Sun.’s Devo - From False Worship to True Worship

Read: Numbers 24:1-25, 25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Ps. 59:1-17 Pr. 11:14 2 Pet. 2:15 says that Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. Revelations 2:14 says “But I have a few things against thee, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. The unrighteous and the righteous are the Lord’s. He controls them both. Satan could only bring on Job what God allowed and Satan can only bring on us what God allows. The Moabites couldn’t curse them so they led them into their obscene worship of Baal-peor. God brought a plague that killed 24,000 people until a man named Zimri brought one of the Baal worshipers, Cozbi, into their camp. Zimri means “musical” and Cozbi means “false” so together they meant “false worship”. Cozbi was the daughter of the prince of Midian which was Balak, the same man that hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. This was his reward. Eleazar, the priest took a javelin and pierced it through both her abdomen and Zimri’s who brought her into the camp and the plague was stopped. In the Old Testament the demons and enemies came in the form of flesh and blood many times. In the New Testament, our enemies come only through the spirit. Because Eleazar was zealous for God, God promised him His covenant of peace and the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. In Luke, today, we see heaven responding to the birth of the Messiah, God’s son. Hebrews tells us that ALL the angels worshiped him at his birth. (Heb. 1:6) I bet that was a sight to behold. Jesus grew and when he was 12, the age of manhood, he could now enter the temple. His parents found him there and when they asked him why, he responded, “why are you looking for me, didn’t you know I would be about my Father’s business?” That was the custom once you came to manhood, that you would join your father’s business. Jesus’ father was God and His business was the temple. Even though Mary and Joseph didn’t understand, Jesus came home and submitted to them. Lord, may we have that kind of submission to You when we feel wrongfully rebuked or misunderstood.