April 29

Numbers 6; Psalm 40-41; Song of Solomon 4; Hebrews 4

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 84: WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN THE NINTH COMMANDMENT?
Answer: The ninth commandment forbids whatever dishonors truth, or injures our own, or our neighbor’s good name.
Scripture: Ephesians 4:25; Psalm 15:3; 2 Corinthians 8:20, 21.

Numbers 6

Here Moses covers the Nazarite vow that we will see Sampson, Samuel, and John the Baptist as life-long Nazarites.  The vow is a special devotion to God for either a specified period of time or even for a lifetime.  The chapter closes with a wonderful blessing that the Lord gives to Aaron to speak over the people...“23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:23–26, ESV)
 

Psalm 40

David begins this Psalm in celebration of what the Lord has done for him and he tells of his the testimony of his life has brought others to put their trust in the LORD or at least speaks of it futuristically.  May our lives be so transformed as we wait patiently upon the LORD that we would have a joy about us in all circumstances that others would see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.  In verses 6-8 David describes how our God wants our hearts and not our sacrifices.  He wants my devotion and not my apologies.  He wants me and not anything less.  May we live unto God and may we not be double-minded living yet unto the world and trying to justify our rationalize rebellion.  Verses 9-10 speak of evangelism and the obligation we have to others and to our God that we should be sharing this great deliverance that we did not deserve to receive in the first place.  Let us be telescopes that reveal the glory of God in the face of Jesus that others may be glad in God and not hide the treasure that we have been given.  From verse 11 to the end David seems to reveal that he was coming to God with a heavy heart and with a load that he wants removed but this did not stop his prayer fro beginning with praise and thanks and a seeking of the hallowing of God’s name!  Verse 17 captures a wonderful truth for the soul.  You take thought for me O God!  Regardless of my ups and downs of emotions or attitudes and regardless of my circumstances may I be able to slow and to ponder the fact that you in your omnipresent and omnipotent holiness take thought for me.  I am a spec in the universe but yet, you take thought for me!

Psalm 41

The big takeaway from this Psalm is reconciling the sin of verse 4 and the integrity of verse 12.  How does David confess his sin and then proclaim that the LORD has upheld him because of his integrity?  I think we have integrity when we confess our sin and when we repent of our sin and when we seek to not be guilty of presumptuous (willful) sin (Ps 19:13).  We will ever have sin and this does not compromise our integrity in the larger sense.  We can rightly hate sin but we will always still have confession to make before our God.  Another takeaway is the blessing that accompany a compassion and an active mercy for the poor.  Lord give us hearts that pour out for others and make us generous people! 
 

Hebrews 4

     v1. He speaks of the promise still being available so the "rest" he speaks of has not come and gone but is ever-present.  Yet there will be a time for each of us when we will be past the point of access to the promise (death).  He actually suggests that we have a healthy fear of God in this and that we take action now.
     v2. Hearing is not the only requirement.  We must have a specific type of faith that makes us one family united in the Lord.
     v3.  The fact that he mentions keeping some from entering his rest due to their unbelief, God affirms the possibility of entering it to suggest that his rest has not concluded even though he finished the act of creation long ago.
     v4-5.  The theme here is that although God spoke of resting long ago he also speaks as though this rest can be entered into today.
     v6. So since we can still enter and we know that the disobedient do not enter…
     v7. We are to listen for his voice and not harden our hearts due to the challenges or troubles or the need for faith and we are to hope in the unseen.
     v8. The rest is spiritual and not the physical coming into the promised land or God would not have spoken of this rest after Joshua brought the Israelites into Canaan.
     v9.  So the rest remains available to us, the people of God.
     v10.  When we enter God's rest we rest from our works and efforts to achieve a righteousness of our own based on these works.  We will rest in the work of God that is complete and we will joyfully be transformed in a state of rest.
     v11.  So let our striving not be to produce our own righteousness but to rest in the work of God and allow his Spirit to do this.  It is disobedience to do anything but rest in the work of Christ and this disobedience will preclude us from entering God's rest.  I must not have the disobedience of unbelief in the finished work of Christ to empower the fulfillment of God's promises to me and thus I must resolve to not turn back at the first sight of a challenge, but I must face it and march forward resting in Christ and his work.  I must be like Abraham who did not waver concerning the promise of God but grew strong in faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God could do what he had promised! Rom 4:20-21.
     v12-13.  This is a fine matter of the heart and a subtle thing and yet the God of creation can see and know where we stand…on our own merit or on Christ's.  Lord let me never stand on my own merits but let me whole heartedly rely on Christ and his work of redemption for my soul.
     v14-15.  Yes the Word of God pierces and tests and evidences and trains.  But we also have a mediator.  We have a high priest who knows us and who stands to give us mercy and grace.  Jesus, as our high priest, passed through the heavens…take this to mean came from deity and took on human form on our behalf or reverse in the ascension knowing that he is at the throne of God interceding for us.  We are told to hold fast our confession of faith because he is able to sympathy with us in our weakness.  So maybe don't freak out and walk from your faith when you have failures.  Know that Christ faced these things too, but he didn't fail!  This is our strength!  He knows what we face and that we are weak and that we will have failings.
     v16.  Because Christ will not be surprised by our struggles and because he waits there at the throne as our advocate and our brother and our king…we can approach the throne of God, trembling though we aught to be, with a confidence that it is not to our destruction but that we are in his rest and that the work is complete.  His throne is one of grace and we will find empowering grace and mercy when we are in need and we will receive help when we draw near in the confidence of our high priest.  Jesus knows us perfectly and walked in our shoes and he bids us "come".  This is enough…

Soli Deo Gloria!