March 22
Num 33:40-35:34 | PS 65:1-13| Prov 11:23 | Luke 5:12-28
We read in Numbers 33:51-53, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines. Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy.” Crossing the Jordan River and occupying the Promised Land is a picture of the believer’s life on earth. Notice to have an effective life in this promised land they are not to toy with the enemy, they are not to hang on or consider false idols, they are to remain steadfast on their path focused on God. For us now, when we make that decision to repent and accept Jesus’ payment for our sins, this represents new life. Though the process of sanctification, or holiness, or setting oneself apart often takes some time, just as for the Israelites it did take some time to take the Promised Land, we are called to flee from those things that tempt us, that cause our walk to be crooked instead of faith.
If we refuse to abandon our ways from our old life, we should take serious heed to God’s warning to those about to enter the Promised Land in 33:55-56, “But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.” There is a small, but powerful book called, “My Heart - Christ’s Home” by Robert Boyd Munger which exemplifies what it looks like when areas of our life is not given over to Jesus. We need to understand it’s not that the Israelites stopped being God’s chosen people when they failed to step forth in obedience, it was that they made their own path more difficult. Likewise, once we have made a decision in faith to follow Christ, we will never be disowned, but if we fail to abandon those nagging sins, our walk will never be all that it could have been, we will suffer the consequences, and God will use others to do what we could have been blessed doing.
On a completely different note, we read in Numbers 35:30-31, “All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death.” Just prior to this very strong statement, God gave provision to protect those who killed another accidentally. God also calls his people to engage in battle in which there would be killing, which is not murder. Murder was and is the intentional and willing taking of another’s life. Many in the faith state they are against capital punishment. Our Father, God, has more grace and mercy than we could even imagine. God has spoken clearly as to what needs to be done to murderers, do those who speak against capital punishment really think they have more grace and mercy than God. We can debate the problems with the judicial system, bias, etc., but when someone is literally caught in the act, by numerous bystanders, nothing needs to be known of the murderer’s upbringing or background story. If murderers are allowed to roam a civilized society or even live out their lives in prison, influencing other prisoners, society will cease to be civilized.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: