Bibledoorajar: The Attendant Leader

 “Now, My servant Moses is dead.” This is an interesting comment since the Camp had been mourning the death of Moses for thirty days. However, the forward word in the sentence is the “now” or as some translations put it “and”. In other words, God’s work is going to continue on and the man to lead the way is going to be Moses’s attendant or his great supporter, Joshua. The man who had worked alongside Moses was to successfully conclude all that Moses had done before for the people by leading them out of bondage and successfully through the wilderness wanderings.  But NOW, Joshua would lead the people into the land. What a great honor it was for Joshua to carry the people into the promised inheritance. And He was to do it courageously and with great strength bringing the people in according to all the law. “The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shall meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:7-8). “Do all that my servant Moses commanded”.
There were commandments and requirements. This was still the will of God. Joshua was to magnify the law and lead by it. Remember the people had told Moses that they did not want to talk to God directly. And remember that God had declared that they were right. They could not do it because they did not have a heart for God. They had a terrible weakness and God understood it and He bemoaned the fact that such a heart was not there. But that did not mean that the Law did not stand and that is why God made so many just and holy provisions for the faithful to seek cleanness.

Now. Here we are all these years later and how are we to apply this lesson to our lives in these New Testament times? Well, if you want to understand the importance of the Law, read Galatians. If you want to understand God’s redo for needy people who deserved His wrath read Ephesians. If you want to understand why a great apostle could boast in all his weaknesses read Paul’s testimony (1 Corinthians 11). If you want to read about The Truth becoming apparent in the earth read the book of John. You will find that the grace given by Jesus Christ was not opposite the Law but was complimentary. The law stands but the Leader named Jesus whom God sent understood(stands) the weakness of the human heart. He died to give a new one to all who would believe. This new heart can be recognized by one that appreciates and desires to speak to our Holy Father in all HIs rightness and Law. In our weakness, our new hearts can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  The triumph of the Gospel lives in the hearts of believers. We serve Him, not in any way we please, but truthfully with joy and gladness because Jesus fulfilled ALL of the Law. Praise God for the Great Attendant of the Law and all that He made possible for you and for me. Every time you have a successful victory over some sin contrary to God’s law you can boast in Him. For every struggle not yet bested you can boast in Him for the privilege and position you have through His grace and mercy. It’s the truth; He is Truth. We take the land with Him and Him alone.

Bibledoorajar: Wait, Just One More Thing

     I cannot let us go into the Land without discussing one more great Levitical ceremony that was given by God. We discussed the Pascal Lamb that took away sin and we discussed the Scapegoat that got away while the other goat paid the price for sin. But God also instituted another great gift when He gave the Levites the responsibility of the slaying of the red heifer. The red heifer was the only female sacrifice in the Levitical system. It is thought that she was selected by God to represent the ability to give life. She had to be perfectly red, eyelashes, nose, hooves, all. If they thought they had bred one but found as little as two non-red hairs, she was not a candidate. This emphasis on red hair and body was so that the dehydrated blood at death could not be easily seen. Further, she could never have been yoked or worked.
     When the heifer was killed for the good of the people, the Levite priests had to take it outside the camp. There the blood was collected and the priest would take the hyssop and soak it in the blood. He would return to camp and sprinkle it before the Tent of Meeting seven times. This obsolved the nation as a whole from guilt. That priest would have to change clothes and clean his body. Another priest would burn the body of the heifer completely until only ashes remained. The ashes would be mixed with water (living) and individuals needing purification would be anointed. The priest would completely dispose of the ashen water outside the camp and would change clothes and clean his body. The priests, having cleaned themselves ,would remain unclean until dark. The death of the heifer, a giver of life, was needed to take away the guilt of sin that destroys individual conscience and that of nations. The historian Josepheus says that no one but Moses really understood the efficaciousness of the red heifer ceremony. It was a mystery. But Jesus makes the mystery known through His death. As He hung on the cross He was able to tell the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise because He hung there until dark and became clean for believers. The thief's guilt was gone. It was a miraculous dark that could not be explained by solar or lunar events. It was the work of God.
     And so, on Sundays when I share the Lord's Supper with my Fellowship, I am also atONEment with the Father who miraculously over time cleans me up and sanctifies me. Do I have regrets about some of my actions in my past? Yes, but I have no guilt because my Saviour saw to it that that would not  happen to His disciples. I can serve the Lord with gladness. My works will not be dead (useless). Hallelujah !!!

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  Hebrews 9:13-14

"GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY, HIS WONDERS TO PERFORM" 
                                                              William Cowper, 1773 

Bibledoorajar: So What About The Rest?

     Now we have arrived at a place where it looks like the people of God are ready to enter the Land.
God Himself will be glorified because He alone is the true Leader. Good. They have a leader who has the courage to lead them to victory. Good. If they are truly repentent and have faith they seem to be in a good position to succeed because of God's mercy. Good. But what else? Were there other preparations that were of Supreme importance? Well, yes, and yes indeed. Lest we forget all of those priests and the High Priest and all those days that the truly faithful were to come before the Lord, we must remember for these are the rest of the story. We must remember the Pascal Lamb ceremony. The pure and unblemished lamb slain for sin. And we must remember the Day of Atonement when one goat was set free and the other was spit upon, beaten and ultimately spilled his blood. Then the High Priest would take that life giving blood of that goat and apply it to the Mercy Seat and the faithful were cleansed or covered until the next Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Time will not allow us to speak of all the preparations available to the faithful people through the Priestly system to overcome the difficulties they faced in this fallen world. Now our picture is much more complete for the entry into the Land.
      I guess we all have our reasons why we choose our christian fellowship communities. Does the group glorify God as the one true God? Do they follow the courageous Leader, Jesus Christ? Do they speak of faith and faithfulness and the need of repentence and baptism? I am sure many from  many different persuasions would answer with a resounding yes and they would be right. But what else? For me, it is the frequency of the Lord's Supper. I want to remember each Sunday that my Lord set me free and took my beatings and withstood the wrath of God and paid the price of my redemption fully and completely. My picture of my position in Him is just more complete that way. I am at ONE ment with the Father and it is good.

Bibledoorajar: Having Entered, Then What?

     Moses had died and his last speech lingered in the hearts and minds of the Israelites. The speech was clear; live according to the law and be blessed or live the opposite and be cursed. And if you take the time to go back and read those chapters listing the blessings and curses it is enough to make one shiver. But still, a people who would inherit the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob included awareness of and participation in the guidelines of a righteoous people. Joshua testified of that again. And even though future apostasy was predicted, God was presented still as a God of promise. The taking of the Land would end in victory because of rhe Lord.  Meanwhile in front of them were peoples that did not live that way; people who worshipped alien gods and did terrible things in the exaltation of sin. The Hebrews were to be different and were to be willing to help anihilate the most gross of evil.
     God now planned to move toward completion. The people were going in. But details had to be attended to first. The Jewish nation needed a human leader who would be in the mold of Moses in terms of the law and allegience to God but who would also have the mindset of a conqueror. God setttled on Joshua who had been born a slave in Egypt but who would end his life remembered for conquering. This unique band of people who awaited going in, however, were a new generation who basically had been living a nomadic life in the Wilderness listening to Moses share about the nature of their God. But God knew that a visible sign was necessary for this new generation that was born in the wilderness to show forth their commitment. They needed to be circumcised as had the previous generations. And so one of Joshua's first orders was to gather the men and get that done.
     We know from other scriptures that this outward circumcision was really to be a reflection of the heart. This would be God's work of knowing their commitment. Even today, it is not always easy to tell if a second generation has experienced true conversion, especially if they have grown up in Sunday School and church culture and that is all they have known. Like Moses, we teach, we describe, we hold up, but still that personal circumcision of the heart is not always manifested later in a life of faith. The great joy of occupying until our JOSHUA comes to lead us in  the final victory depends so much on whether our children really come to see their great need for heart circumcision. For this, we testify, we witness with our lives and we trust the Spirit of Truth to hold our hearts aright and help the next generation to not base their future on history alone.
     I live in a town where there are quite a few churches. Today, there is one that bears an historical marker on its' building that is now up for sale. Others are occupied by ever reducing numbers. It becomes clear that people and churches cannot live on history alone. (Romans 9:24-29). The question becomes having entered, then what?

Bibledoorajar: Commenting on the Future

After surveying the Promised Land from a distance Moses returned to the people and made some observations. He revealed that the Lord had told him he was no longer able to lead the people and that he would also not be going into the Land with them. I am sure everyone immediately started murmuring among themselves. Who would be leading them? Many probably immediately thought Joshua, right? He would be the one to protect them and lead them over the Jordan. Moses told them they were right but only in part. Joshua would cross over ahead of them but behind their primary leader. God Himself would be their commander in chief and He would be out in front of them. They were to trust this Leader to do just what He had done for them before. He would destroy the nations who were enemies and deliver the new start land to the people. If they doubted, they could remember what happened to Sihon and Og along the way. But then Moses said an interesting thing. They were to be strong and courageous and were not to be afraid or terrified of the enemies that God Himself was going to take care. What the people had to understand was that they were going to be involved in the fight along the way. They would have a leader who would not leave them or forsake them but they were still going to be in the fight. Moses even counseled that Joshua, the bravest among them, would also have to be courageous. Moses said this courage was a must because the land was their inheritance. They were supposed to reframe their fears in this way to help them offset feeling forsaken or feeling discouraged as they took on the unknown.

Years later, Jesus sent out 72 of the disciples who followed Him and the men the Word later describes as apostles. He spoke to the 72 and gave them some guidelines that would help them to not feel forsaken or discouraged. When they returned to Him with their report the Word says that Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit and He praised God because of what had happened---something that the Father was pleased to do. (See Luke 10). In the face of possible rejection or feelings of discouragement, the Commander-in-Chief was pleased to lead the 72. Baseline report: The Spirit of Truth had led 72 men to sow seed about life in Jesus with success and their fears and tribulations were reframed with eternity in mind. Thank you Holy God for still making Him known in truth and reframing our fears so that our witness in the world gives Him and You joy.

Bibledoorajar: Moses signs off With Faith and Faithfulness

Before Moses handed over the leadership of Israel to Joshua, he convened the people and said:

     "For the commandment  that I command you today---it is not hidden from you amd it is not distant. It is not in heaven [for you] to say, 'Who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?' Not is it across the sea, [for you] to say, 'Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it.'
Rather, the matter is very near to you----in your mouth and your heart----to perform it.
     See----I have placed before  you today the life and the good, and the death and the evil, that which I command you today, to love your God, to walk in His ways, to observe His commandments, His decrees, and His ordinances; then you will live and you will multiply, and your God will bless you in the Land to which you come, to possess it. But if your heart will stray and you will not listen, and you are led astray, and you prostrate yourself to the gods of others and serve them, I tell you today that you will surely be lost; you will not lengthen your days upon the Land that you cross the Jordan to come there, to possess it. I call heaven and earth today to bear witness against you: I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life, so that you will live, you and your offspring----." Deuteronomy 30:11-19

As a Christian it is clear from the Word that we obtain our salvation through faith and that that faith is composed in part of belief, hope and trust. However, we all have to learn that a complete understanding of faith leads not to just hope and trust but to true faithfulness to Him. Our heart turned to God will impact our speech and our deeds. As He is faithful so we must be. As He has heartfelt love for us so we must have heartfelt love for Him. The apostle James teaches us that our steadfastness can have a full effect. We can be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. And if our steadfastness includes persevering under trial and we endure, God will proclaim that we have stood the test. There is a crown of life reserved for lives lived this way (see the book of James).  Sound good? Not hidden or distant? If it does seem hidden or distant, we have today to rethink our choices. He is near but we must draw near to Him. Listen to your mouth and heart.

Bibledoorajar: The value of fruit

     This week we have all watched Venezuela with horror thinking of the struggle of the people who are being denied food to eat that is right there within reach. But the terrible man in charge will have nothing to do with the olive branch extended by the caring world. It is beginning to look as if a seige may have to take place to save the people. This reminded me of how God told Moses to prepare the warriors of Israel for taking land in which enemies ruled. First, they were to send envoys to extend the hand of peace. Perhaps the enemies would choose to work for the Israelites and thus continue to benefit from the land and its' resources. But, if not....
^""When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?  However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls." Deuteronomy 20:19-20

    When John the Baptist came as a forerunner to Christ he preached repentence. He responded to the Pharisees and Sadduccees that were coming at him. He called them a brood of vipers and asked who had warned them to flee from the coming wrath. He then told them that since they were under siege they should produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And then he said, "do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

     In Mark 11 we read this...."The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again". And His disciples heard Him say it." Later we read that the disciples saw the tree and it was completely withered as if an ax had been taken to it. A tree with just leaves was of no good to a hungry Jesus. It accomplished a work for the making of fruit but not bearing fruit the leaf work was worth little. Jesus went on to teach the disciples that fruits produce powerful leaves (works like moving mountains) but a work (leaf) without fruit cannot move things like mountains (or the mind of God).
     Some people are deceived and feel like they will see God because of their beautiful leaves (works) and that He will applaud them,  But God values the leaves associated with the fruits of the Spirit. Being of greater value they will not be not be subject to the ax. Through them, the Christ, Israel's Messiah, is glorified.

......."down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."      Rev. 22:2