the people of Israel

With Eyes Wide Open

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12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 ESV

In verses 7-11, Paul addressed the greater glory of the new covenant, as revealed by the indwelling Holy Spirit and His sanctifying ministry in the lives of believers. Rather than having to live up to a God-ordained code of conduct in our own strength, we have been given a new nature, made possible by the Holy Spirit’s presence within us. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained just what man’s relationship with the old covenant had become due to the work of the Holy Spirit.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:3-4 ESV

And Paul tells the Corinthians, “since we have such a hope, we are very bold” (2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV). Unlike the glory that shone from Moses’ face after having received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai, our glory is internal and eternal. The Holy Spirit is a permanent resident in the life of the believer, and His glory shines through us. The book of Exodus reveals that Moses was unaware that his face exuded the glory of God. He was oblivious to his outward transformation until others pointed it out.

When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the LORD. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him. – Exodus 34:29-30 ESV

When Moses realized that his radiant face terrified the people, he covered it with a veil. Moses records that “whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face” (Exodus 34:33-35 NLT).

It seems that Moses initially veiled his face to diminish the people’s fear. But in time, his motive appears to have changed. His continued wearing of the veil went from protection to prevention. He was less worried about their fear than he was about their unfaithfulness. So, he prevented the people from seeing God’s glory because he deemed them unworthy. 

While the Old Testament does not record this fact, Paul states that the day came when the glory on Moses’ face began to fade; yet he continued to wear the veil. This left the people with the impression that nothing had changed. Yet Paul insists, “We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away” (2 Corinthians 3:13 NLT). Paul seems to infer that the glory on Moses’ face was never intended to be permanent. As time passed, the people grew used to their leader’s glowing face. They even noticed that it had begun to fade. 

Their reaction to Moses’ fading countenance reflected their attitude toward the Mosaic Law. In the beginning, they treated it with awe and reverence, but over time their fear subsided, and their commitment to God’s Law waned.

Neither Moses nor Paul explains why the glory faded. Perhaps it reflects Moses’ own doubts about the Law’s efficacy. He was not seeing in the people the kind of life change he expected. Their fear of his glowing face did not translate into obedience to God’s commands. And while Moses continued to meet with Yahweh,  it appears that those encounters had a diminishing impact on Moses. Paul writes that the glory on Moses’ face was “destined to fade away” (2 Corinthians 3:13 NLT). It was never meant to be permanent and, as Paul insists, neither was the law.

The old covenant, like the glow on Moses’ face, was always meant to be temporary. It would not last and would one day be replaced by the new covenant and the permanent, indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as Moses covered his face with a veil, Paul says the minds of the Israelites were veiled so that their hearts were hardened and they were unable to see the truth. They believed the law was the key to their righteousness, even though they were incapable of obeying it. And it was their stubborn belief that the old covenant (the law) was the God-ordained means of being made right with Him that kept them from accepting Christ when He came. They refused to believe that He was the answer to their sin problem.

But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. – 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 ESV)

Their stubborn adherence to self-righteousness prevents them from accepting the righteousness made possible through the death of Jesus Christ. And yet, Paul repeatedly insists that obedience to the law was never intended as the path to justification before God.

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. – Galatians 2:16 NLT

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Galatians 3:11 NLT

So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. – Romans 3:28 NLT

Paul tells the Corinthians, “whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16 NLT), and it is the Spirit of God that makes this possible. He opens the eyes of the spiritually blind, those with veiled hearts, and allows them to see the life-changing truth of the gospel. As a result, they “can see and reflect the glory of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18a NLT). Like Moses, they can see the glory of God face-to-face and, not only that, they can reflect that glory to all those around them — a glory that will never fade.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have access to God just as Moses did. We can enter into His presence at any time, day or night. Not only that, but He has also placed His presence within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we are being transformed by this daily encounter with the divine, from one degree of glory to another, slowly, methodically, and persistently,

God is molding us into the likeness of His Son, and it is all because of His Spirit’s presence within us. There is no longer any law to live up to, but only the Spirit to whom we must submit. In his letter to the believers in Galatia, Paul explained the need for submission to the Spirit’s leading.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. – Galatians 5:16-18 NLT

The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the capacity to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. He is the glory of God who resides in us and shines through us. He is constantly transforming us, and because He never leaves us, our ongoing transformation is guaranteed to never fade or falter.

Father, thank You for the gift of the Spirit. Without His indwelling presence, I would be just like Moses and the people of Israel, stuck trying to live up to Your holy standards in my own strength and doomed to failure. Rule-keeping is always onerous, but for some reason it feels like the right thing to do. I tend to like a list of do’s and don’t’s to keep because it allows me to keep score on my progress. But Paul makes it clear that I am incapable of living up to Your holy standards on my own. So, You graciously gave me the Holy Spirit as my advocate and helper. My ability to reflect Your glory isn’t up to me; it’s the work of Your Spirit within me. And now that my eyes are unveiled, I can see the law for what it is; a tool that reveals my sinfulness and reminds me of my need for the Spirit’s life-transforming power. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s Hatred for Hidden Sin

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11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, 13 if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act, 14 and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, 15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16 “And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord. 17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and unbind the hair of the woman’s head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. 19 Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. 20 But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you, 21 then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) ‘the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. 22 May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen.’

23 “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain. 25 And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand and shall wave the grain offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27 And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.

29 “This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. 31 The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.” – Numbers 5:11-31 ESV

It was literally impossible for the Israelites to maintain their holiness and purity before God. Sin and sickness, both inevitable outcomes of living in a fallen world, were going to be a constant part of their lives. And because God dwelt in their midst, the ramifications of their sinfulness and sickness were serious. Disease and disobedience both separated the people from God. The very existence of disease was a direct result of sin’s entrance into the world.

Ultimately, disease and disobedience both lead to death. God gave Moses strict instructions about what to do with those who found themselves suffering from potentially contagious diseases; they were to be removed from the camp. This was not an indication that their illness was due to a specific sin they had committed, but a recognition that sickness was the inevitable byproduct of sin’s presence in the world. God expected His people to remain pure, both spiritually and physically, if they wanted to enter into His presence. But as always, God provided a means by which they could be restored to a right relationship with Him, despite sickness or sin.

In today’s passage, we see that God even expected the marriages of His people to be pure and above reproach. To our modern sensibilities, these verses contain some rather bizarre and somewhat disturbing counsel concerning marital unfaithfulness. But while it may be easy to fixate on the almost cultic nature of God’s instructions, it’s important that we not miss the motivation behind them.

God provided Moses with detailed instructions for determining whether a man’s wife was guilty of adultery. It’s interesting to note that in the “test” God provided, the hidden sin of the woman when revealed, would result in sickness. In this case, her sickness would be proof of her sin. It’s no coincidence that the resulting sickness attacked the very organs that had been used to commit the sin in the first place. There is much about this passage that is difficult to understand, but it is clear that God was dealing with sin among His chosen people in a powerful and pronounced way. This “test,” when witnessed by others, would prove to be an effective deterrent to further adultery in the camp.

In the closing part of chapter 6, God gave Moses a blessing to pronounce over the people.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. – Numbers 6:24-26 ESV

This simple, yet profound blessing reminds us that it was God’s ultimate desire to bless His people and one of the greatest blessings He could bestow on them was the guarantee of His abiding presence. But for God to remain within their midst, He had to deal justly and firmly with the sins committed by them. It was up to God to provide them with peace when their repeated sins and inevitable exposures to disease would leave them alienated from Him.

God alone is the instigator, arbiter, and maintainer of the relationship He has with mankind. It is He who seeks us and not the other way around. Left to our own devices, we will always seek a god of our own choosing, and we will tend to measure our relationship with that god based on our own performance and acts of self-righteousness.

Humanity has always lived under the delusion that life can be lived apart from the one true God. Even those who long for God, believe that He is little more than an objective to be pursued; a giver of gifts whose favor must be earned. They make God the means rather than the end. He becomes little more than a resource to get what they really want: peace, prosperity, contentment, happiness, fulfillment, and significance. This is why men tend to make gods out of anything that might offer them the hope of happiness or a better life.

But we can’t earn favor with God, and we can’t turn Him into some kind of divine lottery ticket that we hope will grant us our heart’s wildest desires. It was impossible for the people of Israel to live up to God’s exacting standards. They would and did continually fail. But God had provided a means of atoning for their inevitable sins and dealing with the inescapable reality of sickness. Sickness is difficult to hide. Skin disorders and diseases would inevitably reveal themselves to the rest of the faith community and, as soon as the sickness became apparent, it had to be dealt with. But sin can remain hidden for a long time, where it is unobserved and invisible to everyone around us. Sin is like cancer that can go undetected among the people of God, slowly spreading and infecting the body over time.

The passage in Numbers 6 contains some rather disturbing and difficult-to-understand directives for dealing with marital unfaithfulness. What God commands almost sounds like a form of witchcraft. It involves the mixing of strange potions and the incantation of curses. There are offerings made and mystical symptoms to be observed.

The whole thing comes across as something the pagan nations might practice. But this was the will of God for His people. It was a divinely ordained process for exposing sin in a marriage that could easily infect the entire faith community.

“Marital deceit is a matter of such seriousness that the truth must be discovered. It is harmful to the sanctity of the community at large, and destructive of one of the bases of community life.” – Philip J. Budd, Numbers

God takes sin seriously and He expected His children to do the same. There was no place for sinful activity among the people of God and yet He knew it would inevitably take place. That is why He established strict guidelines for exposing sin so that the people might continue to enjoy His abiding presence and power in their midst.

“. . . this particular case law is included here because it gives another illustration of God’s personal involvement in the restitution for the sin of the nation. Within God’s covenant with Israel, there could be no hidden sin among God’s people nor any hidden suspicion of sin.

“The law of jealousy shows that through the role of the priest, God was actively at work in the nation and that no sin of any sort could be tolerated among God’s holy people.” – John H. Sailhamer, “The Mosaic Law and the Theology of the Pentateuch.” Westminster Theological Journal 53 (Fall 1991):241-61.

Sin carries a cost. It promises joy and fulfillment but rarely delivers, and hidden sin is the most egregious and dangerous of all. It may lie undetected but its influence continues to spread throughout the body of Christ. We may fool all those around us, but our all-knowing, all-seeing God cannot be deceived or duped. And because He cares for His people, He will see that sin is exposed and expunged. Out of His deep desire to bless His children, God lovingly purifies their lives from the damaging effects of sin.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No Atonement Available

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30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.”

35 Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. – Exodus 32:30-35 ESV

It is easy to overlook the gravity of the situation that had taken place in the valley below Mount Sinai. The people of Israel had done far more than order the creation of a false god that they might worship. Their little festal celebration was far much more than a party to commemorate their new deity. It was all blatant rejection of God Almighty and a patent refusal to keep the commitments they had made to Him. They had made a conscious decision to turn their backs on Yahweh and renege on their vows to obey His laws.

But God took their actions as a direct affront to His sovereignty and as a willful violation of the gracious covenant He had made with the people of Israel.

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5-6 ESV

And on two separate occasions, the people had responded to God’s call to covenant faithfulness by making a corporate oath to obey.

“All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” – Exodus 19:8 ESV

“All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” – Exodus 24:3 ESV

But their actions spoke louder than their words. While Moses had been up on Mount Sinai receiving God’s plans for the Tabernacle, the people had grown restless. His absence had left them with a leadership void and a growing sense of dissatisfaction with their nomadic lifestyle in the wilderness. Despite God’s ongoing provision for all their needs, they were wrestling with discontentment and disappointment over their circumstances. They had yet to fully accept Yahweh as their God. They viewed Him as a distant deity who resided among the thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire that covered Mount Sinai. They feared Him but did not yet revere Him. They understood Him to be powerful and potentially dreadful but did not view Him as relational.

What makes their predicament so precarious is that they stood before God as guilty of having violated two of the primary commands that had been written by the finger of God on the tablets of stone that now lay shattered on the valley floor. God had clearly prohibited their worship of any other God but Him.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:3 ESV

This was not an optional clause in the covenant. It was a command that completely ruled out the worship of any other gods but Yahweh. And to make sure the people understood the nature of this restriction, God provided further clarification.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me…” – Exodus 20:4-5 ESV

And yet, what had they done? In Moses’ absence, they had grown impatient and decided that these laws were no longer applicable or amenable to them. Incited by a group of disgruntled malcontents, the people demanded that Aaron provide them with a new god to replace the one that Moses had introduced them to.

“Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” – Exodus 32:1 ESV

During their long stay in Egypt, they had grown accustomed to the concept of a plurality of gods. In fact, they had adopted many of those gods as their own (Joshua 24:14-15). So, the idea of worshiping one god was new to them. And this God of Moses had proven to be a particularly difficult deity to embrace because He was invisible and seemingly unapproachable. By demanding that Aaron manufacture a new god, they were hedging their bets. They were hoping he could produce a second or third option when it came to divine assistance.

But Moses understood the gravity of their sin. He had heard the voice of God stating His divine displeasure with His people.

“I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” – Exodus 32:9-10 ESV

Now, as he stood before his brother and the surviving members of the Israelite nation, Moses warned them that they were not out of the woods yet. The execution of the ringleaders had not solved their problem.

“You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” – Exodus 32:30 ESV

What is amazing to consider is that Aaron was still alive. Moses had demanded his death along with the rest of the men who had instigated the rebellion. Even though Aaron had given in to their demands and had fabricated the false god, he had been spared death. This is likely linked to Moses’ understanding that Aaron had been set apart by God to serve as the future high priest of Israel. But although Aaron was alive, he was far from guiltless.

As the mediator for God’s people, Moses headed back up the mountain to intercede on their behalf before Yahweh. He entered again into God’s presence as the people stood in the valley below, waiting to hear what the verdict would be. Moses had left them in a state of anxious insecurity, having indicated his own doubts concerning the outcome of his efforts.

“…perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” – Exodus 32:30 ESV

He would do his best, but he could not assure the people that God would forgive them for their actions.

Once he arrived back at the summit, Moses addressed his concerns to God in the form of an ultimatum.

“Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” – Exodus 32:31-32 ESV

Moses seems to bargain with God. He confesses the sins of the people and knows that they deserve death for what they have done, but he pleads for God to forgive them. If God, in His righteous judgment, should refuse to forgive, Moses asks that God absolve him of all responsibility for the people. By asking that he be blotted out of God’s “book,” it appears that Moses is asking for a premature death. He would rather die than have to watch the divine annihilation of his fellow Israelites. By referencing this “book,” Moses is likely indicating his belief in a divine record of all living humans. Moses preferred death to life if God was not going to forgive the people of Israel. He knew that God had every right to mete out justice and judgment upon His rebellious people.  But Moses longed for forgiveness.

God responded to Moses’ request with a declaration of His intent.

“Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.” – Exodus 32:33 ESV

Moses would not die. God was not going to punish Moses for the sins of the people. But He would hold responsible all those who had willingly joined in the rebellion. They would pay with their lives. And God chose to punish the guilty with a plague. He brought upon them the same kind of judgment He had used against the nation of Egypt. We are not told the nature of the plague, but it is clear that God poured out His wrath on the guilty. He did not accept Moses’ offer to serve as a substitute for their sins. Moses could not offer atonement with his life because he too was a sinner. Those who were guilty would have to atone for their own sins with their own lives. But not all died because not all had participated in the rebellion.

God instructed Moses to continue his role of leading the people. He had a job to do and God had a promise to fulfill. The rest of the people of Israel would continue their journey to Canaan and one day cross over into the Jordan River into the promised land.

“…now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you.” – Exodus 32:34 ESV

God would be faithful to His covenant. But for all those who had chosen to break the covenant with God, they would pay dearly.

“Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” – Exodus 32:34 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Enter At Your Own Risk

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9 When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them. – Exodus 19:9-25 ESV

When Moses informed the people that they were going to be God’s treasured possession and “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6 ESV) they were thrilled. They were even willing to give their enthusiastic and heartfelt affirmation of God’s command to obey His voice and keep His covenant.

“All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” – Exodus 19:8 ESV

This must have sounded like music to the ears of the man who had repeatedly felt the brunt of their anger as they complained about everything from the lack of water to the scarcity of bread. That they would so readily agree to obey God must have thrilled Moses, so he was anxious to report this good news back up the food chain.

But it seems that God had a few doubts concerning the people’s commitment to keeping their word. So, He gave Moses instructions to prepare the people for an up-close and personal encounter with their God.

“Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch.” – Exodus 19:10-11 NLT

Four separate times in this passage, some version of the word, “consecrate” is used. In Hebrew, it is the word קָדַשׁ (qāḏaš), which means “to sanctify, set apart, separate, or make holy.” God gave Moses instructions to prepare the people to meet with Him.  This conveys the idea that they were not ready to come into God’s presence. While God had promised to set them apart as His own, they needed to know that they were not in a proper moral state to come before a holy and sinless God. In a sense, they were too poorly clothed to come into the presence of the King. So, God had Moses tell them to clean up their act, even ordering that they wash their clothes and abstain from sexual intercourse for the next three days.

This entire episode was designed to teach the people a valuable lesson concerning the holiness of God. He was the transcendent God of the universe, the creator of heaven and earth. They could not treat Him as they had Moses. He would not tolerate the disrespectful and disobedient ways in which they had approached His servant. He was God Almighty and worthy of honor and reverence. And just so the people understood the danger of dismissing His holiness, God had Moses create a boundary around the base of Mount Sinai, designed to prevent the people from getting too close to His glory.

“Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death.’” – Exodus 19:12 NLT

Up until this point, the only interaction the people had with God was through the voice of Moses or through the presence of the pillar of cloud. Their knowledge of Him was limited. In their experience, God was a disembodied entity who chose to speak through a human surrogate and manifest Himself through a cloud-like apparition. They had never heard His voice or seen Him face to face. But that was about to change.

For three days, the people prepared and, during that time, they avoided going anywhere near the mountain for fear of death. Then the bid day arrived when the ram’s horn was blown and the people made their way to Mount Sinai. There before them stood the mountain of God, covered by a dark storm cloud from which came flashes of lightning and the deafening sound of thunder.

All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. – Exodus 19:18 ESV

The scene left the people in a state of abject fear. They had never seen anything like this before. The majesty and might of God were on full display and had their intended effect – “all the people in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16 ESV). They were left in a state of fearful awe and wonder at the power of God’s presence. This was not the innocent-looking cloud that had led them through the wilderness. It was not the light-giving pillar of fire that had illuminated their camp at night. This was the earth-shaking, ear-splitting presence of the transcendent, all-powerful God of the universe. He had come down to earth and was demonstrating His glory and greatness for all to see and hear.

And the people watched in wonder as Moses made his way up the mountain and into the midst of the storm cloud of God’s presence. At that moment, no one wanted to switch places with Moses. They were all too glad to remain safely ensconced in the valley and allow Moses to take all the risks.

But when Moses entered God’s presence, he was surprised to hear what the Almighty had to say.

“Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die. Even the priests who regularly come near to the Lord must purify themselves so that the Lord does not break out and destroy them.” – Exodus 19:21-22 NLT

To Moses, this all sounded redundant and unnecessary. God had already commanded him to create a boundary around the base of the mountain and, in their current state of fear, it was highly unlikely that anyone was going to attempt to breach that barrier.

But the omniscient God knew something Moses was ignorant of – the people would always be tempted to treat His holiness with disrespect and disregard. Their fear would eventually turn to familiarity that bordered on complacency. In time, they would lose their fear of God and learn to take Him for granted. But God wanted them to know that He was unapproachable and off-limits for any who attempted to come into His presence in an unworthy or impure state.

God knew that the boundary Moses had placed around the base of the mountain would not hold back the people forever. Eventually, they would become curious and want to venture into God’s presence uninvited and in an unworthy state. But because of His holiness, that would prove to be an unwise and unhealthy decision.

God wanted His people to know that their status as His treasured possession did not give them the right to come into His presence flippantly or arrogantly. While He had set them apart as His own, they remained impure and unworthy of entering His presence. Their sinful state would keep them separated from God. Without proper cleansing, they could not expect to enter into the joy of God’s presence.

With the rules fully established, God commanded Moses to go back down the mountain and return with Aaron. But no one else was allowed to approach God’s presence without facing the penalty of death.

“Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. In the meantime, do not let the priests or the people break through to approach the Lord, or he will break out and destroy them.” – Exodus 19:24 NLT

What happens next is critical. Aaron and Moses will return to the top of the mountain, where they will receive the commandments of God. Years earlier, on this very same mountain, Moses heard the voice of God coming out of the burning bush. On that occasion, God had given him instructions concerning the deliverance of the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt. Now, God was going to provide Moses with instructions regarding their conduct as His treasured possession. Now that they were free, how were they to live? What were the rules of conduct that would guide their behavior and set them apart as God’s chosen people?

God was not going to leave their actions up to them. He was going to make it perfectly and painfully clear how they were to behave as His kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Nothing would be left up to the imagination. They had readily agreed to obey His commands. Now, they were going to discover the demanding code of conduct they had signed up to keep.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Filling A Void.

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After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. – 2 Samuel 15:1-6 ESV

There are many things we could say about Absalom – many of them negative. But he was anything but impatient. He had spent two full years plotting his revenge against Amnon. Then he had spent three years living in self-imposed exile in Geshur, waiting to see what his father would do in reaction to his murder of Amnon. When David finally agreed to allow Absalom to return, he waited another two years, confined to his home, because his father refused to either pardon or punish him. And as we will see in the next section of chapter 15, Absalom will bide his time for another four years, quietly and patiently plotting his next move. Yes, Absalom was patient. He was willing to wait. But all the while he waited, he used the time to his advantage and was far from idle.

After David had restored him to favor, Absalom got busy. He had become well aware of a flaw in his father’s leadership abilities. He had personally experienced David’s predilection to procrastination and inaction. He had also been the beneficiary of David’s reluctance to enact justice as God’s appointed judge of Israel. And as Absalom made his way around the capital of Jerusalem, interfacing with the people of Israel, he became more and more convinced that his father‘s weaknesses could be exploited to his own advantage. Absalom was an ambitious young man who had shown his willingness to take matters into his own hands. When David had done nothing to punish Amnon for his rape of Tamar, Absalom had stepped in. When Joab had refused to respond to his repeated requests for an audience with David, he got Joab’s attention by having his barley fields set on fire. Absalom was a doer. He was driven and determined. And when he saw the flaw in David’s armor, he determined to strike a blow.

But Absalom was also cunning and clever. He would have made a great politician. He didn’t personally attack David or expose his weaknesses to the press. He simply began a quiet campaign to win over the hearts of the people. He slowly and subtly created doubt and suspicion in their minds regarding David’s leadership over them and love for them. First of all, he began a carefully crafted publicity campaign. He had been out of sight for five years, so it was important that he establish an image with the people. And the first thing he did was come up with plan to portray himself as a leader. It didn’t hurt that he was good looking.

Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. – 2 Samuel 14:25 NLT

And he was a family man.

He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful. – 2 Samuel 14:27 NLT

Now, all he needed was the trappings of success. So he bought himself some wheels.

Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. – 2 Samuel 15:1 NLT

Next, he took his show on the road. And what a sight he made each morning when he arrived at the city gate. Nobody would have missed his arrival or wondered who he was. This was Absalom, son of the king. He was handsome, apparently successful and, on top of that, he was a man of the people. You see, Absalom knew that the key to successfully running the nation was to win over the hearts of the people. So he devised a plan to do just that. His strategy of going to the city gate each morning was brilliant. It was at the city gate that all business was conducted and justice dispensed. The people would come there to have their disputes mediated and complaints heard. David was to have his appointed judges and rulers ready to hear from his people and help with their problems. But evidently, David had been lax in providing the judgment and justice a growing city required. And the people were not happy. The crowds gathered each day, expecting justice, but walked away with their expectations unmet. So Absalom exploited the situation.

His arrival each day would not have gone unnoticed. And he went out of his way to ensure that the people saw him as not only a person of power and influence, but a man who cared about their needs. The text tells us, “When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from…” (2 Samuel 15:2 NLT). He would listen to their problem and then he would assure them, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!” (2 Samuel 15:3-4 NLT). Like the serpent in the garden, Absalom sowed seeds of doubt and led the people to question the care and concern of David for their needs. Without attacking David directly, Absalom undermined his father’s credibility with the people. After all, Absalom was there at the gate. He was talking and listening directly to the people. Where was David? Was he too busy to take care of his people? Was he too good to show up at the gate and listen to the problems facing the citizens of his kingdom?

Absalom was sly. He was crafty. And he was coldly calculating in all that he did. When the people began to see him as someone who cared and who might be willing to assist them with their needs, they would treat him with honor and respect, bowing down before him. But Absalom did the unthinkable and unexpected. Instead of allowing the people to honor him as some kind of dignitary, he would embrace them in his arms, treating them as his equal. And his ploy worked.

Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel. – 2 Samuel 15:6 NLT

An interesting side note in all of this is found in the book of Deuteronomy. There we find a somewhat obscure law regarding what to do with a rebellious son. And the fascinating thing about this law is where it was to be enacted: At the city gate.

“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” – Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ESV

So, here we have Absalom, the king’s son, who has already murdered his brother, now plotting the overthrow of his father’s kingdom. And where is he attempting sow the seeds of doubt that will later blossom into the fruit of rebellion? The city gate. The very place where Absalom should have been brought to have his crime against Amnon judged and his execution enacted, was where he would begin his rebellion against David.

Once again, we see David’s failure to act decisively coming back to haunt him. We must ask ourselves why it was so easy for Absalom to win over the hearts of the people. Had they become disgruntled and disenchanted with all of David’s well-publicized moral failings? There is little doubt that rumors regarding David’s affair with Bathsheba had gotten out. Most likely, the news of Uriah’s death had spread and the questions regarding the circumstances surrounding his death would have been many. The whole situation with Amnon and Tamar would not have gone unnoticed by the people of Jerusalem. The murder of the king’s son by his brother would have been headline news. And the very fact that Absalom had returned and seemed to be doing quite well for himself had not escaped the notice of the people. There is also the likelihood that David was too busy with affairs of state to effectively listen to and address the needs of his people. It was probably about this time that David was busying himself with the construction of his palace and a place to house the Ark of the Covenant. He was also making preparations and plans for the future construction of the temple. David was a busy man. But had he become too busy to care for his own people? This reminds us that David had been called by God to “shepherd My people Israel” (2 Samuel 5:2). But somewhere along the way, David had begun to lose the respect of his sheep. They had wandered and were easy prey for someone as crafty and cunning as Absalom. David had left a void and Absalom was more than willing to fill it. The sheep were hungry for justice and Absalom was prepared to feed them right from his hand and win their hearts.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Righteousness of God.

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Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. – Romans 3:1-8 ESV

As we begin chapter three, we must remember the words of Paul from chapter one: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17 ESV). Paul was quoting from Habakkuk 2:4, where God had said to His prophet concerning the nation of Babylon, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habukkuk 2:4 ESV). Faith has always been the means by which men gain access to the kind of righteousness God expects. It has never been based on human effort or achievement. All the way back in the book of Genesis, when God commanded Abraham to institute the rite of circumcision as a sign of His covenant with the people of Israel, He had said, “I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:8 ESV). Circumcision was a sign of ownership, an outward symbol of their unique position as God’s possession. But it was not going to be circumcision that made them righteous, but their faith in the promise of God – that He would give them the land and make of them a great nation. In chapter four of Romans, Paul further explains the role of faith using Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation as an example. He clarifies that Abraham was justified before God, not because he had been circumcised, but because he had faith. “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’” (Romans 4:3 ESV). But Paul asks the question: “How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised?” (Romans 4:10 ESV). In other words, Paul is asking whether God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness was pre- or post-circumcision. Was it the result of his adherence to God’s command? Paul answers his own question: “It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised” (Romans 4:10-11 ESV).

What’s the point? The point is that God has always measured man’s righteousness by faith, not works. The fact is, the Old Testament saints were expected to live by faith, just as much as we are. Paul says, “the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?” (Romans 3:2 ESV). Martin Luther writes in his commentary of Romans, “circumcision was of value to the Jews because they believed the divine promise (connected with it) and so they awaited its fulfillment” (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans). Abraham was declared righteous because he had faith in the promises of God. Again, Paul writes in chapter four, “the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13 ESV). The writer of Hebrews tells us, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10 ESV). “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named’” (Hebrews 11:17-18 ESV). The kind of righteousness God requires has been and always will be based on faith.

The righteousness of God – the kind of righteousness He requires – is only available through faith in His promises. When God had told Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing … and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3), Abraham had no way of knowing the full extent of that promise. But he believed. He had faith. And it was counted to him as righteousness. But there were many Jews who failed to trust in the promises of God, and who falsely believed that their righteousness before God was going to be based on their own effort or merit. So Paul says, “if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say?” (Romans 3:5 ESV). In other words, it is the very fact that some failed to have faith and lived in unrighteousness that reveals the truth or reality of God’s brand of righteousness. His righteousness is faith-based, not works-dependent. The Jews had been given the promises of God, but most of them had failed to believe. They put their faith in themselves, in other nations, in false gods, and in their unique position as God’s possession. But Paul reminds us that their unfaithfulness does not nullify the faithfulness of God. He will keep His promises. He will fulfill every word He said to Abraham. In fact, Paul writes in his letter to the believers in Galatia, “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7-9 ESV). The righteous shall live by faith.

Me-Centered Praying.

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Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, “Give us meat to eat!” I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery! – Numbers 11:11-15 NLT

To be honest, things had not been going very well for Moses. Just recently, the people had been complaining about how difficult things were for them. As a result, God had sent a raging fire to consume them. This had gotten their attention and had led them to cry out to Moses. His pray on their behalf had stayed the hand of God. Then, not long after this incident, the people began to complain about the manna that God had provided for them to eat. They were sick of it and began to reminisce about how well things had been back in Egypt. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” (Numbers 11:5-6 NLT). Of course, Moses took the brunt of their complaints because he was their leader. But this complaining was heard by God and He became angry yet again. And this time, Moses shared his anger. He took it personally. Just look at all the personal pronouns he uses in his prayer: Me, myself, I – over and over again. The entire prayer is about himself. He was fed up and worn out. It had been over two years since they had left Egypt and, from Moses’ perspective, it had been filled with days just like this one. He told God he would rather die than put up with another day of this nonsense.

I appreciate Moses’ honesty. This is a man who knew from first-hand experience just how angry God could become when faced with disobedience. Yet he felt somehow safe sharing his anger and frustration with God. From the day God had called him at the burning bush, Moses had grown accustomed to dialoguing with God. He had spent days on the mountain getting the law directly from the mouth of God. He had had countless conversations with God over the years. But at this particular moment, Moses let his frustration be known. He was tired, physically and emotionally. Leading a group of well over 1 million people through the wilderness was anything but easy. That they were doing it reluctantly and unwillingly much of the time made it even more difficult. But the danger of praying during these moments of extreme fatigue is that we can lose sight of the bigger picture. We can suddenly find ourselves making the plan of God all about us. Not once in his prayer does Moses pray for the people of God. He does not intercede on their behalf, even though he knew full well what God would do when He heard their complaints. No, rather than intercede, Moses turns inward. He becomes focused on self. And he begins to question God’s integrity and intentions. He asks, “Why are you treating me so harshly?” He wants to know what he did to deserve this burden? He sarcastically comments, “Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world?” He lets God know that this task is too much for him. He can’t do it. In fact, he tells God that if this is the way He is going to treat him, God might as well just go ahead and kill him now.

This prayer is driven by disappointment and discouragement, but borders dangerously on disrespect. Moses is walking a fine line between being real and rebellious with God. It is one thing to share your fear and frustration with God. It is another to question His motives or doubt His integrity. But it’s interesting to note that God did not reprimand Moses. He didn’t punish him for his insolent behavior. Instead, God gave Moses some instructions. “Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone” (Numbers 11:16-17 NLT). It seems that God saw Moses’ heart and knew that his diatribe had been motivated by exhaustion and extreme fatigue. What Moses needed was help, not punishment. But God’s solution was not based on Moses’ needs alone. His concern was for the well-being of the entire tribe of Israel. He was providing a means by which the people could be led without the leadership being worn out in the process. God was going to take care of Moses, but not at the sacrifice of the well being of the people. God had a greater agenda. He had a bigger plan in mind. So it is important that we recognize that me-centered prayers are not necessarily wrong, but we must remember that God’s answer will be much more global in nature. His Kingdom does not revolve around us. His plans include far more than our personal happiness or comfort. Usually, when the words me or I show up in our prayers, it is a sign that God has taken a back seat in our lives. We have made life all about ourselves rather than about Him. But mercifully and lovingly, God will bring our thoughts back into perspective.

Judges 21, Acts 28

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Dull of Heart and Hard of Hearing.

Judges 21, Acts 28

For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. – Acts 28:27 ESV

These two books each end with rather sad portrayals of the spiritual state of the people of Israel. In the book of Judges, we see a people who attempt to correct a previous wrong by committing additional injustices while justifying their actions with pious sounding oaths. All the events of Judges 21 take place as a result of the rape of the Levite’s concubine by the men of Gibeah, a Benjamite city. Their immoral action resulted in a civil war and the near annihilation of the male population of the tribe of Benjamin by the rest of the tribes of Israel. Over 25,000 Benjamites were killed, leaving only 600 men alive. Their cities were burned and their women and children were executed as well. All because of the sinful actions of a few and the stubborn refusal of the people of Benjamin to give up those who were guilty of the original sin. But after Israel had nearly wiped out their fellow tribe, they had regrets. They realized that their actions had left the Benjamites on the edge of extinction, and they had sworn an oath not to give their daughers in marriage to the Benjamites. This decision would effectively result in the eventual loss of the entire tribe of Benjamin. Not hearing from God, they came up with their own plan, and it would prove worse than the original sin of the men of Gibeah. The key to understanding the faulty nature of their plan can be seen in two simple phrases. The first is found in verse 7: “What shall we do?” The second is recorded in verse 11: “This is what we shall do.” The plan they came up with was their own, not God’s. They came up with a loop-hole that would allow them to solve their problem in a seemingly righteous way. Since the men of Jabesh-gilead had not shown up when a call went out to all the tribes to gather (Judges 20:1), they decided to punish them by attacking them and taking any of the virgins of the town as wives for the men of Benjamin. Their slaughter of the people of Jabesh-gilead resulted in only 400 potential wives for the men of Benjamin. They were 200 short. So they then encouraged the men of Benjamin to kidnap an additional 200 women from the city of Shiloh. In effect, the rape of one woman resulted in the forcible kidnapping and rape of 600 women.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Nowhere in this passage do we hear the voice of God or witness the approval of their actions. The sins of the people of Israel have increased to such a degree that they have resorted to the killing, kidnapping, and raping of fellow members of their own nation. They justified their actions. They tried to fix their own sins and only created worse problems than when they began. God seems to be silent throughout this entire ordeal. And the chapter ends with the sad and familiar refrain, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25 ESV). God was not the King of Israel. At least not according to the way the people of Israel treated Him. They did what they wanted to do. They came up with their own solutions to their own problems. God was there, but they treated Him as if He didn’t even exist. Yes, the turned to Him when they found themselves in trouble, but when He appeared to be silent, they took matters into their own hands. And God allowed them to do so. He didn’t approve of their actions, but He also didn’t intervene. Sometimes God allows us to do whatever it is we want to do. He gives us the freedom to act on our own sinful desires and experience the consequences of those actions.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The people of Israel didn’t change much over the years. As we shall see, their stubbornness and sinfulness never abated, even after God allowed them to have a king of their own. Their problem was not the lack of a king, but their own refusal to acknowledge God as King. Over in the book of Acts, we have recorded Paul’s arrival in Rome for his trial before Caesar. One of the first things he did was call the local Jewish population together to explain what is going on. He wanted to hear from himself before they got swayed by any of his accusers who would surely be arriving any day from Jerusalem to bring charges against him at his trial. Paul finds his Jewish audience seemingly receptive and willing to hear from him. They knew nothing about the events surrounding his arrest in Caesarea but told him, “We desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against” (Acts 28:22 ESV). “From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved” (Acts 28:23-24 ESV).

Paul’s assessment of the Jews is clear. It reflects an understanding of the nature of their hearts. They were willing to hear, but unwilling to really listen. Quoting from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, Paul told them, “this people’s heart has become dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them” (Acts 28:27 ESV). Like their ancestors, the Jews of Paul’s day had become calloused and cold toward God. They were religious. They were outwardly pious. But they had long since stopped hearing from God. They couldn’t see the hand of God operating within their own midst. And as a result, they were incapable of turning back to God. So Paul gives them the sad news that from that point forward “this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen” (Acts 28:28 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

They will listen. Listening was directly tied to turning. Hearing what Paul had to say and what God was offering was not enough. The Jews in Paul’s audience heard him clearly, but refused to listen and act on what they had heard. The refused to turn. But the Gentiles would hear, listen, and turn. They would repent. They would see their need for a Savior and accept the offer of forgiveness of sins and salvation through Christ. Even as a believer I still have the need to not only hear from God, but listen and obey. I must see what He is doing and not become blind to His actions in and around my life. This passage conveys a sensitivity to God’s presence and voice. I must see Him and hear Him. I have to listen to what He is saying to me each and every day of my life. Otherwise, I run the risk of becoming like the Israelites: Dull of heart and hard of hearing.

Father, give me an ever-increasing ability to see You and hear You, but also to listen to and obey You, so that I don’t become dull of heart and hard of hearing. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 11:25-36

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Our Unfathomable, Yet Reliable God.

Romans 11:25-36

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! – Romans 11:33 NLT

Who are we to question the ways of God? I find it fascinating how often we, as mere men, want to take on God, putting Him on trial – trying to determine whether we agree with or approve of His ways. We debate whether God could or would do something. We argue over whether God has the right to act in a certain way, because it offends our sensibilities or our understanding of right and wrong. But when we doubt God or try to judge Him based on our limited human understanding, we reveal just how little we really know Him. It shows how we have tried to put God in a box in an effort to make Him more comprehensible and believable. But Paul would argue that His God is greater than our capacity to understand. “How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33b NLT). Paul knew enough about God to know better than to try and explain away His actions or question His logic. God does not have to answer to us or even explain Himself to us.

As Paul wraps up his discussion regarding God’s plans for the people of Israel, he wants his readers to understand that God is not obligated to do things in a way that we can understand. He does not have to appeal to our sense of fairness. God is holy, righteous, and completely sovereign. He can and will do what He wants to do, and whatever He does is always right. His treatment of the people of Israel, while it may appear harsh in our eyes, is completely just and wholly necessary. God had a plan in place that included their rejection of His own Son as their Messiah. He was not caught off guard or surprised by their actions. He knew they would refuse to accept Him as the Anointed One. God was prepared for their actions and had planned for them in advance. It was all part of His divine will. Their rejection opened up the door for the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. But God is not done with the people of Israel. There is a day coming when “the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ” (Romans 11:25b NLT). In other words, there is an apparent limit on the number of people who will accept Christ as their personal Savior. Not ALL will be saved. And only God knows that number. That may sound unfair and capricious to us, but again, who are we to question the justice of God? When that full number is reached, then God will turn His attention back to the people of Israel. He will once again show His favor on them, sending His Son a second time, to restore a large number of the nation of Israel back to a right relationship with Him. “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins” (Romans 11:26-27 NLT). At the second coming of Jesus, God will do what the Israelites could have never have done for themselves – He will change their hardened hearts and give them the capacity to believe in His Son as their Messiah and Savior. Why? Because God is a covenant keeping God. “Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn” (Romans 11:28-29 NLT).

We may not understand it or even agree with it, but God’s plan is just, righteous, and completely perfect. God does not need or want our advice. He does not require our approval. He does not owe us an explanation. We can’t even fully understand why He chose to save us. But we are grateful that He did. Paul would encourage us to rest in the knowledge of God’s unchanging, holy and righteous character. He can be trusted. He always does what is right. “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever!” (Romans 11:36 NLT).

Father, I don’t understand Your ways, but I am learning to trust them more and more with each passing day. I can’t fully explain how and why You do things the way You do, but I am trying to rest more and more in Your faithfulness. There are things that happen in my life every day that cause me to doubt and question Your ways, but I am learning to rest in Your sovereign, loving, all-knowing plan for me. You know what is best, whether it looks like it or feels like it at the time. I can trust You. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org