April 27 (late entry)

Numbers 4; Psalm 38; Song of Solomon 2; Hebrews 2

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 82: WHICH IS THE NINTH COMMANDMENT?
Answer: The ninth commandment is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
Scripture: Exodus 20:16.

Numbers 4

This chapter covers the listing of all the Levites among the sons of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari.  These three clans were given specific items of the tabernacle that they were responsible to carry when they packed up.  Aaron and his sons will cover all the holy things very carefully as directed by God here in this chapter and once the ark and all the holy things are covered, then the Kohathites may come in to carry them but they must only touch the poles and not the actual items.  There seems to be a message that it is a holy calling to be in the service of the Lord and yet there is an accountability and a responsibility to God in it.  It seems that the Lord does not take a time out and set his holiness aside during the move of the tabernacle.  Following these directions are a life and death matter as you would see in 2 Samuel 6:6-7 that Uzzah paid his life when he touched the ark rather than let it fall to the ground.  It seems there that we cannot decided when it OK to break God’s law based on our perceptions.  It has also been offered that Uzzah was wrong to think that the ground would defile the ark more than his hand would.  May we fear God and honor him in all we do!

Psalm 38

David confesses to God and laments the state of his mind and heart that his sin has caused.  He is very affected by the conviction of God and he desires to be rescued from this weight.  He is asking for help from the pain of sin.  May we hate our sin and feel its impact so much that it would be like poison to our bones and it would drive us to Jesus like this and may we seek repentance like water in a dry desert. 

Hebrews 2

There is a lot in this chapter and there are a couple ways to look at it also.  One proposition made at the outset is very applicable.  We must listen carefully, observe carefully, let we fall away from the truth.  We cannot be flippant about our beliefs and about what we hear in the Word of God, but we must search the scriptures and we must know the message.  Let us not neglect such a great salvation.  If this is real, if God came as a man and made a way for us to have fellowship with him by the blood of his Son, then let us seek him and know him and be confident of his teaching to us.
     v3.  Declared first (resurrection or Mosaic law?), attested to by those who heard (apostolic teaching or prophets?), God bore witness by signs and wonders (apostolic miracles or those of Jesus?), gifts of the Spirit (apostles or us?).
     v6-8. Man is so small and yet you love us.  Not only this but you took on flesh and became as lower than the very angels you created for a time to save us!  Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor and he rules but yet there is a battle that evidences not all is perfectly subject to him yet.  He announced that he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth at the great commission so this verse must indicate that perfect subjection is different than authority.  You have given Jesus authority over all things and in the end of redemptive history you will put the final rebellion under subjection to man in the person of Jesus!!!  So in putting everything under Jesus’ authority, you leave nothing outside the control of the Son of Man.  Our big brother is king and it will be perfectly evident in heaven when we see all things subjected to him!
     v9. By the grace of God and due to our common humanity you have given that Jesus should suffer and die for the sake of, and in the place of, his bride (Heb 9:15).  He only tastes death because death no longer has dominion over him once he tastes it.  He spits it out defeated and he wins.  Rom 6:9.
     v10.  God had used suffering and discipline in the history of Israel leading up to the cross and so it is fitting that this too is the way of perfection for the Son of Man.  The sacrifice and the plan or redemption are completed or “perfected" in suffering.
     v11. Jesus and us all have one source…Hmmm.  The feeling here is our common humanity clearly so I may incline to the source being Abraham.  No Adam because he speaks of us being brothers and we now that Rom 9:8 tells us that it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God.  Yet at the same time God is also our common source since we are created by him in his image.  Jesus not being created but for his flesh…his flesh was indeed created by the Spirit of God in the womb of Mary.  Jesus sanctifies by his blood and those whom he sanctifies are the elect children of God.  He is not ashamed to call us brothers because we are children of promise…counted as offspring by God himself.
     v13.  The children given to Jesus by the Father will put their trust in the Father.
     v14. Since we have physical bodies that suffer and die, he too took this on that he might effectively destroy the devil who holds the power of death (deception is his only power) until he is finally subjected to christ.  It is the power of God that judges and condemns and this is to his glory…make no mistake here.  Clarified in v15
     v15. Here we see the power spoken of is of deception to get us living in fear of death, thus keeping us from trusting God.
     v16.  He does not help the angels but the offspring of Abraham (another hint at the common source being humanity or God’s image).
     v17. In order to serve as our representative (priest) and to make payment for our sins (propitiation) he needed to be one of us (human).
     v18.  Because he suffered and understands our body and human soul directly, he is able to help us who are tempted as he was.  Now it would seem that nothing could stop him from helping us but somewhere it is on our end that our knowledge of his common experience helps us to trust or see or recognize his ability to relate to us and to help us from a point of common experience.

Soli Deo Gloria!