forgiven and fruitful

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (30)

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.

Posted in gospel, grace | Tagged | 1 Comment

Amen, Amen

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (29)

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.

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foreshadowing unfaithfulness

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (28)

devotional post # 2275

Numbers 5:11-15

Num 5:11 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said
Num 5:12 “Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and betrays him,
Num 5:13 if a man has sex with her, 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,
Num 5:14 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 by a violation
Num 5:15 then the man will bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He will pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a tribute offering of jealousy, a tribute offering of remembrance, bringing a violation to remembrance.

foreshadowing unfaithfulness

The jealousy ritual had to be enacted if a husband felt his wife had been unfaithful. This was the only example in this chapter that differentiated between genders. I think the reason was that it foreshadowed the unfaithfulness of Israel and predicted the bitter curse that Israel — Yahveh’s bride — would have to undergo, with its resulting barrenness and shame. The prophet Hosea tells us that God brought his wayward wife back to himself.

LORD, thank you for loving us, even when we prove ourselves unfaithful and unworthy of that love.

Posted in church, faithfulness, Jesus Christ, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

making things right

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (27)

devotional post # 2274

Numbers 5:5-10

Num 5:5 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Num 5:6 “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman makes any of the mistakes that people make by breaking faith with Yahveh, and that person realizes his guilt,
Num 5:7 he will confess his mistake that he has committed. And he will make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong.
Num 5:8 But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong will go to Yahveh for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him.
Num 5:9 And every contribution, all the holy donations of the people of Israel, which they bring to the priest, will be his.
Num 5:10 Each one will keep his holy donations: whatever anyone gives to the priest will be his.”

making things right

Wrongs against other people are transgressions against God’s law and therefore sins against him. The LORD demanded that his people make full compensation for the mistakes they have made agaist others — even if the people they have wronged are no longer alive. The mistake results in disorder in the camp, and God does not want to live in disorder. Full compensation must be paid, either to the victim, his family, or God himself.

LORD, make us into a people who make it our business to make things right if we have wronged anyone, to bring order out of chaos.

Posted in holiness, sin | Tagged | 1 Comment

everything that defiles

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (26)

devotional post # 2273

Numbers 5:1-4

Num 5:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Num 5:2 “Command the sons of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead.
Num 5:3 You will put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, so that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I am living.”
Num 5:4 And the sons of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as Yahveh said to Moses, so the sons of Israel did.

everything that defiles

The shadow of Christ continues to show in this chapter, as three things that keep us from experiencing the presence of God are highlighted. This first example is defilement.

Jesus healed the woman with the discharge, clensed the lepers, and raised the dead. He is God’s ultimate answer for everything that defiles.

LORD, we acknowledge your holiness, and know that we do not deserve to stay in your presence. But we also thank you for your grace — the blood of Christ that cleanses us from everything that defiles.

Posted in Jesus Christ, purity, sanctification | Tagged | 1 Comment

a place in God’s work

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (25)

devotional post # 2272

Numbers 4:34-49

Num 4:34 And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation mustered the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
Num 4:35 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the conference tent;
Num 4:36 and those mustered by clans were 2,750.
Num 4:37 This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the conference tent, whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to Yahveh’s command by Moses.
Num 4:38 Those mustered of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
Num 4:39 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the conference tent–
Num 4:40 those mustered by their clans and their fathers’ houses were 2,630.
Num 4:41 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the conference tent, whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to Yahveh’s command.
Num 4:42 Those mustered of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
Num 4:43 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the conference tent–
Num 4:44 those mustered by clans were 3,200.
Num 4:45 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to Yahveh’s command by Moses.
Num 4:46 All those who were mustered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel mustered, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
Num 4:47 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the conference tent,
Num 4:48 those mustered were 8,580.
Num 4:49 According to Yahveh’s command through Moses they were mustered, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were mustered by him, as Yahveh commanded Moses.

a place in God’s work

When the mustering of the Levites was complete, there was found to be over 8 1/2 thousand men eligible for service at the sanctuary. Every one of them had a job, and every job was based on who they were — their ancestry. There may not have been need for all of them on any particular day, but the work force was there, and every man had his place.

You and I have a place in God’s work as well. We are not chosen or qualified by our ancestry, but by the Holy’s Spirit’s gifting and calling.

LORD, thank you for giving us a place in your work.

Posted in ministry, spiritual gifts | Tagged | 1 Comment

last, and first

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

devotional post # 2271

Numbers 4:29-33

Num 4:29 “As for the sons of Merari, you will list them by their clans and their fathers’ houses.
Num 4:30 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you will list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the conference tent.
Num 4:31 And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the conference tent: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases,
Num 4:32 and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you will list by name the objects that they are required to carry.
Num 4:33 This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the conference tent, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

last, and first

Once the sacred objects of the tabernacle had been secured and removed and transported by the Kohathites, then the walls and curtains could be carefully removed by the Gershonites. Finally, the Merarites could enter the shell of the tabernacle and remove all the posts and supports. They were the final team for takedown, which means they would be the first team for setup.

LORD, give us perspective about our ministry. Help us to see the big picture, so that we are not tempted to think lightly of our work, or anyone else’s.

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curtain crew

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (23)

devotional post # 2270

Numbers 4:21-28

Num 4:21 Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Num 4:22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses and by their clans.
Num 4:23 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the conference tent.
Num 4:24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens:
Num 4:25 they will carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the conference tent with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the conference tent
Num 4:26 and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they will do all that needs to be done with regard to them.
Num 4:27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites will be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you will assign to their charge all that they are to carry.
Num 4:28 This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the conference tent, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

curtain crew

The Gershonites were the curtain crew. Once the Kohathites had removed all the sacred objects and furnishings, the Gershonites came in and methodically took down all the walls and screens of the tabernacle, and transported them. The only things they left were the support poles and beams, which were to be the responsibility of the Merarites (29-33).

LORD, show us how to be diligent and methodical in our service to you, regardless of how glamorous the task is.

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helper priests

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (22)

devotional post # 2269

Numbers 4:17-20

Num 4:17 Yahveh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and this is what he said,
Num 4:18 “Do not allow the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites to be destroyed from among the Levites,
Num 4:19 but deal in this way with them, so that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden,
Num 4:20 but they will not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, or else they will they die.”

helper priests

God was the power and the force to be feared here. But God warns against the sin that would cause him to release his wrath. Instead, he commands Moses and Aaron to set up a system where each Levite is given a priest who will assign him his particular duty. Instead of God relaxing his holiness, he orchestrates a system of helpers who can keep his servants from sinning.

Today, our churches can do the same thing. We can organize disciplers who can show new believers how to serve God without failing him.

LORD, help us to organize into a system of helper priests.

Posted in discipleship | Tagged | 1 Comment

a restrictive vocational system

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky January 2018 (21)

devotional post # 2268

Numbers 4:13-16

Num 4:13 And they will take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
Num 4:14 And they will put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they will spread on it a covering of goatskin, and will put in its poles.
Num 4:15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath will come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, or else they will die. These are the things of the conference tent that the sons of Kohath are to carry.
Num 4:16 “And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest will have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels.”

a restrictive vocational system

The Kohathites were only responsible to transport the sacred tabernacle objects. They were not allowed to handle them, or even to pack them for transport. Those duties fell to the priests — the sons of Aaron. This was a restrictive vocational system, and those of us who are blessed to live under a vocational system that champions equality are often troubled by it. But God had his reasons. We must be careful, however, not to conclude that God endorses other restrictive vocational systems. In Christ, there are no slaves (Gal. 3:28).

LORD, we thank you for the freedom we now have in Christ.

Posted in freedom, ministry, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment