Daily Bible Portion (Friday)
Daily Bible Portion – 3 of 7
"COUNT"
(Numbers 4:21 to 7:89 - Judges 13:2-25 - Acts 21:17 to 22:29 - John 7:53 to 8:11)
Cleaning the Camp: Our Neighbor Has Wronged Us
The other side of forgiveness is if a brother sins against you. Christ commands us to go to our brother, one on one, and share with him his faults in a manner that will bless not curse. We are commanded to do it in such a manner that will win him over, not to our side but to proper conduct in Christ. This means we share in love with respect and with honor. We are not permitted to speak about this to anyone else. We do not speak about this to friends or talk about it publically. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, we do not war against flesh and blood but against spiritual principalities that war within ourselves and secondly, we may have all the evidence to the fact that indeed our neighbor has wronged us but as we saw in the Kedoshim(slander) Leviticus 19 study even eye witness accounts can be incorrect. This is why we are not at liberty to share our story publically. We must first go to the brother in a spirit of reconciliation to help clear up the matter otherwise we sin.
If the brother does not receive your information, you are then to bring one or two others who are unbiased and understanding of Christ’s principles to help mediate a discovery between the two reconciling parties. More often than not we may find the situation has nothing to do with the other person but it is really about ourselves where we may have incorrectly misunderstood or taken our brother out of context.
After speaking in Matthew 7:3 Jesus then went on to teach about what to do with a person who is totally rebellious and not interested in repentance or correction. That brother is to go before the body of believers and is sent outside the camp until he is able to receive correction.
Any unforgiveness is an open door for the enemy to approach. Not only does our judgment of others affect that individual, but sin is also infectious and will contaminate others. Unforgiveness is the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to quickly restore a person who is asking for forgiveness and to be quick to forgive those who do not know they have sinned. This is our duty to make restitution available for a person who desires reinstatement otherwise we show contempt and dishonor.
Luke 11:4 “And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Cleaning the Camp: The Law of Jealousy - Numbers 5:11-31
The Law of Jealousy is a picture of Christ’s Bride who has been unfaithful to Him. These laws express the process Christ went through for our redemption when He stood on our behalf before our accuser. Many do not fully realize that it was this law in Numbers 5 that Jesus Christ had to fulfill in order to redeem believers. When believers understand this law it sets precedence in their heart and believers become more attentive to their lifestyle choices.
If a husband knew or suspected his wife of being unfaithful she was considered impure and he brought her to the tabernacle to stand before the priest with an offering of a tenth of an ephah (an omer) of barley flour (a course textured, spring grain) on her behalf. No oil or incense was placed on this offering, as it was the grain offering for jealousy, a reminder offering to draw attention to guilt. The priest had the woman stand alone before the Lord. He took holy water (water of cleansing) in a clay jar, and put some of the dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. He loosened her hair and placed in her hands the offering while he held the bitter water that brings a curse. The priest put the woman under oath. If she was innocent and had not gone astray the bitter water would bless her but if she had committed adultery the bitter water would cause her abdomen to swell and her thigh (represents her lineage/generations) to waste away. The woman would answer “Amen and Amen” meaning “So be it, so be it,” “Bring on the test, bring on the test.”
The priest then wrote the curses on a scroll and sponged the ink off with a small amount of vinegar (according to Hebrew thought), and put this into a clay vessel filled with water. The priest took from her hand a handful of grain as the memorial offering to be burned on the altar and had the woman drink the bitter water. If she was defiled and had been unfaithful to her husband (sotah in Hebrew), the drink would cause bitter suffering; her abdomen would swell and her thigh would waste away. If she had not defiled herself she would be cleared of guilt and impurity and restored as a virtuous woman able to conceive children.
Who is the adulterous wife today? Could the Lord be talking about believers? If believers are in a betrothal relationship with Christ, what cup will they be drinking at the wedding? Will it be the cup of redemption or the cup of trembling from the Law of Jealousy? Will believers be shown to be a faithful wife or one who has been adulterous?
continues tomorrow...
"COUNT"
(Numbers 4:21 to 7:89 - Judges 13:2-25 - Acts 21:17 to 22:29 - John 7:53 to 8:11)
Cleaning the Camp: Our Neighbor Has Wronged Us
The other side of forgiveness is if a brother sins against you. Christ commands us to go to our brother, one on one, and share with him his faults in a manner that will bless not curse. We are commanded to do it in such a manner that will win him over, not to our side but to proper conduct in Christ. This means we share in love with respect and with honor. We are not permitted to speak about this to anyone else. We do not speak about this to friends or talk about it publically. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, we do not war against flesh and blood but against spiritual principalities that war within ourselves and secondly, we may have all the evidence to the fact that indeed our neighbor has wronged us but as we saw in the Kedoshim(slander) Leviticus 19 study even eye witness accounts can be incorrect. This is why we are not at liberty to share our story publically. We must first go to the brother in a spirit of reconciliation to help clear up the matter otherwise we sin.
Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
James 4:1 “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”
If the brother does not receive your information, you are then to bring one or two others who are unbiased and understanding of Christ’s principles to help mediate a discovery between the two reconciling parties. More often than not we may find the situation has nothing to do with the other person but it is really about ourselves where we may have incorrectly misunderstood or taken our brother out of context.
Matthew 7:3 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”
After speaking in Matthew 7:3 Jesus then went on to teach about what to do with a person who is totally rebellious and not interested in repentance or correction. That brother is to go before the body of believers and is sent outside the camp until he is able to receive correction.
Matthew 18:15-17 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church[assembly]. But if he refuses even to hear the church[assembly], let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
Any unforgiveness is an open door for the enemy to approach. Not only does our judgment of others affect that individual, but sin is also infectious and will contaminate others. Unforgiveness is the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to quickly restore a person who is asking for forgiveness and to be quick to forgive those who do not know they have sinned. This is our duty to make restitution available for a person who desires reinstatement otherwise we show contempt and dishonor.
Mark 11:25-26 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15, 18:35).
Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
Luke 11:4 “And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Ezekiel 18:26-28 “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
Cleaning the Camp: The Law of Jealousy - Numbers 5:11-31
The Law of Jealousy is a picture of Christ’s Bride who has been unfaithful to Him. These laws express the process Christ went through for our redemption when He stood on our behalf before our accuser. Many do not fully realize that it was this law in Numbers 5 that Jesus Christ had to fulfill in order to redeem believers. When believers understand this law it sets precedence in their heart and believers become more attentive to their lifestyle choices.
If a husband knew or suspected his wife of being unfaithful she was considered impure and he brought her to the tabernacle to stand before the priest with an offering of a tenth of an ephah (an omer) of barley flour (a course textured, spring grain) on her behalf. No oil or incense was placed on this offering, as it was the grain offering for jealousy, a reminder offering to draw attention to guilt. The priest had the woman stand alone before the Lord. He took holy water (water of cleansing) in a clay jar, and put some of the dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. He loosened her hair and placed in her hands the offering while he held the bitter water that brings a curse. The priest put the woman under oath. If she was innocent and had not gone astray the bitter water would bless her but if she had committed adultery the bitter water would cause her abdomen to swell and her thigh (represents her lineage/generations) to waste away. The woman would answer “Amen and Amen” meaning “So be it, so be it,” “Bring on the test, bring on the test.”
The priest then wrote the curses on a scroll and sponged the ink off with a small amount of vinegar (according to Hebrew thought), and put this into a clay vessel filled with water. The priest took from her hand a handful of grain as the memorial offering to be burned on the altar and had the woman drink the bitter water. If she was defiled and had been unfaithful to her husband (sotah in Hebrew), the drink would cause bitter suffering; her abdomen would swell and her thigh would waste away. If she had not defiled herself she would be cleared of guilt and impurity and restored as a virtuous woman able to conceive children.
Who is the adulterous wife today? Could the Lord be talking about believers? If believers are in a betrothal relationship with Christ, what cup will they be drinking at the wedding? Will it be the cup of redemption or the cup of trembling from the Law of Jealousy? Will believers be shown to be a faithful wife or one who has been adulterous?
continues tomorrow...