A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Finishing Numbers (Numbers 35, Part 2)

Numbers 35:16-25—“16 ‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, 21 or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. 22 However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, 23 or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. 25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.’” 

So if a man who killed his neighbor fled to a City of Refuge, that meant he was innocent, right? Wrong. Though a man may flee to the city, it was no guarantee that he was not guilty. Verses 16-21 are clear on that. If he hits his neighbor with an iron or a wooden implement; if he throws a stone directly at him; if he pushes him down or lies in wait to ambush him and kill him, He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. It would have been better for the murderer to flee into the wilderness, or to the surrounding nations, than to go to a City of Refuge where he could be found guilty and be put to death. “But what if he strangled the victim? What if…” This was not an exhaustive list of the ways one could be murdered, but was put in place to deal with someone who was thinking there was some loophole they could escape through. With God, there are no loopholes. If you killed someone intentionally, no matter how you accomplished it, you were guilty of that murder and you were put to death. As I said before, in those days murder was a very serious thing, and, as always, was taken very seriously by God. 

“But what if he pushed the person out of the way of a charging bull, or a hissing snake and the person died? What about the person who was walking down the road, chucking rocks here and there, and struck someone on the head, unknowingly, and killed them?” This was taken into account, as we read in verses 22-23. These would be what we would call today involuntary manslaughter, and the case would be heard by a jury who would decide whether or not the offender should be punished or be set free. In a case such as this, the evidence pro and con would have to be weighed by the Levites, who would render their decision. This is one more reason why these cities were to belong to the Levites—so that they could steep themselves in the Law, so that when such a case arose, they would know rightly what to do. Also, they would be impartial hearers, having no allegiances to any of the other tribes. They could always be before their God, and could impartially determine guilt and innocence. 

Numbers 35:24-25—24 “Then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. 25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.” Joshua elaborates more on this, in Joshua 20:6—“And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.” The accused was to remain in the City of Refuge to which he fled until the death of the High Priest. After that, he could return to his own house, with no threat of death over his head. Just as today, when the accused is acquitted by a jury, they do not fear being arrested and charged again with the same crime, as our Constitution says “…nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…” As with our Constitution now, so it was under the Law of Moses at the time: Once the person was found not guilty, they were freed from the charges of the incident for life. “But what if the person really did kill the person intentionally and with malice aforethought? Does this mean the person gets away with it?” Well, yes. The congregation could only deal with the evidence before them. They could not go any further than what they had before them. But as now, so then, if that person was found not guilty of a crime they actually did commit, that person would have to answer to a higher level of justice than could be meted out by humans. Matthew Henry: “Murder in all its forms, and under all disguises, pollutes a land. Alas! that so many murders, under the name of duels, prize-fights, etc. should pass unpunished.” True indeed, that when men are engaged in activities that involve brutality and, in the case of duels, death, that these deaths should go unpunished. 

Numbers 35:26-32—“‘26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. 31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. 32 And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.’” 

As much protection as the accused had while within the City of Refuge, that protection disappeared once the left its walls. Much like with the various extradition treaties we have today. A person guilty of a crime may flee to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, and live there safely with no threat of being returned to this country to face trial for their crimes. And as long as they remain in those countries, they are free to come and go as they please within those borders. But if they leave and fly to another country which does have an extradition treaty with the United States, they can be brought back here and face trial for their crimes, found guilty and punished. And even still, some of the countries with which we do have such treaties can, at their discretion, refuse to extradite criminals. 

In our text, we find that if the accused steps outside the walls of the City of Refuge to which they have fled, and the Avenger of Blood finds them and slays them, the Avenger would not be found guilty. 26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. We find an example of a man who had not committed murder, but had assaulted King David, being confined to Jerusalem and slain when he left the city. 2nd Samuel 16:5-8, 13—5 Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: "Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 8 The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!"…13 And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust. Shimei was under the impression that David had killed Shimei’s kinsman King Saul. So when Absalom had usurped the throne from David, Shimei took the opportunity to curse and to attack David, albeit from a safe distance. 

Fast forward to 1^st Kings 2, and we read that David is in his old age and near to death, and he gives his son Solomon this charge. 1st Kings 2:8-9—8 "And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' [see 2nd Samuel 19:23] 9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood." David prescribed that Shimei should be punished for his insolence. But the punishment for Shimei cursing and assaulting the king was not death, but basically “house arrest”—he was not to leave the city of Jerusalem. 1st Kings 2:36-38—36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. 37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head." 38 And Shimei said to the king, "The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do." So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. Shimei agreed to be bound by the words of the king, to remain in Jerusalem all the remaining days of his life. And Solomon made sure to let him know that if he did leave the confines of the city, Solomon would not be responsible for his life. And after a few years, Shimei felt comfortable in Jerusalem, and thought nothing would happen if he happened to slip out of the city to wrangle up a couple of his escaped slaves. But… 1st Kings 2:39-44, 46—39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish…40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves…41 And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. 42 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and warn you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die'? And you said to me, 'The word I have heard is good.' 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I gave you?" 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, "You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the LORD will return your wickedness on your own head…46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Just as the Avenger of Blood would slay the manslayer if he found him outside the City of Refuge, so Solomon had Shimei struck down for leaving the walls of Jerusalem after he had pledged not to leave. (This episode could also be applied to Numbers 30 and the swearing of oaths). 

Shimei had polluted the land by cursing the king, especially the king that God Himself had established a covenant with. Just as murder polluted the land. Numbers 35:33-34—“‘3 So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’” Let’s go all the way back to Genesis 4. The very first murder. God was accepting of Abel’s offering, but He did not accept Cain’s. This upset Cain, and he knew of no other recourse than to slay the one that God accepted. We don’t know how he killed his brother, and it really doesn't matter. He had already shown symptoms of being cursed by the sin of Adam. And he slew his brother. What was God’s reply? Genesis 4:10-11—10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.” When innocent blood is spilled upon the ground, that ground is polluted. Because the life of every creature is its blood (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23). And in order to cleanse the land from the innocent blood that had been spilled, the one who shed that blood was to be eliminated. For blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. There were commandments in the Law concerning bodily discharges such as urine and stool. God said these must be covered over by dirt, as He dwelt in the camp (see Deuteronomy 23:12-14). These are things that are naturally excreted from the body, and do not cause loss of life. How much more impure would the ground become if blood, which is supposed to stay within the body, is spilled on the ground? 

This principle had not been abrogated. In fact, Jesus said that the innocent blood of the prophets was to be paid for. Luke 11:49-51—“49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” (See also Matthew 23:34-36, where Jesus says “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets &c.”, showing that Christ Himself is the Wisdom of God.) Was the blood of the prophets who were slain ever avenged? Was the land cleansed of their innocent blood by the slaying of those who spilled it? No it has never been avenged, and the land is still polluted because of it. The blood of the martyrs slain for their witness has never been avenged. And no, the blood of Christ, the innocent Lamb of God, has never been avenged. But all this blood will be avenged one day, by the One who is closer to all of them than anyone. Ger de Koning says in his commentary (King Comments):

 

Those who build the tombs of the martyrs do not seem to be involved in the persecution and violence practiced by the fathers, but that is only apparent. The opposite will soon be the case. God will soon put them to the test by sending apostles and prophets, some of whom they will kill and others persecute to get rid of them somehow. Instead of being held back by the example of their fathers, they follow in their guilty footsteps. They are more to blame because they ignore such a serious warning. In the wisdom of God, the conduct of the people to whom the Lord speaks here, the measure of iniquity of “this generation”, which is this kind of hypocritical people, will be made full. God will then demand from them the blood of all prophets that through the ages has been shed by them from the very beginning. Abel is the first person whose blood was shed. We do not read from him a word he has spoken. Yet the Lord calls him here a prophet. By his way of life, which showed fellowship with God, he was a condemnation for Cain. What Abel did, casted light on Cain who rejected the light by killing Abel. Cain is the pious, legalistic Pharisee, who expresses his anger against someone who truly honors God. This generation will soon do the same with the Lord Jesus. 

If Jesus said it, then it is true and will be accomplished! 

To finish up this chapter—and this book—let us consider the words of the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 6:17-18—17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. We are all guilty sinners. We have all, in one way or another, polluted the land with our sins. Have we all murdered? No. And yes (see Matthew 5:21-22). Have we all committed adultery? No. and yes (see Matthew 5:27-28). Have we all stolen something? Probably. But even though we not have committed these sins that are the worst of all, we have grieved God’s heart by following our own ways and doing things that He has commanded us to not do. All of us. Every single one. And what do we deserve for committing these offenses? Death. Eternal death. Being forever separated from the one true and living God, consigned to the fires of Hell. “That sounds bleak. What can we do to avoid such a fate?” There is only one thing we can do. Run. Run to Jesus. He is our City of Refuge. Run to Him, as quickly as you can, that you may not fall into the hands of our Adversary, who seeks to separate us from Him. Let us say with David, The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence (2^nd Samuel 22:3); and Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me (Psalm 31:2); and God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1); Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge (Psalm 57:1); and In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us (Psalm 62:7-8); He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler (Psalm 91:4). Let us say with the apostle Paul But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). Let us speak the words of the publican in Luke 18:13. And let us speak as did the penitent thief, who begged our Lord to remember him in His kingdom (Luke 23:42). Of this sinner Charles Spurgeon wrote in his work “The Seven Wonders of Grace”:

 

The lesson of our text is not merely that Christ can save in our last extremity, though that is true, but that now at this moment Jesus is able to save us, and that if saved at all, salvation must be an immediate and complete act, so that, come life or come death, we are perfectly saved. It will not take the Lord long to raise the dead—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall be raised incorruptible; and the Lord takes no time in regenerating a soul. Dead souls live in an instant when the breath of the Spirit quickens them. Faith brings instantaneous pardon. There is no course of probation to go through, there are no attainments to be sought after, and no protracted efforts to be made in order to be saved. Thou art saved if thou believest in Jesus. The finished work of Christ is thine. Thou art God's beloved, accepted, forgiven, adopted child. Saved thou art, and saved thou shalt be for ever and ever if thou believest.

 

Instantaneous salvation! Immediate salvation! This the Spirit of God gives to those who trust in Jesus. Thou needest not wait till to-morrow's sun has dawned. Talk not of a more convenient season. Sitting where thou art, the almighty grace of God can come upon thee and save thee, and this shall be a sign unto thee that Christ is born in thy heart the hope of glory,—when thou believest in him as thy pardon, righteousness, and all in all, thou shalt have peace. If thou dost but trust thyself in Jesus' hands thou art a saved soul, and the angels in heaven are singing high praises to God and the Lamb on thine account. 

We who have been welcomed into the City of Refuge that is our Lord Jesus Christ, let us always remember that He has welcomed us within His gates, we are His, and we shall never be cast out! 

Dear Lord, thank You—thank You, thank You, THANK YOU!!!—that you did not forsake us in our sins, but that you prepared for us a Refuge that we could run to when we polluted the land with our sins. That You did not simply strike us down in Your anger, but You were patient with us, and gave us a City of Refuge that we could run to, lest our Adversary come upon us and eternally destroy us. For those who do not know Him, I pray that You would open their eyes to see their need for a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, that they may see their need to run to Your Refuge, that they may be saved.

 We will begin the book of Deuteronomy next week.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25, 31 (Part 1)

We will group Numbers 25 with Numbers 31, as they both tell of the sins of the people with the Midianites and the battle that followed. 

Numbers 25:1-3—1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. The name Acacia Grove is rendered in many other translations as Shittim. And the words Shittim and Acacia are synonymous for a tree that grows in the Middle East. What Balaam was unable to do, the people did themselves. Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people, but they indeed cursed themselves by committing harlotry with the women of Moab and by playing part in the idolatry of Ba'al. And it is a great example of how we should not mingle with the ungodliness of the ungodly lest we get caught up in their ungodliness and turn from God to worshipping idols. Josephus writes of this incident in his “Antiquities of the Jews” (Book 4, chapter 6, paragraph 9):

 

Now the young men were induced by the fondness they had for these women to think they spake very well; so they gave themselves up to what they persuaded them, and transgressed their own laws, and supposing there were many gods, and resolving that they would sacrifice to them according to the laws of that country which ordained them, they both were delighted with their strange food, and went on to do every thing that the women would have them do, though in contradiction to their own laws; so far indeed that this transgression was already gone through the whole army of the young men, and they fell into a sedition that was much worse than the former, and into danger of the entire abolition of their own institutions; for when once the youth had tasted of these strange customs, they went with insatiable inclinations into them; and even where some of the principal men were illustrious on account of the virtues of their fathers, they also were corrupted together with the rest. 

This would become a common theme under the kings of Israel and Judah—that a king would arise who “did evil in the sight of the LORD”. Kings who were supposed to lead the people in righteousness and reserve worship for God and God alone, would turn from Him and worship Ba'al and Asherah, knowing full well that these types of idol worship would lead to ruin for their people. Solomon, the wisest man ever, was drawn away like this. 1st Kings 11:1-4—1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." [Deuteronomy 7:3-4] Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. “If Solomon was so wise, why did he turn away from the command of God and marry these women that God said not to marry?” That is the power of the flesh. Just as Delilah turned Samson away from God to be strong in his pride, so these women turned Solomon away from God. It is what the Apostle John refers to as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1st John 2:16). Ironically, Solomon would write, in Ecclesiastes 10:1—Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. For all of Solomon’s wisdom, his folly brought about the ruin of his kingdom. 

 A modern-day example of this would be a man I greatly admired, a wise expositor of Scripture, and a man who was even a Dean at John MacArthur’s seminary and a fellow at RC Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. Steve Lawson confessed to having a five-year affair. In his words it was non-sexual (he referred to it as a “relationship” rather than an “affair”), and until proved otherwise we should believe him. That still does not excuse his behavior, as our Lord told us in Matthew 5:27-28—27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Even if he did not have sex with the woman, he had already committed adultery with her in his heart. Instead of getting away from the tent of Korah (Numbers 16:24) or plucking out his eye that was causing him to sin (Matthew 5:29), he allowed himself to be caught up in a sin that cost him dearly. He had written several books, had been preaching for several years, and had been teaching the word of God rather well. But he allowed himself to get too close with a woman, and for that weakness he has disqualified himself from being an elder. 

“Getting back to Solomon. He had all these wives and concubines. And he was used greatly by God. Doesn’t that mean that polygamy is okay?” No, it does not mean polygamy is okay. If you read on, you will see that God was definitely not pleased with him marrying all these foreign wives. For had they not turned his heart away from God, and turned him to worshipping idols? How does one think God is pleased with that? And we read of God’s displeasure with him the in verses following. 1st Kings 11:9-11—9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. 11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.” The kingdom was indeed given to his servant Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin a grave sin, a sin so grievous that God would attach it to the name of Jeroboam thereafter. The “sin of Jeroboam” is mentioned in 22 verses in the Bible. It was the penalty God placed on the people because of Solomon’s sin. Now, do you see that God did not approve of his polygamy? It is as Job when he said it best. “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). In giving the kingdom to Solomon, God was glorified. In taking the kingdom away from Solomon, God was glorified. Blessed be the name of the LORD! Much of Solomon’s writing is ironic considering this. As he wrote in the verse from Ecclesiastes earlier, so he writes in Proverbs 6:23-29—23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.                                                             

Do not think we are immune from falling into the same snare that caught Solomon and that caught Steve Lawson. It is the reason that Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 6:14-16—14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." We are human. We are fallen creatures. We can fall into sin just as easily as anybody. And it happens more frequently the closer we are to that sin. It is no trifling thing, even though there are many “pastors” these days who not only will not speak about sin (I’m talking to you, Joel Osteen), but will make excuses for sin and discount its harm. But sin IS harmful. Not only does it harm the person, it harms the name of God and the name of Christ. Look what it did to Solomon. Look what it did to Ahab. Look what it did to Steve Lawson. Do not think for a moment that sin is a harmless thing. And do not see how close you can get to it. Without going over the line because, trust me (no, rather, trust God) you will cross that line. And apart from God’s Holy Spirit, there is no going back. Sin is a terrible cliff to plunge over. John Bunyan wrote “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners” as an autobiography of his spiritual journey through his life. And in on place early on in the book he wrote:

 

Again, when as sometimes I have been about to preach upon some smart and scorching portion of the Word, I have found the tempter suggest, ‘What, will you preach this? this condemns yourself; of this your own soul is guilty; wherefore preach not of it at all; or if you do, yet so mince it as to make way for your own escape; lest instead of awakening others, you lay that guilt upon your own soul, as you will never get from under.’ But, I thank the Lord, I have been kept from consenting to these so horrid suggestions, and have rather, as Samson, bowed myself with all my might, to condemn sin and transgression wherever I found it, yea, though therein also I did bring guilt upon my own conscience!…It is far better that thou do judge thyself, even by preaching plainly to others, than that thou, to save thyself, imprison the truth in unrighteousness; blessed be God for his help also in this. 

This was a man greatly used by God, a man who eschewed sin, who thought of himself as “The Chief of Sinners”! May we all think of ourselves in like manner! 

“So what do I do if I do sin? Am I then cast off from Christ forever?” No, absolutely not! We have an advocate between God and us, and His name is Jesus Christ (1st Timothy 2:5; 1st John 2:1). How many times will God forgive us of our sins? It would not be wise to test His patience, but He will forgive us more times than there are sands in the sea. Are you in Christ? Then for the rest of your earthly life and for all eternity you shall be in Christ. Is Christ less than a perfect Savior? God forbid! Hebrews 10:14—For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Being perfected, can you make yourself unperfected? Can you undo what Christ has done? Can you uncomplete Christ’s complete sacrifice? He did not cry out “TETELESTAI!” for nothing.

 

Lifted up was He to die

“It is finished!” was His cry

Now in Heav’n exalted high

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

(“Man of Sorrows” by Philip P. Bliss) 

Do not think you are worse than the worst sinner. Do not think you are further away from the grace and mercy of God than the man who sought letters to go through Damascus delivering up the saints to their deaths! This same Savior who called that man to be His Apostle is also calling you to follow Him and be saved from your sins! Who can forgive the one who joined the worship of Ba'al in Peor, who bowed down to idols and who previously aroused the anger of God. 

But this mercy was not here shown, as God demanded He be worshipped exclusively. Numbers 25:4-5—4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor." The killing of those who joined themselves to Ba'al is reminiscent of the command to kill those who did not return to God after the episode with the Golden Calf in Exodus 32:27. God considered this episode so grievous and so heinous that He wanted the people to fully embrace the punishment thereof. Previously He had burned the outskirts of the camp, slain the people Himself while they were eating quail, opened up the earth to swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and sent plagues among them. Now, He wants the people to understand His red hot hatred of sin by executing the punishment themselves. This was no mere complaining about the hot and dry desert and lack of water the people were guilty of. This was full on idolatry with pagans they were guilty of. And the people needed to understand the consequences. The leaders of this rebellion—not a rebellion against Moses as the mouthpiece of God, but against God Himself and His rule—were to be hung up “out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” This is a kind of an illustration of Hell. In the full face of the desert sun, they were to be hanged from a tree to show forth the fiery wrath of God for all to see. 

God expressed a similar sentiment when He told Josiah what He would do to the idolaters in Judah in 2nd Kings 22:17—"Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."' The wrath of God is always described in terms which imply fire. God said of those who afflict the widows and orphans in Exodus 22:24—“My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” Hell is the ultimate expression of God’s wrath, a fire which will burn continually and shall destroy all who work iniquity. Many claim that Hell is not real, and if it is that it is not the eternal burning that it is. Progressive “pastor” Rob Bell says

 

“At the heart of this perspective is the belief that, given enough time, everybody will turn to God and find themselves in the joy and peace of God’s presence. The love of God will melt every hard heart, and even the most ‘depraved sinners’ will eventually give up their resistance and turn to God.” (Love Wins, p. 107) 

This thinking goes against the Scriptures that speak of everlasting torment. It also makes Jesus a liar. Matthew 25:41, 46—41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…46 These will go away into eternal punishment." Mark 9:43-48—43 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48  where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” 

Some say that Hell is a metaphor and that Gehenna (“hell” in verse 47) was simply taking about a place where garbage and waste were burned. Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom) was indeed a place where the fires were constantly burning because of all the waste dumped there. But how does a burning pile of garbage have power over men’s tongues? James 3:6—And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell [Greek, Gehenna]. James is here not talking of the physical organ, the thing that makes speech possible. He is talking of the desire of the tongue to say things that are not good. And that desire is inflamed by the fires of Gehenna, by Satan and his angels to defile us. And yes, the tongue defiles the entire body. Otherwise Jesus would not have said that it is what comes out of a man that defiles him (Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:20). We need to be careful for every word we speak, lest we defile ourselves and bring shame to Christ.

Part 2 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testamen Law--Numbers 9 (Part 2)

Numbers 9:6-12—6 Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. 7 And those men said to him, "We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the children of Israel?" 8 And Moses said to them, "Stand still, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you." 9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the LORD's Passover. 11 On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.’” So, the original question was “can a person who could not be at Passover on 14 Nisan get a do-over?” Well, yes. If they had just buried a relative, or they were afar off, they could gather on the 14^th day of the second month, the month of Iyar. As Nisan falls in the months of March-April on our Gregorian calendars, Iyar falls in April-May. This was called the “Second Passover”, or פסה שנ׳ (“Pesach Sheni”) The rules were the same, though. They set apart a lamb on the 10^th day of the month, kept it until the 14^th, killed it at twilight and roasted it. However, unlike the Passover on 14 Nisan, where they were to eat unleavened bread for 7 days following, this was a one-day festival, and the eating of unleavened bread was not mandated. And this really showed how devoted some people were, and how they believed God, that they wanted to honor Him despite obstacles being in their way. 

Now, what do you suppose would happen to someone who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time, and did not keep the “Second Passover”? Numbers 9:13—13 “‘But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the LORD at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.’” Notice I said at the outset the person could not keep it. If you could keep the Passover at the appointed time, at twilight on the 14^th of Nisan, you were expected to keep it. If you could not keep it then, you could keep it on 14 Iyar. And if the person did not keep it even then, that person was cut off from his people. God is a God of second chances, and does not restrain His grace from those who seek His will and seek to live for Him and keep His commandments. He calls us to do the same. Matthew 18:21-22—21   Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” So are we to start counting the number of times our brother sins against us, and when we get to 491, tell him “Okay, you’ve reached your limit. I will not forgive you any more”? No, of course not. Consider how many times God has forgiven you, and continues to forgive you. Lest you think that once Jesus washed you, your feet do not get dirty again. Now, you may say “if my brother sins against me 490 times, and they repent and ask forgiveness 490 times, is that true repentance?” Is that any different from when we ask God for forgiveness? How many times do we transgress against him in a single day? Yet we repent and go and ask him to forgive our sins. I dare say in any given year, that number is far greater than 490. 

The point is that 490 is not a static number, and we are not to count the number of times our brother sins against us. Many people say that Paul preached a different message than Christ did, but this is one place where we can tell that person that they are mistaken. 1st Corinthians 13 is called by many “the love chapter”, for it outlines what love towards our neighbors looks like. And one verse that gets misused is 1st Corinthians 13:5—[love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. And I want to focus on that last part, thinks no evil. The KJV and NKJV translate that passage thus, but I really think it misses the mark, as many later translations have improved upon it and have rendered it does not take into account a wrong suffered. The Greek of that section is λογίζεται τὸ κακόν (logizetai to kakon), and it literally means “to reckon inwardly things of a bad nature”. Young’s literal Translation says [love] doth not impute evil. So if we truly love our neighbor, we will not go through our life counting how many times they have done us wrong, remembering the even greater number of times we have done wrong to God. 

But to show us that He is an exacting God, that to cross certain lines is unacceptable, and that even with how patient He is, His commands are not to be trifled with, He tells the people that even though He gives them a second chance to keep the Passover if they cannot do so on 14 Nisan, He says the person who neglects either the first or the second Passover shall be cut off from among his people. When the Bible talks about people being “cut off”, it does not mean shunned, or ostracized or even sent away. It means dead. The person who did not keep the Passover, God would destroy them. He set His appointed times to be observed at the required time, and He had a reason. And the people were not to reject these times, because doing so would be to show a sort of flippancy toward these times and, subsequently, toward God. And are we any different? If we ignore His Christ, Whom He sent to bear away our sins, do not our sins stay with us, and will they not lead us to be cut off from Him? Hebrews 2:3—How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. Hebrews 10:28-31—28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The Law condemned to death anyone guilty of a capital offense if two or three witnesses gave proper testimony. But there is a far worse punishment for those who reject His Christ. If one does that, they will not be judged by a human jury or tribunal or court-martial. They will be tried by God Himself, by His Law, by His justice, by His perfectness, and will be found wanting and will suffer an even graver, and eternal, punishment. The Expositor’s Greek New Testament—

 

“The guilt of the apostate which justifies this sorer punishment is detailed in three particulars. He has trampled on the Son of God. The highest of Beings who has deserved best at his hands is spurned with outrageous scorn…“and has reckoned the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified, a common thing”…This blood is the purifying agent by which men are fitted for the fellowship and service of God, and so brought within the covenant…This sole means of purification, the sanctifying virtue of which the supposed apostate has experienced, he now counts common or unclean…The third point in the heinousness of the sin of apostasy is “and has insulted the spirit of grace”…The spirit of grace is the distinctive gift of Christian times, and is not only the Pauline but the universal antithesis to the law. To have blasphemed this gracious Spirit, who brings the assurance of God’s presence and pardon, and gifts suited to each believer, is to renounce all part in things spiritual.”

 

Do not neglect so great a salvation. Do not tread the Son of God underfoot, do not count the blood He shed as common or unclean, and do not despise the Holy Spirit! 

Numbers 9:15-23—15 Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. 18 At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the LORD they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the LORD they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the LORD they remained encamped, and at the command of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 

Ever been on a long trip and just felt like stopping somewhere, and said “this is as good a place as any. Let’s stop.” Then when you think the time is right you say “Okay, this is as good a time as any. Let’s go!” These people did not have that option when it came to their journey from Sinai to Canaan. On the first day the Tabernacle was erected, God covered the Tabernacle in a cloud. During the day it was a cloud, at night it was a pillar of fire. Whether day or night, if the cloud or fire was there, it was there for one reason: that was where the people were to stay. If the cloud remained, the people remained. If it moved, the people moved. No one was to say “You guys stay here, my wife and I are going on ahead. We’ll see you when you catch up” or “You guys go on ahead, we’ll catch up later”. No one was exempted from this command. This was a way to train the people to keep their eyes always on God. To always be looking for Him, to always be seeking Him. And also, to show them that they could look everywhere on every horizon, but He was in that one place. And that cloud led the Tabernacle around, and where it stopped, they were to pitch that great Tent.

Let’s fast forward to Solomon. The man who did not ask for riches or wealth, but rather wisdom from God. His father, David, desired to build a temple for God. 2nd Samuel 7:1-2—1 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains." The man after God’s own heart grew weary of having God lead around a tent (and maybe thought that God was confined to that tent), and desired to build a permanent place for God to set His name. Even his prophet Nathan agreed 2nd Samuel 7:3—Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you." They were both guilty of trying to move when the cloud was standing still. Keep in mind, of course, that this was at the time when the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem and after the death of Uzzah for putting his hand on the Ark (2nd Samuel 6:6-7). This dismayed David, and more than likely, after it weighed on his heart, he thought that there should be one place where God kept His glory and His name. And while David’s heart was in the right place, it was not yet time for God to settle His cloud in one place. 2nd Samuel 7:5-13—5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ 8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David…10 I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously…12 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”’” The group Point of Grace did a song called “Steady On”, which talks about how often we are unable to wait for God to do something, and we think we have to act before He has said to move. The chorus goes:

 We run on up ahead, we lag behind You

It’s hard to wait when heaven’s on our mind

Teach our restless feet to walk beside You

‘Cause in or hearts, we’re already gone

Will You walk with us

Steady On

That’ was the problem David faced so many times. He wanted to run on up ahead, when He should have just walked beside God. Which is why we read in Psalm 46:10—Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Whether He moves, or whether He stands still, He will be exalted forever. Amen. 

Well, we know that God did establish a place for His name. In 2nd Chronicles 1:1, we see that the Tabernacle was in Gibeon, which was located north of Jerusalem in what is now called the West Bank. Solomon went to the Tabernacle, and that was where he asked God for wisdom and received it. While the name David (דָּוִד) means “beloved”, the name Solomon (שְׁלֹמֹה [shelomo]) meant “peace” (as it was derived from the word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) which means “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace”). And it was by Solomon that God’s Ark found peace, as he had the temple built in Jerusalem (2nd Chronicles 2:1-5:1); this was where God would place His name (2nd Chronicles 7:12), and the cloud overshadowed it (2nd Chronicles 5:13-14) and the fire came down and devoured the sacrifices (2nd Chronicles 7:3). And with these two signs, God made His presence known, and established Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַם, [Yerusalam] “teaching of peace”) as the city where His glory and His name would reside (so to speak). 

Yet again, as so many times before, this points us to our Lord Jesus. For it was Jerusalem where He was slain for our transgressions. And what did He say in John 2:19, 21—"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"…He was speaking of the temple of His body. And it was on Christ that He placed His name, for He was His Son, in who He was well pleased (Matthew 3:17, 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). John 17:6—“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” And in the death of Christ we see the fulfillment of the type given us in 2^nd Chronicles. Jesus manifested—made “visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way”—the name of God. At His death there was darkness over the land (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44), and He sent his holy fire of wrath upon His son as a sacrifice for our sins (Mark 15:34). AW Pink in his classic “The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the cross” in the chapter “The Word of Anguish” sums it up majestically:

 

“At the cross all our iniquities were laid upon Christ and therefore did Divine judgment fall upon Him. There was no way of transferring sin without also transferring its penalty. Both sin and punishment were transferred to the Lord Jesus. On the cross Christ was making propitiation, and propitiation is solely Godward. It was a question of meeting the claims of God’s holiness; it was a matter of meeting the demands of His justice. Not only was Christ’s blood shed for us, but it was also shed for God. He hath given Himself for us and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour (Ephesians 5:2), Thus it was foreshadowed on the memorable night of Passover in Egypt: the lamb’s blood must be where God’s eye could see it—“when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13)”

 May we be a place where God places His name. May we live to always look for the cloud and the fire, and follow Him. May we always remember that our Passover Lamb was not of the herds and flocks, it was not of any earthly stock, but this Lamb came down from God, is feasted on as one sacrifice by us who are of one body, was consumed by the fire of God to make a sweet smelling sacrifice, was enveloped in clouds and darkness, but rose again, that He might show Himself to be triumphant over every enemy, and give to us that victory over the grave, that we may live forevermore with Him in His kingdom. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.