Devotionals, January Beginning Of Year
January 1st, 2021
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:7
In this devotional of the first week of 2021 New Year, we will have the theme of “New Journey Begins.” At the beginning of the new year, we often set goals and make resolutions. We desire to see progress by the end of the year. I felt impressed to look at such a new beginning as a new journey of “co-laboring with God.”—1 Corinthians 3:9. I do not just want to set goals and make resolutions, I want to work with God throughout the year. I want Him to take my hand and lead me. I want the year to be dedicated to Christ. I want it to be about discovering God’s unfolding plan, finding my role and place in that, and then do my best to fulfill my calling in the body of Christ.
One of my inspirations for the beginning of the new journey is Israel leaving Egypt under the leadership of Moses. The book of Exodus is a thrilling drama of what God can do when He wants to take His people from Place A to Place B. From servitude to a land flowing with milk and honey. From a place of idolatry and darkness to a place of worshipping God and living in the light. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves“-Colossians 1:13 and “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place“- Psalms 66:12, remind us of that.
When recording how they came out of Egypt, Moses says “So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.”—Deuteronomy 26:8. Wouldn’t this be a great way to start a new year ? Looking forward to the God of wonders taking us out of a pandemic year to a year of freedom in businesses, work, travel, church, restaurants, schools, and all other things people may be looking forward to return to?
For Israel to leave Egypt, the journey began with the Passover lamb and I think that’s the way I feel impressed with starting the 2021 year. The story of the First Passover is recorded in Exodus 12. We read in Exodus 12:2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.” I am well aware that the Gregorian January 1st is different from the 1st of Nisan, which actually corresponds with March-April, the time we celebrate Easter—another feast we could say that it reminds us of the Passover. Israel was instructed in Exodus 12 verses 3,7, 11, and 13 “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household…Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs…This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover…On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD…The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt…”
This is what the Passover meant for Israel in Egypt and it is the image that Paul wanted us to have in mind when he wrote “Christ is our Passover” in the 1 Corinthians 5:7 we are looking at today.
First, Paul says to get rid of the old yeast. The Passover was part of the Feast of Unleavened bread and there was reason for the bread to be unleavened. It had a spiritual meaning. For example, in Luke 12:1 Jesus tells us: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” This may sound obvious if someone is a disciple of Jesus but at one-point Paul confronted Peter as we read in Galatians 2:13, “As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” Hypocrisy does not just ruin the carrier’s right standing with God, it tends to spread like gangrene. A church member in Corinth who had “the old yeast” could affect the entire body. This is what Paul was warning against.
As we see in Peter’s behavior in Galatians 2, the “Old yeast” can be any sin that is inconsistent with the Gospel. It does not have to be the Corinthian-level scandal of a Christian who had taken his father’s wife. Many Christians may never do something like that and yet still practice what Peter did. We are commanded “love must be without hypocrisy”—Romans 12:9, and in that, Peter was falling short. Lest we think we are safe, let’s consider the implication of what Peter was doing. He was showing favoritism because of his cultural preferences at the expense of the Gospel. What does the Bible say about partiality and favoritism ? In James 2:1we read: “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.” He goes on writing a long passage of why this is inconsistent with the Gospel in James 2:1-10. In America, even in the church, the James 2:1-10 passage could convict pretty much majority of people. Now, James taught these things perhaps because he had observed them in the local church in Jerusalem or some other churches were reported to have this behavior—so it is a sin that has been around for thousands of years. If favoritism was hypocrisy that Paul confronted in Peter as sinful, that James says dishonors the name of the Lord and breaks the moral law, then this is the kind of yeast of the pharisees we are to guard against in the new year. This is one of many potential sins and hopefully the light of the Holy Spirit will show us even many other areas that we do not want to carry the “old yeast” into this new year of 2021. Christ is our Passover and His blood has covered our sins, delivering us “from the wrath to come.”—1 Thessalonians 1:10 and we dare not carry into 2021 the very things the wrath is coming down to judge (Colossians 3:6). Just like Christ rose from the dead and has regenerated us into a new living hope, we are determined to “walk in the newness of life.”—Romans 6:4.
The good thing about the new birth and the freedom we have in Christ is that you can only have the “Old yeast” by choosing to have it—not because it has power over you. The question is—why would anyone want to be under a yoke of slavery? (Galatians 5:1; John 8:36). When Israel was freed from Pharaoh, they didn’t even take time to think whether it was in their best interests to get out of there. They ran into freedom singing praises to God. Let us seize the offer that Christ has freely given to us in the new birth with great excitement and live to glorify Him and advance His kingdom in this new year. Let the adventures of the 2021 new journey begin! Happy New Year everyone!
Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you have given us Christ as our Passover—so that just like Israel was led from the land of bondage with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm we may be led into the freedom and abundant life that Jesus has come to bestow upon us as your children. We pray, Father, that as we begin a new year—you will unfold the mysteries of the Gospel to us—not just to our hearts and minds—but also in practical experience in the life we live and the world around us will get to taste the blessing that flow from such Christian liberty. In the name of your precious Lamb, Jesus, we pray, Amen!
January 2nd, 2021
These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the LORD. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:
They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. Numbers 33:1-3
We continue our “New Journey Begins” themed devotional for the New Year looking at this Passage in Numbers 33:1-3. Yesterday, we had seen that Christ is our Passover and we are to get rid of the old yeast. For the Feast of Unleavened Bread in which the Passover was celebrated, Israelites had been instructed, “whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel”—Exodus 12:15. No wonder Paul was so firm in his letter to the church in Corinth where we read 1 Corinthians 5:7 verse. We must understand that the doctrines of redemption and salvation are never standalone. They are fitted together into a seamless cloth we have to wear, or we will be naked, like those kids in the third world who walk wearing shorts showing their butts, because of holes we have permitted to be in that cloth through selective doctrinal beliefs. For example, the doctrine of justification by faith does not replace the doctrine of regeneration. Over the years, I have observed that people who overly emphasize justification by faith at the expense of regeneration end up with false believers who don’t really understand what it means to be born again. The same would be true with forgiveness taught without teaching repentance. No single reference in the New Testament where people are taught that they can be forgiven without repenting fully, truthfully, unequivocally, with no plan B to go back to their sin (Romans 13:14; Acts 19:18-19; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47; Acts 17:30). Ultimately, the only proof that we are justified is that we have been born again. If our faith does not transform us from the inside-out, we are being deceived. Pardon and justification are legal terms that free people from their bondage and have no benefit for those who wish to remain in prison. If people do not want to part with their sins, their sins will remain (2 Timothy 2:19; Titus 1:16; John 20:23). It’s good to ensure people have a sound conversion rather than be quick to proclaim that Jesus has justified those who wish to continue in their enmity with God. Is there such a thing as Progressive Christianity vs Conservative Christianity in the Bible ? None. It’s either true or false. There’s only one Christianity. Only “one faith”- Ephesians 4:5. Anything outside of what is truthful is not Christianity. Period.
Christ is our Passover. It is not just a single day of celebration for the Christian. He is our ongoing Passover. We read that the day after the Passover, the Israelites started their journey and their first travel was from Rameses to Sukkoth (Exodus 12:37). In Numbers 33, we are given the names of all the stations where the Israelites travelled and camped as they followed Moses. They had the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night before them. The journeys are not random and the Lord made sure that Moses recorded them at His command. After they reached Sukkoth they camped, and from there they went to Etham. From Etham they went to Pa-hahiroth. From Pa-hahiroth they crossed the Red Sea.
God chose the direction they would take because He knew that this would increase their chance of success. “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”—Exodus 13: 17. This should remind us the wisdom of God in charting the path of our lives as saints. There are hardly paths we shall take that will not involve battles of some kind at some point in our lives, but God does not want us to fight unnecessary battles. God is omnipotent, we are not. If we can make our journeys to our destination without battles in between, we should praise God for that. Scripture says “as thy days, so shall thy strength be.”—Deuteronomy 32:25 and here we are learning something else—as thy strength, so shall thy battles be. God did not want them to fight when they were not yet ready.
Another reason for the journey they seem to have taken was because God had one last act to do against Pharaoh, and as they camped in Pa-hahiroth, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart to pursue them, falsely believing that they were stuck at the Red Sea and had become an easy prey (Exodus 14:1-4). We should never forget the cost of our freedom. We should never forget that Satan, the enemy of our souls, will never let go of us after we are free (1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 11:3).
So the first phase of the journey seemed to be about putting in place rules: God would lead them by a pillar, day and night, they would move when He moved and stop when He stopped. Without trust in Him and His presence, such a journey would be impossible. The pillar that led them reminds us of what Paul writes in Romans 8:14: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” There might be many directions we could take in our lives, but we must make sure each way we go we are following the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God illuminates our path—helping us to recognize light from darkness, right from wrong, truth from error, insight from deception (Psalms 119:105; John 8:12). Because the big decisions of life we make require knowledge of the Word of God to be able to walk in the light, we cannot underestimate the importance of God’s Word. In addition to that, God promises us steady leadership by His Spirit “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye”—Psalms 32:8.
There are simply too many stages of our journey to Canaan; too many situations, circumstances, and challenges that no matter how much we know in the Word of God, we will find that even insufficient. Times when we need God’s supernatural eye and hand—times when we need to pray earnestly for His direction and interventions. The Word and the Spirit are in an inseparable union for those who want to walk in the Spirit and thrive. How did Paul know that he was supposed to preach to Europe rather than Asia? The Holy Spirit had an agenda and guided him (Acts 16:6-9; Isaiah 30:21). That decision, literary, had an impact on the course of world history. Apostle Thomas would eventually make his way to India, but God’s plan for Paul was to spread the Gospel in Europe.
Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you lead us by your word as a lamp unto our feet and by your Spirit as we make difficult decisions in life. In all things we need you, we depend upon you, and we desperately cry for your continued guidance for our progress to be fruitful for the kingdom and ultimately lead us to our heavenly home, where we long to be for our final rest. In the gracious name of our Chief Shepherd, Jesus, we pray, Amen!
January 4th, 2021
When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. Exodus 15:23
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. Exodus 15:27
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. Exodus 16:1
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Exodus 17:1
As we continue the “New Journey Begins” themed devotional for the New Year, we see that after Israel crossed the Red Sea, the first place where they camped was Marah. They had just been singing praises to God because of His mighty deliverance as they escaped Pharaoh at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:14-15). What could possibly go wrong? They were already anticipating many more victories ahead of them. Then, they arrived at Marah and found bitter water, so they could not drink it. This was soon followed by Elim, where they had more than enough drinking water. Then, later on after camping at Rephidim, we see them quarreling with Moses because they had no water. This is the place where God tells Moses to strike a rock and the water of that place was called Massah and Meriba (Exodus 17:1-7). What we see in this journey is a pretty consistent pattern in Scripture: “sorrow may last for the night but joy comes in the morning.”- Psalms 30:5; “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”- John 12:24; “…He made himself nothing…he humbled himself….therefore God exalted Him and gave Him a name above every other name.”—Philippians 2:7-11; “…there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe…they were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”- Revelation 7:9. Night comes before the morning, sorrow before joy, emptying one self before exaltation, death before resurrection, tests before testimonies, and trials before triumphs. Bitter water is a prophetic symbol of hardships while palm trees are prophetic symbol of triumph over the world, the flesh, and the devil. One of my fond memories of the word “Elim” is Elim church founded by the Welsh Jeffreys brothers in the UK. In addition to many amazing testimonies they have, there’s the story of a young Reinhard Bonnke graduating from the Bible school founded by Rees Howells in Swansea, Wales, stumbling by the house of the aging George and asking him to pray for him shortly before he died. The rest, as they say, is history.
Why did God include such a place as Marah in their stations ? The Lord, who chose their path, had put this place Marah on their road because He was training them. Today, when we think of spiritual training, we think of going to Bible school, participating in ministry at church, and other religious exercises that help us grow. However, in Hebrews 12:7-8, we see that there’s another kind of training that is called “discipline.” It is a training for sonship. Somehow, we are accepted first, and then vetted later. But the vetting process is not a study material to satisfy our intellectual curiosity. We often think that when Paul told Timothy to study to show himself an “approved workman.”—2 Timothy 2:15, it meant the study of the Word and meditations, and to a certain extent, that’s part of it. But it goes a step further into making wise decisions, often after intense and painful testing, beyond what one could consider simply rigorous Bible study. Christ’s obedience took Him to such lengths, and though He was the perfect Son of God, He cried “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?”—Matthew 27:46. We, ourselves, are far from being perfect sons. Of course, we know that what Christ endured was simply the punishment for our sin He had accepted. We were the ones who should have been abandoned by God and He was forsaken in our place so that we can be accepted and have fellowship with God. If God’s perfect Son needed to be perfected “through suffering,” it’s unlikely we, who are naturally carnal and slow to learn spiritual realities, would become perfect without tests, trials, and discipline. (Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 5:8-9). This is not the type of theology millions of Christians hear in their churches or even Bible schools. Of course, we are aware that there are also Christians who abuse the theology of suffering to advance a the false theology of defeatism, false persecutions, and unbelief in divine healing (John 9:1-3; Mark 9:23-29; Acts 5:14-16; Acts 19:11-12; Hebrews 13:8; Psalms 2:2-12; Hebrews 10:12-13; Acts 4:25-31; Acts 5:19; Acts 12:5-7; Acts 16:25-30). For God, suffering has perfecting value in the kingdom. Attaining perfection is a major goal of the Christian faith and is in fact proof of the purity of one’s faith because “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than that of gold ” 1 Peter 1:7, attests the character of your faith (Job 23:10). The Christian who comes out of suffering is a triumphant Christian. Sickness is not one of the acceptable Scriptural sufferings since it was paid for by Christ on the cross as part of redemption. Christ never turned away a single sick person and yet he told the disciples that they would have many tribulations in the world. So one type can be expected, another one was always redeemed in His presence (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24; John 16:33; Matthew 10:22; 2 Timothy 3:12). Now, you have to understand, being hated and being defeated are two different things. You can be hated and still be victorious. You can be persecuted and not be crushed. Instead, you can go from strength to strength, in a triumphal procession, despite all of that (2 Corinthians 4:8-9; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Psalms 84:7; 2 Samuel 3:1; Luke 1:74; Deuteronomy 3:24; Jeremiah 1:19; Psalms 66:3; Psalms 111:6; Matthew 24:14; Psalms 110:1-2)
Most of us do not start our journeys planning for that. We do not start our journeys thinking “I sure hope I will get some bitter hardships.” Not when we are kids dreaming of a future as adults. Not when we turn 18 years old and enter adulthood. Not at the beginning of the year in January when we are planning what our goals are for the year ahead of us. For the saints of God, those seasons will knock uninvited for many—though I have heard a number of saints who courageously pray for God to deal with them that way. I don’t think we need to pray for them, the Word says if we are legitimate children, we will have them. “Everyone undergoes discipline.”—Hebrews 12:8. Since one of the weaknesses of humanity is thinking “why is everyone else having it easier?” It should encourage us to know that the way heaven perceives such tests goes contrary to the way a natural mind understands it.
We are assured that illegitimate children in God’s eyes would not have that kind of discipline. No wonder James opens our eyes regarding the purpose of trials by saying: “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”—James 1:2-4. The Greek word for the NIV translation of “mature” is “teleioi” while the one for complete is “holokleroi.” Since teleioi can also mean complete, they could have even translated “that you may be complete and complete,” but that would have been tautology. Translators chose mature for the first, which would be complete as a whole; and then complete for the other, which means in every part, perfect. Our whole and our details. The bigger picture and minor items. Well-rounded and meticulous. What God considers lacking nothing does not seem to align with what modern man considers lacking nothing means. Today, this has largely become a materialistic assessment. But God’s concern is first of all our character and other things are only secondary. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.”—Matthew 6:33.
I also find it interesting that between Marah and Elim is where we see God’s first unmistakable promise of divine healing. God does not present healing as a benefit of redemption outside of His name, rather He presents healing as emanating from His nature, “I am the Lord who heals you.”—Exodus 15:26. He is Jehovah Rapha/Rophe. Divine healing shouldn’t even be a debate. It shouldn’t have buts. It should’t have “what abouts.” All these responses are not appropriate for what seems to be a generous offer that should cause us to wonder. Wow! “I am the Lord who heals.” This is actually His name? Then, we need the Healer, not a healing. It is understandable that there will always be genuine questions, like every doctrine we study by making an enquiry, but not with the doubtful mind of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, rather with the submissive mind of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Both saw angel Gabriel, both heard a mystery, but their “how can …?” carried different meanings. For Zachary, an angel speaking it was not enough proof to provide certainty. He asked: “How can I be sure?” For Mary, being a handmaid of the Lord meant accepting and agreeing with what God had said without staggering at the Word of God. God’s promises of supernatural works are indeed impressive for our small minds, but there seems to be people out there who just wish Good News was not good news. They will find ways to ruin it somehow. Good News is too good to be true for their unbelieving minds, therefore, it has to be tweaked to fit into a certain narrative.
Going back to the original Israel’s journey, we see that it was the time they camped in the wilderness of Sin that God rained manna and quail and provided food for them. “Man ate the bread of the angels.”—Psalms 78:15. It took them a long time to learn the lessons God was trying to teach them (Deuteronomy 8:3). When Jesus faced the same temptation to provide for himself bread after fasting in the wilderness, He immediately won the victory by declaring “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”—Matthew 4:4, thus triumphing over bodily needs with the acceptance and enjoyment of the Word of God. He was hungry, it was only natural to desire food, and find a way to get that whatever the cost. He refused. He is our perfect example in trials and temptations. Have we come to the point where we treasure His words like that ? (Job 23:12)
Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you are our Teacher, Trainer, Healer, and Provider. You are a good Father and we are safe under your care. Lord, we pray that you open our eyes to the mystery behind each challenge and discipline we face so that we can endure them with joy and attain the intended training for our maturity as your sons. In the name of your Obedient Son, Jesus, we pray. Amen!
January 5th, 2021
They all ate the same spiritual food, and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
1 Corinthians 10:3-6
As we continue the “New Journey Begins” themed devotional for the New Year, we will follow up from where we reached yesterday—when they camped in Rephidim—where the children of Israel drank water flowing from a rock and those waters were called Massah and Meriba. There was contention and quarreling at that time. We see Paul writing in 1 Corinthians 10:4 “they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” Now, that’s really powerful. We know that actually the rock that Moses hit with his staff was a real, physical, wilderness rock. But Paul here is saying that it was a spiritual rock. This rock had been following them all along and this rock is Christ. Here we have a pre-incarnation evidence of Christ’s presence in the Old Testament. The truth is that Christ is everywhere in the Old Testament but we need revelations like this Paul shares in 1 Corinthians 10 to be able to see Him and what He is doing.
We see something else happening at that rock that was Christ. “Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”—Numbers 20:11-12. Moses later remembers this moment with great sorrow as it cost him entry into the promised land saying “The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance”—Deuteronomy 4:21. Moses didn’t have to strike it. He did so under duress. You do not need to hit Christ in order to get water to drink. You do not need to yell, flagellate yourself, or have a fit like someone who is really desperate. You do not even need to multiply words for Christ to hear you (Matthew 6:7). Christ hears prayers and you can talk to Him and find abundant life in Him. He answers prayers. But Moses did not understand the mystery behind the rock, he did not realize that the rock was Christ. Cruel Christians today would say that Moses is a bad leader who refuses to take responsibility. Why is he blaming Israelites for his judgment by saying “because of you?” Entering Canaan would have been a dream come true for him. But because of what happened at that rock, when God told him to speak to it, instead he did his own thing and struck the rock twice, which God had not asked him to do, he was prevented from entering Canaan (Numbers 20:8). There are certain things we have to be soft on and understanding, knowing human nature. If we were under the same pressure that Moses was under, how would we have reacted ? To be honest, Moses’ attitude at that time was not good—and granted, he should have known better to refrain from anger even under pressure, but still, this is something that could occur to any of us in the same circumstances (Numbers 20:10). Leaders have to watch over themselves so that they do not get contaminated by attitudes of those who are rebellious. There are people in the “faith community” who just have a mind set on death no matter how much of God they witness. We cannot partake in their sins. We all need to develop an internal fortress so that regardless of what comes from our environment, we will maintain our focus on Christ and preserve our peace.
From Rephidim where they drank water from that spiritual rock, they set for mount Sinai where they received the 10 commandments. They heard the thundering voice, they saw the earthquakes, they saw billows of smoke, it was a terrifying sight. That was the time the prophetic and teaching ministries were introduced because people were terrified. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”—Exodus 20:18-19. Well, but would they listen to Moses ? Paul reminds us: “Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.”—1 Corinthians 10:5. For example, after a contentious argument between Miriam, the sister of Moses, and the man of God (Numbers 12:1-8), she developed leprosy and we read: “So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again.”—Numbers 12:15. She would later die in the wilderness (Numbers 20:1). What we learn here is that honor is an inside thing and blood-connection and family ties themselves are not necessarily immune to dishonorable behavior. Indeed, they might create a dangerous familiarity—even when Jesus was still on earth, his brothers would make ridiculous comments about him and his ministry strategy (John 7:2-10). Sometimes what God considers dishonor may not be what man thinks it is. Sometimes what man thinks is dishonor might be appropriate in God’s eyes (John 5:44; Luke 16:15; Matthew 23:8-11). To walk in proper honor, we all must have reverence for God’s presence, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and thoroughly know the Scriptures so that we do not fall into the same trap they fell into.
Two events are of note during that season of the wilderness when they set out from mount Sinai after receiving the 10 commandments:
The first occurred at the place they would later call Kibbroth-Hattavah. “ But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.”—Numbers 11:33-34. This is what Paul refers to when he says “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”—1 Corinthians 10:6. God had given them manna but they grew tired of eating manna. They wanted meat and God was angry when they became irritated and agitated demanding meat (Numbers 11:5-13). What is wrong with desiring meat? I love ordering ribs at restaurants. Because of working hard to be healthy and make sure I keep my cholesterol as low as possible, I do not go to KFC and MacDonalds that often, but every once in a while, when I miss fast-food French fries and burgers, I will go there. I love meat and I am pretty sure there are many people who love meat. There’s no divine commandment to be vegetarian. Yet, what happened in Numbers 11 is not about choosing between meat and bread; rather, it was about satisfaction with God’s provision and the attitude they had in trying to request more. Everything they asked for, they were demanding. Like that Numbers 11:5 verse is scary. “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost.”—Numbers 11:5. This is like a dog returning to its vomits. This is like a Christian who longs for the things of the world and the flesh. This is what happens when God’s people lose satisfaction in the heavenly things and yearn for earthly and carnal things. It was not about meat, it was about the inclination of the heart. Would they trust God to provide?
The second thing happens 2 chapters after that, when Moses sends spies to Canaan. “The Lord said to Moses, “Send men to explore Canaan, which I’m giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of their ancestors’ tribes.”—Numbers 13:1-2. As we know, when those 12 men returned from their exploration they reported bad news. “They spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.”—Numbers 13: 32. Because of their bad and negative report, the people wailed and complained that they were not ready to die in battle because of that. Even worse, those who gave bad news were greater in number than those who gave good news: 10 vs 2.Thank God that His rule is not a democracy. They would have forfeited the “Good Land” altogether through such voting, both the willing and unwilling losing in the process. If it was about voting, the bad news reporters would have won in a landslide. It is at that time the Lord becomes angry. “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: In this wilderness your bodies will fall–every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.”—Numbers 14:27-29. So they perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief.
Understanding mystery and following the Lord’s instruction would have saved Moses and allowed him to enter the land. Avoiding gossip and walking in honor would have saved Miriam from leprosy. Looking to the Lord for provision and turning eyes away from evil things of Egypt would have saved those who died demanding meat. And those who were 20 years or older who were told they would never enter the land could have entered by simply listening to the Good News of Joshua and Caleb and trusted God to give them victory as He had already helped them defeat the Amalekites. They knew the name of the Lord as Jehovah Nissi—the Lord our banner/victory—Exodus 17:15. But they did not trust Him. They had no faith, so they died. “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.”—1 Corinthians 10:6.
Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you have called us with a great calling in Christ for a heavenly inheritance and Christ is preparing for us mansions in heaven. We pray, Lord, that you sanctify our hearts from all things that would make us unholy and displeasing in your eyes. We pray that you illuminate our hearts and minds to understand mysteries in your Word and perceive the truth as it is in Jesus, in our spirits, as we live and walk and have our being in your presence. Deliver us from evil. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
January 6th, 2021
But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” – Jude 1:9
As we continue the “New Journey Begins” themed devotional for the New Year, we will try to go from the Wilderness of Zin where Miriam was buried (Numbers 20:1), to the time Aaron and Moses died in the mountains, and when Israel reached the Jordan river. Miriam had been struck with leprosy because of her Lashon hara against Moses. And Moses himself had been rebuked by the Lord because he had angrily struck the rock at Rephidim, rather than speak to it, like God had commanded. We have seen that the rock was, in fact, Christ Himself. Christ is the rock that no one can afford to stumble upon and He is definitely the rock you do not want falling on you (Matthew 21:44). If you read New Testament Scriptures to get to know Him and find some of His words not what you like, be careful. At the end of the day, He is the rock of the ages and we are the “grass that withers.”—1 Peter 1:24.
The explorers or spies that Moses sent to check out the land of Canaan went up from that wilderness of Zin (Numbers 13:21) and returned to report to Moses 40 days later not far from that station at Kadesh in the desert of Paran (Numbers 13:26). When the Israelites heard the bad report from the 10 spies and believed them and started to rebel and wail, the Lord judged them, saying that they would not be able to enter the land. They tried to repent and wept before the Lord, but God refused to see their tears and forgive them. They got stuck in Kadesh, the very place they had received and believed the bad report (Deuteronomy 1:45-46). This judgment can seem harsh, and yet remember, Paul warns us that this happened to them as an example for us to learn. “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”—1 Corinthians 10:11. So, being quick to dismiss it as “Old Testament,” is a sure way to miss the intended lessons. The fact is, God had forgiven them several times and Moses interceded for their forgiveness (Exodus 32:31-35) and though some of them were punished, God said “there would come a time to punish them all.” So they had not yet filled up the measure of their sin. This is not just an Old Testament doctrine, we see it also in the New Testament (Matthew 23:32; 1 Thessalonians 2:16).
Mercy is really and always a window of opportunity (Isaiah 55:6; Proverbs 1:28). The goodness of God leads to repentance, but this is always a time-sensitive offer. Delaying repentance in such seasons of mercy is showing contempt for God’s kindness (Romans 2:4; Proverbs 6:15; Psalms 32:6; Luke 21:36; Proverbs 24:22; Romans 10:21; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Isaiah 30:13-14; Proverbs 29:1; Luke 7:30; Psalms 73:18-20; Deuteronomy 28:63; Hebrews 3:14-19). The day of God’s favor is today. The day not to harden hearts is today. Plans of change or repenting any other time are always presumptuous. So, even though God proclaims Himself as compassionate, gracious, forgiving wickedness and rebellion (Exodus 34:6-8), those who are obstinate and persistent in deliberate sin may want to see that as a sign, not of favor, rather that God has not been gracious to deliver them (Psalms 50:21; Ecclesiastes 8:11). Their window of mercy can close in a short time (Luke 13:24; Hebrews 10:26-29). That, really, is not the kind of thing we want to read in Scriptures, but it is written. The sin of the rebellious Israelites had reached its fullness. It was time for judgment. Prayers and weeping would not be answered.
It is after they left their wandering in Kadesh that they came to Mount Hor, where Aaron would die and be buried (Numbers 20:22-24). Aaron and Moses’ death are both called as “gathering to their people.” I find that very interesting and encouraging. In modern times, we see death as a lonely thing. That’s probably even more so in the age of a pandemic like COVID-19. But the Lord calls it “gather to his people.” In other words, they join the crowd of witnesses that had already gone—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—their fathers. Jesus introduced even a less frightening term of death as “sleeping.”—John 11: 11-13. The kind of sleep that Jesus promises us to wake us from and therefore we should not look at death with fear like people who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We fall asleep and rest from our labors. That’s actually a pretty dignified term of death (Revelation 14:13; Numbers 23:10; Psalms 116:15; Isaiah 57:1-2). For the saints, death is more like a prolonged bed time.
After Aaron died, Moses would soon follow him and be “gathered to his people” dying at Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 32: 49-50). Though Moses was not permitted to enter the land of Canaan, he was allowed to see the whole land from Pisgah at the top of Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1). It is at this mountain he died we get the strange quote from Jude in our opening reading today, about what happened after Moses died.
There was actually a war between Satan and archangel Michael over the body of Moses at mount Nebo. How was Satan going to get the body of Moses? What did Satan intend to do with the body of Moses? Did Satan have the capabilities of transforming himself into a physical form and carry the body? Was he going to deceive the Moabites to come and pick it up? We don’t know how, but we know that Satan was interested in Moses’ body. This should wake us up again to the reality of the spiritual realm all around us with angels and demons continually at war in this dark world. There are Christians who simply do not take this reality seriously enough. There are also Christians who exaggerate this reality. A balanced view is one that acknowledges its reality and deals with it in a biblical way. We see that even in the way that archangel Michael fought Satan, he had certain limits to how he approached the spiritual warfare. While we do have to wage spiritual warfare with Satan’s forces of wickedness, there are certain practices that are allowed and those that are not allowed. Only God maintains judgment and rebuke over Satan. As to why Satan may have been interested in Moses’ body—we are not certain—though potential use for idolatry or other malevolent ends could have been the purpose.
The Deuteronomy does not record this supernatural aspect of Moses’ dead body but an early church father named Origen, when he was writing in the 3rd century, suggested that Jude quotes this from the book “The assumption of Moses”—which the early fathers still had at that time but which we do not have in the current cannon of Scripture. It’s incredible that Satan would be interested in a dead body, it should be a warning to us what he would want to do with a living body. Even in its fallen state, the body is precious, and when it is the temple of the Lord— it is a supernatural tabernacle.
After Moses died and Joshua became the leader of Israel, they made it to the Jordan river as we read in Numbers 22:1. Coming very close to Jericho, ready for the final push into the promised land. As sad as the story of Israel in the wilderness is, we can be thankful to God for allowing their children to enter the land. If one generation fails the purposes of God, the following generation of God’s people may receive the promises that the previous generation or generations did not receive. What if we were to be the generation that gives the Lamb the rewards of His suffering—to the full measure? (Matthew 24:14; Isaiah 53:12; Colossians 1:23; Matthew 12:21).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your enduring love for all generations of your people and your great promise that those who have been gathered to you while dying in Christ will be resurrected on the last day. We pray, Lord, that we who are still alive and are in this raging battle with the prince of darkness, will be strengthened with the power of your might so that we can finish our course of bringing Christ the reward of His suffering—in the salvation of souls. In the majestic name of Jesus, we pray. Amen !
January 7th, 2021
Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled—Joshua 21:45
Today we will conclude the “New Journey Begins” themed devotional for the first week of the New Year, as we follow along with Israel, seeing how God fulfills His promises to bring the nation He had called out of Egypt to inherit Canaan.
The verse above is a good ending for our “New Journey Begins” theme for the obvious reasons. Let us think of all the things that God has promised to us in His Scriptures and write down those we feel are missing in our lives and take up the challenge. How many of those things we wish would come to pass in 2021 ? Now just imagine that you could have all of those things. How would your life change for the better ? How would the lives of those you can bless in 2022 change with the blessings that God gives you in 2021 ? Now, we must be careful about this. There’s a difference between a desire a person has and a promise of God. Granted, even our desires are covered under God’s promises as Scriptures say “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”—Psalms 37:4. But there are times when people’s desires can be off mark.
it is not bad to have desires that we contend for in God’s presence, hoping that those desires will be fulfilled. But I like to consider this as a bottom-up approach. This is an approach I would say fits those who are young Christian believers or not yet mature. They develop plans or an agenda and then they bring that plan to God and ask Him to bless them and make it come to pass. He may do so or He may not do that. Why? Because when we do a bottom-up approach, it is easy that we could either have plans or desires that are contrary to Christ’s will for our lives or we could have plans or desires that pursue a path that Christ has not intended for us to reach the destiny He has planned for our lives. For those who are mature, this is not a major concern, because in John 15:7 the Lord promised to do what we will. When you know God’s Word thoroughly and are submitted to His lordship, you know that your perfection in Christ has the greatest value. Your prayers are kingdom-focused because Christ’s “words remain in you.” Though Christ has given us authority—exousia—to pray in His name and get what we ask for, the saints walk in differing levels of authority based on obedience. Some Christians get their will done while others do not get their will done because Christ’s words do not remain in them. Have you ever wondered why I teach on Christian perfection so much ? For 2 reasons. First, it is the only way to guarantee heaven, according to Hebrews 12:14. Second, it is the only way we can make much of Jesus in this life, get our prayers answered and our will done, according to John 15:7.
Many Christians fail to realize that this belief is literally how the Bible defines faith. The word translated as “confidence” in Hebrews 11:1 and “reality” in NLT and “assurance” in ESV and “substance” in KJV is “hypostasis / hupostasis” in Greek. It can also mean “proof or title-deed.” I see things I pray for as my entitlement. I know I did not pay for them. That’s why I thank the Lord. Christ made the purchase (Romans 8:32). Now, when another Christian, who is virtually an unbeliever, has an issue with that, it doesn’t stop me from believing this. In fact, I, too, have an issue with the contrary. In many cases, I convince many of the truth of this before they ever manage to convince me other beliefs on faith and answered prayers (1 John 5:4-5; Ezekiel 2:5; 1 Kings 8:56).
As we saw earlier in this New Journey Begins devotional, God did not just promise Israel to bring them to Canaan, He also chose their path—avoiding battles with the Philistines early on—even though they were battle-ready (Exodus 13:17-18). It is possible to be ready for battle and still want to save your energy. This is not about opposition or ease to follow a certain path, it is about acknowledging God’s wisdom in choosing our paths and battles.
The best way to see God’s promises fulfilled is to have a top-bottom approach rather than a bottom-up approach. What does this mean? We must learn the Word of God thoroughly first and get to know what God’s general desires are for all mankind. We should be familiar with what God’s eternal purposes are for the whole world in general and the church in particular— we may call this “the big picture.” Then, we can even narrow that down to know what God’s desires are for the times and seasons we are into and also the geographical locations He has placed us. In Acts 17:26-27 we read: “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” From this we read that God not only chose our geographical locations—He also chose our appointed times. There’s a reason we were not born in 1850. The Greek Word used for “appointed times” is Kairos, which is different from the chronos—another Greek word used for time in the Bible. From the Greek chronos we get chronology or chronological in English, and this is a general time in which events occur. Kairos, on the other hand, is a very specific time in which something significant takes place—outside of that window period—it becomes impossible to do. For example, God has certain things that He will have available for you throughout your entire life and also certain opportunities that will only come at certain junctures—Kairos moments—and if you miss those Kairos moments—they may never come back. So, now we can see why the top-bottom approach is very crucial. God designed things this way so that we can reach out to Him, seek Him, find Him, and discover our delight in Him. Without walking in the Spirit daily, it is impossible to seize the Kairos moments God has set up for us. Christ’s will is only possible in Christ.
Now that we understand the difference between promises of God and our own desires—and also the bottom-up approach vs the top-bottom approach; let’s see the promises that God had given to Israel that Joshua is writing to have been fulfilled in great detail and how this can inspire us in the journey we have ahead of us this year and see God’s promises fulfilled in our lives. In Numbers 36:7 we read “No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors.”—Numbers 36:7. So, for example, the tribe of Judah could not get the land that belonged to the tribe of Zebulun. This means that each tribe had to be able to fight and get their own allocated land. Considering that Israel had 12 tribes, we can see how powerful it was to not have a missing inch for all of these tribes.
All the tribes of Israel helped each other to fight but each one had their own land. In Numbers 32, we read an interesting story of the tribe Ruben and Gad asking Moses while he was still alive that they would be given inheritance in Gilead and Jazer. This was a bottom-up approach because they had large flocks and herds and they had needs that other tribes did not have—and they presented their desire to inherit that particular location that would maximize their productivity. Moses granted their request on the condition that they would fight along the other 10 tribes. The Levites did not have inheritance because they were priests of the Lord (Numbers 18:24; Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 18:2)—so we could say that what Moses really meant was for Ruben and Gad to help the other 9 tribes. In any case, because the land that the Rubenites and Gadites were asking was closest and they could have it without fighting hard as it was east of the Jordan river—they were commanded to assist their brothers who still needed to fight for their own portion on the west side. That’s why Moses warned them “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”—Numbers 32:23; in other words, the Rubenites and Gadites couldn’t cheat on their brothers who still needed to fight for their inheritance by refusing to assist them in battle. If they did, it would have been sinful and their sinful behavior would catch up with them. This is why we see the very first thing that Joshua does when he begins to give command to the armies after Moses died is to remind the Rubenites and Gadites their end of the bargain (Joshua 1:12-15).It has an application for the church because “we are one body.” (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:20,27; Romans 15:26). None of God’s people or tribe will be left behind. In America, I tend to have this picture in mind when praying for churches that are in different states. For example a church in South Carolina may face different challenges from those of a church in California. I strongly believe in a victorious global church and my hope is to play my part to help those I can to be victorious and removing whatever mountains or obstacles they have in their paths. Knowing that we are one body, it has never occurred to me to think that what happens to some Christians is “their problem.” I have always felt that it was my problem too. The wellbeing of the whole church is my wellbeing.
The first city the tribes of Israel attacked was Jericho—but they did not fight physically—they only marched. We read the story in Joshua 6:1-27. After they marched 7 days and blew their Shofar—God brought the city down. God probably was training them to trust Him and depend upon Him by bringing the city down all by himself—when they were doing nothing but blowing trumpets. Scriptures declare a principle that would apply here and everywhere else: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”—Zachariah 4:6. The weakness of human nature is that, if we achieve something great and we are visibly sweating to get it—we may miss God’s involvement in that,even though our very breath and strength comes from Him. We could end up glorifying ourselves and not honoring Him as the Giver of all things (John 3:27; James 1:17). Whether things that happen are visible miracles or invisible graces, God is behind it all. So Joshua’s first victory happened without any archers shooting or excavators breaking the city wall. The Lord wanted Israel to witness His raw power unleashed—without any human involvement. This way, they could trust Him when He actually told them to fight themselves.
After taking Jericho, something awful happens in the following city of Ai as Israel is defeated (Joshua 7:1-26). Joshua goes to God asking why they were defeated and God told him about the sin of Achan who had created a breach by taking the spoils from Jericho when God had forbidden that and commanded them to destroy them. After they cleaned up that mess, God would help them in the next battle (Joshua 8:1). What we learn here is that, even though God had given them promises—they still had to play by the rules established by Him—and those rules would be communicated step by step. They had to be attentive to His voice all the way because they couldn’t just say “God has promised us to win and we shall win no matter how behave.” We see that when they ignored God’s instruction at a certain point—like Achan did in Jericho—then they faced severe consequences. Now, I have heard some Christians say that because we are under the New Covenant—the promises of God are no longer conditional. After all, Scriptures declare: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”—2 Corinthians 1:20. They point to this verse to say that there are no more conditions on God’s promises. But a quick glance at the reality many Christians live in the world tells a whole different story. Let’s take for example Psalms 103:3 “…the Lord….heals all your diseases.” This is clearly a promise that God heals all our diseases. Christians can have that in Christ. Jesus healed everyone who came to him (Matthew 4:23-24; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 12:15; Acts 10:38). But are all Christians healed today? They could be—potentially—but they are not always. I know some who died of COVID-19. There are others who die prematurely for other reasons. So why not healed ? Simply because conditions on promises—are in fact—still in effect (John 15:7; 1 Corinthians 11:30). This is not to say that all Christians who die are sinful— after all, even Lazarus that Jesus rose from the dead died again eventually— we all shall die— it is to mean that many Christians do not enjoy the promises of God for healing simply because they are not meeting the conditions to inherit them. All promises are fulfilled in Christ and we can have them as long as we are in Christ entirely—walking in His will—being filled with His words and practicing what they instruct us to do. Outside of Christ in anyway, living in disobedience to revealed Scripture, and those promises have no fulfillment. Many Christians simply don’t understand what it means to be in Christ and it is not uncommon to find those who consider themselves Christians when they are barely what you would call “Almost Christian.” There are even people Jesus asked “why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and you do not do what I say ?” —Luke 6:46. It’s not enough for someone to claim to know Christ, do demons know you as sold-out to His cause ? (See 1 Corinthians 10:21; 2 Corinthians 6:15-16; Acts 19:13-15; James 2:19). Does Christ acknowledge you ? So now we understand why even though God had promised Israel victory, they lost the battle in Ai on their first attempt.
After Isarel defeated Ai on their second attempt, they attacked the Amorites, taking the city of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. They defeated their kings: Adonizedek, Hoham, Piram, Japhia, and Debir (Joshua 10:1-27). It is during the war with these 5 kings that Joshua commands the sun to stand still (Joshua 10: 12-14) so that they would continue to have the light of day and pursue the fugitives. This miracle is as powerful as crossing the Red Sea. It had never happened before and it has not happened since then. After that, they went onto taking Makeddah and Libnah (Joshua 10:28-29). After the victories of the South, they fought at the waters of Merom, defeating king Jabin who led the northern alliance. This was something that apostle Paul could have called a “ triumphal procession.”—2 Chronicles 2:14. So, now we understand why Joshua said ”Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; everyone was fulfilled.”—Joshua 21:45. They went from victory to victory until they took all the land.
Prayer: Father God, I thank you that you are a promise-keeping, faithful, miracle-working God. We are encouraged that you do not faint or grow weary and you shall continue to fight our battles until the end of time. Lord, we pray that in our appointed times in history, we will hear your voice showing us the way so that we can follow the path you have designed and fulfill your destiny for our lives. We also pray that you plant your desires and visions in our hearts—so that we can pursue them in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the victorious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!