Wed.’s Devo - Judgement and Atonement

Read: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6 When they came into the land God promised they were to bring him a sacrifice from the first fruits of the land. *** If they as a congregation sinned by mistake, they were to offer one bull for a burnt offering, a grain offering, a drink offering and a goat for a sin offering. Then, they and everyone who lives among them will be forgiven. *** If just one person sinned by mistake he was to offer a female goat as a sin offering and the priest will make atonement for the person. But if a person sins purposely to defile the Lord, that person would be cut off and bear his own sin. There was no repentance for him. *** They found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath and the Lord said to stone him to death. *** God told them to make tassels on the corners of their garments and to put blue tassels in the corners of their shawl. This was to remind them of the commandments of the Lord and to not follow the desires of their flesh. *** Korah who was a son of Levi, Dathan and Abiram who were sons of Eliab along with 250 of the chiefs of the congregation joined together to stand against Moses and Aaron. They were tired of following Moses and Aaron and wanted to rule instead. *** Moses told them to bring censers with fire and incense in them to the tent of meeting and the Lord would choose who was holy and who was not. Dathan and Abiram refused to come but Korah showed up. The Lord wanted to kill them all but Moses cried out for the innocent. The Lord then told Moses to get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Moses stood before their tents and told the people to stand back or they would be judged along with them. Dathan and Abiram and all their families came to the front of their tent. Moses told them that the ground was going to open its mouth and swallow them if they had despised the Lord. That is exactly what happened and they went to Sheol alive along with their families and all their belongings. The earth closed over them and all Israel fled with fear. *** God told Moses to tell Eleazar to take their censers and scatter the fire to make them holy. Eleazar obeyed then took their bronze censers of the ones who had died and hammered them out as a covert for the altar. It was to remind the people of what happened and that no one who was not a descendant of Aaron should draw near to burn incense before the Lord lest they die like these men did. *** We have a mirror of that same rebellion in Mark. The chief priests and scribes and the whole council bound Jesus and took him to Pilate. Pilate wanted to know if Jesus was the King of the Jews. Jesus told him he said it. The chief priest told Pilate all the things they were accusing Jesus of and Jesus refused to give a rebuttal. Pilate was amazed at that. ** It was the feast and Pilate would customarily release a prisoner each year. He had a man named Barabbas who was a murderer and a insurrectionist. He brought him and Jesus before the crowd and asked which they wanted released. Because of their jealousy of Jesus, the priest instigated the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released. When Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus, they yelled to crucify him. Pilate could make no sense of their request but he released Barabbas and had Jesus scrounged and delivered to them to crucify. *** Jesus was led inside the palace of the governor and they clothed Jesus in purple cloth and a crown of thorns was placed on his head. They mocked him as the King of the Jews and spat on him and beat him. Then they put his own clothes back on him and led him to the cross. *** They made Simon, who was just passing by, carry his cross for him and led him to Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. They cast lots for his garments and crucified him between two robbers. He was taunted and mocked by those who walked by. *** At the sixth hour, darkness covered the whole land for three hours. Then Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cried out and then died. The curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom and the centurions who were guarding him said, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” *** The two Mary’s and many of the women who had followed Jesus watched all this from a distance. *** Joseph of Arimathea, who was a respected member of the council went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body. and took a linen shroud and wrapped him in it and laid him in his own tomb. He rolled a stone over the entrance. The two Mary’s saw where Jesus was brought. *** Lord, thank you for tearing the curtain between man and You. Thank you that we can come boldly before your throne any time we want and need to. Thank you that you are accessible and forgiving. You are our perfect High Priest.

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Way is Narrow -

Read: Numbers 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72; Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 11:4 The people had just heard the report of the ten spies who thought it would be suicide to fight the giants in the land. So, the people cried out against Moses and Aaron and some wanted to choose a leader and go back to Egypt. *** Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the people and Joshua stood up and reminded them that the Lord was with them and would help them defeat the giants. The people wanted to stone all three of them but God intervened. His glory came down to the tent of meeting. *** God told Moses that he was tired of working with these stubborn people and would make a nation from Moses’ offspring. He wanted to kill them and disinherit the grumblers. Moses interceded for the people and told the Lord that it would hurt his reputation on the earth if he did that. He reminded God of his promise that he was slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and he promised to forgive their iniquity and transgressions. *** The Lord answered on the promise that one day the whole earth would be filled with his glory. (We are living in expectation of this promise.) He swore that none of the people who had seen all his miracles and doubted would enter into the land. But, their children who they said would be prey to the giants, would enter and inherit the land. Only Joshua and Caleb would live to enter the land of their generation. *** When Moses told this to the people, they realized they had really messed up and some of them decided to go into the land and fight the giants. Moses told them not to go because God would not be with them and they would not succeed. They went anyway and were not successful. *** God was already preparing for the day they would go in. He told Moses exactly how much their offering would be when they entered into the land. It would be the same for them and the stranger with them. *** In Mark, Jesus was then taken to the home of the high priest. Peter stayed in the courtyard with the guards. He listened as false witnesses brought their charges against Jesus. None of them were strong enough until one of them quoted Jesus saying he would destroy the temple made with hands and in three days, build another not made with hands. That is not what Jesus said, but they liked it and Jesus had no rebuttal. When the high priest asked Jesus if he was the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus answered, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his robe and called it blasphemy. The council agreed and condemned him to death. They spit on him and covered his face to strike him. They mocked him, telling him to prophesy. *** Peter was recognized by one of the servant first of the high priest but he denied being one of his disciples. The rooster crowed. He denied knowing Jesus two more times and the rooster crowed again. He remembered what Jesus had said and broke into tears. *** Lord, Thank you that we have the Holy Spirit to give us strength when we are weak and afraid. Thank you that your promises can be trusted and one day the whole earth will be filled with your glory.

Mon.’s Devo - Sending the Spies

Read: Numbers 11:24-13:33; Mark 14:22-52; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 11:1-3 God had told Moses to gather 70 faithful leaders from among the tribes and he would give them instructions. He had also told them that he would give them meat till it was up to their nose. 
 *** Moses called the 70 leaders to the tent but only 68 came. God came down in the cloud and spoke to them and filled these men with His Spirit. The men began to prophesy and the two who had not came out began to prophesy in the camp. *** Joshua told Moses to stop the two who were prophesying in the camp. Moses refused to do it and told Joshua he wished everyone in the camp were prophets. *** God sent a wind to blow in quail from the sea which fell all around their camp. The next day, the people went out and gathered them. The least anyone gathered was 60 bushels! They were like ravenous beasts. (I wonder if they drained them and cooked them first.) Before they could take a bite, God was so angry with them that he struck them down with a plague. They were buried there named the place Kibroth-hattaavah which means “the graves of lust.” *** Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses’ marriage to a Cushite woman. Cush was the son of Ham so I can see the problem they had, but God didn’t seem to have the same problem with it. God called the three of them: Moses, Aaron and Miriam to the tent of meeting. God defended Moses who he spoke to face to face. He asked them why they were not afraid to speak against Moses. When the Lord left in his cloud, Miriam was covered with leprosy. Aaron immediately repented for both of them. Miriam was set outside the camp for seven days then brought back in. *** The Lord had Moses send out 12 spies to the promised land of Canaan. Each tribe sent a spy. Joshua went from Judah and Caleb went from the tribe of Issachar. The twelve traveled the land for 40 days and saw the cities, the hill country and the land by the sea. Everywhere they went they saw the assets of the fruitful land, but they also saw the giants living there. Moses had told them to bring back the produce from the land so they brought back the first fruits of the grape harvest which tells us this was the time of the fall feasts. They should have blown their trumpets and taken the land and set up God’s kingdom there. Caleb stood up and encouraged the people to take the land at once, but fear and the bad reports caused them to miss their opportunity. They looked at the circumstances and forgot God’s promises and all he had done to get them there. *** In Mark, Jesus gave his disciples the bread, blessed it and broke it. He told them that it signified his body. Then he gave them the wine and gave thanks. He told them to drink it because it signified his blood and the covenant they had with him. He would not drink from the fruit of the vine till he drinks it in the new kingdom. *** They sang a hymn, then Jesus took them to the Mount of Olives. He told them they would all fall away from him. Peter, of course, said he wouldn’t. Jesus told him he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. *** They went to Gethsemane and Jesus asked them to pray. Jesus was deep in prayer wanting not to have to go through this great trial, but he wanted what God wanted more than his own life. Jesus came back to find them sleeping three times. He named Peter and asked him why he couldn’t pray for an hour with him. *** Finally, the last time he returned to them it was time for his betrayer to come. Judas arrived with a crowd armed with clubs and swords. He kissed Jesus and called him Rabbi. This was the sign for the leaderss to seize Jesus. Peter drew his sword and cut off the servant of the high priest’s ear. In another gospel, Jesus healed his ear. *** There was a young man in a linen cloth who was a follower of Jesus. They seized him but he fled leaving his linen cloth behind. All through the Bible you will find these “watchers” in linen. *** Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth and teaching us about God. Thank you for enduring the cross so that we might have everlasting life. Thank you for your great plans for our future. May we purpose to walk worthy of your sacrifice.

Sun.’s Devo - The Trumpets

Read: Numbers 10:1-11:23; Mark 14:1-21; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 10:31-32 God told Moses to make two silver trumpets to use to bring the congregation together and to signal the time to break camp. When both trumpets were blown, the people were to gather. When only one was blown, only the heads of the tribes were to gather. When an alarm was blown, which consisted of several short blasts, the tribes on the east were to begin their march. When it was blown again then the tribes on the south would begin their march and it would continue till they were all moving. *** To gather all the people a long blast was sounded like the one that sounded when Moses went up on Mt. Sinai. A separate alarm was blasted when they were to go to war. This one would reach heaven and God would save them from their enemies. They were also to sound these trumpets at their appointed feasts and at the first day of their months. These trumpet blasts would remind them that they belong to the Lord. *** On the 20th day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year the cloud lifted and the people set out by their stages from Mt. Sinai. It took them to the wilderness of Paran where Ishmael had ended up (Gen. 21:21). They traveled for three days. At the start of each day, Moses would declare, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” Then at the end of the day, when they stopped to rest he would say, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” *** The Holy Spirit is the trumpet in our spiritual ears who warns us, calls us to meet with the Lord and tells us when to go to minister. It is up to us to heed the sound. *** The people complained about how unfortunate they were and when the Lord heard it, he sent fire to burn among them and it consumed some of the outer parts of the camp. The people went to Moses who prayed to God for mercy. He called the place Taberah which means “burning.” *** The instigators among them complained there was no meat to eat. They reminded the people of the fish they ate in Egypt and all the vegetables they had there. All they ate day and night now was manna. *** Moses went to the Lord and complained that the people complained all the time and the burden of them was too much for him. *** God told Moses to find 70 elders and meet with them. They were to help Moses carry the burden of all the people’s complaints. He also told him to have the people consecrate themselves because they were eating meat the next day. In fact they would eat meat a whole month till it was coming out of their nostrils. When Moses questioned how the Lord was going to do this since they didn’t have enough animals to kill and feed this crowd, God told him to wait and see. He was true to his word. *** Is there anything too hard for the Lord? In our lives, that is the question God is asking us. Nothing comes as a surprise to the Lord. He has already come up with the solution to every problem we have and will ever have. *** In Mark it was two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The chief priest had decided they would kill Jesus in private after the feast because there were too many people during the feast. God had other plans. *** In Bethany, Jesus was anointed for his burial by a woman who would always be remembered for her act of love. *** This was the last straw for Judas Iscarot when he saw the costly perfume being wasted on Jesus. He went to the chief priests and made a deal to betray Jesus for money. *** On the first day of Unleavened Bread, Jesus sent two of his disciples to find a place for them to eat the Passover. It was a room God had prepared for them. *** At this last meal, Jesus told them that one of them would betray him. They were all sorrowful, hoping it wasn’t them. Jesus exposed him as the one who was dipping out of the same dish. Jesus pronounced a curse on him. He said it would have been better for him if he hadn’t been born. Judas had seen all the miracles and had experienced deliverances from his own hand and yet he turned his back on Jesus and gave him over to his enemies. *** Lord, today’s Psalm is our prayer. May we not judge but be humble and grateful for your merciful salvation. Thank you for giving your life as a ransom for our souls.

Sat.’s Devo - Stay Awake!

Read: Numbers 8:1-9:23; Mark 13:14-37; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 10:29-30 Moses was to set up the lamp stands so that the light was in front of the lamp stand. It was made of hammered gold to resemble almond branches. *** The Levites were to be cleansed by shaving all of their skin and washing themselves and their clothes in the water of purification. Moses was to bring the whole congregation to watch him lay his hands on the heads of the priests and offer them before the Lord as a wave offering from the people. Then the Levites were to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls transferring their sins to the bull and offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for their sins. This was to make them separate from the people. The priests, now, took the place of the first born. *** This purification made them authorized to minister in the tabernacle. The Levites were also authorized to do their duties of serving the priests and guarding the tent of meeting. *** A year from when they had left Egypt, they were going to celebrate the Passover for the first time in the wilderness. There were a few men who were unclean because they had touched a dead body. They wanted to be part of the celebration so Moses asked God what they could do. *** The Lord told them that if they were unclean or out of town on the day of Passover, they could wait and serve it in the second month instead of the first month. But, if they were clean and present and didn’t celebrate it then they would be cut off from their people. Passover represents salvation from sin. Our only way to eternal life is to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. *** When the tabernacle was all in place the cloud of God’s glory covered the tabernacle. It became fire at night. Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, they broke camp and moved with it. *** In Mark, Jesus continues his teaching about the end times. When they witnessed abomination going on in the Temple they were to run. This will be the sign that great tribulation was upon they land. God will shorten those days for the elect. False saviors will arise, but don’t be fooled. They will try to deceive even the elect, if possible. *** The sun will be darkened and the moon will not shine and stars will fall from the sky. The powers in the sky will be shaken. They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Angels will be sent out to gather together God’s elect on the earth. *** These signs will be like the fig tree bearing its leaves. That happens in the summer. This will tell us that the time is very hear. This generation will not pass away till all the things he said, take place. Heaven and earth will pass away but his words will not pass away. *** No one knows the hour that will happen, not even the angels or the Son, only the Father. Our job is to always be awake, alert and ready. *** We have seen many of these things already manifested in the natural. 1 Corinthians 15:46 says that first we see the natural, then the spiritual comes afterwards. Paul goes on to say that our mortality will be swallowed up in immortality in the blink of an eye. I have more questions than answers. Revelation becomes clearer and clearer the closer we get to the time of its revealing. *** Lord, we may not understand all you said, but we can be awake, alert and ready. May we not get entangled with the things of this world and become spiritually asleep.

Fri.’s Devo - Endure Till the End

Read: Numbers 6:1-7:89; Mark 12:38-13:13; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 10:27-28 A Nazarite vow was when someone promises to do something concrete for the Lord or to give a certain thing to the Lord. That person is not to drink wine or strong drink because this is something he should be very sober about. Also he must not let a razor touch his head which is to remind him of his promise. In the Hebrew a razor meant to “empty or make bare.” I wonder if this means he is not to empty his mind of or let anything distract him from his vow. He is not to go near a dead body. In the Hebrew one of the meanings of the dead was “anyone worthy of death.” I wonder if this means, we are not to get involved with the world while we are fulfilling our vow. Apparently, this vow is a very serious thing and should not be taken lightly. *** When the vow is completed, the man can finally shave the burden of his hair. He is to bring the hair and put it on the fire that is under the peace offering. Then the priest will take the shoulder of the ram when it is cooked and one unleavened wafer and put it in the hands of the Nazarite. The priest will wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. Then the Nazarite may drink wine. He may have joy! *** God told Moses to have Aaron bless the people with a blessing of peace. He put his name on the people of Israel. *** When Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle the chiefs of all the tribes brought six wagons full of sacrificial animals. Two tribes went together to fill one wagon. He gave two of these wagons and four of the ox to the sons of Gershon and the other four wagons and eight ox to the sons of Merari. He gave none to the sons of Kohath because their duty was the sacred holy things. *** For twelve days the different tribes brought their offering to the Lord. They each gave silver plates, basins, flour mixed with oil, a golden dish, a bull, a ram, a lamb and a male goat. Also two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs were given. *** They all gave the same offering in the order that they marched with Judah going on the first day and Naphtali ended on the twelfth day. All of Leah’s sons, except Asher were listed first, then her concubine’s sons, then Rachael’s sons then her concubine’s sons. *** These offerings ended the dedication ceremony of the altar. Moses went into the tent of meeting and heard the voice of the Lord speaking to him above the mercy seat. Tomorrow we will hear what God said. *** In Mark, after reading all the great offerings that the tribes brought to the Lord, we read about a widow how brought two small copper coins which total one cent. Jesus made the comment that she had given more than all the people who gave out of their abundance. She had given all that she had. He was trying to tell us that it is not how much to give but how you give. *** The disciples were leaving the temple and commented on the wonderful stones and buildings around the temple. Jesus told them that the day was coming when not one of these stones would be left in its place. Jesus was not only referring to the buildings, but the whole system of worship. *** When Jesus was alone with his disciples on the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, John and Peter came and asked him when all this would happen. He told them that when people rise up claiming to be the Messiah, and when they see kingdoms rising up against one another, and hear of earthquakes, and famines, then the birth pains have begun. *** During that time his followers will be persecuted and lied against. They will be brought to trial and judged wrongly, but the Holy Spirit will give them their defense. Families will turn against one another and his children will be hated for bearing the name of Christ. Those who endure till the end will be saved. *** Lord, we rejoice because we are living in these times of birth pains. We can rejoice because the Kingdom of God is at hand! May we endure till the end!

Thurs.’s Devo - Holy Service

Read: Numbers 4:1-5:31; Mark 12:18-37; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 10:26 God told Moses and Aaron to take a census of all the sons of Kohath 30 to 50 years old. When they got ready to move and take down the tabernacle, the sons of Kohath were to take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark with it. Then they were to cover it with goatskin and a cloth of blue. The were to cover the bread of Presence with a blue cloth and put the plate, bowls, dishes and shewbread on it. Then they were to cover it with a scarlet cloth and then goatskin. The lamp stand and all the accessories that went with it were only to be covered with blue cloth. They were to cover them with goatskin and put on a cart to carry. The altar of incense was to be covered with a blue cloth then goatskin. The ashes from the altar were to be spread with a purple cloth and all the utensils for the altar were to be covered with goatskin. All these things were to be carried by poles by the sons of Kohath. *** What is the significance of all the cloths? I wonder if the ones with blue cloth were ones that are in heaven. The red cloth was only used on the table where they ate the bread. This bread stood for Jesus who became our high priest when he shed his blood for our sins. He turned the stone law to palpable bread that we can eat. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit so the goatskin might represent our skin. All of these things are in us. We can eat of his Word and absorb it. We have the light of his revelation. We have the very presence of the Lord. We have the ability to pray and cover people with forgiveness and healing. *** Eleazar who represents the Holy Spirit was over the whole tabernacle - the oil for the light, the incense and grain offering and anointing oil. *** Then they were to take a census of the sons of Gershon. They were to serve and carry burdens. They carried the curtains and the coverings. *** The sons of Merari were also counted and they were to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its bars, pillars, and bases. *** There was atonement for anyone who repents and pays the price and offers the sacrifice for his sin. ** If a man felt his wife was unfaithful to him yet had no proof, he was to bring her before the priest along with the required offering. He was not to add incense or oil because this was not a pleasing offering but an offering of jealousy. It was to expose iniquity. *** Then the priest would set her before the Lord. The priest would mix holy water with some of the dust on the floor of the tabernacle in an earthenware vessel. Then the priest would unbind her hair so all her sins would be exposed and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance. She shall take an oath saying that she has not lain with a man while she was married to her husband. If she is innocent, she will be free from the curse of the bitter water. But, if she is guilty, and she lies in her oath, then the priest will declare that her thigh will fall away and her body will swell. She must agree. *** The priest will write the curse in a book and wash the words away with the water. He then makes the woman drink the water. If she is guilty, she will immediately feel bitter pain like she is in labor. Her thigh will rot, which means her genitals will be disfigured. Her belly would swell as if she was pregnant but she would have no fruit inside. She will be barren from that time on. *** Jesus drank this bitter water for us. We are the adulterous wife, but Jesus took our curse from us and we can now produce fruit. *** In Mark, the Sadducees were next up to try and trick Jesus. Of course, they would ask him a question about resurrection because they didn’t believe in the resurrection. Their question was ridiculous, but the real issue was whether Jesus would support resurrection or not. *** Jesus went straight for the real answer. They did not believe in the power of God to resurrect. He proved the resurrection with what God told Abraham. He is the God of the living, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. *** A scribe asked Jesus which of the commandments were the most important and Jesus answered with the quote every Jew knew. “Hear of Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your hear and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second he said was to love your neighbor as yourself. The scribe agreed that he had answered correctly. Jesus told that scribe that he was not far from the kingdom of God. *** Everyone thought that the Messiah was going to be a son of David but Jesus corrected them. David called the Messiah his Lord, not his son. *** Lord, thank you that you cover us with your blood. You protect us from the storms and you guard over your temple which is with in us. May we strive to keep your temple pure and holy.