A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 13 (Part 2)

Numbers 13:20-25—21 So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. 22 And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. 24 The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. 25 And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. They were sent to the north to the Wilderness of Zin (not to be confused with the Wilderness of Sin) in the Negev desert in the southern part of Canaan, and even went as far as Rehob, which lay in the northern area of what we now know as the country of Israel, that would later be given to the tribe of Asher, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee (what was then called the Sea of Chinnereth). Hebron is located on the west side of the Dead Sea, just south of Jerusalem. So this was no small undertaking. There were many mountains to climb, and much desert to traverse. And they did not know the area, though they had Hobab the Midianite with them (the land of Midian was across the Gulf of Aqaba from where they were camped, to the east). But the area they were sent to was probably foreign even to him. 

But here’s the thing: they went. They didn’t know where they were going, they didn’t know who or what they may encounter, they didn’t know if the land would be smooth or rugged. All they knew was they were sent. Just as Abram was called to leave Ur of the Chaldees, believing God and God counted it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Does God often call people to go to a place they do not know? He called William Cary to preach to the people of India and he went. He called Jim Elliott to take the gospel to the Waodoni people in Peru, and he went. He called Hudson Taylor to take the gospel to China. He called David Livingstone to go to the depths of Africa. He called John Allen Chau to go to the Sentinel Islands, and he was martyred before he even set foot on the land. Did these know what they would encounter? Did they know whether they would live or die or have food or lodging? But here’s the thing: they went when they were called. Just as Samuel (1st Samuel 3:4) and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), who said “Here am I”. And when God the Father sent His Son to live amongst His Creation—the very Creation that Christ created (John 1:3)—the Son said “Here I am. Send Me”. And the Son of God stepped down into this world, made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant (Philippians 2:7), consented to being mocked and scourged and ultimately became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). 

So the spies brought back grapes and pomegranates and showed that the land was good, that there was food in abundance. Great news, right? Well, yes…and no. See in verse 22 where it says Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. The Anakim (from צַֽנָק, Anak, “neck”) were a Cushite tribe, and were (according to all accounts) a long-necked people. But that was not their only distinguishing characteristic. They were also reckoned to be giants. So yes, while the land itself may have been good for growing and producing food, there were giants in the land (we will see more about this later). Now, who might have been descended from these Giants? Well, it doesn’t say so explicitly in Scripture, but we can deduce from certain verses of one in particular. It says in Joshua 11:22—None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. We know of at least one giant (and his brother) that came from Gath, and his name was Goliath (1st Samuel 17:4). We also know one ruddy, read-haired shepherd from Ramah (about 5 miles northwest of Jerusalem) who did not fear going against this Anakim with just five smooth stones in a sling. 

But remember, these folks in Numbers were not brave people. “Oh no! Giants! We must go back to Egypt!” Numbers 13:27-32—27 Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan." 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 

This is a theme we see over and over in the journey from Egypt to Canaan. Some trial befalls the people, they think it is too much to bear, and they cry out “Let’s go back to Egypt!” It’s why Moses has his little meltdown in Numbers 11:11. I don’t think anybody wouldn’t get frustrated by a people who time and again see the mighty works of God and shrink back at some trial of their faith. But again, they forgot Who was fighting for them. Remember the passage from Exodus 17 I quoted earlier? About their battle with the Amalekites? How did they win that battle? By their own strength? No, not by their own strength. Exodus 17:11—And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. So it wasn’t by their might or strength or numbers that they defeated the armies of Amalek. It was when the man of God lifted up his hands in praise of God. Keil & Delitzsch say well that ”from this Israel was to learn the lesson, that in all its conflicts with the ungodly powers of the world, strength for victory could only be procured through the incessant lifting up of its hands in prayer.” How could a motley bunch of slaves defeat an army that had trained in battle? How could one smooth stone from a river have pierced Goliath’s helmet? How could a man rise from the grave and enter the Holy of Holies in the Heavens if God was not in Him? Can you overcome sin by your sinful self? Can you defeat the roaring lion that seeks whom he may devour (1st Peter 5:8) in your own strength? No, it is impossible. Even the Apostle Peter could not have returned to Christ is Jesus did not intercede for him. Luke 22:31-32—31 "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." Interesting note here. In verse 31, “you” is plural in the Greek, but in verse 32 is singular. Jesus gave the Apostles over to the Adversary, but said He was praying for Peter. Why? Because He knew that even though Peter was considered the chief Apostle, Peter could not (and would not) overcome him. What does Jesus say? “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” And why does He say this to Peter only? Because He knew that with all of his bravado and bluster, Peter was a man. A man like any other man. Acts 10:25-26—25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." 

We can do nothing of our own when it comes to spiritual things. You cannot convince someone to believe that Christ is Lord apart from the Holy Spirit working on them to change their heart to be ready to do so. You cannot win spiritual battles with your earthly mind or body. Satan is too strong and too smart. And the people of Israel could not defeat their enemies by themselves. Their enemies were too strong and too smart. The people of Israel were sheep. They were not to march into the Promised Land in their might and vigor. God told them He would lead them into the land. They had to be led. And He led them to the Promised Land by a mighty man of God, and later led them through the Promised Land by the hand of a mighty man of battle. 

Even David understood this centuries later when he wrote the Psalms. Psalm 44:1-3—1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, the deeds You did in their days, in days of old: 2 You drove out the nations with Your hand, but them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out. 3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them. But the people of Israel did not remember this. They thought they had to fight their battles on their own. They forgot that the Lord of all Creation was on their side, and would not let them perish, lest the heathens raise a report that God could not save His people, that He was too weak, that He was a (little-g) god like the ones they bowed themselves to, that could do nothing for them. When the people convinced Aaron to make the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai and God was going to wipe them out, Moses pled for the people thus in Exodus 32:9-14—9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation." 11 Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people. When a trial comes your way, when your faith seems small, when it feels as though you are all alone, remember that you DO have a friend, and His name is Jesus—the Word made flesh—and the Holy Spirit which dwells within you, that you may remember that it is not only in this life that we have hope, but in Christ we have eternal life.

 Though Satan should buffet

Though trials may come

Let this blest assurance control

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul

 These are the words of a man who lost his wife and children in a shipwreck. And as he himself passed the very spot where their ship went down, he confessed that Jesus was his only hope. He went on to say this: 

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin, not in part, but the whole

Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul! 

Numbers 13:33-14:9—33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." 14:1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" 4 So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt." 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them." I include these verses because it flows better that way, and almost completes the thoughts of chapter 13. And actually, almost all of Numbers 14 is a continuation of Numbers 13. 

Now, I want to point out a phrase in Numbers 13:33—the descendants of Anak came from the giants. What giants? Well, for one thing, they were obviously not the giants who were destroyed in Noah’s flood, for they were all wiped out. We don’t know much about Anak’s ancestors, but we do read about his progeny and descendants (like Goliath and his brother Lahmi, [1st Chronicles 20:5]). They were men of considerable size and stature. And when a skeptic tries to say they were fictional or made up, consider the Greek myth of a man called Anax. According to the Greek myth, Anax was a giant who lived in the area of Lydia, in what was formerly known as Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). Asia Minor is just north of the area where the Anakim lived, and Greece is just miles from Turkey. Do the math, and it is plain to see that the Lydian (later Greek) myth of the giant Anax is derived from the biblical story of Anak. But that’s just a coincidence, right? 

Okay, moving on. In verses 2-4, the people are afraid they are going to die at the hands of these men that make the people look like grasshoppers. And they cry out in a way similar to the way many today cry out when a trial comes upon them they think they cannot bear. Numbers 14:2-4—2 "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?…4 Let us select a leader and return to Egypt."  Does this not sound like us at times? We can’t overcome some situation, so let us call on our former master and return to living in our former ways, that we may get through this situation and be subject to that former master, forgetting the stripes that former master laid on our backs. “The bills are due and the money is tight. Maybe I should do this thing that I used to love, that I now hate, so we can get through it. I’ll repent tomorrow.” Friend, if you have God on your side, you can get through. It may require you to give up something you love, you may have to move into a smaller dwelling, you may need to drive an older car, you may need to scrimp and save and not eat as well as you do now, but God will get you through it. 

“But people will talk about us and laugh at us.” Was this Nehemiah’s concern when he set his mind to rebuild Jerusalem? When Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem sneered at him and told him he was crazy for thinking that he and the rest of the people could rebuild what had been torn down? No. Nehemiah 2:19-20—19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?" 20 So I answered them, and said to them, "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem." Nehemiah knew that God was with him, to reestablish God’s name in the city where He had placed His name. Why? It was not so Nehemiah could be thought of as a great man and have his name etched into the walls of the city, and have his memory remembered forever. It was for the same reason Joshua and Caleb set their hearts on leading the people into the Promised Land—simply for the glory of God. And Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem had no right to partake of the city where God placed His name. But if we know Christ as Lord and Savior, we do! Robert Hawker—

 

Men may despise and laugh God’s people to scorn; but the day of decision must come; and an awful decision it will be. Reader! have you the smallest, even but the smallest evidence, that you love God’s cause and God’s people, though you fear you have no portion, no interest, no right or memorial among them? Let this comfort and encourage your soul. None ever truly loved the cause of Jesus, and the people of Jesus, but secretly loved Jesus himself. And John was authorized by the Holy Ghost to mark this down as a standing cause of comfort, when higher evidences were wanting; We know (says he) that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren (1st John 3:4). 

FB Meyer—

Whenever God’s work revives, there is sure to be evil-speaking and reproach. It is a mistake to reply. Let us hand over our cause to God, and go on with His work. It matters very little what men say, as long as He is pleased. 

Let us be like Joshua and Caleb. Let us not see our enemy as one against whom we appear as grasshoppers, but one whom, against God, appears to be a grasshopper. Let us not fear to take hold of the things God has promised, to shrink back at the first sign of trouble and sink into the Slough of Despond. There is nothing greater than God, not our fortunes or our wealth and especially not our enemy, which God cast out of Heaven and fell as lightning to the earth. For all his claims were “I will…I will…I will…” But let all our claims always be “BUT GOD”. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 13 (Part 1)

Numbers 13:1-3, 16-20—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them." 3 So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel…16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. 17 Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains,  18 and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19 whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. 

So the people of Israel have arrived at the Wilderness of Paran, which was in the land of Canaan. But they do not know the land or what is contained therein. These are people who had lived in Egypt all their lives, then came out and dwelt at Mt. Sinai for a couple years, and now they are in a place they have never been and know nothing about. So they must go out and see what resources are available and what dangers there may be that may come upon them. Now, before we go too deep into the text, I want to touch on what it says in verse 16. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. This is one of those verses that just seems oddly juxtaposed. Well, let’s address it. Because it is one of those places where a skeptic of Scripture could say “he was already called Joshua, why does it say this here?” Well, yes, we do see him called Joshua 7 times in Exodus. But this is no hard thing to reckon, as the entirety of the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy, was written by Moses. It is easy to reckon that he was called Hoshea (עַשֵוֹח, "salvation") by his family, but Moses reckoned his name Joshua (or “Jehoshua”, עַוּשׁוֺה י, “YHVH is salvation”). Why would he think this? Why would he say that this man should be the salvation from God? After all, it was Moses who would lead the people into the Promised Land. Perhaps Moses didn’t know that he would forfeit the honor of leading the people into the Promised Land, and that this Joshua would be the man to do that. Perhaps it was the name that God laid on his heart to give to Hoshea, knowing the things that would later transpire. 

Now, on with the text of this passage. The people had known little of battle, save it was their encounter with the Amalekites in Exodus 17: 8-13, when Moses sat upon the rock and his hands were lifted up by Aaron and Hur, and God gave them victory over their foes. So the people were unsure if they would be able to defeat any foes that came against them. They were not, at this time, a people of war. But they forgot one thing: God had promised to bring them into a land that He would give them. And if He promises something, it will come to pass. So although they would do the fighting, it was God who would give them victory. We see this so many times in Scripture. Like when David went out to fight Goliath. Here was a shepherd boy, with no experience in warfare, going out to fight a man of war from his youth (1st Samuel 17:33). A man 4 whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze (1st Samuel 17:4-5). Yet David knew that even though Goliath was a huge man, whose armor was impenetrable and whose weapons were grand, that his strength and weapons were no match for the might of God. In fact, David understood that the fight was not about human strength, but about those who belonged to God versus those who opposed God. “this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God” (1st Samuel 17:36). Thus, he knew that he was not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).  And what did he say? What words did David have, a poor shepherd boy who was to go against this giant with all the armor and weapons of war? “All this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands” (1st Samuel 17:47). He would say again in Psalm 20:7—Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. And we will see a bit later that even in the Wilderness of Paran, the people had forgotten that God was on their side. And If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) 

So they were most likely camped at Ezion-Gaber, which was at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, to the east of the Sinai Peninsula and to the west of the land of Edom. And it is from here that Moses sends men to spy out the land to see how bountiful it was. Numbers 3:17-20—17 Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, 18 and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19 whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. 

They were sent to learn whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many. They had to know what the people were like who lay ahead of them, and what kind of hardships they may encounter because of them. The land was promised to them by God, but they did not know what kind of travails they may come across. But one thing was certain: they had God on their side, and whatever struggles they might face from the people, God would fight for them. So many times in our lives, we do not know what God has in store for us. We do not know the trials He has planned for us. But one thing we do know: If God is for us, who can be against us? We know that when any test or temptation comes against us from our enemy, if we trust in God, He will lead us through it. It may not be easy in our eyes, our faith may be stretched to the limit, but we need not fear if God is on our side. We need to look no further than the martyrs of the early Church. Under Roman rule, they knew their lives were in danger every day. Paul said 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. (1st Corinthians 15:30-31). He was ready to die any day, for he ran as one who seeks a crown. John did not fear being boiled in oil. Peter did not shy away from being crucified, and even requested to be crucified upside down. For a fuller accounting, I would refer you to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, where you will find stories of horrific persecution, the likes of which your mind could not even fathom. And all these gained an eternal crown for fighting giants of earthly power. 

The spies were sent to learn whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds. It would have been of no profit for the people to sojourn to the land if they could not live there. In the people’s case, they were better off than was Abram. He was called by God to come out of Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:29, 31, Exodus 6:8) to dwell in Canaan, having no inkling of what awaited him there. Would the land be tillable and fertile? Were there bandits who would rob him of all he owned? Would there be vile men who would abuse him and his family? These things he did not know. But one thing he did know: God called him to go there, so he must go. And God promised him that He would make of Abram a great nation. And we know that if God promises something, He will make it come to pass. 

The spies were sent to learn whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. If they could not grow their own food, how could they survive? If there were not forests, how could they have timber with which to build houses? If this were the case, they could almost be excused for their grumbling, that “God has brought us out here to die!” But that is not God. He does not bring the people into an area to kill them. No, He brings them into an area to bless them. But really, was there any doubt? Might Moses have been questioning God’s faithfulness in having sent out these spies? God already told them, in Leviticus 23:10—“When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.” He told Moses that when he came into the land that God had promised, they would gather a harvest. Did Moses not believe? Had the complaining of the people gotten to him that his faith was shaken? Or perhaps it was Moses’ aim for the people to see that the land to which God was sending the people was a good land, flowing with milk and honey (Leviticus 20:24), and that God would provide for them, as He provided manna and quails and all sorts of other good things to quell their complaining. 

Which is why Moses charged them, saying “Be of good courage”. A charge that Joshua would later lay at the people’s feet in Joshua 1:9—“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua expands on Moses’ command, telling the people that God would be with them wherever you go. It is a promise that we still have today, that God is with us. Isaiah 7:14—Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (עִמָּנוּאֵל, Immanuel, “God with us”), a promise repeated in Matthew 1:23, showing that Matthew 1:21 was the fulfillment of the Isaiah prophecy. And what do we read in Matthew 1:21—“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (Ιησοΰυς, Iesous [Jesus], “YHVH is salvation”), for He will save His people from their sins.” If we are in Christ, then God is always with us, for Christ is God. It then goes without saying, that if we are in Christ, then we are in God. We need never be afraid of sin, for Jesus has already overcome sin and death. We fight many battles in this life here on Earth, and most of those are not easy battles. We may battle with our boss, or a coworker. We may argue with our spouse, or the mechanic. We may even be in a dispute with the government. Or maybe we will be called upon one day by our government to renounce the name of Christ or face jail, loss of a job or our house, or even be put to death. Think about the Christians currently in India. According to tradition, the Apostle Thomas was the first to preach the gospel there, an undertaking for which he was put to death. Things have not changed much there in 2000 years. The latest figure shows that only 2.4% of the population of India identifies as Christian. Many have had their homes burned, their families slain, their churches burned. And yet they continue on. They have taken to heart the call of Moses to Be of good courage. They press on, knowing their reward will be great with God (Hebrews 10:35). 

“And bring some of the fruit of the land.” The people were always looking for something visible, something tangible, to know that God was real and He was with them. They were not going to believe unless they could see it with their own eyes. So Moses commands them to bring back something the people can see and feel and touch. Something the people can point to and say “Yes, it is a good land.” Even though God had done all these things to them and for them, they still had to be convinced by sight. Were the Jews millennia later any different? They had their Messiah right in front of them, He was doing many signs and wonders before their eyes, and what did they ask him? Matthew 12:38—Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." Wait a minute. He has raised the dead, cleansed lepers, healed the lame, and done all sorts of other miracles, and they were asking for a sign? Much like with the people in the wilderness, to whom God could not have given any greater evidence that He was God, so now with the Pharisees Jesus could not have given any clearer evidence that He was the Christ of God! And Jesus tells them as much, and lays even higher the heap of accusations against them. Matthew 12:39—“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign”, almost as if He is comparing them to those whom Moses brought out of Egypt. 

Even the Apostle Thomas, after being told of the Resurrection, sought after a sign. John 20:25—The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." And yet, Jesus did not call him “evil and adulterous”. Why? Because he knew that Jesus was the Christ, testified of Jesus, and believed Him to be the Messiah. You see, God deals with each person as an individual. Those who did not believe in Jesus, and sought a sign as a way to cast doubt upon Him, were indeed “evil and adulterous”. But Thomas, one of those whom Christ called to be one of His, found it hard to believe that God had raised Him from the dead. Why? Because, as he was also called “Didymus” (Greek Δίδυμος, “two-fold”) was so-called, most likely, due to being “either in the highest realms of bliss or in a state of lowest dejection” (Paul Kretzmann). And Jesus knew that and understood that. Just as He knew Peter would return to Him after denying Him, although it took some prodding on our Lord’s part for him to understand that (see John 21:15-17). But what does Jesus tell Thomas once He shows him the prints of the nails and the wound where the spear entered? John 20:29—“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” A lesson these people could greatly use. They would hardly believe even though they had seen.

 

Part 2 next week

 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 12 (Part 2)

Numbers 12:10-14—10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb!" 13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "Please heal her, O God, I pray!" 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again." 

How angry was God with Miriam? So angry that He caused her to be leprous. We covered all the regulations concerning leprosy in Leviticus 13 and 14. And now, Miriam, sister of the man to whom God spoke face to face, would have to live under these regulations. As I said at the outset, she didn’t like Moses marrying a woman darker than him, so God made her white as snow. And yet again, as in our previous chapter, we see Moses entreat God to stop the consequence of the actions of one who had spoken rashly. 

The question God asks, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days?” There is no commandment or injunction in the Law like this except in Deuteronomy 25:9, and that only speaks of a woman spitting in the face of a man who will not marry her according to the Levirate marriage. It was, however, from everything I’ve read, a common practice at the time, when a daughter had brought shame on the family, for the father to publicly disgrace her and send her away for a time of remorse and repentance, that she may come back sorrowful and more apt to not disgrace the family any more. The Pulpit Commentary says:

 

It was the distinctive note of public disgrace inflicted by one who had a right to inflict it. In the case of a father, it meant that he was thoroughly ashamed of his child, and judged it best (which would be only in extreme cases) to put his child to shame before all the world. So public a disgrace would certainly be felt in patriarchal times as a most severe calamity, and entailed by ordinary custom (as we learn here) retirement and mourning for seven days at least. How much more, when her heavenly Father had been driven to inflict a public disgrace upon her for perverse behavior, should the shame and the sorrow not be lightly put away, but patiently endured for a decent period!

 God knows how to punish the unruly. He knows how to chasten His children (Deuteronomy 8:5; Hebrews 12:6). He has to chastise us, because we can, many times, be unruly children who need a spanking. He could have very easily sent down fire and consumed her, but He didn’t. He could have turned her into a pillar of salt as He did with Lot’s wife, but He didn’t. He could have made two she-bears appear (2nd Kings 2:23-24) and devour her, but He didn’t. He doesn’t destroy His children. He chastises them, He punishes them, He may even leave them alone with Satan for a spell that they may learn that sin is sin and they may repent and turn again to Him (1st Corinthians 5:5). And this was a case where God chastised Miriam for her speaking so harshly against God’s servant. 1st Chronicles 16:22—"Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm."

You may think “Why didn’t Aaron suffer some kind of punishment?” Well, he was the High Priest. He would have had to have been put outside the camp, and the people would have been without a High Priest for seven days. There were certain duties the High Priest alone had to carry out. Not only that, there would have been the shame of the situation, if the High Priest had become leprous and put outside the camp for seven days. Knowing this people, how rebellious and stiff-necked they were, and how quickly they turned from serving God to serving idols, what kind of shape would the camp be in? Whatever the reason Aaron was spared punishment, we must remember one thing—this was God’s decision, and we must always agree that His is the proper punishment. You see, there are many parents who do not know or understand how to properly punish their children. Many are too harsh and end up abusing their children, leaving scars that the child will bear for most of, if not all of, their life. They grow up into adults that despise authority and rebel any time anyone tries to impose any kind of rules over them. And if you try to share the gospel with them, they spurn it as just another attempt to place them under some ogre who only wants to punish them and berate and abuse them. Dave Pelzer wrote a series of books about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, the first being “A Child Called ‘It’”. These books chronicle his life and how he went from being severely abused to becoming a functioning member of society. Not all such children are so lucky, however. Many never escape the mental problems brought on by the physical abuse, end up in jail and/or prison and, worst of all, never know Jesus as their Savior and wind up spending eternity in Hell. 

Some, on the other hand, are far too lenient and do not punish their children enough, so the child grows up and has no respect for any authority, neither parent, nor human law, nor God. When they grow older, they will not have any respect for any kind of boundaries, and they will be like the Israelites who consistently refused to be ruled by the Great King and Potentate of all Creation. You can see them all over the place, especially on social media, flaunting their sins, never thinking about giving an account to anyone, especially God. They go through life seeking more and more attention from this world, only thinking of what they can get now, only thinking of the material gains of attention, likes, follows, and money. Never thinking that there is One greater than themselves, they chase after one dopamine high after another, never accomplishing anything that will be of any benefit in eternity, only the fleeting winds of what this world can offer. 

James 4:13-14—13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Ecclesiastes 5:13-17—13 There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. 14 But those riches perish through misfortune; when he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; and he shall take nothing from his labor which he may carry away in his hand. 16 And this also is a severe evil—just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind? 17 All his days he also eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and sickness and anger. James 5:1-3—1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Anything we can gain in this life will be burnt up at the last Day. And if it is only something that profits us a little in the here and now, it will be gone forever, never to be remembered again. Parents, make sure you discipline your children in the right way, and for the right reasons. Let them understand why you’re chastening them—not because they are making your life inconvenient, but so they learn correction early, that they may not suffer a far greater and eternal punishment later. Proverbs 13:24—He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 23:13—Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. Proverbs 29:15—The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. So God knows how and whom to punish. And He does so perfectly. So let us not question why Aaron wasn’t punished for his insolence, but rather, let us remember the example that God has given us, and not speak falsely about His leaders. 

And let us also remember another thing: when God chastises us, it is always with a promise. See, the abusive parent simply chastises the child for no reason but to exact punishment. But when God punished us, it is for a reason: that we may know that we have done wrong. You may say, “But Christ died on the Cross for my sins, why do I need to be punished now?” (It is the principle behind the horrendous Roman Catholic idea of Purgatory.) For this reason: that you may turn from your wicked ways and follow Him. It was why God allowed the Babylonians to carry away Israel captive. 2nd Chronicles 36:15-17—15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. The kings and priests rebelled against God, they worshipped idols, and were resistant to His urgings. So He gave them into the hands of their enemies and they were taken out of their land. But God… This captivity was but for a moment. He would show the people of Israel that He was not done with them, and had not utterly cast them away. Further on, in 2nd Chronicles 36:22-23—22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!’” You see, chastisement is much different than condemnation. We are condemned when we reject God and His offer of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. When we embrace Him, however, He will guide us along, and correct us when we do wrong. Just as a father does his son. And a good father will explain to his son that the punishment he receives for his disobedience is so that he may know to do right rather than wrong, that he may grow up to live a peaceable life. Hebrews 12:6-11—6 “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. As Charles Spurgeon said of this passage:

 

Oh! What comfort there is here! Whenever we are under the scourging hand of God, how we ought to be cheered with the thought that this is a part of the heritage of the children. There are Elis who spoil their children. God is not one of them. He spares not the rod, and the more he loves, often the more he corrects. A tree of common fruit may be let alone so long as there is some little fruit on it, but the very best fruit gets the sharpest pruning; and I have noticed that in those countries where the best wine is made, the vine-dressers cut the shoots right close in, and in the winter you cannot tell that there is a vine there at all unless you watch very carefully. They must cut them back sharp to get sweet clusters. The Lord does thus with his beloved. It is not anger. Afflictions are not always anger. There are often tokens of great love. 

There is one more thing to glean from this passage. The Ethiopian woman Moses married. At the time that Numbers was written, what we now call Ethiopia was called Cush. If you see the word “Cush” in the Bible, it is referring to what is now Ethiopia. Cush was a son of Ham, one of the sons of Noah. It was Ham that found Noah drunk and naked in his tent, and told his brothers. Something must have happened more than Ham simply finding Noah in such a state, as it says in Genesis 9:24—So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Something happened we don’t know what—we can speculate, but we do not know. Anyway, Noah places a curse on Ham’s descendants that they will serve the descendants of Shem and Japheth. This may have been what had incensed Miriam and Aaron to anger against Moses taking a wife of the Cushites. At any rate, what I learned was that this was a picture of the Church. Jews at the time of Christ looked very unfavorably upon the Gentiles. As I said before, there was a saying among Jews that the Gentiles were to be used as fuel for the fires of Hell. The Jews believed that Gentiles were not fit for the kingdom of God. Jesus, when He encountered the Syro-Phoenician woman, says rather quizzingly, that the Kingdom is not for Gentiles. Mark 7:26-27—26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Many would say that Jesus was not being loving here, but hold on. Jesus was the embodiment of love, and would not have simply cast aside this woman, seeing as how He healed the servant of a Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:6-10). No, rather He said this to test her faith, to see if she believed that Gentiles could be saved. She answers Him well, and He performs what she asked of Him. Mark 7:28-30—28 And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs." 29 Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter." 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. And in so doing, showed that He had broken down the middle wall of separation between Jew and Gentile. Let us not despise our brethren for their spouse, remembering that the same Jesus died for all, both Jew and Gentile, Black and White, Red, Brown and Yellow. 

Numbers 12:15-16—15 So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. 16 And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran. So, after the Quail Incident, after the Miriam/Aaron Incident, the people finally move from Hazeroth to the Wilderness of Paran. The first we read of the Wilderness of Paran is in Genesis 21. Hagar had birthed Ishmael to Abraham. Ishmael mocked Isaac at Isaac’s weaning, and Sarah told Moses to cast out the bondwoman and her son (Genesis 21:10). Hagar and Ishmael go out, eventually they run out of water and Hagar doesn’t know what to do to feed or water her and her son. Then God speaks to her, and she lifts up her eyes and what does she see? Genesis 21:19—Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. Eventually, Ishmael would settle in the Wilderness of Paran (Genesis 21:21). The same Wilderness of Paran that God was leading the people to. And why was He leading them there? Because there was a well. And they had to have water for over a half million people. So He led them to a place where there was water in this vast and rugged wilderness. If you get a chance, look up “Wilderness of Paran” and you will see that it is indeed a vast wilderness, literally a desert. Nothing but sand and rocks as far as the eye can see. This is where the cloud was leading them. You may think “Why would God lead them to such a place?” 

Glad you asked. It’s because there was water there. After the quails and the Aaron/Miriam episode, God was leading them to where they could find water. And He was showing them, and showing us, that even after we rebel against Him fiercely, even after our puny human minds can’t comprehend His provision and we dare to question Him, even after we show just how unworthy we are to be called His, He is still leading us and guiding us in the way that we should go. He may not take us out of the world when we first come to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, He will most likely leave us here as a witness to His greatness and glory. He will lead us through trials and temptations, through desert and wilderness, through gale and flood, through wind and fire and rain and all sorts of tests so that when we overcome them through Him, we can say to each other and to the world, “God is good”. Robert Hawker sums up nicely this theme of Jesus’ love for us, and His patience in leading us in the love of God:

 

Reader! do not close this Chapter without having an eye in the intercession of Moses for Aaron and Miriam, to the intercession of JESUS on the cross, for those who crucified him. Oh! what a volume is folded up in that one prayer of JESUS to comfort poor sinners, and to show the all-prevailing efficacy of JESUS’S advocacy. FATHER! forgive them for they know not what they do. Oh! LAMB of GOD! let this first cry of thine upon the cross, be the first and last of my soul-reviving consolations under all the discouragements by reason of my unworthiness and neglect of thee. Surely, dear LORD! when I sin against thee, I know not what do. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.