Fri..’s Devo - The Enemies of the Lord

Read Numbers 19-21
Today’s reading covers many things. First is the red heifer. It was the picture of Jesus who removed our sins. Israelite priests and rabbis have been looking through the ages for a perfect red heifer. When they find one, they will start sacrificing again in Jerusalem. The third and seventh days are pictures of our salvation and our earthly death. We are cleansed from sin on the third when we are saved. We are forever cleansed from sin when we die which is the seventh - the day we enter into our rest.
In the twentieth chapter the children of Israel have made it back to the wilderness of Sin at the exact place they ran out of water forty years ago. The people complain once more and Moses is told to speak to the rock. Instead, he strikes it like he did the first time he was there. Water did gush out, but it messed up God’s picture and cost Moses the promise land. 1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the rock that followed them in the wilderness was Jesus. When Moses struck it the first time it was to show that Jesus was struck down for our sins. The second time Moses was to speak to it because we don’t crucify Christ again, we speak to him and he hears us and gives us what we need. Moses messed up the picture. No wonder it is called the “wilderness of Sin”. Also, Miriam died here. Miriam means “their rebellion”. Rebellion had to die before they could enter the promised land. Aaron also died up in the mountain. He died away from the people so none could be defiled by his dead body. Moses would die the same way.
The children of Israel had to pass through the land of Edom and the land of the Amorites. They asked both of them nicely and both of them said, “no”. All of the enemies in the promised land symbolized the demonic forces we face. These were both counterfeits of God’s gifts. Edom means “red” and he was the counterfeit of the blood of Jesus. Amorites means “sayers” they were the false prophets. God gave them victory over them both.
Lord, help us to realize that we don’t fight flesh and blood, but powers and principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places. Let us not be afraid but bold as lions.