Sun.’s Devo - Warrior and Priest

Read: Numbers 36:1 - Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29-6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26 I could title today’s reading “Moses’ Headache” because that is what it describes. God had given the verdict that the daughters of Zelophehad could own land since they had no men in their lineage. Then, the people of their tribe argued that if they married out of their tribe, the land would go to that tribe and Manasseh would lose the land. So, they made it a law that the daughters of Zelophehad had to marry in their tribes and they did. *** Moses gave them a summary of their travels. It should have taken them 11 days to get from Mt. Sinai to where they were about to enter into their land. Instead, it took them 40 years and Moses reminded them of why. None of them had been there the first time, but their parents had. Because of their parent’s rebellion and complaining, they didn’t enter into their inheritance. Now, they were here again as a new generation of people, who weren’t much different than their parents. Moses tells them of their parent’s past so they wouldn’t repeat it. This time, they are going into their land and possessing it. Even Moses will not be able to go in, but Joshua and Caleb would because they are the ones who had encouraged the people that God was with them and would give them victory over their enemies. *** In Luke, the Pharisees complained that Jesus was eating with the friends of Levi who were the tax-collectors, prostitutes and the outcasts of society. Jesus explained that they knew they needed help, and they were the ones he came to save . The ones who thought they had it all, he did not come to heal. They didn’t think they needed healing. *** People complained that Jesus’ disciples never fasted, but John the Baptist’s disciples fasted all the time. Jesus explained that his disciples partied because they had the bridegroom. The ones of John were still looking forward to him to come. But, the time would come when the bridegroom is taken away, then his disciples would fast. *** Jesus gave them the example of cloth. You would never use new cloth to patch old clothes because the new cloth would shrink with washing and break away from the hole eventually. *** Also, you wouldn’t put new wine into old wineskins because it would burst the wineskins. You have to put new wine into new wineskins. *** John the Baptist had come to prepare them to be new wineskins. Jesus had come with the new wine. Those that were ready could receive the new wine, but those who couldn’t make the shift couldn’t receive the new wine. *** This is very applicable today. We are crossing into a new era, season, time in God’s timeline and we cannot bring the old into the new. We have to have a new mindset moving forward. If Trump’s first term was a picture of David’s reign then we know we were and still are in a time of war. If his new term is to enter into the golden age of Solomon, then we know what we are fighting for. We have to think differently about everything. Everything is becoming new. The tail is becoming the head. We have to prepare to rule and reign with Christ on the earth. Jesus tells the story of David who ate the bread that only the priest could eat. Normally, he would have been struck dead for eating the priest’s bread, but he lived because he was not just a warrior king, but a priestly king. We are entering into the Sabbath millennium and Jesus gave us the example of what will happen during that time when he brought the man up in front of the people and healed his deformed right hand. Our deformed right hands are about to be healed so we can do the works of Christ in public for all to see. We are not only warriors, but priests. *** Lord, may we be new wineskins that can hold your new wine. May we not complain or grumble at God’s timing but rejoice that things are moving toward your goal. May your kingdom come!