we are precious in his sight, just as Jesus is. Therefore, we desire to live as holy people, in whom God lives, whose whole business is to present spiritual sacrifices to the Lord. We are a living building that is built on the precious living foundation who is our Lord Jesus. We are the living stones that are used to build his church. Therefore we should be lively and precious and holy people.
6For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”2
These words should cheer those of us who believe in Jesus. Let us be bold and never for a moment hesitate to confess Christ before others.
7So the honor is for you who believe, (But he does not say how much honor. This is more than tongue or pen could tell. Truly, the Lord Jesus is all in all and more than all to his people.) but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”3
8and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”4
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Clearly no one can be neutral. We must either feel Jesus is precious or else we will stumble over him. If we are so disobedient as to be offended at the Lord, our unbelief will not harm him, because God has appointed him to be the cornerstone, the beginning of his church. Nothing can stop the plans of God. In his plans there is a dark place for the rebel as well as a bright spot for the believer.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (As a family, let us remember how the Lord has favored us in his grace. Let everyone among us who is saved remember why they are called. We are chosen, royal, priestly, unique, and dearly loved in heaven. How should people like this behave? We should be far better than others, because the Lord has treated us so much better. May God’s rich grace rest on us and cause others to see why our God is worthy of praise.) 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
We were outcast Gentiles who were thought to be little better than dogs. We should be very grateful that we now enjoy the same status as the favored people of old. Lord, cleanse us from all sin and make us a family devoted to your service.
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1 1 Peter 2:7 NASB updated
2 Isaiah 40:6,8
3 Psalm 118:22
4 Isaiah 8:14
Year One, May 26
Honor Your Father and Mother1
Ephesians 6:1-10
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (Even nature teaches us that this is right. Many animals would not survive if the children did not “obey” those who feed and care for them. It is also right according to the will of God. It is right for the family, because it would not function properly if the children were disobedient. It is right for the children themselves, who will never be happy until they have learned to obey. However, notice that there is a limit. Children are to obey “in the Lord,” that is, as long as the commands of parents are not opposed to the laws of God.)
2“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (It has been observed that God frequently prospers those who have been respectful and obedient to their parents. At any rate, such children are doing the right thing and we all know that the way of faithfulness is the way of safety and happiness. On the other hand, unkindness to parents has often been remarkably punished in this life. Nothing shortens life like rebellion against parents. Absalom is a famous example of this general rule.2 Not honoring parents is also a terrible sign that a child does not have grace in their life. Someone who does not love and honor their father and mother {who they can see}, certainly does not love the Lord {who they cannot see}.)
4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Unnecessary harshness and maddening severity are forbidden, while holy discipline and religious training are commanded. Wise fathers will take note of this verse. It is not addressed to mothers, because they rarely, if ever, make the mistake of being too severe. Fathers must not be unpleasant and bad tempered to their sons and daughters. Neither should they expect more from them than they are capable of or withhold basic necessities from them. These would be provoking them to anger.)
5Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, (or with concern and meekness) with a sincere heart as you would Christ, 6not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (Those who need to be constantly watched are disappointing workers. True Christians are more concerned about what God sees than what their boss or supervisor notices. They do their jobs just as well when they are alone as they would when everyone is watching them. It is a shameful thing to be hard working only when one is being watched. It is wicked behavior only fit for slaves.) 7rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.
George Herbert puts it beautifully.
“All may of thee partake:
Nothing can be so mean,
Which with this tincture (for thy sake),
Will not grow bright and clean.
A servant with his cause,
Makes drudgery divine:
Who sweeps a room as for thy laws,
Makes that and the action fine.”
9Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Those in charge are not to be always threatening and finding fault. They should act toward those under them in the same way Jesus, their Master, has acted toward them.
The Apostle does not speak against any particular class of society, but he does tell us to show respect to everyone we meet. May our family always be a happy one, because each one seeks the happiness of the rest and does so by keeping their own place, and behaving toward others in the spirit of love.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
1 Ephesians 6:2
2 Absalom rebelled against his father, King David, and died. See 2 Samuel, chapters 15-18.
Year One, May 27
I Have Stored Up Your Word in My Heart1
We will now read a part of Psalm 119, the longest of the psalms. Martin Luther2 supposedly claimed to prize this psalm so highly that he would not take the whole world in exchange for one page of it. Bishop Cowper3 called it “a Holy Alphabet.” Philip Henry4 recommended to his children that they take a verse of it every morning “and meditate upon it, and so go over the Psalm twice in a year, and that will bring you to be in love with all the rest of Scripture.” May such an excellent result come from our reading from this Psalm today.
Psalm 119:1-16
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!
People destroy themselves with sin. The only safe path to walk is obedience. Such holy walkers enjoy a peace that is far better than having lots of money or being famous. This psalm, like the Sermon on the Mount, begins with good wishes. Our holy faith is filled with blessings.
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
Where the whole heart loves the Word of God, the whole life will be clean, and no evil habits will be allowed. Yet even those who keep his Word need to look for God more and more. Their goal is to be perfect, but absolute perfection is not reached in this life.
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
What a mercy when our prayer is to keep God’s commandments. These two verses show us that what God wants his people to be is their desire too. “It is God who works in [us], both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”5
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
True obedience does not pick and choose. It is happy with all the rules of the Lord. If we begin to say, “this rule does not apply to me” and, “that rule does not apply to me,” where will we stop? The only way a person can truly live a Christian life is to sincerely obey all the commands of God. Then even those who hate them cannot say anything against them that is actually true. We all need great grace from our great God to live this way.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
The result of all of our learning should be to worship God. Prayer helps us in our study of God’s Word. Praise should be the aim of our study and the result of it.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Deciding to keep God’s laws is good, but we need to pray and ask God to help us keep them. The last sentence,”do not utterly forsake me” should be on our lips every day. What a disaster it would be if our Lord deserted us!
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
This verse asks a very big question and then gives a very good answer. All young people should think seriously about both the question and the answer. Grace in the heart is the young person’s best life insurance.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
Those who are most sincere in their Christian faith are the most afraid of failing in it. Their concern is wise. However good our intentions may be, we cannot protect ourselves from sin. The most eager seeker after God will soon wander into terrible sin unless the grace of God keeps him safe.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
The best thing (his word) in the best place (our hearts), for the best of reasons. Can everyone in this family say what David says here?
12 Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
David gives God glory and asks God to give him grace. Prayers and praises should go together.
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
Those who can speak well should speak often for their Lord.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
In the last verse he says that he had guided others in the way of truth. In this he rejoices that he himself has accepted God’s word.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
What the heart delights in, the mind remembers. A warm heart does not forget the Lord’s word. Is our heart warm?
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1 Psalm 119:11
2 Martin Luther (1483-1546). Once a German monk in the Roman Catholic Church and then a key person in the 16th century Protestant Reformation movement that began when he posted his “95 Theses” on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517.
3 William Cowper (1566-1619), author of A Holy Alphabet for Zion’s Scholars. A Commentary upon Psalm 119. Each verse of Psalm 119 begins with a sequential letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
4 Father of the famous Bible Commentary author Matthew Henry
5 Philippians 2:13
Year One, May 28
In Christ Jesus, Who Became to Us Wisdom From God1
Proverbs 26:1-16
1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.
Giving honor to a fool is out of place and leads to trouble. If we want to be honored, we must pray to God to keep us from being foolish or wicked.
2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.
When someone tries to hurt us with their words, the words fly about harmlessly and hurt only the person who spoke them. If we are doing what is right and people talk about it like we are doing something that is evil, then we do not need to pay attention to it. It will not harm us any more than a small bird flying over our head.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools.
Acting without good sense will sting us. If we would be happy, God must make us wise. But if we act foolishly, the rod will be what we get.
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes.
The two texts are for two different occasions and persons. One will be best at one time and one at another. Some men may see their foolishness and change their ways if we point out how foolish they are being. However, others will only get mad at us and it is better to remain silent and not respond to their words. Wisdom will direct us which path to follow.
6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
Nothing but loss comes from trusting conceited persons.
7 Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Fool show their folly when they try to talk wisely, just as a crippled person would display their handicap if they tried to dance. Their words are not dependable and their speech limps like a cripple walking. May true religion make all of us wise.
8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling
is one who gives honor to a fool.
Helping a senseless person into a place of honor is helping them to be where they can do great damage and where they are not likely to remain very long. Every sinner is like a rock in a slingshot. His soul will be slung out of the hand of God, far away from his present place of rest and comfort.
9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
A fool is better off not trying to quote wise proverbs. He will only hurt himself, like drunken men playing with thorn bushes. Foolish people are sure to expose their foolishness if they attempt to speak as a wise person. If there is any moral point in their story, they will run into it themselves before long. Their own mouths will condemn them.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone
is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.2
An archer who does not pay attention injures everyone in their arrow’s path. The person who hires a fool or a drunkard is the archer and the person they hire is the arrow. Lord, save us from such people.
11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.
Sin is deeply rooted in human nature. If you pull someone away from it for a time, they will naturally go back to it. The dog must be changed into a lamb before it will not return to its former delight. If fools are born again from above, they will no longer love their sin.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The fool may learn, but the conceited person will not. There is more hope for a sinful tax collector3 than for a self-righteous Pharisee.
13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
There is a lion in the streets!”
They make up stories to excuse their idleness. Any falsehood will serve as an excuse for their laziness. How double wicked this is; but a lazy person is capable of anything.
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a sluggard on his bed.
15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16 the sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who can answer sensibly.
They do nothing, but consider themselves a great genius. Being always half asleep they dream that they are wise, but it is only a dream. Above all things, let us avoid conceited idleness. Let us work with all our might and always try to have a humble spirit.
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1 1 Corinthians 1:30
2 Verse 10 reads very differently in the King James and English Standard versions. We have modified Spurgeon’s comments to suit the ESV rendering. —editor
3 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector —Luke 18:9-14
Year One, May 29
Be Wise As Serpents and Innocent As Doves1
We will continue to read from the wise sayings of Solomon and finish the chapter we started.
Proverbs 26:17-28
17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
He may expect to be bitten, because he is not likely holding a friendly dog. He has done a very pointless and ridiculous thing, and no one will thank him for doing it. It is honorable to suffer as a Christian, but disgraceful to be injured for sticking your nose in other people’s business. Blessed are the peacemakers, but those who interfere in the affairs of others are very far from blessed.
18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
19 is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”
To sin by teasing is often a way to be serious in causing trouble. It will be punished in earnest at the last great day.
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
Do not talk about it and it will die out. No hurt ever comes from holding our tongues. Silly tattling causes much sorrow. If we will not respond to those who slander us, they will tire of their dirty work or will be powerless to cause more trouble. Evil speaking seldom injures those who take no notice of it. Do not give these persons fuel for the fire by responding to them. Let the talebearers alone and their fire will go out for lack of wood.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
Wherever this person is, quarreling begins; or if the quarrel has already started, he will fan it into a fiercer flame. He is a person who provides fuel for Satan’s fires. Let us never grow to be like him.
22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
The words of a gossip are like stabs from a knife. They have sent many to their graves with broken hearts.
23 Like the glaze2 covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
There is a film of pleasant words like a coating on pottery, but underneath is deceit. They appear to glow with love, but they are really boiling over in their souls. Lord, save us from lying lips and spiteful hearts.
24 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
and harbors deceit in his heart;
In his heart, he is preparing mischief and storing up revenge; but with his mouth he says nice things. He pretends to be an angel on the outside, but the devil lives inside.
25 when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are seven abominations in his heart;
All kinds of evils are hidden in a liar’s soul. A liar’s heart is a hell, full of evil spirits, the factory of Satan, the workshop of all mischief. Whenever anyone flatters us, let us flee from them at once, and avoid them in the future. They would not spin so nice a web if they did not wish to catch a fly.
26 though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
If not in this world, yet certainly in the next, all secrets will be revealed to the shame of those who acted the part of the hypocrite. Even in this life their masks of deception are very likely to fall off and they are exposed for what they are. Clever counterfeiters fail in some point or other and are found out. Hiding true motives is a difficult game and sooner or later the players are sure to be the losers.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
We have often seen this law of divine counterattack at work. If any of us try to injure another, we only hurt ourselves. God will make all our bitter thoughts toward others return to us, like birds that come back to their nest. Oh to have a loving spirit that tries to find the good in everyone.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
It is the nature of ill will to hate those it injures. Hurt another and you will dislike him. Help him and you will love him. Above all things despise flattery. The person who uses this detestable technique is surely plotting your overthrow. Young people should learn this lesson early or their ignorance may cost them dearly.
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1 Matthew 10:16
2 A substance fused onto pottery that forms a hard, shiny coating.
Year One, May 30
Seek the LORD While He May Be Found1
Isaiah 55
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.”
The Lord comes down from his royal throne in heaven and invites us to come to him. He pleads with us to take advantage of his mercy. The gospel provides for all our spiritual needs in the most plentiful way and it gives us everything for nothing. All we have do is to receive freely what God gives us without price.
2 “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.”
Why do people labor so hard to earn their own salvation, when Jesus has finished the work? Why do they try to find a heaven in things below when Christ is everything? They try to collect smoke and hunt after shadows. Why are they so foolish?
3 “Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Faith comes by hearing the gospel and receiving grace. A listening ear leads to a changed mind. Salvation comes by the promise of God. God enters into an agreement with sinners through Christ Jesus and that covenant is everlasting and certain. What an honor and a privilege to be in covenant with God.
4 “Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.”
Jesus is described here as the great proof of God’s love and as the one who is able and willing to lead people back to God.
5 “Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.”
This is undoubtedly a promise to Jesus, the Messiah. Tens of thousands will gladly accept him as their Lord.
6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;”
Pray for mercy while it is available.
7 “let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
What a wonderful and free promise! Can anyone want more than this? Mercy is made available for the guilty, even for the worst and most outrageous of sinners. Do not let us miss the gracious opportunity, but come at once and receive pardon as the free gift of God. He speaks to each one of us as much as he did to Israel of old.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
We are invited to trust in a very real gospel that cannot possibly fail. This is not some skillfully written fairy tale, but the guaranteed truth of the God who cannot lie. All other things may let us down, but the promise of God will be fulfilled as surely as God is God.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
All joy belongs to the pardoned and all of nature is in harmony with that joy. What we are on the outside is a reflection of what we are in the inside. When the soul is relieved of its burden, and drinks in the joy of divine love, earth seems a paradise of sweets, and a temple of rich music. To the miserable the universe is dark and black, but to the joyous the day is clear and bright, “the marriage of the earth and sky.”2 Who would not want to be forgiven? Who would not want to live by the covenant of grace when they know they will inherit such joyous and peaceful things? The joy is no short-lived emotion. It is based on “everlasting” love and faithfulness and this makes it infinitely precious and desirable.
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1 Isaiah 55:6
2 From George Herbert’s poem Virtue written in 1633. [marriage is bridal in the original.]
Year One, May 31
Love One Another as I Have Loved You1
John 15:1-15
1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. (See how the question is answered as to which is the true Church and who takes care of it. In Jesus, and all who are joined to him deep down, we find the only true Church, and in our heavenly Father, the great leader and purifier of it.) 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. (Fruitless branches must be removed. The very sign that a branch is alive is its fruit. The dead wood of only claiming to be a Christian is worthless and unhealthy and must be cut off.) 3Already you are clean (or pure) because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. (Try as we might, we cannot produce any truly good thing unless we are united with our Lord. Our strength and our fruitfulness and even our very life all depend on HIM.)
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Nothing! Mark the word. He does not say “only a little,” but nothing.) 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. (This is the end of the person who is fruitless. They do not bear fruit because they are not truly united to Jesus. They utterly perish. What a change. One day they are counted with the branches of the true vine and the next they are burning in the fire.) 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (Power in prayer depends on being united with Jesus and obeying his will.) 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
This is one of the most marvelous verses in Holy Scripture. The Father loves the Son without beginning, without change, without limits, and without end; and Jesus loves us the same way.
10“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (Think of that. Christ’s own joy in us! This is enough to fill us with joy running over.)
12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (This is the law of love. This is more than the Golden Rule. This is the Diamond Rule!) 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. (Here is love’s brightest example. Note it well.) 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. (The life of love is obeying Jesus’ commands. The reward of love is having him as our friend. Obedience to Jesus leads to an awareness of the love of Jesus. If we walk according to his principles he will walk with us.) 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (We have become friends who always have an open invitation to be with the Lord Jesus. We are always welcome to be with him. There are no secrets between us, because he tells us all that is in his heart. This is love indeed! It lifts poor worms of the dirt into friendship with “the ruler of the kings on the earth.”2)
Quicken’d by thee, and kept alive,
I flourish and bear fruit;
My life I from thy sap derive,
My vigor from thy root.
I can do nothing without thee;
My strength is wholly thine:
Wither’d and barren should I be,
If sever’d from the vine.3
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1 John 15:12
2 Revelation 1:5
3 From a hymn by Augustus Toplady (1740 - 1778). One of Toplady’s best known hymns is Rock of Ages
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