Bible Chapter: Numbers 19 & 20

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Chapter 19 talks about the water of cleansing.  As part of the Law they were instructed in ways to be clean before the Lord.  This important picture is seen throughout the Bible.  God has provided the way to be clean before Him.  God has no sin or impurity in Him.  He wants His followers to be pure as well.  When Jesus came He completed the way to forgiveness and purity before God.  Through His blood we can be forgiven and cleansed.
    Chapter 20 is another saga of complaining.  This time it was about water.  They had been out in the wilderness for 39 years and most of the first generation of people who left Egypt had died off.  They had no water and came to Moses, repeating the same sad line that they would have been better off to be in Egypt as slaves.  God gave Moses and Aaron specific instructions to speak to a specific rock and water would come out.  Because Moses hit the rock twice with his staff, even though water came out, God kept them both from entering the promised land.  I have always thought about this story, for I don’t think I have the faith to hit a rock and see water come out.  But, that is not the real issue here.  The real issue is that God is looking for obedience. That is one of the greatest lessons we must learn.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    One of the enemy’s tactics is to raise up a spirit of rebellion in the hearts of people.  Don’t tell me what to do.  I can do anything I want.  I know this is something my father greatly emphasized. He would never put up with rebellion.  Throughout my life I have seen a greater spirit of rebellion grow in society.  The 1960s were a seed-bed of rebellion.  Out of that came generations of rebellious children who were not taught proper response to authority.  Today we are seeing the consequences of that.  It is easy to think that it really doesn’t matter what people do.  Why can’t we do what makes us happy?  The answer is that there are results of actions.  Just as you can’t break the law of gravity (when you fall it will break you), you can’t break God’s ways without consequences. The right actions will bring good results.  The wrong actions will bring outcomes we don’t like.  God’s way is supreme.  We cannot go against it without paying the price.

3.  How can I help someone?
    I want to help people see the importance of purity and obedience.  Everyone must learn that God is a sovereign perfect king and we don’t have the ability or privilege of going against Him.  This is not a bad thing for God provides so much more than we could hope for in our own abilities.