Stepping in the Light

“Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.” Numbers 13:2

When I was a boy, I often thought about Moses sending the twelve spies into the land of Canaan. Each time I thought about the fact that ten of the spies brought back an evil report, and that the people of Israel listened to them more than they listened to Joshua and Caleb, I always thought that Moses made a mistake in sending them in. I blamed Moses for the people’s failure to go in to the Promised Land because I thought if Moses had not sent in the spies, the people would have just marched in to Canaan and started winning battles.  But one day I was reading this passage and I realized that Moses did not do anything wrong. God told Moses to send these spies into the land. Who was at fault then, and what did they do wrong? The ten spies who came back and gave their opinion about the conquest were the ones who were wrong. They were sent to search the land and bring back a report of what was there; they were not asked to give their opinion. These men had the opportunity to see the wonders of Canaan, but they failed to believe that God would give them the land. They had seen the miracles of Egypt and had eaten the manna in the wilderness, but they did not believe that God could help them conquer Canaan. They failed because they did not believe God. God wants you to be victorious. Have faith in Him!

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.” Numbers 10:1-6

Communication is vital within any group of people. The Israelites were presented with unique challenges because of the size of their encampment and the number of people dwelling there. God told Moses to make two silver trumpets and develop a system of signals that could be easily heard by the people and convey a simple message to everyone simultaneously. This would help them to immediately begin working together to achieve a common goal. We do not know exactly what these trumpets were like, but it is possible that they could have been heard for miles in every direction. God knew that Moses would need to be able to communicate with the people efficiently in order to complete their journey in the wilderness. Communication is just as important to us today. What new channels of communication could you open with others today?

“And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.” Numbers 7:3-5

At the dedication of the tabernacle, the princes of the twelve tribes of Israel brought an offering that included twelve oxen and six covered wagons. These wagons were to be used in the transport of the tabernacle as they moved from place to place. Three families of the Levites were given the responsibility of carrying the tabernacle and all of its furnishings as they journeyed through the wilderness. God told Moses that the wagons should be given to the Levites according to their service. The sons of Merari were given four wagons because they transported the framework of the tabernacle. The sons of Gershon received two wagons because they were in charge of the coverings of the tabernacle. The sons of Kohath were not given wagons, because they were chosen to carry the furnishings of the tabernacle. These items were so sacred that no one was ever allowed to see them, and they always had to be carried by hand. Using wagons would certainly have been easier, but they had the sacred privilege of carrying the most holy things. We must remember that God is always faithful to give us the tools we need to complete the tasks He has for us.

“And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:20

The Parable of the Sower contains four types of soil: the wayside, stony ground, thorny ground, and good ground. Three of the four types of soil have the potential to germinate seed, but only one type of soil brings forth fruit. Jesus explained that the sower is one who sows the Word of God. Everyone needs the opportunity to hear the truth of the gospel, and the only way that people will hear is if Christians share the good news. Some people hear the gospel and it has no effect on them. They reject it or ignore it and immediately begin thinking about something else. Other people hear the gospel and they are happy about becoming a believer, but they soon face problems and stop growing in grace. These are Christians whose growth is stymied by affliction, persecution, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. They are believers, but they never bear fruit.

Good ground produces fruit, but it requires cultivation. The ground needs to be tilled and the stones need to be removed. The thorns and weeds need to be pulled and discarded. It seems that Jesus is saying that if we want to bear fruit as Christians, we are going to have to work at it. If we want God to classify us as good ground, we must allow His Word to cultivate our hearts until we begin to bring forth fruit for His glory.

“And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.” Mark 3:22-27

The scribes were constantly looking for ways to discredit Jesus. In this passage, they accused Him of being possessed by the prince of devils and using that power to cast out evil spirits. Jesus responded by pointing out that their accusation was based on faulty logic. Satan is a powerful foe, and none of us has a chance against him on our own. The devil hates us because of how much God loves us, and his attacks against mankind are evidence of his constant struggle against God’s plan. Jesus asserted that Satan is not confused; he is not fighting against himself. He is fighting against God and against mankind, and his goal is to do as much damage as possible. Nevertheless, Jesus is much stronger than Satan. He is able to bind the strong man and spoil his house. Even though the devil is trying to destroy us, we do not have to fear him because “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.” Numbers 2:1-2

God gave Moses specific instructions for the Israelite encampment, and they utilized this organizational structure for the next 40 years. The tabernacle was in the center of the camp, and it always faced due east. Each tribe was assigned an area in which to set up their tents in relation to the tabernacle: three tribes to the east, three tribes to the south, three tribes to the west, and three tribes to the north. Each family designed a banner around which they would pitch their tents. The tabernacle was easily visible from anywhere in the encampment, not only because it would have been larger and taller than the tents that surrounded it, but also because of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that stood over the tabernacle. This level of organization enabled the Israelites to transition efficiently between camping and travelling each time that God wanted them to move.

A certain amount of organization is necessary in order to get things accomplished in life. God’s plan for the Israelites should be an incentive for us to find ways to be more organized and more efficient. When God asks you to move forward, are you organized enough to respond quickly?

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Mark 2:5

Very early in Jesus’ ministry, word began to spread that He was healing people. Each time He healed someone, everyone present would tell others about what they saw. Those who had been healed excitedly shared their miraculous experience with everyone they came in contact with. As a result, people with all manner of infirmities began flocking to Jesus in hopes that they, too, might be healed.

Four men decided that they wanted to bring their friend to Jesus to be healed. We do not know how far they carried their friend, but we know that when they finally got to the house where Jesus was, the house was full of people and there was no way they could get in. The men were probably frustrated at first, but they refused to give up. They were determined that they would get their friend to Jesus. They carried their friend up on the roof, made a hole in the roof, and lowered their friend through the hole with ropes. They let him down right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw what they had done, he was impressed with their faith. He did not reprimand them for interrupting His teaching or for tearing a hole in the roof. He responded by healing their friend. The Bible says that when Jesus saw their faith, He healed their friend. Are you believing that God is going to do great things for someone you know? Your faith could make the difference in someone’s life today.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35

Jesus placed a premium on solitude and prayer. At times, our daily routines and responsibilities can make it seem impossible to find time to be alone and pray. Undoubtedly, Jesus experienced similar pressures in His life, but He always found a way to make time for what was important to Him. As we look at the number of times it is recorded in scripture that Jesus prayed, we begin to understand that prayer was more than a religious ritual for Him; it was something that He felt He needed to do. If Jesus felt that He needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray? He was the sinless Son of God, part of the Trinity, and yet He needed to pray. He was the active member of the Godhead in creation. He made everything that surrounded Him, and yet, He needed to pray. He had experienced oneness with the Father for all eternity past, and yet, while He was walking this earth and living as a man, He needed to pray. Sometimes Jesus prayed in public, sometimes He prayed with His disciples, but in the text above, we find Him resorting to a solitary place. Jesus wanted to be alone. He wanted to be undisturbed. He did not want any distractions or interruptions. Christ wanted to focus on sharing His heart with the Father. I believe we all need a solitary place. We need to have time when we are alone and uninterrupted so that we can get our hearts in tune with God. Do you have a solitary place?

“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 23:22

Cutting corners is when we leave small details undone in order to save time, but sometimes the little things are what makes the difference between mediocrity and excellence. If a farmer were trying to save time during harvest, he might not reap all the way into the corner of the field. If he were in a hurry, he might not stop to pick up what he dropped along the way. Because of his haste, he would probably experience a less-than-optimum total harvest, and his profit margins would probably shrink.

In Leviticus, God commanded the Israelites to cut corners, but it wasn’t to save time. It was God’s plan for the poor and the strangers have a way to provide for their families. As they were working in the fields, the Israelites were not to reap in the corners and they were not supposed to go back and pick up the gleanings in the field. This created an opportunity for less fortunate people to come behind them and find something to sustain them, as long as they were willing to go out and reap the corners and pick up the gleanings. Our society is structured differently, but the principle of helping the poor and needy has not changed. Can you think of a way that you could “cut corners” in order to help someone in need?

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

The Great Commission is the blueprint of action for New Testament Christians. It is the purpose for our existence, and carrying out its directives should be at the top of our priority list. Just before Jesus gave us our marching orders, He made a very important statement. He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Then the Great Commission begins, “Go ye therefore….” Jesus used the word therefore, meaning because. Our obedience to the Great Commission is predicated upon the omnipotence of Jesus Christ. He wants us to know that He has all power in heaven and in earth so that we will have the confidence to carry out His work, even when we cannot see Him. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), and just before He went back to heaven, He gave us the responsibility to continue His work.

Honoring the Great Commission puts us in position to tap into the resources of the greatest power on earth. The reasoning is clear. Because Jesus has all power, it behooves us to follow His plan. We must spread the gospel to all the world because His power ensures that we will be able to fulfill His will.