devotional post # 2276

Numbers 5:16-22

Num 5:16 “And the priest will bring her near and set her in the sight of Yahveh.
Num 5:17 And the priest will 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.
Num 5:18 And the priest will set the woman in the sight of Yahveh and unbind the hair of the woman’s head and place in her hands the tribute offering of remembrance, which is the tribute offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest will have the water of bitterness that brings the curse.
Num 5:19 Then the priest will make her take an oath, and this is what he will say ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to contamination while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse.
Num 5:20 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,
Num 5:21 then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) ‘Yahveh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahveh makes your thigh fall away and your body swell.
Num 5:22 May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your uterus swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman will say, ‘Amen, Amen.’

Amen, Amen

This curse was pronounced upon the wife accused of unfaithfulness by her husband. it predicted barrenness and shame to this woman. But it would have absolutely no effect upon a woman wrongfully accused, except to exonerate her. It was a conditional curse. A faithful wife could say ‘Amen, Amen’ to the curse, because she knew that her covenant with her husband had not been broken, so she was free from the curse.

LORD, thank you that we can look at all the curses of the law and say ‘Amen, Amen’ because Christ has set us free from them.