March 5
Num 4:1-5:31 | PS 48:1-14 | Prov 10:26 | Mark 12:18-37
There are times that we come to portions of Scripture which don't seem to make sense. When that happens, we must pause and consider context. We can't simply lift the words off the pages and apply them to our current culture. One of those portions is the jealousy offering as described in Numbers 5:11-31. To place things in context, we must realize that women in the ancient world were afforded no rights. Suspicion of adultery would allow a man to divorce her, leave her destitute, even batter or murder her. This was not right but such was the culture of that time. When people yell unfair, asking how about the man who goes astray, again remember context, and also in humility be very careful when you point at God and claim unfair, as He is fairer and more just than any of us would ever be. This ritual had the effect of greatly reducing the damage done to women. When one reads the ingredients of the concoction: holy water, dust from the tabernacle floor, the words of the curse rinsed off the leather into the concoction, there is nothing in there naturally that would cause the effects to shrivel the uterus and cause the abdomen to swell. That being the case it would require God to supernaturally intervene and cause the said effects. One must realize that adultery is wrong, but more than being a sin against the spouse it is a sin against God. So, don't try to question the fairness of the practice or the ability of the mixture to work. See God behind the practice. Overwhelmingly this would be a deterrent for the man to move forward and be publicly humiliated for falsely accusing his wife. Overwhelmingly the woman would be innocent of these accusations, and nothing would happen to the woman. There is no record of how often this offering was actually used.
We must realize from the above that when we sin, we are first and foremost sinning against our perfect God. It's not that others are not also hurt, but we must remember that God indeed sees all, both our thoughts and actions. After David's adulterous acts with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah, we read David's words, the man after God's own heart, in Psalm 51:2-4, "Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just." I know that many would scoff at such seemingly archaic practices as mentioned above, in so doing lifting us and our culture above that in that day. Women have now achieved equality and that is a wonderful thing. But realize adultery was a rare event in those days and it is extremely common now for both men and women. They held God in awe, most in our society do not. In that day it took an offense as serious as adultery to render this public scrutiny, now people are fired, maligned, etc. for incorrectly using the wrong pronoun. You decide which culture is farther from the path.
Just as we struggle to see this offering in its context as we continue through the preliminary questioning and trials of Jesus, the religious leaders along with most of the people failed to understand who Jesus was in context. He was and is God, the second Person of the Trinity in His first coming. This was missed and the leaders and the people thought they were actually in a position to judge Jesus, though He was perfect through and through. Whether it be the questioning of His authority in Mark 11:28, the rightfulness of taxation in 12:14, the resurrection in 12:19-23, etc. we must realize they were not seeking answers but seeking a way to trip Him up and expose Him before the people. We all get it wrong every time we mischaracterize God. He is always fair, just, perfect, loving, merciful, full of grace. He knows all, is as relevant today as He was yesterday and as He will be in the future as He transcends time. All too often we lift ourselves up with our puny little minds and arrogantly feel we have the right to question or go toe to toe with God. When we don't understand something, God is right every time. When something doesn't make sense, it does, we are simply missing the context. He is perfect and the sooner we realize that the more sense our walk will be.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: