devotional post # 2277

Numbers 5:23-31

Num 5:23 “Then the priest will write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness.
Num 5:24 And he will make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse will enter into her and cause bitter pain.
Num 5:25 And the priest will take the tribute offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand and will wave the tribute offering in the sight of Yahveh and bring it to the altar.
Num 5:26 And the priest will take a handful of the tribute offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward will make the woman drink the water.
Num 5:27 And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has betrayed her husband, the water that brings the curse will enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her uterus will swell, and her thigh will fall away, and the woman will become a curse among her people.
Num 5:28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be free and can become pregnant with children.
Num 5:29 “This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,
Num 5:30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he will set the woman in the sight of Yahveh, and the priest will carry out for her all this law.
Num 5:31 The man will be free from a violation, but the woman will bear her violation.”

forgiven and fruitful

The jealousy ritual reveals another fact relating to the new covenant in Christ. Once a wife has been set free from the jealousy curse, she will be able to bear children again. Likewise, when we — the bride of Christ — read the words of condemnation in the law, we can drink in the curse, and still be fruitful in our witnessing and ministries for Christ.

LORD, thank you for the glorious gospel of grace, enabling us to drink in the condemnation of sin, and still remain forgiven and fruitful.