THE LORD SPOKE (March 09)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Numbers 32-33

“Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Num. 32:23). That’s a good verse to pin on the walls of your secret places - a reminder when you’re tempted to think “nobody will know”. It can go right beside the plaque that says, “Thou God seest me.” (Gen. 16:13).

But be sure to take another look at the context. The original speaker is Moses. The original hearers, the two tribes that approached him about settling to the east of the Jordan Valley. The context was Moses’ stern warning to them not to weaken or discourage the Israelite forces by not participating in the conquest of Canaan.

The tribe of Gad and the tribe of Reuben were eventually joined by half of the tribe of Manasseh in the settlement of Transjordan (Num. 32:33). Moses’ requirement was that they participate first in the battles for Cisjordan. Since the territory east of the Jordan was not specifically included in the original border descriptions of the Promised Land, it is significant that the terminology here and hereafter is the same. The allotment to the two and a half tribes is constantly referred to as their “inheritance” and their “possession” (e.g. Num. 32:5,19,22,29,32). It says “God gave it” to them repeatedly. So let’s be done with any talk of Israel not having a divine right to anything east of the Jordan River or north of the Galilee. Those borders were couched in expandable terms from the very beginning when God made the original promises to Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21), to Isaac (Gen. 26:2-4), and to Jacob (Gen. 35:11-12). If there was any doubt, He spelled it out to Moses:

Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. (Deut. 11:24)

Much of this might just be ancient history, no longer significant to us, were it not for the prophetic descriptions of Ezekiel (Ezek. 45), Isaiah (Isa. 49:8 and context), and others who predict the restoration of the tribes to their inheritances. This is the thrust also of the 144,000 coming out of the original tribes (Rev. 7) and their inclusion on the gates of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12).

God isn’t through with Israel yet - neither the people nor the land!


New Testament: Luke 24

“Were not our hearts burning within us?” (Lk. 24:32)

Like John Wesley at the Aldersgate chapel, the disciples’ heart-swelling sensation was the result of intimate contact with the Lord. What specifically caused it? The verse goes on to say, “while He talked with us”. It’s when we hear the Lord speak to us that we experience that warm realization of His presence and joy floods our soul.

But it’s not just warm-fuzzies. The verse is more specific when it says “he talked with us...and opened the Scriptures to us”. Farther ahead (vs. 44,45) this is again emphasized. “He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” It’s when the input is biblical content that life-change takes place. It is the Bible that moves us off dead center. It is God’s written Word that gives us drive and forward momentum. It is Scripture that steels our soul for every eventuality and prepares us to face the Enemy.

These men were discouraged and on the brink of spiritual collapse. They had nearly given up. Though they had all the pieces before them, they couldn’t see how to fit it all together. They spoke using words like “prophet”, “power”, “third day”, “no body”, and “empty tomb” but they couldn’t connect the dots.

Until Jesus explained things. Then it all made sense. All of a sudden it came together for them and their hearts began to burn. It’s the first DVD I want to check out from the Celestial Library collection. Imagine! Jesus teaching on the Messianic passages from the Old Testament.

Stop and think about that one. “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Lk. 24:27). All our questions about difficult texts and the messianic connections will be forever solved.

When they saw those hands breaking the bread (Lk. 24:30-31, 35) it all came back to them. They’d seen those hands on the shores of Galilee breaking bread for the multitudes. Now there was something different. The hands had freshly closed wounds and their/our redemption was accomplished.