Forgiveness & Discipline (Num. 14:20-38)

1/2/2009 10:21 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Forgiveness & Discipline

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Numbers 14:20-38

            Message of the verses:  There are two many verses in these two sections for me to copy and paste them as I am covering two sections in today’s SD.

            “Forgiveness:” God did promise to pardon the sin of these people who had sinned against Him, and so He would not destroy Israel, but He would “Discipline” them because of their unbelief and because they did not obey the Lord.  “Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.’”  These are the words of the Lord to Moses about what will happen to the children of Israel.  This was a threefold punishment as all of those twenty years and older would die in the wilderness with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, and the children of Israel would wonder another thirty-eight years in the wilderness making a total of forty years, one year for each day the spies were in the Promised Land.  The ten spies would die because of their false report which stirred up the rest of the nation and caused them to sin again against the Lord. 

            Earlier the Jews lamented saying that they wanted to die in the wilderness and that their children would die in the wilderness, and now they would die in the wilderness and their children would go into the Promised Land.  “31  ‘Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.  32  ‘But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.  33  ‘Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.”

One needs to be careful what one complains to God about for it may happen for God’s judgment is to let people have their own way.

            Even though Joshua and Caleb would also have to wonder in the wilderness for those forty years they would be able to look forward to going into the Promised Land.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Although I would not say that I am wondering in the wilderness as the Jewish people did for I am being led by the Lord, I still have the hope of the return of my Lord and King to take me to heaven when He comes at the rapture of the Church. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Bring glory to the Lord by learning more about the God whom I serve.
2. Learn contentment.
3. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.

Memory verses for the week:                                              Romans 6:14-18

14.    For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

15.    What then?  Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?  May it never be!

16.    Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

17.    But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,

18.    and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

1/2/2009 11:03 AM