Wed.’s Devo - God’s Faithfulness

Read: Numbers 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25; Psalm 56:1-13; Proervs 11:8 God gave Moses the law of the red heifer which would stand for Jesus. It’s blood was to be sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle where the congregation stood. Then it was to be burned completely on the brazen altar along with cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet. These were all the props at Mt. Calvary. Then the priest was to wash his clothes and bathe in the laver and he would be clean. A clean man was to gather up the ashes of the heifer and take them outside the camp to a clean place where it would be kept for use in the water of separation ceremony. This man would be unclean until the evening. Joseph of Arimathea was that clean man who took the body of Christ to his own tomb. *** If a person touched a dead body, he would be unclean for seven days. On the third day of that week, he was to purify himself and on the seventh day he would be clean. All of this was symbolic. Our lives constitute the seven days. Our day of salvation is the third day. If we are purified on the day of our salvation, then we will be pure before God the day we die. *** The law says that if the water of separation is not put on him, he will not be clean. This could be referring to baptism which cleanses us from our sins. If this is so, it is imperative that we be baptized. God gave us laws for a reason which goes beyond our comprehension. *** The people came to the desert of Zin once again. Miriam die there and was buried. *** There was no water and the people blamed Moses and Aaron. They accused them of bringing them to this evil place that had was not fertile and there was no water to drink. *** The Lord told Moses to gather the people and speak to the rock and it would bring forth water. Instead, Moses took his rod and stuck the rock twice and water came out abundantly but God rebuked Moses and Aaron for not doing what he said. He called it the water of Meribah, the same thing he called it in Exodus 17:7 the first time they had come to this exact place. *** Aaron would die here for complaining with the people about not having water the first time (Exodus 17:7). At that time, it says that the people complained against only Moses, meaning that Aaron was on the side of the people. This second time, Moses and Aaron were mentioned together and the people complained against both of them. *** Moses would have to die for not obeying the Lord the second time. God had told Moses to speak to the rock. That rock was Christ and he was struck once for our sins. He doesn’t have to die again for our sins. Now we speak the word of confession and salvation and we are saved. *** It was time for Aaron to die so he was taken up on a mountain for all to see. Moses took the mantle off of Aaron and put it on his son, Eleazar. Aaron then died and the people mourned for 30 days. *** Luke set out to write the story of Jesus by talking to eye witnesses and putting the story in chronological order. He began with the birth of John the Baptist who would announce the coming of the Messiah. *** Zacharias was a priest married to Elisabeth who was of the line of Aaron. Both were righteous people who walked with God. She had been barren, so they had no children and now they were both elderly. *** It was Zacharias’ lot to burn incense this month but when he went in to burn incense, an angel met with him. It told him that his prayer had been heard. His wife would have a son and they were to name it John. It would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. He would be great in God’s sight and he would not drink wine or strong drink. He would turn many people to the Lord. *** He would have the spirit of Elijah on him and turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just and prepare the people to receive the Lord. *** Zacharias questioned the angel about their age and the angel told him that since he didn’t believe, he would not be able to talk until it came to past. *** Zacharias was in the place of burning incense so long, the people outside began to worry. When he came out he couldn’t speak but made motions that let them know he had seen a vision. *** When Zacharias had completed his days as priest, he came home and he and Elizabeth conceived a child. She went into seclusion for five months. She rejoiced that God had taken away her reproach of barrenness away. *** Zacharias had prayed for years for a son. Little did he know that God had not forgotten them and was going to answer them at just the right time he needed his son on the earth. Our prayers are always heard by God. He is faithful. *** Lord, thank you that you answer our prayers even after we are gone from this earth. We proclaim your goodness over our lives, our health, our families and our nation. We say, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. We say good things are coming. Justice is coming. Grace and prosperity is coming. Revival is coming!