The most precious gift you have is Life. Notice I haven't said 'a life' but Life! When God breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living being (Gen 2:7), something special was deposited within humanity in which we all now share. We only have 'a life' because we have been granted Life, something which could only have come from God Himself, the ultimate Living One. It takes a radical shift to stop thinking of 'my life' and to appreciate what it means to be a partaker of that divine Life, but it is essential if we are to live fully.

Part of our difficulty in realising this is that as soon as that Life was placed within human beings, mankind was attacked by satan, the one who "was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). With that Life squashed and mutilated we are greatly diminished so while still having 'a life' it is often reduced to mere existence, either based on self-indulgence or just survival.

The good news is that Jesus came to restore us to a full and abundant life (John 10:10). We can be 're-inflated' through new birth and be filled with the same Spirit that breathed life into Adam.

But there still remains the matter of how to maintain that Life within the context of our natural existence - how to stop merely living a life (usually doing things my way) and how to start enjoying a Life that flows onwards in ever greater measure (even in more advanced years!).

Living in Days

I believe there is a big clue in Scripture worth exploring, namely that God has ordained that Life is to be lived in days. He constantly speaks to us about days, rather than months or years. It seems that the fundamental unit of Life on earth is the day. Here is something that God has placed within Creation from the beginning, something that can never change while Life continues on earth. Life as we know it will always be lived out as a succession of days.

I believe that God wants us to think in days. In fact, although God lives outside time, He seems to think in days too. Whatever you think of the nature of the days in Genesis 1 (poetic, literal, extended periods) it is clear that there was a day framework to the act of creation. God started in days and will end there too, with the Day of the Lord.

This is far more than the general advice to 'live one day at a time' or 'seize the day'. It is tapping into something as pre-ordained as Life itself, putting ourselves 'in time with God' . We are to commit to each day as a special gift from God and recognise it as a sign of his ongoing grace in our lives.

Advice from Scripture

To help explore this theme, here are some scriptures to meditate on.

• "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Ps 139:16)
• "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps 90:12)
• "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life" (Ps 23:6)
• "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps 118:24)

It is tempting to restrict this last text to Sunday, the day we sing the song about this! But the Jewish psalmist was hardly thinking about our day of worship! Nor even about his own Sabbath. Which day, then? Any day! Every day! This day, today, the one you are in right now! This is the day God has made and the one you should be rejoicing about.

Starting the Day Well

It is important to start each day correctly. "He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught" (Isa 50:4). This needn't be a lengthy devotion, but how good it is to hear something from God the moment we emerge from our night's sleep! It has been commented that to enter a new day inattentive to the grace attached to it is to run the risk of the day descending into meaningless and randomness.

We can also be sure that God will continue to provide for us day by day, if we ask Him 'this day' for our 'daily bread'. If He has given you this day how much more will He provide what you need within it?

Evening Passed and Morning Came

In Hebrew thinking, the day begins at sundown. The pattern is evening then morning. This is how a day works. Every time we go to bed we should be aware that our new day is about to begin. A sense of gratitude and trust at this point can improve our rest and preparation for what the next day will bring.

Ultimately, a day will come which will be our last one on earth. But for the Christian this holds no fear, as Jesus proclaimed Himself to be not just "the bread of life" (John 6:35) but "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). For the believer, Life will go on. It cannot be interrupted. Death is not fatal!

Living Life in days as God intended means that each new morning can be regarded as a mini-resurrection, preparing us for our eternal future and the day everlasting.

Author: Paul Luckraft

This week's scriptures: Numbers 30:1-32:42; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; Matthew 5:33-37

Amidst the myriad different modes of communication God has created, the spoken word has been given a unique place and power. By God's spoken word the entire world was created. By His spoken word were His desires and standards for our living unveiled.

Through the Old Testament God chose to reach out to His people Israel – and to other nations surrounding them – primarily through the spoken word of His prophets, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

When the Lord walked the earth in the person of Jesus, His words transformed lives with forgiveness, healing, freedom and true life – and sent out his followers to do the same, taking the good news of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth.

Faithfulness in Our Speech

The power of words – for good or ill – means that God takes our speech very seriously - and so should we. This week's Torah portion picks up on this theme, following Moses as he outlines to the Israelites the importance of keeping the vows and pledges they make, including any 'rash promises' they might utter (Num 30:6).

Later in the passage we read of the promise made by the Reubenites and the Gadites to help the other Tribes take the Promised Land, even though they had made a special request to dwell ultimately in land outside of its boundaries. God held them to their word.

In the same chapter we are also reminded of God's faithfulness to His own promises, including the oath He swore in anger to the generation of Israel who feared to enter the Promised Land (Num 32:10-11; Ps 95:11). God desires us to be a people faithful to our words because He is faithful to His.

This week's scriptures take this faithfulness beyond the matter of oaths and vows, however. This week's Haftarah portion is the calling of Jeremiah, who was given the very words of God in order "to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jer 1:10). What a responsibility! Numbers 30 also reveals how seriously God takes the words we do not speak – our very silence has power, actively confirming and condoning the actions of others.

And in Matthew 5, Jesus goes even further, suggesting that the people of God should flee from oaths and vows entirely – simply letting our "yes be yes" and our "no be no". If your heart is in the right place, there should be no need to swear, vow or pledge by anything – your word alone is powerful and should be completely reliable.

The Power of the Tongue

The Bible brims full of verses about the fearsome power of the tongue. The Lord has ordained that "the tongue has the power of life and death" (Prov 18:21), of blessing and of cursing (Rom 12:14). In as much as it can bear encouragement, grace, healing and good admonishment, so it can also corrupt, divide and harm (e.g. Eph 4:29; Prov 12:18, 17:9). Whilst "gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body" (Prov 16:24), foolish and rash words bring ruin and corruption (Prov 13:3; also James 3:1-12).

Ultimately, our speech will justify or condemn us eternally, for salvation involves both inner belief and outward confession (Rom 10:9-10). And at the end of time, all men will be held to account for every word they have spoken (Matt 12:36-37).

A People of Pure Speech

Why does God place such a high premium on the spoken word? Scripture tells us that "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45; Matt 12:33-37; also Matt 15:18). God has created a special relationship between the mouth and the heart, such that our words (including our silences) indicate something of what is going on inside of us.

This is a scary prospect, but there is also incredible opportunity here. By our words, we can give others a window in on the light and hope of the Kingdom of Heaven which dwells inside of us. Only Christians have access to the Spirit of God, who stands ready to fill our mouths with His words if we are prepared to allow Him. Believers alone have access to the wisdom of Heaven that teaches us when to declare God's truth out loud, and when to "let [our] words be few" (Ecc 5:2-3).

In a babbling world of constant media noise, where we are all on information overload, by what kind of words will we be known? Believers alone have the power to speak words that refresh, revive and bring life to the soul, that are consistently and powerfully trustworthy, honourable and pure. How dry and parched the world is, how thirsty for the Living Word of God, whose ambassadors we are and who dwells in us.

How vital it is to hand over our tongues to the Lord, to be controlled by the Holy Spirit and given words from Heaven to speak. God can, of course, turn the tongues of men and animals to His own ends at any time (as the example of Balaam and his donkey shows) – but more often than not, He waits to be invited. What a beautiful mandate awaits our words if we yield to His control - to be used to glorify His name and declare wonderful truths about His character and deeds, to refresh and speak life to others, to set people free from enemy oppression and to serve the Body of Jesus with prophecy, wisdom, encouragement, prayer, discipline and love.

Only God's Power

The closer we get to God - the more aware we become of His holiness – the more aware we become of how unclean our own lips are (see Isaiah 6:5-7). No power of our own can cleanse, tame and empower the "fire" of the tongue (James 3:6) to Kingdom ends. This process is a work of the Holy Spirit of the Living God, through the way made by the atoning work of Jesus on the Cross. It begins not in the mouth, but in the heart.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Ps 19:14)

Author : Frances Rabbitts

This Week's Scriptures: Numbers 25:10-29:40; 1 Kings 18:46-19:21; Romans 11:2-32

There is evidence all around us that there is a Creator. As the psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Ps 19:1). Proof that he is also a personal God is found in the witness of his people – centrally Israel, and thereafter those added to them through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

It is said that in an audience of Marquess D'Aregens with Frederick the Great in 1779, the following interchange took place:

Frederick: "Can you give me one single irrefutable proof of God?"

D'Argens: "Yes, your Majesty, the Jews."

How clearly D'Argens would have understood the importance of our study this week, when Phinehas preserved the identity of Israel from being assimilated among the nations.

Battle for Identity

Our study gives us an insight into the spiritual battle that has sought to discredit the character of God – a battle that goes on today. If Israel's enemies could cause her identity to be lost by assimilation into the world, then her witness to the God of the Bible would be lost.

The incident that led to Phinehas' violence against the Israelite and the Midianite woman shows how important it is to God to preserve his people from spiritual idolatry through intermarriage. In human eyes the violent act might be judged harshly, but in God's eyes it brought blessing to Phinehas and his descendants.

By reading this story we also have some understanding of the reason for the innumerable battles that have raged in this world to eradicate Jewish identity.

The account of Phinehas was a 'one-off' so we must be careful not to turn it into a theology to justify violence. Nevertheless, it gives us an insight into the spiritual battle that impacts on our physical world with the intent of destroying the Jews, especially by seduction into worship of false gods. Intermarriage is still a way this might happen and the principle applies as much to Christians as to Jews, leading to the exhortation of Paul to the Corinthians, not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14).

A Visible Witness

For the sake of his own Name, whatever it takes, God will ensure that he retains a remnant of the Children of Israel as his visible witness. This is a central reason for Israel's return to their Land in our day and a reason for Israel being never far from the front pages of our newspapers.

Added to this are the multitude of Christians all around the world. The privilege of being called by God bears responsibility. Christians share this responsibility with Jews for their lives to be visible witnesses of our personal, loving and trustworthy God.

God knew the heart of Phinehas. He was not a cold-blooded murderer, but was consumed with a holy zeal to protect his people for the purposes of the God of Israel – purposes that continue to this day. Just think what would have happened had there not been such a man.

Author : Clifford Denton

This week's scriptures: Numbers 19:1-22:1; Judges 11:1-33; Hebrews 9:11-28; John 3:10-21.

Time and time again during their journey through the desert, the Children of Israel grumbled against God. The most common complaints were: 'Why did you bring us up out of slavery in Egypt only to let us die in the desert?', 'Why did you bring us to this terrible place?' and 'Where are the blessings we were promised?'

This week's Torah passage includes two such instances of grumbling. The first was at Meribah, where complaints about water shortages led to Moses and Aaron petitioning God, who provided water miraculously from a desert rock. The second was en route around the land of the Edomites, when the people began complaining once again, this time provoking God to anger.

Time and time again in the life of faith, God puts us to the test using worldly circumstances. These may not involve a literal lack of food and water, but how many of us have not at times cried out to God: 'Why have you brought me to this terrible place?' or 'How am I supposed to get through this?' But even though the journey of faith necessarily involves difficulty, in this there is great purpose and opportunity – it just depends on our response.

Why Does God Test Us?

Nobody argues that Christianity is simply about being stoic and somehow mustering up the courage or patience to cope with difficult circumstances in a way that others can't. Trials are natural irritants: they inflame our emotions (whether fear, frustration, anger or pride) whether we like it or not. They disturb us, make us feel vulnerable and in need, and violate the settled boundaries of our hearts. They provoke us. Why does God allow (even purpose) such experiences?

First, testing reveals what is truly in our hearts (Deut 8:2). I believe that God is less concerned about the natural emotions induced by difficult circumstances than He is about our response to those emotions. We may feel fearful of the future, or angry about a certain happening, or injured in our pride, but will we harden ourselves to God as a result, or run to Him for shelter and the solution?

We may accept the free gift of salvation, but the true depth of this commitment is only revealed when the heat is on. God desires to prove us: is our devotion genuine? Just how far will we go for Him? Or are we the seed fallen on rocky ground (Matt 13) – only interested in God insofar as it benefits us, ready to bail when things get difficult?

Secondly, difficult circumstances give God opportunities to transform us that 'normal' circumstances do not. Just like the process of refining gold, the fire of God's testing brings the impurities in our hearts to the surface (this is painful and humbling for we have to acknowledge them, see them for what they are, allow them to be brought to light) so that they can be removed.

This process makes what remains even more precious and beautiful in God's sight, and a worthier, more glorious vessel for His service. It is painful for a time, but ultimately it is a sign of His love and good intentions for us (Heb 12:7-11).

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Pet 1:6-7)

Thirdly, testing is designed to increase our intimacy with the Lord. This we learn more of in Hosea, where God speaks of Israel's desert experiences not in terms of trial but in terms of an opportunity to "allure" and "speak tenderly" to her (Hosea 2:14) in a spirit of betrothal and covenant love. As we walk with the Lord and learn to trust Him more, 'the desert' (in spiritual terms) can become a very precious place or season - though not an easy one. The key to this is to keep our hearts soft towards God rather than hardening them (Ps 95:7-11) - in full assurance that He brought us out of our old lives to woo us, not abandon us.

Finally, testing is designed to increase our reliance upon God – ultimately to His glory. At Meribah, Moses and Aaron embellished God's instructions by striking the rock and rebuking the people. The Lord later revealed that this was "because you did not trust me enough to honour me as holy" (Num 20:12). As a result of their self-reliance, neither Moses nor Aaron were allowed to lead Israel into the Promised Land.

There is a warning here: alongside the opportunity inherent in trials for glorifying God, learning to depend on Him and turning people's eyes to Him, so there is also space to draw attention to ourselves and do things in our own strength, and to derive some sense of confidence or security from that, ultimately bringing glory to ourselves rather than God. This we must flee.

Put Your Hand into God's

The 'problem of suffering' is a common apologetics topic and reason the world over why people reject God. But as happens so often in the 'upside-down' Kingdom of Heaven, God inverts the world's logic and instructs us throughout Scripture to see suffering not as a problem, but as an opportunity.

I can't help but think of pearls, which are formed inside the shells of molluscs "as a defense mechanism against a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside the shell, or an attack from outside".¹ These beautiful gems are products of long-term suffering and disturbance.

I don't think it is a coincidence that Jesus is often referred to as the "pearl of great price" (Matt 13:46), given the amount of suffering He endured for us. If you are facing difficult circumstances today, be encouraged that Messiah Jesus knows exactly how you feel and wants to draw alongside you in them, for what He suffered enables Him to identify completely with us (e.g. Heb 4:15).

Even though we are Children of the Light (Eph 5:8), real faith often grows best in the dark, when we lose perspective, have no idea which way to turn or feel completely alone. In this place we are forced to make a choice about the truths we have learnt about God: to stand on them even if we cannot 'feel' their reality (see also Heb 4:2), or to reject them for more palpable sources of security.

Meanwhile, the world watches to see what difference our faith makes when things get tough. Let's take heart at the opportunity here. "Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light".²

Author: Frances Rabbitts

References

1 See 'Creation of a Pearl' part of Wikipedia's Pearl page.

2 Rogers, A. How to make sense out of suffering Pt 2. 1 September 2015.

This week's scriptures: Numbers 16:1-18:32; 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22; Romans 13:1-7.

A humbling thing about God's Sovereign leadership is that through the ages, He has so often chosen to work it out through human beings.

Our awesome Creator God, King of the Universe, who has no need of man's help to accomplish anything, and who desires so ardently to lead His people personally, has condescended to institute human forms of leadership on the earth, for our benefit and to the praise of His glory.

When submitted to God's ultimate Kingship and filled with humility and the power of His Holy Spirit, these leadership roles and relations become beautiful reflections of God's relationship with His people. However, without this overarching Heavenly structure, relationships between leaders and led are vulnerable to corruption, from both sides.

This week's Torah passage focuses particularly on the attitudes of those who are led, rather than on the attitudes of leaders. However, it is applicable to all – since at the heart of every human being, even those naturally blessed with leadership skills, is a God-given need to be led. We are all designed to be shepherded by the Good Shepherd – even the human shepherds amongst us. And it is our refusal to acknowledge this need – indeed – our rebellion against the humility and vulnerability it demands of us – is where Numbers 16 picks up.

Political Upheaval

In Numbers 16-18 Moses and Aaron face a large-scale coup d'etat, not long after the Israelite community had been sentenced to a lifetime of wandering in the desert for refusing to trust in God's leadership into the Promised Land. Led by Moses' and Aaron's first cousin Korah and a number of Reubenites, 250 "well-known community leaders" (Num 16:2) came against God's chosen leaders of the nation, united in rebellion.

This was not an uprising from the people, but from prominent Israelites, who had already been given positions of influence because of their leadership skills. It was the ultimate vote of no confidence: overnight Moses and Aaron faced a complete collapse of their council. With the people feeling keenly the denial of the rest and prosperity of the Promised Land, and suffering ignominious defeat from the Amalekites and Canaanites into the bargain (Num 14), there seemed to be a real risk of a descent into national turmoil.

From Coup to Plague

The attempted coup was couched in fine-sounding theological arguments about the whole community being equal before God, chosen and made holy by Him. Why should Moses and Aaron be set above the rest, Korah and his followers asked?

But underneath this deceptive, persuasive talk were prideful agendas. Korah had his own self-advancement in mind (Num 16:8-11). Dathan and Abiram (the Reubenites) simply claimed that Moses and Aaron had not delivered on the promise of a land flowing in milk and honey.

In a terrifying display of God's holiness and power, the Lord defended His chosen leaders and the insurgents lost their lives. But immediately after the incident, which should have struck holy fear into the hearts of the whole community, the people turned en masse on Moses and Aaron, blaming them! As a result, a plague immediately broke out, claiming a further 14,700 people before Aaron put a stop to it by making atonement for the nation.

What a mess! And how many parallels there are here with Britain's current political turmoil!

Rejecting God's Authority

This was not an isolated incident in Israel's history. Ever since the exodus from Egypt, when the Lord personally led the Children of Israel out of slavery in order to rule them Himself, the people were prone to reject God as King over them in favour of other gods, other forms of power and other sources of security (e.g. 1 Sam 8:8).

This trajectory was still clear at the time of Samuel, when the Israelites demanded a human king to lead them, so that "we shall be like all the other nations" (1 Sam 8:20). This time, the context was their fear of Ammonite invasion (1 Sam 12:12), prompting a request for a more tangible leader to go ahead of them into battle. But the underlying premise was the same: they were rejecting God as their King (1 Sam 8:7).

Attitude to Earthly Authority

Our attitude to God's Kingship, and our attitude to human leaders, are actually very closely related. Whether within the family, the church, the workplace or the nation, our attitude to human authority ultimately reflects our heart towards God.

Of course, there are a host of difficult questions surrounding the practical details of our submission to earthly authorities (our New Testament passage this week focuses on such questions, Romans 13:1-7). It is not my intention here to try to unravel these complexities – not least because if the foundation of our hearts is right before God, these issues will naturally begin to unravel themselves.

Instead, I would like to put out a challenge, especially in this current climate of political upheaval, to keep a close watch on your heart as you survey the myriad crises affecting our nation. As we watch, listen, pray, campaign, wonder, worry, grumble and critique, we may be able to justify ourselves with noble-sounding political or theological arguments, but let us carefully examine our hearts at the same time. Whilst there is clearly a spiritual battle going on here in which we are all called to fight, we must carefully guard ourselves against all kinds of pride and fear.

Humility Needed

Ultimately, all of us reject God's Kingship at some point or another, in favour of forms of leadership that play to our pride or our deep-seated fears, making us feel more powerful or more secure. However, there is always room for repentance – as long as our hearts are willing.

When Moses told those in rebellion to gather before the Lord for His judgment on the matter, Korah led the 250 all together as one mass, still 'in opposition' to Moses and Aaron, whilst the Reubenites refused to even meet with Moses to discuss the matter (Num 16:12). To a man,¹ they had chosen wilfully to carry through their mutiny – and paid the consequences.

I wonder what would have happened if they had come instead with repentant hearts, in fear and trembling? When Samuel stood before Israel and made known to them their sin in asking for a human king, they turned and asked for him to pray that they be spared God's wrath. He responded with kindness, grace and firm discipline, encouraging them to walk obediently in future.

Ultimately, what will lead us to turn and submit instead of wilfully continuing in our own ways is humility before God and a healthy fear of the Lord – hearts that say "yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42), hearts that "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21).

The Cost – and the Gain

This kind of attitude is difficult to achieve. It goes against the natural grain. Spiritually, it puts us on our knees, facedown before God, which feels a vulnerable position to hold. And outwardly, we do end up looking different 'to all the other nations'. We don't have the same outward displays of splendour or strength. We walk a narrow, difficult path of total surrender where daily - hourly even - we must keep our natural inclinations nailed down and choose instead to trust in God's capacity to lead and protect us.

But oh, the gain – what an honour and a privilege to be called the people of God, and to be led personally by the Sovereign King of the Universe! To entrust ourselves to His loving kindness and wisdom – intangible though it may sometimes seem - is the best thing we could ever do.

This is the solid ground in the midst of national instability, division and insecurity, and in the face of the prideful agendas that pollute our corridors of power. This is the only trustworthy path forward into apparent darkness – "safer than a known way".²

As difficult as this road is to walk, it is also incredibly straightforward. According to Jesus, we are simply to "give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matt 22:21). What is God's? The love of our heart, soul, mind and strength. If this is in place – all the rest will follow.

Author: Frances Rabbitts

References

1 A certain Reubenite named On was named as part of the leadership of the rebellion, yet he was not listed as among those who were destroyed the next day. I wonder if he saw sense overnight and withdrew in repentance? In Talmudic tradition, he was saved by his wife's wisdom – see here.

2 From 'The Gate of the Year' by Minnie L Haskins.

This week's scriptures: Numbers 13:1-15:41; Joshua 2:1-24; Hebrews 3:7-4:1

Let's admit it, we would all be fearful if we had to face up to a giant in our own strength. Thinking of some contemporary examples, who would have wanted to face up to Muhammad Ali in the boxing ring, or be in the front row of a rugby scrum against the New Zealand All Blacks without some very special preparation?

And these are quite moderate challenges compared with the Anakim or the Babylonians of biblical days. So let's not be too quick to judge the Israelite spies who feared what they saw in the Promised Land.

Yes, they had seen God defeat Pharaoh in Egypt and deliver them from the pursuing chariots as they crossed the Red Sea. But now it was a personal challenge.

Of course, they should have remembered God's promises of a land flowing with milk and honey, especially when they saw the size of those bunches of grapes, the pomegranates and the figs, the potential of lush vegetation to feed their sheep and goats to provide that milk, and the nectar-bearing flowers abuzz with bees to produce that honey. But, humanly, it was all too easy to also see the potential of those ruthless, demonically-led Anakim to thwart all those good promises, and to sink back in fear.

Fear the Enemy of Faith

Fear is the enemy of faith, and fear must be overcome by faith. Some Israelites were fearful, but there were also those who were faithful – Joshua and Caleb. The contrast is there to be considered by us and to challenge our own fears.

Faith is something that must grow in us, just as it did in Abraham. We too will have our tests and in overcoming we will grow.

Recognising Giants

Giants come in many forms. The physical ones are easiest to see, but there are spiritual enemies who work in the unseen to sow seeds of doubt in all of us as we face up to our next big challenge – and we all meet these challenges at a personal level.

The decision that has faced everyone regarding the EU Referendum has been a challenging one, on personal as well as national levels. "What is the risk for me as I face the future?" is the question that has been weighing on the hearts of many around the country.

Pivotal though this has been, there are still many 'giants' ahead to overcome on both our personal and corporate walk of faith into the future. The ultimate outworking of all that is in the Book of Revelation, which will be fulfilled before the Kingdom of God comes fully in.

Examples and Warnings

Is the account of the conquest of Canaan in the early books of the Bible simply an account of ancient history, or is it relevant today? Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, made the relevance clear:

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. (1 Cor 10:11) [emphasis added]

The writer to the Hebrews also makes it clear that the experiences of Israel are for our instruction, and Joshua is seen as a forerunner of Jesus. For us it is not a physical land before us. Not even the establishing of the UK as 'a nation under God' is the end-point, though many battles are to be fought in and for our nation in this phase of history. It is eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven that is at stake.

Be Strong and Courageous

Thank God for Joshua who, through faith, led the Israelites eventually to the Promised Land. Thank God for the teaching this brings us. Thank God infinitely more for Jesus who, through his sacrificial death, enables those who will follow him in faith to enter into the eternal Kingdom.

Faith is the key to the future. We will all face our personal giants who try to build fear and uncertainty and, if it were possible, cause us to turn back, falter or give up. But this week, read both the Torah portion and the exhortation concerning its greater fulfilment in the Book of Hebrews. Let the Holy Spirit stir you afresh to rise up in faith and move forward into the future.

It is God who will give us the strength to overcome the giants. We are not left alone to face them. Accept all this by faith, move on to maturity, and our personal eternal future is secure.

Author: Dr Clifford Denton

This week's scriptures: Numbers 8:1–12:16; Zechariah 2:14–4:7; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13; Revelation 11:1-19.

Our Torah portion this week focuses on the care, holiness and right choices that God requires of people who live in His Presence, and on some lessons that the Hebrew nation learned in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt.

Everything that God creates and does has an order and a beauty that invite a reverent approach to an awesome God. But the book of Numbers records problems that arose in the young nation from wrong choices made by both leaders and people. Their choices were gateways to either life or death; blessings or curses (Deut 30:19).

In Numbers 8-12 we read of wrong choices made from jealousy or criticism of the appointed leaders, from a desire for personal honour, from greed and lust for worldly luxuries, and from disobedience to God's laws which were given to promote a dependence on, and a trust in His provision. Do we make such wrong choices too? The desert can be a testing place - for us as well, sometimes.

The name 'Numbers' derives from the Greek translators of the Hebrew Scriptures (arithmoi - as in 'arithmetic'). The Latin (Vulgate) version also used this word because the book starts and ends with censuses – 603,550 men at the beginning and 601,730 at the end of their 40-year journey through the desert – itself a measure of God's faithfulness.

However, the Hebrew name, B'midbar (wilderness), better describes the location for the lessons the Israelites learned and how these taught them about the requirements and faithfulness of their covenant-keeping God and His holy nature (Ex 34:6).

The Blessings of Obedience

The Tabernacle, where God chose to 'dwell' with His people, was set up in the area of Mt Sinai almost a year after the institution of the Passover, according to a strict pattern. It was a type of the sanctuary of God's Presence in Heaven (Ex 25:40, Heb 8:5) and was in the centre of the camp.

Moses and Aaron encamped at the single entrance door, the priests and the three Levite families encamped around its perimeter (to guard it), and the 12 tribes encamped at the four sides (each side watched over by one selected tribe).

The head tribe, Judah, encamped behind Moses and Aaron, by the door to the sanctuary (who guards the spiritual 'doors' of our nation?). When the nation moved their camp on the journey through the wilderness, the tribe of Judah led the march with songs of praise. This order reminds us that Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5), the Rock who followed them through the wilderness (1 Cor 10:4) and the Door whereby we too may make the right choice to come in and find salvation (John 10:9). Each group had its particular responsibilities and place in the order of marching.

But the people learned about God's nature and provision the hard way, through their grumbling. They complained about their leaders (do we also?) and many died in the rebellion. A hard lesson. Even Aaron's and Moses' elder sister Miriam spoke against Moses, and she became leprous for seven days.

Then the non-Israelites who came with them out of Egypt incited them to complain about the lack of fancy foods in the desert that they had in Egypt, so God gave them 'manna', a simple but adequate staple provision (even double quantities to cover Shabbat). When they continued to murmur, He also gave them meat, but their rejection of Him caused a severe plague and many died at Kibrot hattaavah - the graves of lust, or greed (are we, too, serving mammon in our nation?). Another hard lesson to be learned.

The Holy Place - In Our Homes?

The Holy Place in the Tabernacle was a pattern of what our homes can be, a small Tent of Meeting filled with the Presence of God's light and provision. Such a Godly home can be a tremendous influence in the area where we live, if we too learn of the order, and reverence of our God in wilderness situations, and make right choices to be dependent on His provision.¹

The menorah is a symbol of the light and revelation of God's word of truth, and was set up to flood the Holy Place with light (does God's word in our homes do the same?). It burns with the oil of His Spirit of Truth (John 15:26) to enable us to shine with clarity and power.

This is the same power that was given to the disciples at the Feast of Shavuot which we celebrated earlier this week, when Peter stood up and said, "God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ", and he encouraged all to "Repent and be baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:36, 38).

Time of National Decision

As we take a fresh look at the national choice God has presented us with at this time, let us:

• seek to link the Feasts of Passover and Shavuot, remembering God's redemption from slavery to sin through the shed Blood of Messiah Jesus, and choosing to receive His Spirit of Truth;
• seek to deepen our trust and dependence on his provision, especially in times of wilderness, and not complain when we do not have (or need) the luxuries of this world;
• seek to live in the light of His revealed word, and make our homes tents of meeting where He may dwell with us - Emmanuel - and help us to make right choices;
• seek God's wisdom and discernment about the vital Referendum on 23 June. Our nation is also in a wilderness time. It is a spiritual battle. We need to repent before Him, cry out for mercy, confess the sins of our nation, and make the right choice to cleanse our nation from unGodly influences, that we might again be His salt-and-light witnesses to the world.

Jesus said, "In Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33); and "I am coming, and will live among you. Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day, and will become My people" (Zech 2:11). Paul reminds us that, "These things [in Numbers 8-12] happened to them as examples and...as warnings to us, on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come" (1 Cor 10:11).

As a nation, let us turn back to our God, make right choices, and respond to the challenge of Joshua: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15) - and of Moses:"Now choose life, so that you and your children may live...For the LORD is your life" (Deut 30:19).

References

1 See the challenging testimony in The God-Dependent Life by Joanie Yoder (1991, Hodder & Stoughton).

Author: Greg Stevenson

Weekly Scriptures: Numbers 4:21-7:89 Judges 13:2-13:25; Acts 21:17-26

This week's Torah portion is called Naso in Hebrew, which translates as take up or lift up, referring to the Lord's command to Moses to take a census of the priestly families (Num 4:21). Numbers 6:1-21 concerns the Nazirite vow.

Nazir in Hebrew means one devoted or consecrated. Applied to a vine, it means 'untrimmed'; similarly, Nazirites were unshorn: they did not cut their hair as a distinguishing public mark of their vow.

The Haftarah passage from Judges 13 is about the early life of Samson and his call to be a Nazirite and the related New Testament passage from Acts 21:17-26 concerns Paul's fulfilment of a Nazirite vow.

The Nazirite Vow in Scripture

The Nazirite vow could be taken by either a man or a woman (Num 6:2), and were taken for a period of time (usually 30 or 60 days). Samson's mother had to live as a Nazirite during her pregnancy (Jud 13:4).

There are only three life-long Nazirites mentioned in Scripture: Samson, Samuel the Prophet and John the Baptist. Samuel's mother had been barren, like Samson's mother, and in gratitude she vowed: "LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head" (1 Sam 1:11).

Regarding John the Baptist, the Lord's command before his birth via an angel was: "He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born" (Luke 1:15).

Paul and the Nazirites

In Acts 21, Paul is challenged about keeping the Law of Moses or Torah:

Then they said to Paul: 'You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.'

The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. [emphasis added]

Paul had just been meeting with James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem Church. Later Christian historians (e.g. Epiphanius and Eusebius) describe James as a being Nazirite, which may have given rise to the epithet 'the Just' after his name.¹ The Hebrew behind this would be Tzaddik, meaning righteous or just one, which is still used in the Jewish community to describe holy people.

The vow of the four men can be identified as the Nazirite vow because of the hair shaving and the offerings in accordance with the Numbers 6 instructions. Paul was challenged to pay for the expenses of these four Nazirites because it was common for poor people's expenses in fulfilling this vow to be paid by others as a good deed.
He was also being challenged to prove Torah obedience: to show that he kept or guarded (phulassó) the Law (Acts 21:24). The same idea of guardianship describes Torah observance today. If a Jewish person tells you they are shomer Shabbat, it means they are a guardian of the mitzvot, or commandments relating to Shabbat - in other words, they observe the Sabbath.

Paul and the Law

Commentators have struggled to understand why Paul would demonstrate obedience to the Law by agreeing to take part in this vow. This is because most have misunderstood obedience to the Law as belonging to a system of works-righteousness which should therefore not be continued by believers in Jesus, since righteousness only comes through faith in him.

However, Israel was always under a covenant of grace. The Law was given after they were saved through the Passover and rescued from Egypt. Therefore, they were not commanded to obey the Law in order to win God's favour, but to be able to draw closer to a holy God. However, Paul points out in Romans that his Jewish brethren had missed righteousness by faith "because they pursued it [the Torah] not by: faith but as if it were by works."

This caused them to "stumble over the stumbling stone" (Rom 9:32), who was Messiah. They did not comprehend the New Covenant because they were not keeping the Old Covenant in the way God intended. So, although Paul could say that he had kept the Law faultlessly (Phil 3:6), he could simultaneously bemoan the weakness of the flesh (Rom 7:21-23) because obedience to the Law was a matter of external action; it could not deal with the sin struggles of the inner man. Circumcision of the heart was required by the inner cleansing of the Holy Spirit, through submission to the new covenant in Messiah's blood, in faith.

Messianic Jews and the Torah

However, this still does not answer why Paul obeyed the Nazirite vow to prove Torah obedience. Was he simply trying to avoid or postpone trouble?

The issue here is specifically about Jewish obedience to the Torah. Acts 21:25 makes it clear that Gentiles were being taught to obey four basic purity laws only. The disciples had disputed at the Council of Jerusalem about Gentile obedience to the Law, describing it as a heavy yoke: "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?" (Acts 15:10).

In Galatians 5:1, Paul calls Torah obedience a "yoke of slavery". However, he is writing to Gentiles and is pointing out that you do not need the badges of Jewish belonging – circumcision, keeping food purity laws (kashrut) and Sabbath observance - in order to share in the righteousness that only comes through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Torah vs Traditions

To describe the Torah itself as a heavy yoke goes against Scripture's own teaching about it (see Psalm 119, which celebrates the Law). It was the traditions and the spirit of works-righteousness associated with it that had become a burden. To his Jewish followers, Jesus said that his (Torah) burden or "yoke" would be "easy and light" compared to the teachers of the Law of his day. But he made sure to tell them to obey the Pharisees' teaching about the Torah or Law because they were the successors of Moses, though to do it in the right spirit Matt 23:2). So Jesus did not instruct his Jewish followers to reject Torah observance.

Paul allowed freedom of conscience for all believers (Rom 14:5-6). But at the same time, he did not encourage Torah disobedience for Jewish believers in Jesus. He himself went so far in proving his Torah-observance as to take part in a Temple sacrificial ritual, such as that entailed in the Nazirite vow. He risked his life to do so, since giving "notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them" was telling his enemies his whereabouts.²

Many point to Romans 10:4: "Messiah is the end of the Law" to assert that Torah obedience was meant to cease. However, "end" here is telos, meaning goal rather than cessation. Acts 21 shows that Paul remained a Torah-observant Jew after he came to faith in Jesus as Messiah. He had no need to reject the Torah. After all, Jesus was Torah ('the Word') made flesh and obeying it simply took on new meaning. Everything in it pointed to Jesus and confirmed his Messiahship.

Freedom in Messiah

Properly understood, the Torah was to be seen as a "tree of life" (Prov 3:18) and obedience to it "rejoices the soul" (Ps 19:7). The whole of Psalm 119 celebrates it. In Christian tradition, we have a negative view of Law as onerous and burdensome. It is, if you obey it as works-righteousness, but as already pointed out, that was not the spirit of the Torah - it was how man chose to obey it.

Followed in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24) as an act of worshipful obedience, it brings joy. Many Jewish and Gentile believers have found profound satisfaction, joy and enriching of their faith in observing the biblical feasts and the biblical Sabbath (starting on Friday evening with prayers and a family meal).

"It was for freedom that Messiah has set us free" must be the banner of both Jew and Gentile. Jews are free to observe Torah - but in Messiah, not as a means to salvation. Gentiles should not seek to take on the 'badges of covenant' (as circumcision, dietary laws and Sabbath observance have been dubbed) in order to belong to Messiah.

Both Jew and Gentile have direct access to the Lord, by faith in Messiah Jesus.

The Value of Consecration: Rees Howells

However, as we consider Acts 21's implications, we may lose sight of the fact that Paul may also have been approving those who obeyed the Law in order to consecrate themselves to the Lord, which was what the Nazirite vow entailed.

One of the greatest intercessors of the 20^th Century, Rees Howells, was called to live set apart, like a Nazirite or consecrated one.³ He had to sacrifice appearance and reputation, in line with the prophets Ezekiel, Hosea and Isaiah, who were required to adopt unconventional behaviour in order to communicate God's message.

Rees Howells had the habit of praying with his head uncovered and would often pray while walking, but would only uncover his head when quite alone. It was unheard of then to go outside without a hat. It was a disgrace not to do so. The Lord challenged him to be in prayer all day long and to go hatless as a sign of this. "I was to be a spectacle before the whole town. Never had they seen a man out of doors without a hat!"⁴

The Lord said to him that he could not preach on being dead to the world until he could prove that he was dead to the world's opinions. He realised that being respectable, conforming to the world's expectations, was very important to him. But he obeyed and every day he went out hatless. In the end it became harder to disobey than to obey and people became used to it.

A harder test was to come, when God called him to deep intercession for a particular man's soul and challenged him to take the Nazirite vow of Numbers 6 – which meant he could not cut his hair or shave. He said, "I told the Lord it would be far better to die than to do this...To go without a hat was bad enough but this was a thousand times worse...The devil whispered, 'In six months [your hair and beard] will be down to your knees and the only place fit for you will be the asylum. It would not be so bad if you only went there yourself, but the worse of it is, you will send your parents there also.' He said, "I told the Holy Spirit that I knew of no one who had been called to do such a thing in this generation, and how could I ever give in to it?"⁵ Again, the Holy Spirit showed him that his fear of the world's opinion was the reason for his reluctance.

Many of his Christian friends criticised him and said he had gone too far. Some thought he really had gone mad. Only a very few of his friends knew that the Lord had called him to this for the purpose of intercession and to make him dead to the world. But gradually his vow began to affect the world around him. One old man in the village would tell people he was a modern John the Baptist. Another time a man who did not know his name, simply asked the ticket collector at the station where "the man with the Holy Ghost" lived and was directed to Rees Howells.

Afterwards he said, "I thought I would have no fear of going against the world and its opinions, and that it was the easiest thing to be dead to it, but it was the greatest error I have ever believed. I had to be pulled through inch by inch...the self-nature and all its lusts had to be changed for the divine nature. Daily I decreased and he increased."⁶

After six months of walking as a Nazirite, the Lord gave him the assurance that the purpose of the intercession had been achieved. And this was confirmed when he received a letter saying that the man whose soul he had prayed for had been converted.

How different would the Church and our nation be if more of us were really to die to self and radically consecrate ourselves to intercession and to the work of the gospel?

Author: Helen Belton

References

1 E.g. see Ephiphanius, Panarion, 29.4:4,1; also Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 2.23:4.

2 Tannehill, RC, 1994. The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation, Vol Two: The Acts of the Apostles. Fortress, Minneapolis, pp270-271.

3 Grubb, N, 2003. Rees Howells: Intercessor. Lutterworth Press.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

Weekly Scriptures: Numbers 1:1-4:20; Hosea 2:1-23; Romans 9:22-33

This week we start to work our way through the Book of Numbers, which fittingly begins with a census of the Children of Israel, taken in the second year after their exodus from Egypt.

By this point the Israelites were still in the Desert of Sinai, having received the Law through Moses at Mount Sinai some months previously. Having given them the standards and frameworks by which He required them to live, God was now preparing His people to move on into the next phase of their journey – it was time to get them ready for what lay ahead.

Divine Arrangement

With the help of 12 tribal representatives, each hand-picked by the Lord for the job, Moses made an official count of all the men over 20 years of age, arranged according to their families, clans and tribes, as the Lord commanded, totalling 603,550 people. This census was of men of arms-bearing age; that was to be the next phase of Israel's journey – a phase of battle, as they moved in to take the Promised Land.

We are not told how many people there were in total – including women and children – but there will have been well over a million. Such a vast number moving together at once required efficient organisation, so after the census, God instructed Moses on how the entire camp was to be arranged and managed as they moved through the desert.

The tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun were to camp on the east side of the Tabernacle and break camp first, the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad were to camp on the south side and break camp second, the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin took the west side and were to break camp third, and the north side was allocated to Dan, Asher and Naphtali, who were to break camp last.

In the middle of this vast outer ring were to be the Levites, also arranged by the points of the compass depending on their clan, with Moses, Aaron and his sons taking the east side – "towards the sunrise" (Num 3:38).

Finally, at the very centre of the camp, at the core of the entire community, was to be the Tabernacle itself. As has always been God's desire, He dwelt in the midst of His people.

The Priests' Calling

These were important times in the desert, with God ordering the Israelite community around His Lordship and Presence, moving them to acknowledge Him and put Him at the very centre of their lives. In an inner circle, mediating between the community and the glorious Presence of the Lord, were the Levites, who as a tribe were set apart to serve Him and minister in the Tabernacle, their lives devoted entirely to the priestly ministry.

Many see in this positioning and calling of the Levites a foreshadowing of Jesus, who stands between us and God so "that wrath will not fall" on us (Num 1:53), taking on the eternal duties of our Great High Priest and ministering perfectly on our behalf, day and night, before the Father in Heaven (Heb 8).

Redemption of the Firstborn

This image is given further significance by the principle of redemption outlined in Numbers 3. Having initially claimed every firstborn (men and animals) for Himself when He led Israel out of Egypt, God then chose to take the life-service of the Levites instead of that of the firstborns from the other tribes – he redeemed the latter with the former.

This was on a strictly one-for-one basis – in fact, when the numbers were compared in the Sinai Desert, there was an excess of 273 Israelite firstborn males who did not have a Levite counterpart to redeem them before the Lord. To make up the difference, an offering was taken of 5 shekels per extra life, with the money going to Aaron and his sons.

This whole process seems a strange one – why would God set apart the firstborns for himself, only to change his mind and take the Levites instead? Only, God did not change His mind – He did not go back on His first decision - He simply fulfilled it in another way. One for one, life for life, He took what was rightfully His.

In so doing, He foreshadowed exactly what He would later do for each one of us through Jesus. Standing in our place, giving His life as a ransom for us, Jesus redeemed us from God's wrath and into His mercy. Only this time, the sacrifice wasn't one for one – it was one for all, for all time.

Note also that the Levites who substituted for the firstborn Israelites did so as living sacrifices – it was their living, breathing devotion that God wanted. That is what the risen Jesus now gives on our behalf - but it is also what is required of us, in response. We are to become living sacrifices to the Lord.

Endnote: Preparation Wasted

The devastatingly sad thing about these first chapters of Numbers is that not long after the census was taken, the Israelites rebelled against God when the spies sent into the Promised Land spread fear-mongering stories amongst the people of giants and strong, impregnable cities (Num 14). Suddenly God's promise of sovereign protection and Divine leadership was not enough of a security for the Children of Israel.

As a result, every single one of those recorded in the census just a few weeks previously (except for Caleb and Joshua) were cursed to wander the desert for the next 40 years until each had died. The strong fighting men painstakingly counted and organised by the Lord, through Moses, would never be able to put their God-given skills into action – and they would not inherit the Land promised to them. That right passed to their children.

We can learn many things from this story, but perhaps one of the main lessons is that no matter how much we prepare ourselves and organise our lives around God outwardly, if we do not combine this with faith in His leadership and protection, and humble submission to His directives – then our life's journey will become little more than a fruitless desert wandering. The journey to which we have been saved, the righteousness given to us, the destination prepared for us – are from first to last only obtainable by faith in the Lord Jesus and His work on our behalf (Rom 9:30).

Author: Frances Rabbitts

On this page you will find the archived articles part of Dr Clifford Denton's 'Testing Prophecies Together' series, which aims to weigh and test significant prophetic words, particularly in regard to Britain's future.

• The Mother Barbara Prophecy
• Smith Wigglesworth's 1947 Prophecy of Revival
• The Visions of Jean Darnall
• Recent Prophecies Being Circulated About Britain and the EU
• A Personal Overview: Dr Clifford Denton