A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 6, the Nazirite Vow (Part 1)

Numbers 6:1-8—1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin. 5 All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 6 All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the LORD.

This is the section where God lays out the law of the Nazarite. A man or woman who was not a Levite could consecrate themselves to God by taking a vow as a Nazirite. The word “Nazarite” comes from the word נָזִיר (nazir), which means “to dedicate, separate, consecrate”. This vow could be taken by either a man or a woman, anyone who wanted to consecrate themselves to God could take the vow. And there were three key elements in this vow:

 

1)                They could not eat grapes or eat or drink anything that was made from grapes

2)                They could not take a razor to their hair, and

3)                They could not touch a dead body

First, the prohibition against eating or drinking grapes or grape products. Not just wine, but even grapes themselves, or raisins, which are dried grapes. And why would that be? Why would this Nazarite not touch grapes? Well, as the Nazarite was consecrated to God, they were not to see how close they could come without becoming intoxicated. It was a way for them to keep from testing God. You see, grapes themselves can sometimes taste like wine, and can tempt the person into drinking wine. This was something the Nazarite was to abstain from in order to serve God, so they may always have their minds on God. There are many warnings in the Bible about wine and strong drink. For example, Proverbs 20:1—Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. Proverbs 23:29-35—29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; 32 at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 "They have struck me,  but I was not hurt; they have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?" “All these woes came upon me because I got drunk. When can I get another?” Wine is seen as something more cultured, something that is consumed by elites and the wise. And when someone wants to look and act like they are more upper class than what they are, they won’t drink beer or whiskey; they will pour a glass of wine.

But here’s the thing: you can get just as drunk on wine as you can on whiskey or rye. Ever heard the term “wino”? Because it is alcohol. And it is common knowledge that alcohol impairs judgement and lowers inhibitions. And look at the passage in Proverbs 23 to see all the things that can come upon you from drinking too much wine. It can make you feel depressed, it can make you easily outraged, it can make you mad at the world, it can cause you to fall down and injure yourself, it can give you bloodshot eyes, it can throw off your equilibrium. Do those sound like the traits of one who has set themselves apart to God? I like what Alexander MacLaren says “Intemperance delights in scoffing at all pure, lofty, sacred things. It is the ally of wild profanity, which sends up its tipsy and clumsy ridicule against Heaven itself. If a man wants to lose his sense of reverence, his susceptibility for what is noble, let him take to drink, and the thing is done.”

One Nazirite we come across in Scripture is the prophet Samuel. Samuel was set apart as a Nazirite from the womb. His mother, Hannah, was barren and had not conceived any children, and was constantly ridiculed by her husband’s other wife, Penninah, because *she*gave Elkanah children. But then one day when Hannah was at the temple mouthing te words to a prayer, the priest Eli saw her and thought her moved by wine, and told her 1st Samuel 1:14— So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!", to which Hannah replied 1^st Samuel 1:15—“No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.” Then we see in 1st Samuel 1:20 that God opened her womb, and she called the child Samuel, "Because I have asked for him from the LORD." The name Samuel (Heb. שְׁמוּאֵל, šᵊmû'ēl) means “His name is El”, and, Hannah gave him to the service of God, and declared him a Nazirite in 1st Samuel 1:11—Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." Samuel was a fascinating man; he was prophet when Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel. And being a Nazirite he was perfectly suited to be the man God needed him to be to be strong enough to stand up to this king. He had to be sharp in his mind, had to be able to hear from God and proclaim what he had heard. And when Saul offered a Burnt Offering when Samuel was not there, he had to be clear enough in his mind to tell Saul that the kingship would be taken from him for his rash deed.

When I was a kid I remember a restaurant, I forget the name of it, but on their sign out front it said “Fine Food and Spirits”. Spirits, like ghosts? No. I asked my mom, who told me that “Spirits” referred to wine and other such drinks. Ever wonder why they call them “spirits”? Ever see someone become a totally different person after a few drinks? Now, don’t get me wrong, a bottle of whiskey or rye is not a literal spirit, but it certainly does make people’s spirits change when they’ve had a few. The people at Pentecost thought the Apostles had those kinds of spirits. Acts 2:12-15—12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" 13 Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine." 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.” These were not drunk on wine, but were filled with the Holy Spirit. We are warned, even in the New Testament, about the dangers of alcohol. Ephesians 5:18—And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. 1st Peter 4:3-4—3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. Romans 13:13—Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. We may not be Nazirites, but in this regard we should probably follow their example.

The second regulation concerns not taking a razor to one’s head. A Nazirite was only to shave his head if he was defiled by a dead body. But why the prohibition from cutting one’s hair? Doesn’t Paul say in 1st Corinthians 11:14—Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? Yes, but then he goes on to say in 1st Corinthians 11:15—But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. So why, then, would God command that men who set themselves apart to Him should wear this long hair that nature tells him is a dishonor? The male Nazirite was not wearing his hair long as a way to be seen as feminine, but as a sign that he was under the covering of God.

Samson, in the Book of Judges, was a Nazarite and he is famed for his long hair. Like Samuel, he was born to a mother who was barren. That is, until she and her husband were visited by an Angel of God. Only it wasn’t the child’s mother who declared him a Nazirite, but the Angel who visited her. Judges 13:2-5—2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." This man was set apart by God to do a great thing in God’s name. He was meant to deliver God’s people from their enemies.

Remember, we are in the period of the Judges, and if you have read the Book of Judges you know this may be the most depressing book in the Bible. Moses led them in the wilderness for 40 years, then he died and Joshua took his place. Then when he died, the wheels fell off the wagon, so to speak. The nation of Israel falls into chaos, and instead of being led by God, they followed men. It’s interesting, it says in Joshua 24:16—So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods”. Yet that is exactly what they did! Just like at the foot of Mt. Sinai, when God was still speaking to Moses and they convinced Aaron to make the golden calf. Joshua dies in Judges 2:8. Then, a few verses later, this people who said “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods” DID JUST THAT! Joshua’s body was barely cold when we read in Judges 2-13—They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. This is a theme that gets repeated in Judges. And don’t think we’re any better. Were it not for the Holy Spirit given to us by God, we would do the exact same thing.

So by the time Samson comes along, Israel has lived under Othneil and Ehud and Shamgar—who slew 600 Philistines with and ox goad—and Deborah/Barak and Abimelech and 7 other Judges for a period of roughly 400 years. Some were good, some were not. And Samson would prove to be the last of the Judges. And for the good he did in his death, his life is not one we should try to model ourselves after. If you read the account of his life, it is full of pride and almost arrogance and indifference. He gave to his parents honey that he had obtained from the carcass of the lion he killed—honey which made the person eating it unclean. He burned up a wheat field, slew 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey, and pretty much joked with Delilah about his strength.

And if we don’t think too much about it, we can assume that his strength derived from his long hair. But that is not true. Yes, it is true that when Delilah’s accomplices shaved his head that his strength left him. Or did it? Judges 16:20—And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. Not that his strength had departed, but that YHVH—the LORD—had departed from him. The fact that he no longer had the strength he once possessed was not simply due to his head being shaved. That was incidental. He lost his strength because this man, who was set apart as a Nazirite by God, had made a grievous mistake: He had let his pride carry him away, told his mistress the secret of his strength, and a bunch of pagans caused him to break his vow to God. Keil & Delitzsch—

 

 The superhuman strength of Samson did not reside in his hair as hair, but in the fact that Jehovah was with or near him. But Jehovah was with him so long as he maintained his condition as a Nazarite. As soon as he broke away from this by sacrificing the hair which he wore in honour of the Lord, Jehovah departed from him, and with Jehovah went his strength.

 It was not his hair that made him strong. It was God working through him, as a man called a Nazirite by God Himself that made him strong. Likewise for us, we can do mighty things. We can preach, and teach, and evangelize and sing and do all these wonderful things. But if we do them simply out of our own treasury these will have no effect on those who hear. 1st Corinthians 2:14—But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Think you can understand and believe this Book with human knowledge? No. You can understand what it *says*, but you will never know what it *means*. That’s why Jesus spoke in parables: to separate those who were His from those who weren’t. He knew His sheep would understand what He was saying, but to those who weren’t His sheep they would just be words. And if anything convinced me that Jesus was really real, it was His parables. I understood them. And I did not understand them because I was smarter or more righteous than anyone else. Far from the truth! He gave me that understanding. And far from making me puffed up, it has humbled me, and more so the more I read and study His word.

Part 2 next week

 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Surrvey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 5 (Part 4)

Numbers 5:11-31—11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'If any man's wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, 13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—14 if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance. 16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD. 17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the LORD, uncover the woman's head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband's authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband's authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you"—21 then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—"the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell; 22 and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot." Then the woman shall say, "Amen, so be it." 23 Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter. 25 Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman's hand, shall wave the offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar; 26 and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. 27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children. 29 'This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband's authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her. 31 Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.'" The pro-abortion crowd loves to bring up this passage, as if it is some kind of “Gotcha” for the pro-lifers. There is just one problem with that. Well, more than one, but we will examine all the problems.

First of all, they only read from the NIV, the only major translation that relates any kind of miscarriage in this passage. Numbers 5:22 (NIV)—[the priest shall say] ‘“May this water that brings curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries”. Then the woman is to say “Amen. So be it”’. No other major translation uses the word “miscarry”. Why? Because it is not in the Hebrew text. Why?  Read the entire passage again, and tell me where a pregnancy is mentioned. I’ll wait. Okay, time’s up. Not in there, is it?

And second, if she is pregnant, doesn’t that kinda blow the whole “concealed” thing out of the water? Because when a woman is pregnant, what happens to her belly? But here we see if she has been unfaithful, this test will make her belly swell. And she will become barren, and a curse among the people. There is a Hebrew word that translates as “miscarry”, and that is שָׁכֹל (shâkôl), and it means, literally, “to miscarry”. But that Hebrew word is nowhere to be found in this passage. So, why the 2011 NIV uses the word “miscarry” here is a mystery. Just one reason I don’t particularly care for the NIV. And really, when one of the abortion advocates latch onto this passage as an approval from God for abortion, they really show how clueless they are about the Scriptures. Because in Numbers 5:28 it says But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children. So it is clear, from the surrounding verses, that the punishment is not a miscarriage, but barrenness.

So many on the side of abortion get so angry when you say you’re opposed to it. Even if you are not argumentative, they will lash out at you for all they’re worth. And they will defend Planned Parenthood almost to the utmost.  Even though Planned Parenthood was founded by Margaret Sanger, an outspoken eugenicist and friend of the KKK. Planned Parenthood, in 1964, admitted that abortion ended a life. In an ad for birth control ad in 1964, Planned Parenthood themselves said the following:

An abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life and health. It may make you sterile so that when you want a child you cannot have it.

It kills the life of a baby. But they have changed their tune over the years and now they will tell you today that it is not a baby, that it is merely a clump of cells. It is no different than having a tooth pulled. Why have they changed their tune? I can tell you in one word, and that word rhymes with “Money”. They want to make more of it, and they will have less of a chance to do it if you know that you are killing a baby. Interestingly, at the Democratic Party Convention in 1964, a document entitled “The Population Crisis:  A Program for Action.  Statement to the Committee on Resolutions and Platforms of the 1964 Democratic Convention” stated:

In  the  United  States,  population  growth underlies and  contributes  to  the  three  major  domestic  ills  which the Johnson Administration and the Democratic Party have pledged to eradicate – poverty, discrimination and unemployment.

In other words, they believed we need to kill more babies in order to obtain a state of Utopia. Have they really changed their beliefs over the years? No. But their tactics have. Remember when I said that Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margaret Sanger, was an enthusiastic eugenicist? It’s true, she hated blacks.

“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. And the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”

And the quote that still resonates today, and is the reason many liberals want abortion on demand is this:

“[Our objective is] unlimited sexual gratification without the burden of unwanted children…”

Abortion is a practice this country has exported around the world, promising women they can live a happy life if they just kill their child while it is growing in the womb. Their mantra is “Keep abortion safe, legal and rare” or “My Body, My Choice” (of course, if they were to be truthful, they would say “Your Body, My Choice”). Of course it’s never safe, and where it is legal, they don’t want it to be rare. If a pregnant woman says they want to keep her baby, depending on the circumstances, she will be verbally assaulted with the most hateful speech you could imagine. Of course, our mantra, we on the Pro-Life side, is “Abortion: One Dead, One Wounded”. It is the only “medical” procedure that is successful if a death occurs.

When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people. Just one more thing before I wind up this passage. First, this would be an example of what the writer says in Hebrews 6:16—For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. These days, when a person is on the witness stand during a trial, they place their hand on a Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And if it is found out they lie, they are charged with perjury. And maybe they get convicted and sentenced, or maybe they don’t. That was not the case here. The husband and wife go to the priest, he makes some bitter water, he puts her under oath to God Himself. Now, at this point, if she has gone astray, she should say so. Because if she has been unfaithful, and she lies about it, her unfaithfulness will become obvious and not only will she bring upon herself a curse, she will actually become a curse. She has sworn to Almighty God that she is not guilty, and if she is, God will not let her escape. So before she drinks the water, she should examine herself if she has done what she is accused of doing.

We should do the same thing when we partake of the Lord’s Table. We should examine ourselves to see if there is any sin in our lives and get rid of it before we take the brad and the wine. 1st Corinthians 11:28—But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. Because when we take the bread and the wine we are not simply eating, we are proclaiming Christ, and we are saying that we belong to Christ. And if we do partake of the bread and the wine when we have sin in our lives, we run the grave risk that many suffered in Corinth. 1st Corinthians 11:29-30—29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. Does this mean we have to be perfectly sinless when we come? No, of course not, for who can be sinless except Christ Himself? But we must look at our lives, and decide if there is some persistent sin that we must get rid of , or even if we think we have no sin, which thinking actually is sin (see 1st John 1:10). This not only makes God a liar but is also a product of pride, something that should not dwell in us who know Christ. We should be the humblest of all creatures, knowing that we are saved from an eternity on Hell because God has shown us His grace and has extended His mercy to us, in sending His Son to pay the penalty we should have paid ourselves. So let us examine ourselves as the unfaithful wife should have examined herself before she drank the bitter water. I will end with the words from John Calvin on 1st Corinthians 11:28:

You see here a method that is most easily apprehended. If you would wish to use aright the benefit afforded by Christ, bring faith and repentance. As to these two things, therefore, the trial must be made, if you would come duly prepared. Under repentance I include love; for the man who has learned to renounce himself, that he may give himself up wholly to Christ and his service, will also, without doubt, carefully maintain that unity which Christ has enjoined. At the same time, it is not a perfect faith or repentance that is required, as some, by urging beyond due bounds, a perfection that can nowhere be found, would shut out for ever from the Supper every individual of mankind. If, however, thou aspirest after the righteousness of God with the earnest desire of thy mind, and, trembled under a view of thy misery, dost wholly lean upon Christ’s grace, and rest upon it, know that thou art a worthy guest to approach the table—worthy I mean in this respect, that the Lord does not exclude thee, though in another point of view there is something in thee that is not as it ought to be. For faith, when it is but begun, makes those worthy who were unworthy.

 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 5 (Part 3)

 Numbers 5:5-10—5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 "Speak to the children of Israel: 'When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the LORD, and that person is guilty, 7 then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged. 8 But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him. 9 Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. 10 And every man's holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.'" 

I kinda like how the NASB translates it a little better, it says “‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD’”. Not a big difference, but it does make it a bit clearer. A sin against our fellow man is a sin against God. When we sin, should we confess that sin? Yes. Do those sins need to be paid for? Yes. Today, when someone does something to another, they go to court, they set some arbitrary amount that the person who committed the wrong should pay, and a judge or jury awards the plaintiff some arbitrary settlement that may differ from one day to the next. But if you notice here, the amount to be paid is not arbitrary. It is settled. If you sin against your neighbor, you make restitution of what you wronged that person of. And you add one-fifth of the value as a penalty for your sin.

Now, you may ask what kind of sin could you commit that would require restitution? Well, we have one example, in Leviticus 6:2-5— 2 “When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion, 3 or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; 4 then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found, 5 or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his Guilt Offering.” When a man committed such a trespass against his neighbor, he not only committed such a trespass against his neighbor, he violated the Law of God, thus sinned against God. And he had to set things right with his neighbor, but he also had to make atonement to God for his sin. Under the Law, this was a monetary settlement to his neighbor, and he had to sacrifice a ram to God.

We have examples of this teaching from the Book of Luke. First, we have John the Baptist in the moments leading up to the Son of Man coming to him, Luke 3:12-14—12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." To take more than what was required of the people would be theft, it would be wrong. So John, being a prophet of God, tells them to not do that. To not steal from the people. Tax collectors at the time could make the IRS look like a charitable organization. They would shake people down, use force to get even more money from them. And they would collect far more than was required of the people, sometimes up to 10 times more. And these were usually Jews that were doing it to other Jews. Even the Apostle Matthew was a tax collector until Jesus called him. And really, that is about as much as we know about him. Jesus calls him in Matthew 9:9, Matthew—or Levi, as he is called in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:29—and he gets up from his desk and follows Christ. He left his profession to follow our Lord.

Now, we see an example of the restitution talked about in Numbers in the story of Zacchaeus. You know, the wee little man who climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see. We find this story in Luke 19:5-8—5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." Jesus was just walking along, and He just happened to look up into the tree. Happens a lot in Scripture, no? Things just happen to go the way God wants them to go. Zacchaeus knew something was different about Jesus. So he scrambles down from the tree and invites Jesus into his home. And the people said “Hey, Jesus is going in to a tax collector’s house to dine with him! That is just wrong!”

But just as Zacchaeus knew there was something different about Jesus, so Jesus had plans for Zacchaeus. And Jesus is not disappointed. As Zacchaeus goes far above the 20% restitution that the Law required, he restored 400%! And listen to the next two verses, Luke 19:9-10—9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus was seeking, He looked and He found. Do you think this was a coincidence? This is the chapter after Christ tells us of the rich man and the tax collector, Luke 18:13-14—13 “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospels address all that we see in our passage in Numbers 5:5-10. Do not take from people; if you do, then confess and see yourself as less than what you even think; Christ calls, follow Him, and restore what you have wronged another of. Alexander MacLaren says this—

The experience of Christ’s love convinces of sin far more thoroughly than threats. The frowns of society only make the wrong-doer more hard and merciless; but the touch of love melts him as a warm hand laid on snow. The sight of Jesus reveals our unlikeness and makes us long after some faint resemblance to Him. So Zacchaeus did not need Christ to bid him to make restitution, nor show him the blackness of his life; but he sees all the past in a new light, and is aware that there is something sweeter than ill-gotten gains. If we love Jesus Christ as He deserves, we shall not need to be told to give Him our all.

These days, do we do that? If we sin against our neighbor, we may have to make restitution to him, but do we also have to sacrifice a ram to God? No. 1st John 1:9—If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Notice he says all unrighteousness. If we commit a sin against our neighbor, we must first confess our sin to God, and then make it right with our neighbor. But as for atonement, Christ has already made that atonement, and on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice, if we ask for forgiveness for our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins. Notice two words in this verse. Faithful and just. God is faithful. The Greek word translated “faithful” is πιστός (pistos). The same word is used in 2^nd Thessalonians 3:3—But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. Your friend may or may not forgive when you sin against them. That is on them. But if you ask God to forgive your sin, he is faithful. According to Bill Mounce, “true, trusty, credible, sure, certain, indubitable.” He is a God who is always true and credible and cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18); He is a God who is trustworthy, (Hebrews 13:5); He is a God who is sure, certain and indubitable (1st Corinthians 1:9). He is a God we can trust with all of our heart! If He wasn’t, He would not be a God worth worshipping.

And it is good that He is all those things, but beyond that He is just (Greek δίκαιος [dikaios, “equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):—just, meet, right(-eous).” Translated “righteous” in the KJV]) in forgiving your sins. How many times do we see someone commit a crime, they have all the evidence stacked against them they are on video committing this crime, but because of a technicality, they are acquitted or their case is dismissed? Is that truly justice? No! And what about the justice of God? Would we be able to say He is just if He merely said, “Well, I’m in as good mood today, I’ll just let your adultery slide. No harm, no foul, eh?” No! God would not be just if He just let slide when someone sinned against Him with no penalty being paid. But that’s just it—the penalty HAS been paid! Christ has paid the penalty for your sins if you believe in Him and accept His payment. Galatians 3:13— Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"). John 1:29—The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! We no longer have to bring a ram to sacrifice to God, since He has already given us a Lamb.

We will finish Chapter 5 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 5 (Part 2)

Finally, the third group, those who had become defiled because of a corpse. (Numbers 5:2). In Mark 5:35-41 (also Matthew 9:23-36 and Luke 8:49-55) we read about a young girl who was dead that Jesus brought back to like. Mark 5:35-41—35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe." 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping." 40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.

She was dead and Jesus touched her. He touched a corpse, which should have made Him unclean, right? Think back to 1^st Kings 17 when Elijah takes a dead boy in his arms and brings him back to life. 1st Kings 17:18-22—18 So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." 22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. Elijah touched a corpse, making him unclean, no? Then we have 2^nd Kings 4, when Elisha revives a boy who had died. What did he do? 2nd Kings 4:32-35—32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Here we see prophets touching a dead body and not becoming defiled. But why? The Law says that anyone touching a dead body becomes defiled. So according to the Law, these must have remained isolated until sundown. But they didn’t. And here is why:

Elijah, Elisha and Jesus were prophets. They had the Spirit of God upon them to do the work of God. They were not touching these bodies to bury them, which would have been the natural thing to do. They were bringing these bodies back to life to show the power of God and to prove themselves to be prophets. This is why when Paul raised Eutychus in Acts 20:9 he does not become unclean, first because the Law had been done away with, second because he was doing the work of God, showing signs and wonders that God was working in the Gentiles and that they too would be among the people of God.

Another person we need to consider from the Gospels is Joseph of Arimathea. Matthew 27:57-60—57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. Of all the commentaries I have read about this passage, none of them talks about How Joseph of Arimathea would have been defiled by handling a corpse. Numbers 19:11—He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days. He had to have known this. Mark 15:43 calls him a prominent member of the Council. The Sanhedrin. So he would have known that touching Jesus’ dead body would have caused him to be unclean for seven days.

So why would he do it? Very simple, really. Because he knew that Jesus was setting him free from the Law he had so devoutly followed all his life. It says in Luke 23:51 that he was waiting for the Kingdom of God. He knew that this was no ordinary man, that this was the Son of God, that, as Jesus said, He would rise again the third day, that it was not the Law that brought life, but faith in Jesus. And He had to be buried, as His last act of obedience, before sundown, so He would not defile the Passover.

Deuteronomy 21:23—His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Do we ever think about Jesus being accursed by God? But He was. The ever obedient Son of God was cursed by God. There are so many Scriptures that tell us this. So many texts in the Bible tell us that He became a curse for us. Isaiah 53:4-5, 10—4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed…Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him. Galatians 3:13—Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"). Then of course 2nd Corinthians 5:21—For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Now Joseph of Arimathaea did not have these last two verses in his Bible, having only what we call the Old Testament. Yet he took this curse down from the tree, wrapped it up and laid it in his tomb. And was therefore defiled, having touched a corpse.

Yet he was not defiled after Christ rose on the third day. In talking about one who had been defiled by a corpse, listen to what it says in Numbers 19:12—He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. When did Christ rise from that tomb? The third day. So Joseph would not have had to purify himself anymore, as Christ cleansed him on that third day. By His stripes we are healed.

So the leper, the one with a discharge, the one who is defiled by a corpse is made clean by faith in Christ. But what if one is not willing to be made clean? What if there is one in the church that wants to keep sinning? Those are the ones we put outside the church. Numbers 5:3— “you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell”. What do we do with one whom we find out is committing some sin? Do we just say “Oh, you’re committing this sin, we’re going to kick you out!” Do we berate them for being so weak and fleshly? God forbid! We do not simply cast them out; we plead with them and exhort them to repent of their sin, that they may repent of their sin and ask Christ for forgiveness. Matthew 18:15-17—15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” Do we forget to do this sometimes? We hear of a brother or sister who is sinning, and instead of going to them and pleading with them to repent, we simply shun them, or berate them, or speak to them snidely. We may gossip about them, we may ignore their phone calls or texts or emails. What good does that do? For us, the person, or the church? What does it do for God’s name? What does it show the world who does not know Christ? All it does is lend credence to the old saying, that “the church is the only army that shoots its wounded”. So we could actually say more accurately, do we neglect to do this? Because it is a hard thing to do, and can be quite messy. But it is something that needs to be done to keep the church as pure as can be.

On the contrary, we must forgive the one who sins. Because, guess what? You’re no better! Ephesians 4:32—And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Let those last five words sink in, God in Christ forgave you. Forgave you of what? Of your sins. And yes, however how highly you think of yourself, it is far, far too high. Christ calls Himself the Son of Man. And what does He say in the Psalms? Psalm 22:6—But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. If the Son of Man thought Himself a worm, how dare we think we are any better? How about it, are you better than your Savior? How dare we not forgive others?  What has someone done to you that is worse than what they did to our Lord? Charles Spurgeon said this when preaching on Ephesians 4:32—

…it should make our eyes fill with tears to think how we have grieved our God, and vexed his Spirit. Some of us have had so much manifest forgiveness, so much outward sin forgiven, that for us to forgive ought to be as natural as to open our hands. After such forgiveness as the Lord has bestowed on some of us, we should be wicked servants indeed if we were to take our brother by the throat and say, “Pay me what thou owest.” We should deserve to be given over to the tormentors by our angry Master if we did not count it joy to pass by a brother’s fault.

You may say “well, what if one does not repent of the sin they are in?” We’re getting there. We don’t put someone outside because of any physical abnormalities. Being a leper or having an issue of blood does not make someone unclean. Even now, a sin does not put us outside the love of Christ. Constant, habitual sin is a different story. That must be dealt with. Why? Simple. Numbers 5:3—that they may not defile their camps, in the midst of which I dwell. It’s why Paul wrote his first letter to the Church at Corinth. Because there was so much sin going on there that he had to correct it. Why did he have to correct them? God is love, right? He doesn’t care about our sins, He just wants us to be happy. Wrong. God is love, yes, but God is also a God of Justice and a God of Wrath. He does not want—first of all—ANY sin in His church, and He will not abide having constant, habitual sin running rampant through His church. He has told us what to do with such people. 1st Corinthians 5:11-13— 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner --- not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person." You can have friends who are not Christian. You can go over to their house for dinner. You can have them at your house. But one who is called a brother in Christ—do not eat with them. Why? To show that this person is not walking in a way that is worthy of them being called a brother in Christ. It has to do with church discipline, something that seems to be lacking in today’s churches.

And it is for that reason that many outsiders look at the church with disdain, and even mockery. Think about Christ’s example. Yes, He ate with sinners and tax collectors and harlots. That was the knock against Him from the Pharisees. However, did He say that it was okay for them to remain that way? No. He preached repentance from sin. Those sinners and tax collectors came to Him, ate with Him, and repented of their sins. But the Corinthians, they didn’t see anything wrong with having dinner with a known sinner. And they did not beg for him to repent. That was the problem. That was what Paul was addressing here. Their acceptance of sin in the church. David Guzik says this of this passage in 1^st Corinthians—

In the culture of that day (and in many cultures today), eating with someone is an expression of friendship and partnership. In some cultures, if a man eats at your table, you are bound to regard him as a friend and a partner. Paul warns the Corinthian Christians they cannot continue in Christian fellowship with a notorious sinner who calls himself a Christian.

A local body of believers is where sheep go to get fed. It is not to entertain goats. Because, like they say, “what you win them with is what you win them to.” If you win them with lasers and smoke machines and man-centered preaching, you will have to keep them by using bigger and better lasers and smoke machines and man-centered preaching. But here’s the thing: if they come back because of the lasers and smoke machines or man-centered preaching—and not because of Christ and His work of forgiveness—did they really even change? Or were they just entertained? See John 6:26. There aren’t a lot of songs out there about church discipline, because it’s not a pleasant subject. But in order to keep God’s name from becoming defiled, it must happen.

Part 3 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 5 (Part 1)

 So now that the people of Israel are camped at Sinai, the Tabernacle of Meeting has been erected, the people are counted, the Levites are set apart, their duties outlined, now God is going to continue giving them commands about how they are to act as His people. Things they are to do and things they are to avoid. The giving of the Law continues. It did not stop at Exodus 20:17. It did not stop at Leviticus 27:34. It will in fact continue through the last verse of Deuteronomy. That is why the Law is said to be the first five books of the Bible.

This is why we should be so thankful that Jesus came for us as He did. Not only were we Gentiles not considered to be God’s people, but if a Gentile were circumcised and made a covenant member of Israel, then after that they had 613 commandments he had to observe in order to be in right standing with God. A thought struck me, “why did Christ have to come to save people from their sins? Didn’t they have all these sacrifices which put away their sins?” Well, the answer is this: while all those sacrifices covered up their sins, it did not take them away. And that distinction is important. In order to be in right standing before God, we must be perfect. Without a single spot or blemish. So we did not need for our sins to be simply covered up, we needed them to be completely taken away. We needed more than to put our hands, or have a priest put his hands, on the head of a bull or goat and have those sins pronounced forgiven by him. We needed our sins put on a perfect, sinless sacrifice, and have those sins forgiven by God Himself.

Many times in the Gospels, we see Jesus, our High Priest, tell someone, “Your sins are forgiven”. The episode of the man brought to Jesus on a stretcher and let down through the roof, Jesus tells him “your sins are forgiven you” (Matthew 9:2, Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20). Of course, this got the Jewish fathers in an uproar, since they had to go through all kinds of rituals just to have their sins covered over, but here was this man—for they thought Him only a man—who pronounced sins forgiven! FORGIVEN! No sprinkling of ashes of bulls or goats. No blood thrown against the Altar of Burnt Offerings, no incense sprinkled on the fire on the Altar of Incense. Just a few words.  αφεωνται σοι αι αμαρτιαι σου (apheontai soi ai hamartiai sou). “Your sins are forgiven you”. Do we need any further proof that Jesus was God in the flesh? For the Pharisees rightly claimed, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). Jesus IS God! And being God, Jesus had all the right and authority to forgive our sins. Jesus took our sins upon us NS TOOK His blood into the Holy of Holies in Heaven, into the very presence of God the Father—not the blood of imperfect bulls and goats, but His own perfect blood, as of the blood of a lamb without spot or blemish (1st Peter 1:19), as an offering to God for Him to remember our sins no more (Isaiah 43:25).

And in that verse in Isaiah, why does God forgive sins? So we can be happy and go on sinning even more? No. So that we can be better people? No, not even that. “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins”. Why would blotting out your transgressions be of benefit to God? For this reason: He has chosen for Himself a people, a people comprised of both Jew and Gentile. And in order for those people to be God’s people, they must be perfect. Absolutely perfect. And in order for them to be perfect, God must make them perfect. And guess what? He did. How? In the death of Christ. 2nd Corinthians 5:21—He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we may become the righteousness of God in Him.

Numbers 5:1-4—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:  2 "Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse. 3 You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell." 4 And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did. The three groups of people they were to put out is interesting. Lepers, everyone with a discharge, and those who have touched a corpse. Because all three of these groups are represented quite prominently in the Gospels. This is one of those times I’m sad there aren’t more teachings on the Old Testament, because this would be a great place to have one. This is one of those places that shows the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In the OId Covenant, these three conditions were shown to be either the result of judgment or a reason to be considered unclean. But in the Gospels, they are shown as a way for God to show forth His grace and forgiveness.

First, lepers. We have seen previously in our studies in Leviticus the proscriptions concerning lepers, their houses, isolation, etc. Well, after the Books of the Law, the next place we see leprosy mentioned is in 2nd Kings 5:1-14. We know the story about Naaman, that he was told to wash in the Jordan River 7 times, that he thought the rivers of Syria were cleaner than the muddy old Jordan. Eventually Naaman relented, washed in the Jordan 7 times, and came up cleaner than a child. Now, I’d like to note something in this passage that kinda relates to our last lesson in Numbers 4. Look in 2nd Kings 5:13—And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, indthe prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" We talked last time about the gifts and calling of God, and how that whatever God calls us to, we should do it, not for fame or prestige, but for the glory of God. Are you called to work with the children in the nursery? Then don’t aspire to be a preacher. Are you called to clean the bathrooms at your church? Then don’t think yourself a prophet.

But we see that many times, where someone will not be satisfied with what God has called them to do, and they want to be someone with more recognition that being a janitor. Matthew Henry says of the passage in 1st Corinthians 12—

God has so fitted and tempered them together that they are all necessary to one another, and to the whole body; there is no part redundant and unnecessary. Every member serves some good purpose or other: it is useful to its fellow-members, and necessary to the good state of the whole body. Nor is there a member of the body of Christ but may and ought to be useful to his fellow-members, and at some times, and in some cases, is needful to them. None should despise and envy another, seeing God has made the distinction between them as he pleased, yet so as to keep them all in some degree of mutual dependence, and make them valuable to each other, and concerned for each other, because of their mutual usefulness. Those who excel in any gift cannot say that they have no need of those who in that gift are their inferiors, while perhaps, in other gifts, they exceed them. Nay, the lowest members of all have their use, and the highest cannot do well without them. The eye has need of the hand, and the head of the feet.

Naaman did not realize the mercy shown to him by God. First, he was a Gentile, and received instruction from a prophet of Israel. Second, being a leper, he would have been put outside the camp as commanded by God.

Next we read of King Uzziah in 2nd Chronicles 26, that he became a leper, then we don’t see another until Matthew 8:2 (also Mark 1:40)—And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him [Christ], saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." How does Jesus respond? Does He command the leper to go to the priest, be examined to determine if it truly is leprosy, be isolated for 7-14 days, etc etc? No. Matthew 8:3 (and Mark 1:41)—Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. If you remember, back when we talked about Leviticus 13, there were all kinds of tests to determine if a person indeed had leprosy. And the person would have to be isolated and declared unclean, then bring a specific offering. And this poor fellow, we don’t know how long he had been living with this condition, but we do know that however long it had been, he could not have gone into the temple to make offerings. He would more than likely not have been employable, so he would have been begging for alms all this time. He would have been declaring himself unclean, untouched by anyone. But here, Christ touches him. The One they call Rabbi, the One who taught with authority, not as the Scribes (Matthew 7:29). He had just finished delivering the Sermon on the Mount, He has all these people following Him, and He touches a leper! How curious. Can you imagine being in that multitude and seeing this Man touch a leper? You’ve been living all your life under the Law of Moses, knowing what it says in Leviticus and Numbers about commands concerning lepers, and not only does He touch this leper, He pronounces him clean! And rightly so, because immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Then you’re watching to see what Jesus will command this now cleansed leper to do. And you hear Him tell this man, Matthew 8:4 (and Mark 1:44)—And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." Why the rush? Wouldn’t it be great for this man to tell folks so that they may believe on the One who made him clean?

Many think it was so that the priest would not hear that it was Christ who made him whole and, out of spite, refuse to declare him clean. We are guilty of that at times, are we not? A person with a sinful past comes to know Christ, is forgiven of their sins, but we don’t want to accept that. We want to keep them outside the camp, we want them to always be unclean, we want them to be punished for their past. That is why many are atheistic, because God can forgive even the greatest sinner. “This person did all these horrendous things, and God is just gonna let them off the hook? I don’t want to worship a God like that!” As if we are any better. C. S. Lewis rightly said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

The next group we see in Numbers 5:2 is those who have a discharge. I think you know where I’m going with this. The woman we see in Matthew 9:20-22 (as well as Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48)—20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

The woman with the bleeding that had been going on for 12 years, and the physicians she went to only made it worse. I include all these passages so we get a clearer picture of her struggle compared to the healing that Jesus brings. She has this issue of blood, probably from her vaginal area. She had spent every penny she had in an attempt to be healed, but that healing never came. In fact, it had only gotten worse. Then one day, she sees Christ walking through the city. The One who had cleansed a leper with a touch and a word. The One who had forgiven the sins of the paralytic, against the wishes of the Pharisees. The One who had cleansed Legion of his many demons. The One who was at this moment on His way to a man’s house to raise his daughter from the dead. She sees Jesus walking with the multitudes and she thinks, not only if she touches Christ Himself—this One who had healed many—but even if she touches the hem of His garment, that she will be made well. She, like the leper, like Legion, like the Centurion, was considered unclean and was thus unable to enter the Temple. Notice here, Jesus does not touch her—she touches Him. She reaches out and touches the Sun of Righteousness...with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2).

He asks “Who touched Me?” Did He know who touched Him? Of course He did. The reason He asked was not because He didn’t know, but because He wanted to hear from her, and He wanted the crowd to know, that she was the one. He wanted her to acknowledge that she was the one who needed healing. He wants the same from us. He wants us to confess that we are sinners and we need forgiveness. 1st John 1:8-9—8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we believe on the Sun of Righteousness, He will come to us with healing in His wings.

One more thing about this passage. How many people are done more harm than good by these so-called “prosperity preachers”? They preach a “Jesus”, but not the Jesus of the Bible. They preach a “Jesus” that wants nothing more than to give them stuff, a “Jesus” of their own design. They think of Him as an ATM, that they can just say His name and make demands of Him and He will shower material wealth upon them. They never hear the true gospel, that they can have their sins forgiven. So they don’t call upon Him to forgive their sins, only to give them things. And rare is the one who will have their sins forgiven.

Part 2 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amsn.